cw.blackalibi-第4节

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answer。　〃Yes；　I　saw　it　ing　toward　me　up　ahead；　and　knew　it　was　something　bad　because　of　all　the　hollering　behind　it。　Where　did　it　go？　You　think　I　waited　to　find　out？　I　dove　into　the　nearest　doorway　and　slammed　the　door　shut　behind　me。　By　the　time　I　looked　out　again；　it　wasn't　there　any　more。〃
　　At　last；　near　the　tail　end　of　the　procession　of　refugees；　was　found　a　little　girl　of　ten　or　so　who；　when　her　turn　came；　promised　to　be　of　some　help。　For　a　moment　they　thought　they　had　something。　She　had　been　at　the　window　in　time　to　see　it；　she　insisted　proudly；　because　she　had　been　leaning　out　of　it　for　a　long　time　before　that。　〃I　saw　something　big　and　black　ing　down　our　street；　from　way　up　there。〃
　　An　alert　conclave　formed　about　her　for　a　moment。　〃Where　did　it　go？　Where　did　it　disappear　to？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　I　ran　inside　to　call　my　brother　to　e　and　see　it；　and　when　we　came　back　it　wasn't　there　any　more。〃
　　The　conclave　split　open　again；　like　an　overripe　pod。
　　It　would　have　to　be　ferreted　out　by　a　house…tohouse　search；　the　lieutenant　in　charge　decided。　The　only　tenable　assumption　left　was　that　it　had　found　some　doorway；　crevice；　gap；　somewhere　along　these　moldering　walls；　had　sidled　in；　and　was　still　lurking　somewhere　in　one　of　the　shadowy　interiors；　perhaps　in　a　basement；　perhaps　in　some　unused　flue；　perhaps　in　the　cavity　under　a　staircase…there　was　no　electricity　anywhere　along　this　cranny；　inside　or　out…breathing　latent　death。
　　The　search　began　from　the　Alameda　end…it　was　nearing　eight　by　then…and　it　was　well　on　the　way　toward　midnight　by　the　time　the　posse　emerged　from　the　last　house　of　all；　flanking　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires…empty…handed。　The　search　had　failed　as　pletely　as　the　original　pursuit　had。　It　had　been　thorough；　even　if　not　successful。　They　had　gone　from　top　to　bottom　and　from　bottorn　to　top　of　every　building　along　the　way；　flashing　lights　into　corners；　tapping　walls；　poking　aside　crates　and　boxes　and　litter；　revolvers　and　stout　clubs　ready　at　hand　to　deal　with　it　if　it　should　turn；　up。　But　it　didn't。
　　The　crowd　behind　the　ropes　at　each　end；　peering　down　the　hazy　blue　pathway　of　the　fire…fighting　headlight；　would　hold　its　collective　breath　each　time　while　they　were　inside；　the　wink　of　torches　through　the　windows　showing　their　progress　tier　by　tier。　Then　they　would　e　out　again；　report；　〃Not　in　that　one；〃　to　their　manding　officer；　the　structure　would　be　given　a　clean　bill　of　health；　and　they　would　go　trooping　into　the　next。　Finally　the　dramatic　effect　began　to　wear　off；　after　the　numerous　repetitions。　Here　and　there　someone　turned　away　and　went　about　his　business；　it　was　getting　late。　Someone　in　the　thinning　ranks　of　onlookers　was　heard　to　suggest　half　facetiously　that　maybe　it　had　esconced　itself　in　the　back　of　some　cart　or　vehicle　that　had　been　left　standing　there　with　its　rear　open；　been　inadvertently　shut　in　by　the　driver　on　returning　a　moment　later　and　all　unknowingly　transported　out　of　the　neighborhood。　The　only　trouble　with　this　theory　was　that　there　had　been　no　such　fortuitous　conveyance　in　the　alley　at　the　time；　they　could　be　sure　of　this　for　the　very　good　reason　that　the　place　wasn't　wide　enough　to　admit　anything　but　a　pushcart。　Someone　else　suggested　that　maybe　it　had　gone　up　in　a　balloon；　and　drew　a　big　laugh。　A　spirit　of　skepticism　began　to　make　its　appearance　among　the　last　ditch　spectators；　cheated　of　the　excitement　they　had　expected　and　taking　it　out　that　way。　〃Maybe　it　went　into　the　church　to　say　its　prayers！〃　someone　called　down　the　alley　through　cupped　hands。
　　The　little　church　he　had　reference　to　sat　at　the　end　of　a　small　cul…de…sac；　down　toward　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires　end。　The　alley　bent　sharply　in　direction　several　times　during　its　short　length。　At　one　of　these　bends　it　forked　in　two；　in　appearance　though　not　in　actuality。　One　branch　of　the　fork　was　simply　a　brief　dead　end；　ing　up　against　a　wafer…thin　chapel；　San　Sulpicio；　dating　from　colonial　days。　In　other　words；　simply　an　inset；　a　niche；　lying　off　the　main　course　of　the　alley；　only　a　few　meters　in　extent。
　　This　chapel　was　the　least　likely　of　all　places　along　there　for　it　to　have　found　refuge。　For　one　thing；　it　was　no　longer　in　use；　having　been　abandoned　years　before　at　the　time　of　some　damage　received　during　some　long…forgotten　earthquake。　Its　stout　mahogany　door；　however；　was　still　intact；　it　took　them　the　better　part　of　half　an　hour　to　force　it　with　crowbar　and　chisel。　It　had　been　unopened　for　as　long　as　the　memory　of　the　oldest　dweller　around　there　could　stretch。　And　within；　when　they　had　dislodged　it　finally；　they　found　simplY　a　desolate　litter　of　rotted　pews　and　fallen　plaster　within　a　roofless　shell　through　which　the　stars　peered。　It　could　neither　have　got　in　here　in　the　first　place；　nor；　if　it　once　had；　have　got　out　again　from　the　foursquare　stone　cell　that　was　all　the　place　offered。
　　They　came　out　again；　brushing　their　whitened　sleeves；　coughing　and　sneezing；　one　man　nursing　a　scorpion　bite　on　the　back　of　his　hand。
　　Moments　later；　the　Plaza　de　los　Mбrtires　had　been　reached；　the　search　was　perforce　at　an　end。
　　The　sensation…hungry　idlers　began　to　melt　away　with　increasing　rapidity。　Midnight　tolled　from　a　belfry　here；　a　belfry　there。　The　long…maintained　fire…equipment　spotlight　suddenly　blanked　out；　the　vehicle　drove　away。　The　ropes　were　taken　down。　The　inhabitants　were　allowed　to　return。　Oil　lamps；　kerosene；　and　candles　winked　here　and　there　from　within　the　fumigated　buildings　as　they　resumed　occupancy。　They　stood　for　awhile　in　small　clusters　outside　their　doors；　talking　it　over。　Then　these　too　disbanded　as　they　went　in　one　by　one　to　their　respective　abodes　to　sleep。　The　alley　returned　to　normal。
　　The　majority　of　the　police　were　withdrawn。　One　man　was　left　posted；　for　the　rest　of　the　night；　at　each　end　of　the　alley；　though　for　what　purpose；　it　was　hard　to　conjecture。
　　The　night　wore　on　toward　its　predestined　finish；　just　as　every　night　before　it　had　in　its　time。
　　At　any　rate；　only　one　thing　was　certain；　so　far；　out　of　the　whole　episode。　The　jaguar　had　not　been　recaptured。　The　jaguar；　therefore；　must　still　be　at　large　somewhere　or　other。
　　Morning　came；　and　in　its　confidence…inspiring　light　a　different　view　began　to　be　taken　of　the　whole　thing。　The　brilliant；　sunny　daylight　killed　fears　and　vapors。　It　seemed　incredible　that　such　a　fantastic　thing　could　have　happened。　Ciudad　Real　was　a　town　of　natural…born　skeptics　anyway。　By　the　time　the　morning　coffees　and　pan　dulce　had　been　swallowed　everywhere；　a　rumor　had　spread　that　the　whole　affair　had　simply　been　a　publicity　hoax　perpetrated　by　Walker　and　her　press　agent。　Like　the　usual　actress'　missing…jewels　stunt。　That　this　did　not　take　into　account　what　had　actually　bee　of　the　fleet…footed　quadruped　did　not　impair　its　ready　acceptance；　it　spread　from　mouth　to　mouth。　Even　those　who　the　night　before　had　been　the　first　to　lock　their　doors　and　peer　anxiously　under　their　beds　were　the　first　to　say：　〃I　knew　it　all　along。　You　didn't　believe　it；　did　you？〃　Whereupon　the　other　fellow　scoffed；　〃Of　course　not；　what　do　you　take　me　for？〃　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　there　were　dozens　of　eyewitnesses；　the　rumor　very　nearly　succeeded　in　downing　the　reality。　The　very　eyewitnesses　themselves　felt　selfconscious　after　a　while　when　they　tried　to　insist　they'd　seen　it。　They　began　to　wonder　privately　if　they　actually　had；　after　all。
　　The　newspapers；　those　barometers　of　public　opinion；　helped　to　disseminate　this　point　of　view。　They　all　carried　items　about　it；　but　treated　it　humorously；　tongue　in　cheek。　〃The　great　jaguar　scare〃；　〃Who　has　Miss　Walker's　jaguar？　Will　somebody　please　return　it？〃　were　some　of　the　headings。　People　greeted　one　another　facetiously　all　over　town　with：　〃Well；　have　you　seen　the　jaguar　yet？〃
　　The　police；　keeping　their　own　counsel；　may　have　preferred　it　so。　It　at　least　saved　them　from　the　nuisance　of　dozens　of　hysterical　false　alarms　all　clay　long。　This　way；　not　one　came　in。　They　noticeably　didn't　discontinue　the　search　altogether；　a　Sure　sign　that　there　was　something　to　look　for；　after　all。　Only　it　became　more　diffuse；　it　was　harder　for　the　man　in　the　street　to　tell　just　what　they　were　doing；　now　that　there　was　no　longer　any　one　particular　locality；　such　as　the　alley；　for　them　to　concentrate　on。
　　Manning；　through　all　of　this；　had　had　a　most　unpleasant　twenty…four　hours　of　it。　Not　only　was　he　detained　in　jail　all　of　that　first　night；　charged　with　violating　some　ancient　city　ordinance　or　other　that　prohibited　the　conveying　of　wild　animals　through　the　streets　without　a　permit；　haled　into　court　in　the　morning；　severely　lectured　for　his　misdemeanor；　and　fined　a　nominal　sum　before　he　was　released；　but　he　was　also　out　of　his　job　with　Kiki　Walker。
　　She　made　this　known　to　him　in　no　uncertain　terms　over　the　transom　of　her　locked　hotel…suite　door　when　he　tried　to　get　in　to　see　her　the　night　after　the　debacle。　Her　voice　came　through　ringingly；　in　fact　so　ringingly　that　other　doors　here　and　there　along　the　hotel　corridor　began　to　open　curiously　after　a　moment　or　two。
　　〃You've　got　your　nerve　ing　around　here　again；　after　what　happened！　You've　made　me　the　laughingstock　of　the　whole　town；　I　want　you　to　know！　Beat　it！　Take　your　bright　ideas　somewhere