Любимые герои. Книга для чтения на английском языке

The Headless Horseman

“Oh, Tara1, wouldn’t you like to be back in Ireland, in the old castle? I myself would like to be there. But who knows when the young master will go back and take us with him! Never mind, Tara! He is going to the Fort again soon, and he has promised to take us with him. He says he will go there as soon as he catches that spotted mustang. Hush! What’s that?”

“Phelim2!” came a voice from the outside. “Phelim!” The dog ran to the door.

“It’s the master,” said Phelim and followed the dog.

Phelim was right. It was the voice of his master, Maurice Gerald.

When the servant went out, he saw Maurice on horseback. His master was not alone. At the end of the lasso was a captive. It was a mustang of dark chocolate colour with white spots.

“Hooray!” cried Phelim. “You have caught the spotted mustang at last.”

The mustang was put into the shed. Maurice went into the hut and threw himself on the bed. He was tired.

Suddenly Tara began to bark. Phelim looked out and said, “It’s old Zeb Stump3.”

Zeb Stump was a tall man of about fifty, big and strong. He was a hunter and a great friend of the mustanger.

1Tara ['tC:rA] — Тара

2Phelim ['felIm] — Фелим

3Zeb Stump ['zeb'stEmp] — Зеб Стамп

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“Good evening, Mr. Stump,” said Maurice. “Come in and take a seat1. Will you have something to eat? Phelim will make supper. I’m sorry I can’t offer you anything very good — I haven’t hunted a long time. I was very busy: I was trying to catch a very curious mustang.”

“What kind of mustang?” asked the hunter with interest.

“A mustang of dark chocolate colour with white spots.”

“Why, young man! That’s the very business about which I have come to you.”

“Indeed!”

“I have seen that mustang, and I wanted to tell you to try and catch it. I’ll tell you why. I’ve been to the Fort. Well, there is a man there. I knew him before. His name is Poindexter.”

“Poindexter?”

“Yes. He is a rich planter. He has come from the Mississippi2 with his nephew, Calhoun by name, who is also rich and he gives money to his uncle, and he has his reason for it. They have a big estate near the Leona river. It is called Casa del Corvo. Now, young man, I’ll tell you why I wanted to see you. That planter has a daughter who is fond of horses. She heard how I told the old man about the spotted mustang. She wanted to have it, and her father promised to give two hundred dollars for the animal. So I went to you. Catch that mustang and you will get the money.”

1take a seat — садитесь

2Mississippi [,mIsI'sIpI] — р. Миссисипи

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The young man took the hunter to the shed and showed him the mustang.

“Why, you have caught it already! Miss Poindexter will be pleased! And you will have your two hundred dollars.”

QUESTIONS AND TASKS

1.Describe the caravan of Woodley Poindexter.

2.Find in the text the description of Woodley Poindexter, his son Henry, his nephew Cassius Calhoun and Maurice Gerald.

3.How did Maurice Gerald help the travellers during the storm?

4.Describe the hut of Maurice Gerald.

5.Using the text, prove that it was difficult for Maurice Gerald to catch the spotted mustang.

6.Why did the planter want to buy the spotted mustang?

Part II

I

(The next day Gerald and Zeb Stump went to the Fort with the spotted mustang. They took the mustang to Casa del Corvo and showed it to Woodley Poindexter and his daughter. Louise Poindexter liked the mustang very much, but Maurice refused to sell it. He gave the mustang to Louise as a present. Louise and Maurice fell in love with each other1. By and by they began to meet secret-

1 fell in love with each other — полюбили друг друга

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ly. One day Maurice showed Louise his hut, which she liked very much.

Captain Cassius Calhoun, who was a very unpleasant man, loved Louise and wanted to marry her, but she did not love him. Calhoun disliked

Mauricefromtheirfirstmeeting,butwhenhesaw that the young people loved each other, he began to hate the mustanger. One evening Calhoun met Maurice at the Fort and insulted him. They had a duel. Maurice took the upper hand1, and the captain had to apologize. After that Captain Calhoun hated Maurice still more. He decided to kill the young man.)

Maurice Gerald and Louise Poindexter loved each other. The proud planter had no idea of their love. He did not suspect that his own daughter — his only daughter — of the best blood of the aristocracy — was in love with a horse-hunter! He did not suspect it and he slept quietly that dark night, when his daughter and the mustanger were talking in the garden of Casa del Corvo.

“We shall meet again tomorrow night, dear Maurice?”

“No, my dear Louise.” “And why not?”

“Tomorrow I must leave. We must part for a short time.”

“And why so?”

1 took the upper hand — одержал верх

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“I am called to my native country — Ireland. I received the letter only yesterday. But I am glad to go because the letter tells me that I shall be able to return soon and prove to your proud father that the poor horse-hunter —”

But here they were suddenly interrupted.

II

When the young people were talking, they were sure that they were alone in the garden. But they were mistaken. Somebody was standing behind the trees and listening to them. It was Cassius Calhoun.

Why did he not spring forward and kill the man at once? Was it because he saw a pistol at his side?

Maybe, because of that. He turned away and hurried to the house.

Where did Cassius Calhoun go?

Certainly not to his own bedroom.

He went to the bedroom of his cousin Henry Poindexter.

“Wake up, Henry, wake up!” said he and shook the young man by the shoulder.

“Oh! Is that you, cousin Cassius? What is it?” “Get up and you will see. Quick, or it will be too

late.”

Henry quickly put on his shirt and trousers and followed his cousin into the garden.

“What is it, Cassius? What does all this mean?”

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“See for yourself! Look through this opening in the trees. Do you see anything there?”

“Something white. It looks like a woman’s dress. Yes, it is a woman.”

“Yes. Who do you think she is?” “I can’t tell. And who is she?”

“There is another figure near her.”

“Yes, I see. It is a man.” “And who do you think he is?”

“How do I know, cousin Cassius? Do you know?” “Yes, I do. That man is Maurice the mustan-

ger.”

“And the woman?” “Louise — your sister!”

Without a word the brother jumped forward. “Stop!” said Calhoun. “You forget that you are

unarmed! Take this and this,” and he put his own knife and pistol into the hands of his cousin.

In six seconds Henry Poindexter was standing face to face with the mustanger.

“Scoundrel!” he cried. “Don’t touch my sister! Louise! Step aside and let me kill him! Aside, I say!”

Louise quickly caught her brother by the hands. “Go, go!” she shouted to Maurice. “My brother is deceived. I shall explain to him. Away, Maurice! Away!”

“Henry Poindexter,” said the young man, “I am not a scoundrel as you have called me. Give me time and I shall prove to your father, your cousin and you that I am worthy of your sister’s love.” Maurice disappeared.

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“Brother! You don’t know him!” said Louise. “Oh, Henry, you don’t know how noble he is! He is a gentleman, and — I love him. Why, oh! Brother! Why did you insult him?”

“Have I insulted him?” “Yes, Henry.”

“Then I shall go and apologize. I liked him from the first — you know I did! Sister! Go back into the house and go to bed. And I shall take my horse and go after him. I shall go at once.”

III

On that same night three solitary travellers on horseback crossed the prairie to the south of the Leona river.

Thefirstofthesetravellerswasridingonagood strong horse. He had a serape on his shoulders, evidently to protect him from the cold wind of the night. He was not in a hurry. He allowed his horse to walk quietly. So he rode across the prairie until he disappeared in the forest in the distance.

Almost at the same moment a second horseman appeared. He was riding in the same direction. On his shoulders he had a dark cloak. It was clear that this horseman was in a hurry. He rode on until he also disappeared in the forest, exactly at the same point as the first horseman.

It is very strange, but just as the second horseman entered the forest, a third one appeared. He was wearing a red cloak and carried a gun. He often looked behind him. Perhaps he was afraid

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that someone would see him. Like the first two, he crossed the prairie in the same direction and disappeared in the forest.

An hour passed, and the silence of the night was interrupted by the sound of a gun-shot.

IV

(In the morning Henry did not come to break- fast. He was not in his bedroom and his horse was not in the stable. Soon the horse came, but without the rider. It was clear that something had happened to Henry. His father, Captain Calhoun and

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some officers from the Fort went to look for him. In the forest they found a pool of blood, but there was no body.)

As the party moved back, a jaguar suddenly ap- peared from among the trees. Two men fired at the same time — Cassius Calhoun and one of the officers. One bullet hit the animal and it fell dead. The officer said it was his bullet, Calhoun said it was his.

“I shall show you,” said Calhoun and took his knife. “You see, gentlemen, the bullet is still in the animal’s body. If it is mine, you will find my initials on it — C.C. I always mark my bullets.” He took out the bullet. Everybody examined it

and found the letters C.C. on it.

The party rode on but suddenly stopped in horror.

If you see a rider on horseback and it seems to you that there is something strange about him; if you look attentively and see that the rider has no head — you will be frightened to death.

And this was just what they saw.

All eyes were turned in the same direction.

Was it a stuffed figure1?

If not, what was it?

Was it a ghost?

“Why, it’s the devil himself!” cried one of the of- ficers loudly.

1 stuffed figure ['stEft'fIMA] — чучело

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The Headless Horseman turned and galloped away.

QUESTIONS AND TASKS

1.Why did Cassius Calhoun want to kill Maurice Gerald?

2.Why did Maurice tell Louise that they would not meet the next day?

3.Prove that Cassius Calhoun was cowardly and mean.

4.Who do you think were the three horsemen that crossed the prairie one after another?

5.How did Cassius Calhoun prove that the jaguar was killed by him?

6.Describe the impression which the Headless Horseman produced on the party.

Part III

I

On the morning after the night, when the three solitary horsemen crossed the prairie, in the forest, half a mile from the pool of blood, lay a man.

A young man, with a pleasant face. He was lying on his back, with his face turned to the sky. He did not move.

Was he dead?

Alotofblackvultureswereflyingoverhim.The birds believed that the man was dead.

But the black birds were mistaken. The man opened his eyes. He raised himself a little and looked around.

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