Classics fantasy – 10

The crowd hooted enough.

Fight was coming hot.

– On the deck! On the deck! – voices were distributed.

All came to the deck. Outlined a circle. Enemies removed jackets and rolled up sleeves. The old man Bokko undertook a role of the arbitrator. Islanders with bated breath monitored each movement of opponents.

On this signal they at the same time met in the center of a circle. The Gatling led the hot attack. Sleyton methodically and somehow inertly beat off.

From crowd remarks were heard. In the heat of hobby began to address boxers on “you”.

– Protect forces, Gatling! You see that Sleyton wants to exhaust them at you and then to finish off!

– Fervor you will not help!

– Sleyton will take! Good fellow our Feargus! Oho, what blow!.

The more fight ran high, the moods of two hostile parties were shown more brightly. They were imperceptibly demarcated: “sleytonist” stood already behind. Hobby was so big that the crowd repeated gestures of boxers as corps de ballet repeats all a pas of the dancing-master.

The Gatling really got excited at first – his nerves were too strained. But after several mistakes he began to fight more coolly. But Feargus Sleyton, having received several blows from the opponent, got excited. Now their nervous “tone” was counterbalanced, and it was already possible to judge fighting features of the opponent.

Sleyton was stronger physically, more heavy; The Gatling, conceding in force and weight, it was unusually dexterous and quickly in the movements. Sleyton attacked less often, but is more sensitive; The Gatling struck a number of the unexpected blows confusing calculations of the opponent. The result of fight was not clear. Bokko gave a break sign. Sleytonista picked up Feargus, seated, took off a shirt and began to pound strenuously towels. The Gatling other party carefully surrounded.

After a break fight was started again, with even big exasperation. Tension of the audience was at the highest point. From outside could seem that not two persons, but all population of the Island box: all of them, repeating the movements of fighters, did attacks, retreats, squats… bent aside, threw the head in a stomach of the invisible enemy…

Fight came to an end, and this time is obvious not in favor of Gatlinga.

Sleyton, appear, was inexhaustible. He derived strength from some hidden stocks of energy and struck blows with indestructible persistence now. At Gatlinga swam away the left eye from enormous bruise, from a mouth there was blood. Several times it, appear, dead fell to the ground, but the extraordinary tension of will rose again to receive new blow. Sleytonista already triumphed a victory a roar and a rumble.

But suddenly Gatling, having collected the strength, snatched on Sleyton and struck it such blow in a jaw that Sleyton, having thrown the head, failed on a floor. However, having risen hardly, he began to recede, moving back, to a ship board, wishing to wait for several seconds to recover the breath and again to take the offensive. But Gatling as the maniac, with the mad, widely opened right eye, pressed it to a board and here struck such awful blow in a nose bridge that Sleyton, having shaken in air legs, departed overboard.

Shouts of horror and delight, derisive exclamations, laughter, applause – everything mixed up in wild cacophony.

Sleytonista hastily caught the prostrate deity from green seaweed…

When it appeared on the deck, new explosion of shouts and laughter met him. All wet, entangled by seaweed, he resembled the drowned man who stayed kind days in water. His face swelled up and was blood-stained. Despite it, Sleyton tried to keep advantage.

The unsteady gait he approached Gatlingu and gave it a hand:

– You won! It is yours!

The answer of Gatlinga surprised all attendees:

– No, it not mine. I do not wish to impose myself violently at all and to become her husband only because successfully gave blow in your nose bridge!

The crowd calmed down, waiting, what will be farther. Sleyton flushed:

– Devil take it! Whether it will come to an end sometime? There is enough! Ms. Kingman! As the governor Ostrova, I suggest you to make a choice immediately, or I will order to cast lots!

– Lot! Lot!. – the crowd cried.

Ms. Kingman shuddered, unsteadily approached Gatlingu and offered to him a hand.

– At last – with a vinegary smile Sleyton told and approached to congratulate it.

– Ms. Kingman – whispered to her on an ear of Gatling – you are absolutely free, and I do not raise any claim to you. I do not dare to think that you linked life with destiny… the criminal – he added even more quietly.

Part third

Chapter 12

PLOT

– Damned boards as they creak! Do not stumble, Mr. Gatling! Give me your hand. I know the road backwards. Two decades wander I about “streets” of this island. Time as runs!. Twenty years!

And Gatling heard as Ternip heaved a deep sigh.

There was a dead of night. Stars were not visible. Second day will tighten all Island a continuous veil of fog.

It was heard as in water fish lapped, sometimes someone as if sighed. Somewhere deeply in a hold the rat in search of grain scraped. Travelers slowly, gropingly, made the way forward. From time some groan reached time: “kuu-va”, “kuu-va”, the bearing a faint resemblance shout of an eagle owl.

– What is it? – it is disturbing asked Gatling.

Ternip heaved a deep sigh again:

– The devil only knows that! Nobody knows who it cries and groans at night. Ours say that souls of the dead go in a gloom and groan. I do not trust this nonsense. And others assure that this some marine animal who is found in local places.

The Gatling remembered night visit of the deck of their steamship some being who is obviously living in the sea abyss.

– Everything can be! – Ternip answered. – But it is not excluded that it and seemed to you. In these waters harmful fog turns the head.

– But traces on the deck? All of us saw them!

– Can be… can be… Let’s sit down we will have a rest, Mr. Gatling. Short wind is damned!.

And they took seat on the deck of the old steamship.

– Now it is close. One brig, two frigates and one more wheel пароходик, and we at the purpose…

– You were on this submarine?

– Happened more than once and spoke with the German sailor who swam on it. He only last year died of a scurvy. I am not an expert, but the sailor assured that all mechanisms of the boat in serviceability and it still can be put in order.

– Whether Sleyton knows about it?

– I think what knows. Whether with this boat he also wanted to transport you to the Azores?

– But why then he did not want to use it to get out of these godforsaken places?