"Arthur, Robert - The Three Investigators 010 - The Mystery of the Moaning Cave" - читать интересную книгу автора (Arthur Robert)

But most people said that El Diablo never left the cave, that he simply remained hidden where the Americans could not find him, and that he was still there! For many years, every time there was an unsolved robbery or act of violence, it was said to have been El Diablo, still riding through the night on his great black horse. The moaning continued somewhere inside the cave, which became known as El Diablo's Cave.

"Then," Professor Walsh concluded, "the moaning suddenly stopped. The Spanish-speaking people said that El Diablo had grown weary and given up his raids--but that he was still in the cave waiting for a time when he would be really needed!"

"Gosh," Pete exclaimed. "You mean some people think he's still there in the cave?"

"How could he be?" Bob asked.

"Well, boys," the professor said, "I've done a great deal of research on El Diablo. For example, all his old pictures show him wearing his pistol on the right hip, but I am certain he was left-handed!"

Jupiter nodded thoughtfully. "The stories about such a legendary figure are often false."

"Exactly," Professor Walsh said. "Now the official story has always been that he died of his wound that night in the cave. But I have studied the record closely, and I am convinced that his wound could not have been fatal. Since he was only eighteen years old in 1888, it is entirely possible that El Diablo is still alive!"





4

The Investigation Begins



"DON'T be ridiculous, Walsh!" Mr. Dalton exploded. "Why, that would make him almost a hundred years old. A man that old isn't likely to be running around the countryside!"

"I think you'd be surprised how spry a man of a hundred can be," Professor Walsh said quietly. "There are reports of men in the Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia who still ride and fight when they are a hundred or more. Anyway, our phantom isn't doing much more than moan from a cave."

"That's true, sir," Jupiter said.

"Also," Professor Walsh pointed out, "it is entirely possible that El Diablo might have descendants. Perhaps a son or even a grandson is carrying on his career."

Mr. Dalton began to look a little less sceptical. "That sounds more likely. The people who had the ranch before us never used Moaning Valley, but we are planning to build a range corral out there. Perhaps some descendant doesn't want El Diablo's legend interfered with."

"Jess, that could be the answer!" Mrs. Dalton cried. "Don't you remember? Some of our older Mexican ranch hands were against our plan to use Moaning Valley even before the moaning began."

"And they were among the first to leave us," Mr. Dalton exclaimed. "To-morrow I'm going to talk to the sheriff and see if he knows of any descendants of El Diablo."

"Perhaps you'd all like to see a picture of El Diablo," Professor Walsh said. He took a small picture from his pocket and passed it around. It showed a slim young man with burning, dark eyes and a proud face. The picture, which was obviously a photograph of a painting, seemed to prove that El Diablo had been little more than a boy. He wore a wide-brimmed, high-crowned black vaquero sombrero, a short black jacket, a black shirt with a high neck, and tight black trousers that flared at the bottom above shiny black pointed boots.

"Did he always wear black?" Bob asked.

"Always," Walsh replied. "He said that he was in mourning for his people and his country."

"He was a bandit and nothing more, and tomorrow I'll talk to the sheriff to see if any fools are trying to continue his legend," Mr. Dalton said firmly. Then the lean rancher smiled. "And interesting as I admit El Diablo is, a ranch doesn't run itself. I have work to do to-night, and you boys must be tired from your trip. I expect I'll be working you hard to-morrow. Pete's Dad said you wanted to learn all about how a ranch operates, and the only way to learn is to do the work."

"We're really not at all tired, Mr. Dalton," Jupiter said briskly. "Are we, fellows?"

"Not at all," Bob agreed.