"Otis Adelbert Kline - Man from the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kline Otis Adelbert)

тАЬIтАЩm not hungry, anyway, and I want to stay here next suspended object he made another speech and
and watch this curious newcomer. Bring me a lighted that object also. This one burned with a
bacon and egg sandwich and a bottle of coffee blue flame. He continued thus for several minutes
when you have finished.тАЭ until all the dangling objects had been consumed тАУ
Knowing my friendтАЩs disposition тАУ for once each with a different colored flame. Then he
he had made up his mind, a fleet of tractors could extinguished the taper and knelt once more before
not drag him from his purpose тАУ I did not argue the stone, resuming his chant, and prostrating
with him, but descended to the camp. himself from time to time with his forehead
While Alamo grumbled about dudes that were touching the stone. The breeze, blowing in our
too interested in rocks to come for their chow direction, was laden with the sweet, heavy odor of
while it was hot, I finished my evening meal. Then, burning sandalwood and musk.
taking my binoculars, I carried his light snack to A half hour passed with no change in the
the professor as requested. ceremony. Then the burning joss sticks winked
out, one by one. When the last went dark, the
3
Otis Adelbert Kline Man from the Moon Amazing Stories, October, 1930

kneeling man made a final obeisance, then rose, тАЬWell IтАЩll be damned!тАЭ Alamo tilted his broad
took down his framework of poles, Stetson to one side and scratched his head in
tucked them under his arm, and leaning amazement.
heavily on his long staff departed toward the west. By this time my excited friend had reached
тАЬShowтАЩs over,тАЭ I said. тАЬShall we go back to the side of our Celestial visitor.
camp?тАЩ тАЬHe was only inviting you to sup with us, in
тАЬHardly,тАЭ replied my friend. тАЬIтАЩm going to the patois of the West,тАЭ explained the professor.
follow him. In this bright moonlight it should be The Chinaman bowed gravely to Alamo.
easy. By Jove! What has become of him? Why the тАЬYour magnificent hospitality is duly
fellow just now disappeared before my eyes!тАЭ appreciated,тАЭ he said, тАЬbut I beg to be excused, as I
тАЬMaybe he fell into a ditch,тАЭ I hazarded. may not partake of food in the presence of the
тАЬDitch, fiddlesticks!тАЭ snapped the professor. mighty Magong.тАЭ As he uttered the last word he
тАЬIтАЩve explored every square foot of this crater and extended his left hand toward the moon, then
know there is no depression of any kind where he touched his forehead as if in salute. There was
was walking.тАЭ something majestic about his bearing that made
тАЬEastern magic,тАЭ I ventured. тАЬNow you see it, one forget the tattered rags in which he was clad.
now you donтАЩt.тАЭ тАЬWe accept your excuse without question,тАЭ
тАЬRot! You stay here and watch the western said the professor, quickly. тАЬPermit me to welcome
slope with your binoculars. IтАЩm going down to you to our campfire circle.тАЭ
investigate.тАЭ Our guest bowed low, moved into the circle of
I watched, while the professor stumbled firelight, and laying his staff on the ground,
hastily across the crater and frantically searched squatted before the fire. Then he took a long
the vicinity of the place where he had declared the stemmed pipe with a small, brass bowl, from one
Celestial had disappeared. After a twenty minute of his capacious sleeves, and the professor and I
hunt, he gave it up and came back. both proffered our tobacco pouches.
тАЬQueer,тАЭ he panted as he came up beside me. тАЬIтАЩll use my own, with your indulgence,тАЭ said
тАЬDeucedly queer. I couldnтАЩt find hide nor hair of our visitor, filling his pipe from a small lacquered
the fellow тАУ not even the burnt ends of his joss box he carried. Before closing the box, he threw a
sticks. Must have taken everything with him.тАЭ pinch of tobacco into the fire, raised his left hand
We returned to camp, squatted beside the fire, toward the moon, and muttered a few words
and lighted our pipes. unintelligible to me. Then, after touching his
Alamo had stacked the dishes, putting off to forehead, he lighted his pipe with the glowing end
the last the one camp job he hated тАУ washing them of a stick from the fire.