Chapter 3 Chapter 2 The Man on the Horseback
The head of the Quinn household was unusual.Generally speaking, the meaning of the word general manager is immeasurably broad. It is only through the dedicated efforts of Nordic plagiarists that we understand the more accurate semantics of this Spanish word and establish a near-complete and stereotyped impression in the visual category. —regal air, dignified manners, and—this above all else—a relentless pursuit of ostentation.And what a real steward (of course, not counting the first few years of ruthless tempering of dignity) must have: rich body, moderate speech and deeds, calm and witty; ; the walking speed must be able to adapt to the change from the slow swaying of the Pope's honor guard to the triumphant gallop of the soldiers in the American naval port.Then again, he must have the tact and scoundrel of a Mississippi gambler, the bargaining instinct of a Parisian businessman, and the loyalty of his master's dog.
Except for his fidelity, the head of the Quinn family has none of the characteristics of any one in the butler camp that has ever existed.Far from the noble, majestic, and phony routines that people imagine, he looks more like a waif in this metropolitan slum.He doesn't have a fat belly, but he is solid and light, with small feet and slender limbs, and his figure is like a dancer; his two big clear eyes are as bright as the moon; and his behavior can only be described as green fairy-like Light and lively.
As for age, Barham made a romantic description of such a big child: "The stage between children and adults, the so-called half-child; still round, immature, shy, wonderful twenty-eight years old." It's a pity. Barham's writing!The sixteen-year-old is neither round nor immature; instead, he's as slender as a camera stand and as thin as an adolescent Cassius.
This was Dijuna--the great Dijuna, as Ellery Quinn used to call him; Quinn and his son took care of everything in an orderly manner.He was originally an orphan, and Ellery was in college at the time, and Police Officer Quinn, who lived alone, took him home. The little guy with no name was dark, but he was very clever, no doubt inheriting the keenness of his gypsy ancestors Ingeniously, he soon took on all the housework and kept his hands and feet all day long.
Providence is unpredictable.If it weren't for Dijuna, the Quinns wouldn't have been involved in a mystery-ridden affair, at least not yet known to them.Dijuna, of gypsy blood, fiddled with the module of fate by some mysterious means, and led Ellery's nose to the Colosseum.To understand this dramatic moment, it is necessary to revisit the general characteristics of adolescents.
Sixteen-year-old Di Juna is still a childish boy.It was only under the guidance of Quinn and his son that he gradually managed to control the wildness in the gypsy blood in the corner of his heart. Day after day, he became gentle and well-behaved—using secular and absurd terms. The saying is called "well-educated".When he has nothing to do on weekdays, he goes to the club to play tennis, handball, basketball, and everything; watching movies is his more fanatical hobby, and he wants to be intoxicated even if he spends all his money.Had he been born a few decades earlier, his hunger might have been satiated by wolfing down the wonderful adventures of Nick Carter, Horatio Alger, and Alzeller.With such a life experience, he looked for worshipable gods from the world—that is, the heroes on the screen, especially those rangers with leggings, wide-brimmed hats, horses, guns, and reins. One strategy for thousands of miles, heroic spirit"!
This constitutes a certain necessary connection.When the news agent of the Crazy Bill Grant Riding Troupe published the news of the western equestrian show in the major New York newspapers and used red printing to exaggerate the troupe's history, background, purpose, purpose, specialties, magic skills and the situation of the stars of the troupe And when advertising with the greatest exaggeration, Dijuna imagined the scene of the big circus tent coming to the city and the ecstasy of the audience in the stands-the loud screaming of the tent being overturned, the peanut cracking The crisp sound, the surprised and ecstatic eyes of the children... He was so excited that he couldn't control it.From the moment he saw the ad, Dijuna's dark eyes lit up, staring at the schedule for the opening of the horse show.The Quinns understood: the boy couldn't rest, he must witness this marvelous event, and (of which he talked all day long) the great hero Buck Horne; A living cowboy; he must see "Wild Horses Hooves"; he must look at the stars... In short, he must see with his own eyes everything related to it.
So, Richard Quinn, the police officer Quinn who had led the homicide squad through countless dangerous situations, called Tony Mars, whom he had only met once, like a warm grandfather. He had booked tickets for the opening ceremony of the equestrian show; and, unbeknownst to Dijuna, the Quinns and his sons would accompany him, and they would sit in Mas's private box in the Grand Arena to spend the night of joy together.
Just wanting to restrain Di Jun's impetuous temperament, Quinn and his son endured the pestering for a long time-"Leave early, please!" As a result, they became the first guests to enter the Mas box.Mass' box sits at the southeast corner of the oval.The big arena is already half full at this moment, and a dense flow of people is still pouring in from various passages.Quinn and his son leaned on the back of the plush-covered chair, while Di Juna pressed his pointed chin against the front railing, and his eyes that were almost smoking were busy taking in every bit of movement off the court. vision.There are still a few workers in the middle area who are doing the final leveling of the site.The personnel on Major Kobe's photography platform were also busy testing equipment.Dijuna's eyes were no longer enough to notice that the great Tony Mars had entered their box—a tuft of new top hats on his head, a thick cigar between his teeth.
"Glad to see you again, great detective; oh, Mr. Quinn!" He sat down, and glanced about with his small eyes, as if he felt the need to be alert all the time. "Look, here's another thrill It's Broadway, huh?"
Sergeant Quinn shrugged his nose. "I think," he said kindly, "that it might be a good idea for a guy from Brooklyn, the Browns, Staten Island, Winchester, or anywhere. Has a certain appeal; not necessarily for Broadway people.”
"Just look at your vulgar audience, Mr. Mass," Ellery sneered.Because the hawkers were already running back and forth in the stands, the crisp sound of cracking peanuts quickly filled the audience.
"But you're going to see a lot of self-righteous Broadway jerks coming tonight," Mass said. "I know a thing or two about my audience. Broadway people are just a bunch of old fritters with an air of invulnerability." ;There is actually a pot of pulp in their heads, and they are very guilty. They will still sit in and chew peanuts; Look? Whistling, stomping, whatever; deep down they love the state, and if you try to take those rags back, they'll cry and beg you to stop! Besides, old Buck Howe Well, I'm going to show off tonight."
Hearing this sacred name, Di Juna's ears perked up, and he turned his head and looked at Tony Mars carefully, with respect on his face.
"Buckhorn," said Inspector Quinn, with a dreamy smile, "that old fool! I thought he had died out of nowhere. Some darn idea to get him out again, I'd like to see. "
"No bad idea, officer, just trying to give him a hand."
"how to say?"
"Think about it," Marth said thoughtfully, "it's been almost ten years since Buck left the film industry. Three years ago, he was in another movie, but there was no response. Now, you can say anything... ...He's best friends with Crazy Bill Grant. Grant's kind of a talent in business. What's the purpose: If Buck is lucky and his comeback is making a splash in New York right now, everything will be fine , next season he will be able to return to the film industry."
"Then I guess it's all Grant has done for him?"
The founder of the arena glanced around at his masterpiece: "Oh, I didn't say that I wasn't interested in it."
Officer Quinn moved his chair to make himself more comfortable: "How is the planning of the competition going?"
"What bout? Oh, you mean the boxing bout! It's going well, officer, it's going well. Far more tickets are booked than I expected. I think—"
There was a slight sound from the back of the box, they turned their heads away, and immediately stood up.A beautiful girl appeared at the door of the box; she wore a black evening dress with an ermine shawl, and set off a charming smiling face.A few young men who purposely wore hats so handsomely followed behind, chatting in a hurry; some of them even held their cameras.She went into the box and Tony Mars graciously pointed out to her the front seat.This was followed by mutual introductions.Di Juna, who had been staring at the performance venue greedily, looked back at the sound and was stunned.
"Miss Horn—this is Officer Quinn, this is Ellery Queen..."
Di Juna knocked over the chair in a panic, his little face was distorted: "You—" he panted and said to the girl who was startled by him, "You are Kit Horn?"
"Of course it's me, what's the matter?"
"Oh," Dijuna exclaimed tremblingly and backed away until he leaned against the railing.
"Oh," he said again, eyes widening.After taking a breath, he spoke again, "But—but, where's your revolver, miss? And your—Where's the horse, where is it?"
"Dijuna!" Police Officer Quinn snapped.
But Kit Horne laughed, and she said to Dijuna solemnly, "I'm so sorry, I have to leave them at home. Otherwise, I'm afraid the guard won't let me in. Got it?"
"Wow——" Di Juna exclaimed, staring at her dazzling face with rapt attention, without moving for a long time.Poor Dijuna!It was too much for him to bear, that the idol he adored was standing in front of him; besides, she had talked so much to him!
To "The Great Dijuna," the accident was almost more miraculous than seeing—seeing the old Buffalo Bill.This incredible elf who is active on the screen—a beautiful goddess who gallops like a Valkyrie, has extraordinary marksmanship like a male bodyguard, and hates evil like a knight-errant knight... He stood there for a long time in amazement Only then blinked, and reluctantly shifted his gaze to the other person standing behind the box.
That's Tommy Black.
He was accompanied by two others--another dazzling class--Myra Gay, who would make any man's heart flutter, and Julian Hunt, rich and well-dressed.Dijuna really couldn't bear the frequent surprises; he swallowed and struggled under the impact of this miraculous miracle, Miss Horne just now, and Tommy Black came again in front of him!The all-time Tommy Blake of boxing!God!He quietly sat back in his seat, feeling ashamed of himself; but from this moment on, it seemed that everyone in the box disappeared, and Di Juna's thoughts were all on the big boxer, even though he was not even aimed at him. One glance—the man started bowing and shaking hands like a head-knocker as soon as he entered the door, and then slipped into the chair next to Marla Gay as soon as he came out—as if he was quite qualified—talked to her in a soft voice on.
Everything makes Ellery feel funny, the fluttering reporters, the terrified Dijuna, the self-reserved Kit Horn, the defiant and hypocritical Mara Gay; Leanne Hunter; Mars, nervously staring at the hands of a big clock; Blake, with a slippery demeanor and posture—as it usually happens.Ellery could sense the inevitable undercurrent and conflict in any group of people together; but what puzzled him was why Hunter was smiling so weirdly, and why Kit Horn suddenly restrained himself. and the most astonishing thing is that Mara Gaye, a famous Hollywood actress and the highest paid movie star in the world, looks very different from her pure and beautiful image on the screen: although she is still dressed in jewels, The eyes are also looking forward and shining like in the movie.But the whole person seemed to be a few sizes smaller than he had imagined, and looked thin and shriveled; the eyes didn't seem to be so unusually large.Plus, sitting here—without the guidance of a discerning, critical director—her demeanor is flawed and neurotic, almost trembling with nervousness.
A sudden suspicion occurred to Ellery, and he continued to watch quietly.
Guests from all walks of life in the box are chatting politely with each other.
Surrounded by so many superstars and celebrities at once, Di Juna's heart almost jumped out of his throat, looking left and right, at a loss.Fortunately, the situation has changed, and the performance program has started; Di Juna's attention was immediately diverted from the embarrassing and boring situation in front of him, and he turned to look at the venue with full attention.
The oval gymnasium, which is like a large bowl with a flat mouth, is full of seats and buzzing with people.The social world also came in full force, with celebrities and beauties shining in the ring stands.The arena quickly entered an orderly state.Then, a group of horses and horses flashed out from a small side door, and the people on the horses were all colorful - bright red scarves, leather jeans, colorful vests, brown hats, checked shirts and silver spurs.They started galloping their horses, performing various horse skills, the nooses flying frequently in the dust and smoke, and the crisp sounds of flying guns shooting one after another.People on the photography platform were nervously capturing various shots and were extremely busy.The sound of horseshoes and rhythmic gunshots resounded in the huge arena...
A slender young man wearing a gorgeous denim outfit stood in the center of the field, with light-colored curly hair shining in soft arcs on his head, and a wisp of smoke surrounded him.I saw him step on the catapult with his foot, and the glass flying target scattered out; he calmly pushed the bullet into the chamber, raised the long-barreled pistol, and shot towards the small point that flew away quickly.
"It's Curly Grant!" someone cried.Curley bowed, took off his hat, grabbed a big brown horse, leaped into the saddle, and charged from the sidelines in the direction of Mars's box.
Ellery moved the seat closer to Kit Horn to make room for Myla Gay to have fun with Tommy Blake; and Hunter, in good time, sat alone in the back of the box.Mars was nowhere to be seen by this time.
"I guess, you must care about your father." Ellery couldn't help sighing softly when he noticed Kit's eyes fixed on the performance field.
"He's really unreasonable-oh, some things are hard to explain." She smiled slightly, her two slender eyebrows were straightened together, and she looked preoccupied. His biological father was much stronger; I was a baby when he adopted me. To me, he was the best father in the world.”
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't know—"
"You don't need to apologize, Mr. Quinn. You didn't offend anyone. In fact, I am very proud of having such a father." She sighed. "But I am not the best daughter. These days, I It feels like Buck has been morose. We've been apart for over a year and it's just this rodeo that brings us back together."
"That's perfectly understandable, you're working in Hollywood, and Mr. Horne has to keep the ranch—"
"It's really hard. I've been so busy shooting on location in California that I've had very little free time, and I've left Buck all alone in Wyoming...sometimes I can't see him for months, and I can't even see him if I go. Couldn't stay for a day or two. So he was very lonely all the time."
"Then why," Ellery asked concerned, "can't he move to California?"
Kit frowned even tighter: "Oh, I've been urging him to move. But three years ago he tried to get back into film, but—well, they don't want to repeat the same old tune, those people seem to rather go A grand prix. It hit Buck hard, shut himself up in the ranch, and became a hermit."
"And you," said Ellery mildly, "are you his apple of the eye and his only one?"
"Yes, he has no family or relatives, and is very lonely. Apart from his yellow-faced cook and a few old friends who helped him graze many years ago, he doesn't have much society. In fact, he often visits All he has is me and Mr. Grant."
"Ah, it's the legendary Crazy Bill?" Ellery said leisurely.
She looked at him with puzzled eyes: "Yeah, the legendary Crazy Bill. Occasionally passing by the ranch, catching up with his circus vacation, he would stay there for a few days. My daughter is too dereliction of duty! In recent years He's getting worse--though there's nothing too dangerous about it. I always thought it was just getting old. But he's getting thinner and gaunter, and..."
"Hey! Kit!"
She blushed suddenly and leaned eagerly forward.Out of the corner of her eye, Ellery saw that Marla Gay suddenly looked strange and her speech faltered and incomprehensible.The curly-haired boy who shot the glass ball reined in his horse and smiled at them from under the fence of their box, then easily jumped from the saddle, flew over and grabbed the railing, and hung in the air outside the box.His horse reasonably waited aside.
"My God, Curley," said Kitty cautiously, "you . . . you get down here!"
"You're a stuntwoman," said Curly, giggling. "I'm not going down, Miss Kitter. I'm here to explain to you—"
Ellery benevolently turned his head away.
Here comes another episode.The lean, military-looking Major Kobe suddenly appeared at the door of the box, accompanied by a restless Tony Mars.He greeted the funny-looking Curley with a smile, tapped his heels again, bowed to the ladies, and shook hands with the gentlemen one by one.
Curley's mischievous head disappeared over the fence, and Kit sat back down with a flushed smile.
"You know little Grant?" Sergeant Quinn asked the major.
"Yes, yes," said the major. "He's one of those lucky young men, and quick-witted, who can make friends with anybody. I know him, though."
"Known in the army?"
"That's right. He's still my subordinate." Major Bryant sighed, and stroked his little black beard with his well-manicured nails, "Ah, that war... like a bad brand of spoiled cans, let me say If so, that's the assessment." He went on, "Curley was different, oh—he was about sixteen, I think, and people were clamoring to end the war; To go single-handedly into the arsenal, and nearly lose his foolish life at Saint-Michel. These young men are—reckless."
"That's bravery," Kit interjected tenderly.
The major shrugged his shoulders, and Ellery suppressed a smile.Obviously, Major Kirby, who had come home from the field with great honor, had nothing good to say about that war; besides, he could not agree more with sacrificing a soldier's life to compete with the enemy for two acres of dispensable land.
"Now I'm in a bigger war," he said with a sneer. "You don't know competition until you've been in journalism. I'm doing the newsreel for this event tonight; you know what?" , we got an exclusive interview right."
"I said—" Ellery was a little eager to say something to him.
"Sorry, I have to go back to my gang," Major Kirby added thoughtfully, "see you later, Tony." He saluted again and walked out of the box quickly.
"Brilliant little man," sighed Tony Mars, "you can't judge by appearances; you can tell he's still one of the best sharpshooters in the U.S. Army. I mean, was; it was Army Tournament time. In the end, the guy is a pro at photojournalism!" He blew his nose and looked down at his watch.Immediately, his expression became tense, and he sat down in his original seat in a panic as if a major event was imminent.At this time, everyone focused their attention on the field.
There was no one in the performance area.Suddenly, cowboys and cowboys came galloping out on horseback.Soon the field was filled with smoke and dust, and everything became blurred.The sound of hoofbeats shook the arena rapidly, and the people on the photography platform could barely stand.
Major Bryant trotted through a side door with his hands raised; the wicket closed quickly behind him; The photographers took their places.
The audience held their breath.
Dijuna panted rapidly and rhythmically.
At this time, the gate on the west side of the arena was pulled open by a man in uniform with a bang, and a man rushed out on a horse.
The man was in good shape.Crouching on the saddle; the clothes are dull, the hat is old, and a long barrel gun is slung on the right side.He came to the center of the field non-stop, and there was a cloud of dust and smoke from the place where the horse was stationed; he pulled the rein tight, so that the horse stood up high, and he stood up on the stirrup; then he took off his hat with his left hand and turned to the audience. After waving it, he put it on again, and stood there smiling.
A storm of applause!stomp!Dijuna stomped his feet especially vigorously.
"Crazy Bill." Tony Mars muttered to himself, his face pale.
"What's there to be nervous about, Tony?" Tommy Black sneered under his breath.
"The intense opening ceremony always makes me feel like I'm going to have a convulsion." Said the competitive sports promoter.
"Shh-"
The man on horseback shifted the reins to his left hand, and the right hand drew a double-barreled revolver from its holster.The long barrel of the gun glowed with a blue light under the arc light.
He swung the gun into the air, and with a crisp pop, the butt recoiled briskly downward.Then, he pouted his old lips and let out a mournful howl: "Hey... ow... woo..." The sound of howling like a wolf reverberated in the stadium for a long time, and the audience fell silent, and the field was silent.
The revolver was back in its holster.Crazy Bill jumped off the horse, stroked the horse's back affectionately, and spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said in a booming voice that could be clearly heard by those sitting in the back row, "permit me to welcome all of you to the opening of the Crazy Bill Grant Rodeo Show. A heartfelt welcome!--(applause)--we bring the world's largest lineup of male and female cowboys!--(cheers)--from the sun-baked plains of Texas to the rolling pastures of Wyoming; From the great state of Arizona to the mountains of Montana; our brave elves are everywhere. Here they come, presenting the happiest entertainment to all of you!--(stomping furiously)--they will risk their lives Perform a variety of thrilling stunts: roping, riding, taming, shooting, etc., which must become the greatest sport in the world-an ancient and amazing competitive sport! Also, ladies and gentlemen, today In addition to the regular performances tonight, I will also be honored to present a special surprise to the great New York!"
He paused, put on a pompous gesture, let his words echo fully and waited for the warm applause in return.
Then, Crazy Bill raised an arm: "Guys, this is not an ordinary wanderer who is about to come before you! -- (laughs) -- everybody! I know you're all anxious to see him in person, so I won't Waste of everyone's time. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to introduce to you the world's greatest Mr. Cowboy, the pioneer who brought the style of the old west to the silver screen! …America's greatest movie star, one and only , Buck Horn, an all-time entertainer! Let's applaud!"
The sound of clapping and clapping almost knocked down the ceiling of the stands.Of course, of all the yelling, clapping, whistling, and screaming, Dijuna made the most noise—the poor little guy turned green.
Ellery smiled too, and he glanced at Kit Horn; she was leaning nervously over the fence, her soft bronze face worried, her gray-blue eyes fixed on the east side of the yard with melancholy eyes. the gate.
The site assistant, who was wearing a uniform and looked extremely small from a distance, had already started to push the huge east gate back. A tall horse headed straight towards the site like an arrow, and as it flew by, its shiny fur pulled out an arc. , the handsome horse head proudly forward.A man sits on horseback.
"Buck!"
"Buck Horne!"
"Come on, let's see!"
Horn leaned slightly forward on the saddle, galloping the horse with ease.The so-called dignified appearance, extraordinary spirit, old and immortal generation of cowboy heroes.The band in the stands played cheerful music leisurely, and the crowd erupted in joy.The scene is reminiscent of the grandeur of the big circuses of yesteryear when they made their first shows in Kankakee or Tannerville, Ohio.
Dijuna clapped his little hands desperately in ecstasy; and Kit leaned back in his chair with a relieved smile.
Ellery leaned over and patted Kit's knee lightly.Kit turned to look at him puzzled.
"What a horse he's riding!" Ellery called out to her, raising his voice.
She laughed loudly, "Of course a fine horse, Mr. Quinn! It cost five thousand dollars."
"Oh! Just a horse?"
"Just one horse. It's called Ruohai. It's my favorite, my favorite pet. Buck is going to ride this horse on purpose tonight. He says it will bring him good luck."
Ellery leaned back in his chair, the smile on his face blurred.
The man on horseback took off his brand new black ten-gallon hat, and bowed to the audience on the left and right sides respectively; then he clasped his knees, rode the horse and walked slowly, and after almost a circle, he reached the oval At the turn on the east side of the runway, it stopped diagonally below the Mas box.
He stands majestically like an ancient god of war, with a poised expression; the sequins on the gorgeous western costumes and the metal accessories on the harness are shining in the light; It is spread out, shining like brocade; the horse stands proudly like a statue; the slender right leg is slightly stretched forward, looking elegant and well-trained.
Kit stood up, stretched out her graceful figure set off by her dignified dress, took a deep breath, and gave a long whistle to Buck and her horse. The breath passed, and Ellery was short. The short hair was also blown on end; Ellery blinked and stood up involuntarily.Officer Quinn squeezed the back of the chair tightly; Dijuna was still stamping his feet desperately.After a while, Kit sat down quietly again, with a happy smile on his face.Amidst the noise, the man on horseback turned his head sideways, as if looking for someone.
Suddenly someone behind Ellery called out viciously: "Damn!"
Ellery said hastily to Kit, "That's the vulgarity, huh?"
Her smile had faded, but she nodded cheerfully, though her pointed jaw was tense and her back was as straight as a soldier.
Ellery turned back with affected casualness.There was a big Tommy Black sitting leaning forward with his arms on his knees.He was still whispering to Marla Gaye.Julian Hunt smoked silently in the back.Tony Masi stared at the field, as if being hypnotized.
Crazy Bill yelled a few times in the uproar, but no one could hear; He was waving his baton frantically, and the field still couldn't calm down.At this time, Horn raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.Soon, the noisy voices gradually disappeared, and it took only a few seconds for the whole audience to quiet down, just like the waves that washed up on the deck receded quietly.
"Ladies and gentlemen," cried Crazy Bill, "I want to thank you all for such a warm welcome, and so does Buck! Now we begin our first show: Formation Run! Buck will lead four Ten cowboys racing around the track! It will be as exciting as he did in the movies! This is just the beginning, after that, Buck will perform horse stunts and excellent marksmanship for us alone!"
Buck pushed his hat low to his forehead.Crazy Bill drew his long-barreled revolver from the holster again, pointed the muzzle into the air, and momentarily pulled the trigger.The gates on the east side of the arena slammed open, and a troop of horses and horses rushed out; cowboys and cowboys rode wild west horses to the track; whistling and waving their hats.The first to bear the brunt of Curly Grant with golden curls and one-armed Woody.People's eyes immediately focused on the one-armed man—Woody, who was driving the piebald mustang with one hand, really looked very skilled and elegant.
Wearing a boy hat and a black ribbon around the neck, the cavalry team of cowboys flew on the runway like arrows, crossed the north field, and stabbed the west field...
Ellery turned to Sergeant Quinn and said, "Our old friend Crazy Bill does have a special talent for this job, but he needs to brush up on his arithmetic."
"Aha?"
"Grant announced at the beginning how many people are going to follow Buck around the field?"
"Oh! Forty, isn't it? I say, where are you thinking?"
Ellery breathed a sigh of relief: "I don't know why either. But—perhaps because Grant was trying to make the number clear—so I counted it."
"Oh?"
"Forty-one."
Officer Quinn sniffed his nose disapprovingly, and leaned back in his chair with his gray beard curled up: "You, you... shut up, you! My God, Ellery, sometimes you are really annoying. Forty Why does one person bother you, even if there are one hundred and ninety-seven of them, so what!"
Ellery said quietly, "Watch your blood pressure, Mr. Inspector. But..."
Dijuna protested softly: "Oh, shh—"
Ellery fell silent.
The galloping procession marched to the south side of the sports field, and stopped in unison, and the uniform movements were very graceful.Silence descended on the audience again.Riding cowboys lined up in a long row.Curly Grant and the one-armed Woody stood at the head of the line, keeping a distance of about thirty feet from Buck Horn, who led the line alone.
At this moment, in the middle of the field, Crazy Bill stood high on the stirrup, and shouted with the air of a great director, "Are you ready, Buck?"
Major Kirby on the camera platform directed all his camera crews to adjust the focus, aim at the target, and wait with bated breath.
Buck, who was standing far in front of the queue, waved his arm, pulled out an old-fashioned revolver from the holster on the right side, raised his arm, the muzzle of the gun shot into the sky, and pulled the trigger.With the violent gunshots, he shouted: "Shoot!"
Behind him, forty-one arms extended to forty-one holsters at the same time; forty-one guns appeared in full view... Crazy Bill stood where he was, and fired another shot into the sky.I saw Buck shrugged his broad shoulders, leaned forward slightly, and with the gun in his right hand still pointed at the sky, he rode his horse and rushed out along the runway.At the same time, the entire horse formation began to run wildly, making a huge bang, mixed with the wild whistles of the cowboys, which was as shocking as the movie effect of tens of thousands of horses galloping in the boundless wilderness.In an instant, the fleet of galloping horses was approaching Masi's box, and the leading "Ruohai" was running at the northeast turn of the field, 40 feet away from the group.
At this moment, the marching cowboys once again raised their guns together and shot towards the sky at the same time. A huge explosion engulfed the entire stadium, and thick gun smoke filled the air immediately.The burst of gunfire seemed to be a response to the order of the leader who was running ahead.
Twenty thousand pairs of eyes were fixed on the leader of the team.20,000 pairs of eyes will also witness the split-second event at the same time and will not be able to believe what they see.
Just after the cavalry's deafening gunshots, Buck Horn's body on the saddle leaned to the south side, his right hand still held his revolver high, and his left hand still held the rein tightly. "Ruohai" sensed that the reins holding it were pulled very tightly, and continued to run forward until it reached the runway on the other side of the runway opposite to the north and south of the large group of people marching under Masi's box.
At this time, the man on the back of "Ruohai" suddenly bent obliquely backwards, fell, got out of the saddle, and fell heavily on the road... The horse team that was chasing after him had already rushed over, and forty-one horses were galloping的铁蹄残酷地从那人身上践踏了过去。
Notes:
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