Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 4
EzraWeedenwaspresentatthefinding;andrememberingthebayingofthenightbefore,setoutalongWeybossetStreetandacrossMuddyDockBridgewhencethesoundhadcome.Hehadacuriousexpectancy,andwasnotsurprisedwhen,reachingtheedgeofthesettleddistrictwherethestreetmergedintothePawtuxetRoad,hecameuponsomeverycurioustracksinthesnow.Thenakedgianthadbeenpursuedbydogsandmanybootedmen,andthereturningtracksofthehoundsandtheirmasterscouldbeeasilytraced.Theyhadgivenupthechaseuponcomingtoonearthetown.Weedensmiledgrimly,andasaperfunctorydetailtracedthefootprintsbacktotheirsource.ItwasthePawtuxetfarmofJosephCurwen,ashewellknewitwouldbe;andhewouldhavegivenmuchhadtheyardbeenlessconfusinglytrampled.Asitwas,hedarednotseemtoointerestedinfulldaylight.Dr.Bowen,towhomWeedenwentatoncewithhisreport,performedanautopsyonthestrangecorpse,anddiscoveredpeculiaritieswhichbaffledhimutterly.Thedigestivetractsofthehugemanseemednevertohavebeeninuse,whilstthewholeskinhadacoarse,looselyknittextureimpossibletoaccountfor.Impressedbywhattheoldmenwhisperedofthisbody’slikenesstothelong-deadblacksmithDanielGreen,whosegreat-grandsonAaronHoppinwasasupercargoinCurwen’semploy,WeedenaskedcasualquestionstillhefoundwhereGreenwasburied.ThatnightapartyoftenvisitedtheoldNorthBuryingGroundoppositeHerrenden’sLaneandopenedagrave.
