奇书网

第27章 The Stubbook（第1页）

第27章TheStub-book

PedrodeAlar

OldBuscabeata'sbattheperiodofwhichIamgoihereasonwasthathewassixtyyearsold，fortyofentieceofgroundonthebanksoftheRiverCostilla。Thatyearhehadcultivatedonhisfarmaouspumpkins，andthesepumpkinshadattainedanecolorbothi，whichshowedthatitwashofJuaskneweaperfectlybyitsform，itsstateofripeshefortywhichwerefattestaincolour。Hespentallhisdaysgazienderly，andsadlyexg，"Soonweshallhavetopart!"

&ernoonhedethesacrifitedtotheripestofhisbelovedpumpkins，whisomucheffort，andsaidtheterriblewords，"TomorrowIwillcutthesefortyaotheCadizmarket。Happyisthemanwhoilleatthem!"Andhewalkedbacktothehousewithsloewiththeagonyofafatherwhoisgoingtomarryoffhisdaughteronthefollowingday。"Mypoordearpumpkins!"hesighedagainandagaiofallasleep。Butthe，"WhatelseIdobutsellthem?Icultivatedthemforthatpurpose。AtleastIwillreceivefifteendurosforthem。"

Imagiremeasto，furyaiohefolltothefarm，hediscoveredthathehadbeenrthenightofhisfortypumpkiimeIwillmerelysaythathewasfilledwithtragidthatherepeatedagainandagaierriblewords，"Oh，ifIcatchyou，ifIcatchyou!"

Theoreflect，dhedecidedthathisbelovedpumpkinsotbeinRota，hisnativevillage。Itwouldbeimpossibletoputthemoherebecausetheywnized。Besides，pumpkichedaverylowpricethere。

"TheyareinCadiz!"Hedecidedaftermuchthought。"Thatrascal，therobber，robbedmelastnightateno'descapedwiththematmidnightinthecargoboat。IwilltaketheboatthisverymfordIwillbeverymuchsurprisedifIdonotcatchtherobberahedaughtersofmylabour。"Sosayiremaiweheseofthedisasterasifgthemissingpumpkinsterriblepuherobber，untilitwaseighto'dheleftiio。

Itwasalmostreadytosail。ItleavesforCadizeverymatnineo'clpasseasthecargoboatleaveseverynightatmidnightgfruitaables。

ThatmathalfpastteaspausedinfroablestallintheCadizmarket-pladsaidtoaboredpoliwhowasstandingby。"Thosearemypumpkiman!"Aedtothemert。

"Arrestme!"exclaimedthemert，surprisedandfurious。"Thosepumpkinsaremithem。。。"

"You'llbeabletotellthattothejudge，"answeredBuscabeatas。

"Ios;t。"

"Youwill。"

"You'rearascal。"

"You'reathief。"

"Youshouldspeakwithmorepoliteness。Menshouldnottalktoeachotherinthisfashion，"thepolisaidwithextremecalm，hittihemi。Meanwhileacrowdhadcolleditwasnotlohereappearedthepolispectorofthepublicmarket，theioroffood。

Thepolitoldthisgreatmaneio。

"Fromwhomdidyoubuythesepumpkins?"theioraskedimportantly。

"FromFulano，theoldmanfromRota，"themertreplied。

"Thatwouldbetheman!"criedBuscabeatas。"That'sthefellowIsuspected!Hisfarmispoor，aproduceslittle，hebeginstorobhisneighbours。"

"Butifweadmitthatyouwererobbedlastnightoffortypumpkins，"saidtheior，"horovethattheseandnoothers，areyours?"

"Why?"repliedBuscabeatas。"Beowthemaswellasyouknhters，ifyouhaveany，don'tyouseethatIhaveraisedthem?Lookhere!Thisoneiscalled'theroundone'，thatoneis'thefatfelloos;，thisoneis'theredone'，thatis'Manuela'becausesheresemblesmyyouer。"Andthepooroldmaocrybitterly。

"Allthisisverygood，"aheior。"Butthelawdoesisfiedwiththefactynizeyourpumpkins。Itishatauthorityshouldbecedthatthethiedandthatyoushouldidentifyitroofs。Senores，youneedn'tsmile。Iamalawyer。"

"Well，youwillsoohatthepumpkins;andyouwillseethemwithoutmovingfromthisplace。"

Buscabeatas'swordsastoors，buthedroppedonthegroundapackagewhichhehadbeenginhishadownandcalmlybegasinthehandkerchiefwhichwasroundthepackage。

"Whatishegoi?"everybodyaskedwithastohesametimeanothercuriousspectatorjoihedseeiexclaimed，"Iamgladyouarehere，Fulano!Thismansaysthatthesepumpkins，whielastolen。Youexplain。。。"

Theurnedyellowaoescape。Butherevented，andinadditioestedthatheshouldremain。"Igrewthesepumpkinsonmyfarm，"hesaid，"andnooneprovethetrary。"

"Nowyouwillsee，"saidBuscabeatas，openingthehateredonthegroundaquantityofpumpkinstalks，stillgreehen，sittingoahlaughter，hesaid，"Gentlemen，haveyoueverpaidtaxes?Ifso，haveyouseenthatgreenbookwhichthetax-collectorcarries?Receiptsareit，aubbywhibeprovedtisfalseornot。"

"Whatyaboutisthestub-book，"saidtheiravely。

"ThatiswhatIamgwithme;itisthestub-bookofmygardehestalksthatwereattapkiheywerestolenfromme。Andifyoudonotbelieveme，lookatthem。Thisstalkbelohispumpkin。Nobodydoubtit。Thisotherone，asyoueasilysee，belohisohisone，whichiswider，mustbelongtothisotheroly!Andthisohato;

&hesewords，hefittedastalktothehinthepumpkiludwithastohespectatorssawthatthestalkexactlyfittedtheshapeofthehole。Thentheyall，ingthepolidtheiorhimself，bentdownlowaoassistBuscabeatasinthisstrangeproof，allsayingwithchildishpleasure，"Yes，yes!Itislyso!Thisonebelongshere!Doyousee?"

Theoldfarmer'seyesfilledpihepoliselvesreadytotaketherobberofftoprison。

ItisuosaythatthispleasurewasgrahatFulanowasobligedtoreturthefifteenduroshehadreceived。

Buscabeatasreturawithdeepsatisfa，buthekeptsayingontheway，"Howbeautifultheylookedi-place!Ishouldhavebroughtbauela，sothatImighteathertonightaheseeds。"