Waltey
Prikazenski jezdec
061 The Phantom Dragoon
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land · Charles M. SkinnerO besedilu
Prikazenski jezdec
- Vir
- Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
- Avtor
- Charles M. Skinner
- Jezik branja
- Slovenščina
- Jezik izvirnika
- English
- Čas branja
- 3 min branja
- Obseg
- 2 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- 061 The Phantom Dragoon
O izvirniku
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
Obsežna zgodovinska zbirka ameriških legend, ki jih je Skinner zbral in avtorsko rekonstruiral. Bralni jezik je Slovenščina, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Myths and Legends of Our Own Land v jeziku English.
Besedilo
Prikazenski jezdec
Vzpetina, ki se dviga kakšno miljo južno od Newarka v Delawaru, se imenuje Iron Hill, ker je bogata s hematitno rudo, toda v času napredovanja generala Howa proti Brandywinu bi si to ime prav lahko prislužila tudi zaradi vojne oprave — mrkih topov, bliskajočih se mečev in lesketajočih se bajonetov —, ki se je pojavila med britanskimi šotori, postavljenimi na njej. Potem ko so rdečesuknjičniki tu uredili tabor, so Američani pomaknili svoje predstraže naprej in enega od stražarjev namestili pri cerkvi Welsh Tract. Med prvo stražo je vojaka silno prestrašila prikazen, od glave do pet odeta v belo, ki je na konju v polnem diru pridrvela le kakšnih deset čevljev pred njegov obraz. Ko so ga zamenjali, je rotil, naj ga nikoli več ne pošljejo na to stražarsko mesto. Pred sovražnikom iz mesa in krvi so bili njegovi živci trdni — toda pred sovražnikom iz groba! Brr! Raje bi dezertiral, kakor da bi se še enkrat srečal s tisto prikaznijo. Njegovi prošnji so ugodili. Stražarja, ki ga je nasledil, sta v urah po polnoči preplašila nenaden topot kopit in poblisk blede postave. Streljal je nanjo in zdelo se mu je, da mu je v odgovor odmeval porogljiv smeh.
Vsako noč je prikazenski jezdec opravljal svoje obhode in stražarji so večkrat streljali nanj, a brez učinka; ne beli konj ne beli jezdec se za te napade nista zmenila. Ko je prišel na vrsto star desetnik, dvomljivec brez bujne domišljije, da prevzame nočno stražo, si je dovolil sam prevzeti dolžnosti na tem stražarskem mestu. Skrbno je preveril smodnik na ponvici svoje muškete, se opolnoči umaknil iz mesečine in čakal s puško, naslonjeno na ograjo. Kmalu je zaslišal bližajoči se topot kopit in kljub svoji odločnosti ga je spreletel srh po hrbtenici, ko se je prikazala postava na konju, ki bi prav lahko bila Smrt na bledem konju; toda klobuk si je potisnil globlje na glavo, stisnil zobe in premišljeno pomeril s svojo kremenjačo. Jezdec je bil že blizu, ko je desetnikova mušketa počila; bela postava je obležala na cesti, konj pa oddirjal v daljavo. Desetnik je preplezal ograjo in, zdaj že pomirjen, stekel do postave ter jo obrnil: britanski izvidnik, povsem mrtev. Predrznež se je zanašal na vraževerne strahove podeželanov, ki so mu stali nasproti, in je vsako noč jezdil naokrog kot duh, da bi ameriškim predstražam preprečil napredovanje, obenem pa z višjih točk ocenjeval številčnost in razporeditev njihovih čet. Nosil je jeklen prsni oklep, vendar ta njegovih možganov ni obvaroval pred desetnikovo kroglo.
Izvirnik
061 The Phantom Dragoon
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
The height that rises a mile or so to the south of Newark, Delaware, is called Iron Hill, because it is rich in hematite ore, but about the time of General Howe's advance to the Brandywine it might well have won its name because of the panoply of war--the sullen guns, the flashing swords, and glistening bayonets--that appeared among the British tents pitched on it. After the red-coats had established camp here the American outposts were advanced and one of the pickets was stationed at Welsh Tract Church. On his first tour of duty the sentry was thrown into great alarm by the appearance of a figure robed from head to foot in white, that rode a horse at a charging gait within ten feet of his face. When guard was relieved the soldier begged that he might never be assigned to that post again. His nerves were strong in the presence of an enemy in the flesh--but an enemy out of the grave! Ugh! He would desert rather than encounter that shape again. His request was granted. The sentry who succeeded him was startled, in the small hours, by a rush of hoofs and the flash of a pallid form. He fired at it, and thought that he heard the sound of a mocking laugh come back.
Every night the phantom horseman made his rounds, and several times the sentinels shot at him without effect, the white horse and white rider showing no annoyance at these assaults. When it came the turn of a sceptical and unimaginative old corporal to take the night detail, he took the liberty of assuming the responsibilities of this post himself. He looked well to the priming of his musket, and at midnight withdrew out of the moonshine and waited, with his gun resting on a fence. It was not long before the beat of hoofs was heard approaching, and in spite of himself the corporal felt a thrill along his spine as a mounted figure that might have represented Death on the pale horse came into view; but he jammed his hat down, set his teeth, and sighted his flint-lock with deliberation. The rider was near, when bang went the corporal's musket, and a white form was lying in the road, a horse speeding into the distance. Scrambling over the fence, the corporal, reassured, ran to the form and turned it over: a British scout, quite dead. The daring fellow, relying on the superstitious fears of the rustics in his front, had made a nightly ride as a ghost, in order to keep the American outposts from advancing, and also to guess, from elevated points, at the strength and disposition of their troops. He wore a cuirass of steel, but that did not protect his brain from the corporal's bullet.
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