Ucezu lwenoveli luka-Ignacio Manuel Altamirano lapho echaza khona isigebengu esinikeza isihloko somsebenzi wakhe.
Wayeyinsizwa eneminyaka engamashumi amathathu, emude, elinganiswe kahle, enomhlane wamaHerculean, futhi embozwe isiliva ngokoqobo. Ihhashi ayeligibele laliyi-sorrel ebabazekayo, ende, enemisipha, eqinile, enezinselo ezincane, izingwegwe ezinamandla njengawo wonke amahhashi asezintabeni, enentamo enhle nekhanda elihlakaniphile nelimile. Kwakuyilokho abafuyi abakubiza ngokuthi "ihhashi lokulwa."
Umgibeli wayegqokiswe okwezigelekeqe zangaleso sikhathi, futhi njengama-charros ethu, amachrosela amaningi kunamuhla. Wayegqoke ibhantshi lendwangu elimnyama elifekethisiwe lesiliva, ama-breeches anomugqa ophindwe kabili wesiliva "ama-escutcheon", ahlanganiswe ngamaketanga nezintambo zensimbi efanayo; wayezimboza ngesigqoko soboya obumnyama, obunemiphetho emikhulu futhi esakazekile, futhi eyayinombili ngenhla nangaphansi kwayo iribhoni lesiliva elibanzi futhi elijiyile elihlotshiswe ngezinkanyezi zegolide; Inkomishi eyindilinga futhi eyisicaba yayizungezwe itshali lesiliva eliphindwe kabili, lapho okhiye ababili besiliva bawela khona ohlangothini ngalunye, ngokuma kwezinkunzi, bagcina ngezindandatho zegolide.
Wayegqoka, ngaphezu kwesikhafu esasimboze ubuso bakhe, ihembe loboya ngaphansi kwebhantshi lakhe, futhi ebhandeni lakhe amavolovolo aphethwe ngophondo lwendlovu, emikhondweni yabo emnyama yesikhumba selungelo lobunikazi efekethiswe ngesiliva. Kuleli bhande kwakuboshwe i- "canana", ibhande lesikhumba elimbili elinjengebhande le-cartridge futhi ligcwaliswe nge-cartridges yezibhamu, nasesihlalweni ucelemba ophethe isibambo sesiliva esifakwe emgodleni wawo, efekethisiwe ngento efanayo.
Isihlalo ayegibele kuso sasifekethisiwe ngesiliva, ikhanda elikhulu laliyisisindo sesiliva, njengoba kwakunjalo nethayela nezintambo, netomu lehhashi laligcwele ama-chapetas, izinkanyezi nezibalo ezingenakubalwa. Ngaphezulu kwesoka lenkomo elimnyama, uboya bezimbuzi obuhle, nokulengiswa esihlalweni, kwalengiswa imisipha, emgodleni wayo ofekethisiwe, futhi ngemuva kwethayela kwaboshwa ungqimba olukhulu lwenjoloba. Futhi kuyo yonke indawo, isiliva: efekethisweni esihlalweni, ephepheni, kuzembozo, ezikhunjeni zesikhumba samahlosi ezilengiswe ekhanda lesali, kuma-spurs, konke. Leso kwakuyisiliva eliningi, futhi nomzamo wokunothisa yonke indawo wawusobala. Kwakuwukubukisa okwedelelayo, kokugxeka nokunganambitheki. Ukukhanya kwenyanga kwenza konke lokhu kukhanya futhi kwanikeza umgibeli ukubonakala kwesipoki esingajwayelekile kolunye uhlobo lwezembatho zesiliva; okuthile okufana ne-ring ring picador noma i-motley Isonto Elingcwele lekhulu. ...
Inyanga yayisezingeni eliphezulu futhi yayingu-11 ebusuku. "Isiliva" lihoxile ngemuva kwalokhu kuhlolwa okusheshayo, laya ejikeni elibheke embhedeni womfula oseduze konqenqema olugcwele izihlahla, futhi lapho, lucashe kahle emthunzini, nasogwini olomile nolunesihlabathi, walubeka unyawo. Waqaqa intambo, wadedela amatomu ehhashini lakhe, wayibamba nge-lasso, wayiyeka yahamba ibangana ukuyophuza amanzi. Ngemuva kokuthi isidingo sesilwane senelisiwe, waphinde wabhekana naso futhi wakhwela kuso ngobunono, wawela umfula wangena kwenye yezindlela ezincanyana nezinomthunzi ezaholela ebhange nezakhiwa ngothango lwezihlahla izivande.
Wahamba ngejubane futhi ngesizotha imizuzu embalwa, waze wafika ezicijile zamatshe zensimu enkulu futhi enhle kakhulu. Lapho wama ezinyaweni zesiphuzo esikhulu esinamagatsha anamaqabunga amboze bonke ububanzi bomhubhe njengendlwana, futhi ezama ukungena ngamehlo akhe ethunzini eliminyene elimboze indawo ebiyelweyo, wazenelisa kabili kulandelana ezwakalisa uhlobo lomsindo wesikhalazo :
-Psst ... psst ...! Ukuphendula okunye okufanayo, kusuka ocingweni, lapho kuvela khona umuntu omhlophe kungekudala.
-Manuelita! -washo ngezwi eliphansi "isiliva"
-My Zarco, ngilapha! kuphendula izwi lowesifazane omnandi.
Leyo ndoda kwakunguZarco, umgulukudu odumile ogama lakhe laligcwele sonke isifunda ngokwesaba.
