福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第12章Part3
"I promised you once that I would go some day. I think the time is coming. I had news to-night, bad news, and I see trouble coming."
"The police?"
"Well, a Pinkerton. But, sure, you wouldn't know what that is, acushla, nor what it may mean to the likes of me. I'm too deep in this thing, and I may have to get out of it quick. You said you would come with me if I went."
"Oh, Jack, it would be the saving of you!"
"I'm an honest man in some things, Ettie. I wouldn't hurt a hair of your bonny head for all that the world can give, nor ever pull you down one inch from the golden throne above the clouds where I always see you. Would you trust me?"
She put her hand in his without a word. "Well, then, listen to what I say, and do as I order you, for indeed it's the only way for us. Things are going to happen in this valley. I feel it in my bones. There may be many of us that will have to look out for ourselves. I'm one, anyhow. If I go, by day or night, it's you that must come with me!"
"I'd come after you, Jack."
"No, no, you shall come WITH me. If this valley is closed to me and I can never come back, how can I leave you behind, and me perhaps in hiding from the police with never a chance of a message? It's with me you must come. I know a good woman in the place I come from, and it's there I'd leave you till we can get married. Will you come?"
"Yes, Jack, I will come."
"God bless you for your trust in me! It's a fiend out of hell that I should be if I abused it. Now, mark you, Ettie, it will be just a word to you, and when it reaches you, you will drop everything and come right down to the waiting room at the depot and stay there till I come for you."
"Day or night, I'll come at the word, Jack."
Somewhat eased in mind, now that his own preparations for escape had been begun, McMurdo went on to the lodge. It had already assembled, and only by complicated signs and countersigns could he pass through the outer guard and inner guard who close-tiled it. A buzz of pleasure and welcome greeted him as he entered. The long room was crowded, and through the haze of tobacco smoke he saw the tangled black mane of the Bodymaster, the cruel, unfriendly features of Baldwin, the vulture face of Harraway, the secretary, and a dozen more who were among the leaders of the lodge. He rejoiced that they should all be there to take counsel over his news.
"Indeed, it's glad we are to see you, Brother!" cried the chairman. "There's business here that wants a Solomon in judgment to set it right."
"It's Lander and Egan," explained his neighbour as he took his seat. "They both claim the head money given by the lodge for the shooting of old man Crabbe over at Stylestown, and who's to say which fired the bullet?"
McMurdo rose in his place and raised his hand. The expression of his face froze the attention of the audience. There was a dead hush of expectation.
"Eminent Bodymaster," he said, in a solemn voice, "I claim urgency!"
"Brother McMurdo claims urgency," said McGinty. "It's a claim that by the rules of this lodge takes precedence. Now Brother, we attend you."
McMurdo took the letter from his pocket.
"Eminent Bodymaster and Brethren," he said, "I am the bearer of ill news this day; but it is better that it should be known and discussed, than that a blow should fall upon us without warning which would destroy us all. I have information that the most powerful and richest organizations in this state have bound themselves together for our destruction, and that at this very moment there is a Pinkerton detective, one Birdy Edwards, at work in the valley collecting the evidence which may put a rope round the necks of many of us, and send every man in this room into a felon's cell. That is the situation for the discussion of which I have made a claim of urgency."
There was a dead silence in the room. It was broken by the chairman.
"What is your evidence for this, Brother McMurdo?" he asked.
"It is in this letter which has come into my hands," said McMurdo. Me read the passage aloud. "It is a matter of honour with me that I can give no further particulars about the letter, nor put it into your hands; but I assure you that there is nothing else in it which can affect the interests of the lodge. I put the case before you as it has reached me."
"Let me say, Mr. Chairman," said one of the older brethren, "that I have heard of Birdy Edwards, and that he has the name of being the best man in the Pinkerton service."
"Does anyone know him by sight?" asked McGinty.
“有一次我答應你，將來我要離開這裏。我想這一天終於來到了。今晚我得到一個消息，是一個壞消息，我看麻煩事來了。”
“是警察嗎？”
“對，是一個平克頓的偵探。不過，親愛的，你不用打聽到底是怎麼回事，也不必知道這件事對我這樣的人會怎麼樣。這件事與我關係太大了，但我很快就會擺脫它的。你說過，如果我離開這裏，你要和我一起走。”
“啊，傑克，這會使你得救的。”
“我是一個誠實的人，伊蒂，我不會傷害你那美麗身軀的一根毫髮。你彷彿坐在雲端的黃金寶座上，我常常瞻望你的容顏，卻決不肯從那裏把你拖下一英寸來。你相信我嗎？”
伊蒂默默無言地把手放在麥克默多的手掌中。“好，那麼，請你聽我說，並且照我說的去做。因爲這確實是我們唯一的生路。我確信，谷中將有大事發生。我們許多人都需要加以提防。無論如何，我是其中的一個。如果我離開這裏，不論日夜，你都要和我一起走！”
“我一定隨後就去，傑克。”
“不，不，你一定要和我一起走。如果我離開這個山谷，我就永遠不能再回來，或許我要躲避警察耳目，連通信的機會也沒有，我怎能把你丟下呢？你一定要和我一起走。我來的那地方有一個好女人，我把你安頓到那裏，我們再結婚。你肯走嗎？”
“好的，傑克，我隨你走。”
“你這樣相信我，上帝保佑你！如果我辜負了你的信任，那我就是一個從地獄裏鑽出來的魔鬼了。現在，伊蒂，請你注意，只要我帶一個便箋給你，你接到它，就要拋棄一切，直接到車站候車室，在那裏等候，我會來找你。”
“接到你寫的便箋，不管白天晚上，我一定去，傑克。”
麥克默多作好了出走的準備工作，心情稍稍舒暢了些，便向分會走去。那裏已經聚滿了人。他回答了暗號，通過了戒備森嚴的外圍警戒和內部警衛。麥克默多一走進來，便受到熱烈的歡迎。長長的房屋擠滿了人，他從煙霧之中看到了身主麥金蒂那亂成一團的又長又密的黑髮，鮑德溫兇殘而不友好的表情，書記哈拉威那鷲鷹一樣的臉孔，以及十幾個分會中的領導人物。他很高興，他們都在這裏，可以商議一下他得來的消息。
“真的，我們看到你很高興，兄弟！"身主麥金蒂高聲喊道，“這裏正有一件事需要有一個所羅門作出公正的裁決呢。"
“是蘭德和伊根，"麥克默多坐下來，鄰座的人向他解釋說，“他們兩個人去槍殺斯蒂列斯鎮的克雷布老人，兩個人都搶着要分會的賞金，你來說說究竟是誰開槍擊中的？”
麥克默多從座位上站起來，把手舉起，他面上的表情，使大家都吃驚地注意着他。出現一陣死一樣的寂靜，等待他講話。
“可敬的身主，"麥克默多嚴肅地說道，“我有緊急的事報告！”
“既然麥克默多兄弟有緊急事報告，"麥金蒂說道，“按照會中規定，自然應該優先討論。現在，兄弟，請你說吧。”
麥克默多從衣袋裏拿出信來。
“可敬的身主和諸位弟兄，"麥克默多說道，“今天，我帶來一個不幸的消息。不過我們事先知道並加以討論，總比毫無戒備就被一網打盡要好得多。我得到通知說，國內那些最有錢有勢的組織聯合起來準備消滅我們，有一個平克頓的偵探，一個名叫伯爾弟·愛德華的人已來到這個山谷蒐集證據，以便把絞索套到我們許多人的脖子上，並把在座的各位送進重罪犯牢房。所以我說有緊急事要報告，請大家討論。”
室中頓時鴉雀無聲，最後還是身主麥金蒂打破了沉寂。
“麥克默多兄弟，你有什麼證據嗎？"麥金蒂問道。
“我收到一封信，這些情況就在這封信裏寫着，"麥克默多說道。他高聲把這一段話讀了一遍，又說，“我要守信用，不能再把這封信的詳細內容都讀出來，也不能把信交到你們手裏，但我敢向你們保證，信上再也沒有與本會利益攸關的事了。我一接到信，立即前來向諸位報告這件事。”
“請允許我講一講，"一個年紀較大的弟兄說道，“我聽說過伯爾弟·愛德華這個人，他是平克頓私家偵探公司裏一個最有名片的偵探。”
“有人見過他嗎？”
