福爾摩斯探案集·血字的研究 第68期:逃命(7)

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It was as well that his prairie training had given Jefferson Hope the ears of a lynx.

這也是由于侯波在草原上久經(jīng)鍛煉，使他的一雙耳朵象山貓一樣的敏銳。

He and his friends had hardly crouched down before the melancholy hooting of a mountain owl was heard within a few yards of them, which was immediately answered by another hoot at a small distance.

他們剛剛伏下，只聽見離他們幾步之外有一聲貓頭鷹的慘啼。同時，在不遠的地方立刻又有另外一聲呼應著。

At the same moment a vague, shadowy figure emerged from the gap for which they had been making, and uttered the plaintive signal cry again, on which a second man appeared out of the obscurity.

只見一個隱隱約約的人影，在他們親手所開辟的那個缺口處出現(xiàn)了，他又發(fā)出一聲這種凄慘的暗號，立刻，另外一個人便應聲從暗處出來了。

"To-morrow at midnight," said the first, who appeared to be in authority. "When the whippoorwill calls three times."

"明天半夜，怪鴟叫三聲時下手。"頭一個人這樣說，看來他是一個領頭的人物。

"It is well," returned the other. "Shall I tell Brother Drebber?"

另一個答道："好的，要我傳達給錐伯兄弟嗎？"

"Pass it on to him, and from him to the others. Nine to seven!"

"告訴他，讓他再傳達給其他的人。九到七！"

"Seven to five!" repeated the other; and the two figures flitted away in different directions.

"七到五！"另一個接著說。于是，這兩個人便分道悄然而去了。

Their concluding words had evidently been some form of sign and countersign.

他們最后說的兩句話，顯然是一種問答式的暗號。

The instant that their footsteps had died away in the distance, Jefferson Hope sprang to his feet,

在他們剛剛走遠，腳步聲剛剛消失的時候，杰弗遜·侯波就立刻跳起身來，

and helping his companions through the gap, led the way across the fields at the top of his speed,

扶著他的同伴穿過缺口，一面用他的最快速度領著他們飛快地越過田地。

supporting and half-carrying the girl when her strength appeared to fail her.

這時，露茜似乎已經(jīng)精疲力竭了，于是他又半扶半拖地拉著她飛跑。

"Hurry on! hurry on!" he gasped from time to time.

"快點！趕快！"他氣喘喘地一次又一次地催促著，

"We are through the line of sentinels. Everything depends on speed. Hurry on!"

"咱們已經(jīng)闖過了警戒線了。一切就靠迅速了，快跑！"

Once on the high road, they made rapid progress.

一上了大道，他們就立刻快速前進了。

Only once did they meet anyone, and then they managed to slip into a field, and so avoid recognition.

路上，他們碰到過一次人，于是立刻閃進了一片麥田中去躲避，以免被人識破。

Before reaching the town the hunter branched away into a rugged and narrow footpath which led to the mountains.

他們快到城邊的時候，侯波又折進了一條通向山間去的崎嶇小道。

Two dark, jagged peaks loomed above them through the darkness, and the defile which led between them was the Eagle Canon in which the horses were awaiting them.

黑暗中，只見兩座黑壓壓的巍峨大山浮現(xiàn)在眼前。他們所走的這條狹窄的峽道就是鷹谷，馬匹就在這里等候著他們。