血字的研究-Chapter 26

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Ferrier赶走了两个前来求亲的长老的儿子，有神秘的力量一天天提醒着他们约定的30天日期不断减少，而Hope依然没有任何消息。

Chapter 26

Thus day followed day; and as sure as morning came he found that his unseen enemies had kept their register, and had marked up in some conspicuous position how many days were still left to him out of the month of grace.

Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared upon the walls, sometimes upon the floors, occasionally they were on small placards stuck upon the garden gate or the railings.

With all his vigilance（警惕）John Ferrier could not discover whence these daily warnings proceeded.

A horror which was almost superstitious（迷信的）came upon him at the sight of them.

He became haggard（面容枯槁的）and restless, and his eyes had the troubled look of some hunted creature.

He had but one hope in life now, and that was for the arrival of the young hunter from Nevada.

Twenty had changed to fifteen and fifteen to ten, but there was no news of the absentee.

One by one the numbers dwindled down, and still there came no sign of him.

Whenever a horseman clattered down the road, or a driver shouted at his team, the old farmer hurried to the gate thinking that help had arrived at last.

At last, when he saw five give way to four and that again to three, he lost heart, and abandoned all hope of escape.

Single-handed, and with his limited knowledge of the mountains which surrounded the settlement, he knew that he was powerless.

The more-frequented roads were strictly watched and guarded, and none could pass along them without an order from the Council.

Turn which way he would, there appeared to be no avoiding the blow（打击）which hung over him.

Yet the old man never wavered in his resolution to part with life itself before he consented to what he regarded as his daughter's dishonour.

He was sitting alone one evening pondering deeply over his troubles, and searching vainly for some way out of them.

That morning had shown the figure 2 upon the wall of his house, and the next day would be the last of the allotted（预留的）time.

What was to happen then? All manner of vague and terrible fancies filled his imagination.

And his daughter—what was to become of her after he was gone? Was there no escape from the invisible network which was drawn all round them.

He sank his head upon the table and sobbed at the thought of his own impotence.

What was that? In the silence he heard a gentle scratching sound—low, but very distinct in the quiet of the night.

It came from the door of the house. Ferrier crept into the hall and listened intently.

There was a pause for a few moments, and then the low insidious（隐伏的）sound was repeated.

Someone was evidently tapping very gently upon one of the panels of the door.

Was it some midnight assassin who had come to carry out the murderous orders of the secret tribunal（裁决）?

Or was it some agent who was marking up that the last day of grace had arrived.

John Ferrier felt that instant death would be better than the suspense which shook his nerves and chilled his heart.

Springing forward he drew the bolt and threw the door open.

Outside all was calm and quiet.

The night was fine, and the stars were twinkling brightly overhead.

The little front garden lay before the farmer's eyes bounded by the fence and gate, but neither there nor on the road was any human being to be seen.

With a sigh of relief, Ferrier looked to right and to left, until happening to glance straight down at his own feet he saw to his astonishment a man lying flat upon his face upon the ground, with arms and legs all asprawl（匍匐的）.

So unnerved was he at the sight that he leaned up against the wall with his hand to his throat to stifle his inclination to call out.

His first thought was that the prostrate（伏地的）figure was that of some wounded or dying man, but as he watched it he saw it writhe（蠕动）along the ground and into the hall with the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent.

Once within the house the man sprang to his feet, closed the door, and revealed to the astonished farmer the fierce face and resolute expression of Jefferson Hope.

"Good God!" gasped（气喘吁吁地说）John Ferrier. "How you scared me! Whatever made you come in like that."

"Give me food," the other said, hoarsely. "I have had no time for bite or sup for eight-and-forty hours."

He flung himself upon the cold meat and bread which were still lying upon the table from his host's supper, and devoured（吞食）it voraciously（狼吞虎咽地）.

"Does Lucy bear up well?" he asked, when he had satisfied his hunger.

"Yes. She does not know the danger," her father answered.

"That is well. The house is watched on every side. That is why I crawled my way up to it. They may be darned（非常）sharp, but they're not quite sharp enough to catch a Washoe hunter."

John Ferrier felt a different man now that he realized that he had a devoted ally（伙伴）.

He seized the young man's leathery hand and wrung it cordially（亲切地）.

 "You're a man to be proud of," he said. "There are not many who would come to share our danger and our troubles."

"You've hit it there, pard," the young hunter answered.

"I have a respect for you, but if you were alone in this business I'd think twice before I put my head into such a hornet's nest.

It's Lucy that brings me here, and before harm comes on her I guess there will be one less o' the Hope family in Utah."

"What are we to do?"

"To-morrow is your last day, and unless you act to-night you are lost. I have a mule（骡子）and two horses waiting in the Eagle Ravine. How much money have you?"

"Two thousand dollars in gold, and five in notes."

"That will do. I have as much more to add to it. We must push for Carson City through the mountains.

You had best wake Lucy. It is as well that the servants do not sleep in the house."

While Ferrier was absent, preparing his daughter for the approaching journey, Jefferson Hope packed all the eatables（食物）that he could find into a small parcel, and filled a stoneware jar（陶罐）with water, for he knew by experience that the mountain wells were few and far between.

He had hardly completed his arrangements before the farmer returned with his daughter all dressed and ready for a start.

The greeting between the lovers was warm, but brief, for minutes were precious, and there was much to be done.

"We must make our start at once," said Jefferson Hope, speaking in a low but resolute voice, like one who realizes the greatness of the peril（危险）, but has steeled his heart to meet it.

"The front and back entrances are watched, but with caution we may get away through the side window and across the fields.

Once on the road we are only two miles from the Ravine where the horses are waiting.

By daybreak we should be half-way through the mountains."

"What if we are stopped," asked Ferrier.

Hope slapped the revolver butt（手枪枪柄）which protruded from the front of his tunic（外衣）.

"If they are too many for us we shall take two or three of them with us," he said with a sinister smile.（1242 words）

-今日短语-

1. dwindle down减少

2. give way to让步

3. waver in动摇

4. ponder over沉思

5. at the thought of想起

6. bear up支持住

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