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The trapping of Birdy Edwards
伯尔弟·爱德华的妙计
As Mcmurdo had said, the house in which he lived was a lonely one and very well suited for such a crime as they had planned.
正如麦克默多所说的那样，他所寄寓的住所孤寂无邻，正适于他们进行策划的那种犯罪活动。
It was on the extreme fringe of the town and stood well back from the road.
寓所位于镇子的最边缘，又远离大路。
In any other case the conspirators would have simply called out their man, as they had many a time before, and emptied their pistols into his body;
若是其它案子，那些凶手只要照老办法把要杀的人叫出来，把子弹都射到他身上就行了，
but in this instance it was very necessary to find out how much he knew, how he knew it, and what had been passed on to his employers.
可是这次，他们却要弄清这人知道多少秘密，怎么知道的，给他的雇主送过多少情报。
It was possible that they were already too late and that the work had been done.
可能他们动手太晚了，对方已把情报送走了。
If that was indeed so, they could at least have their revenge upon the man who had done it.
如果真是这样，他们至少还可以向送情报的人复仇。
But they were hopeful that nothing of great importance had yet come to the detective's knowledge,
不过他们希望这个侦探还没弄到什么非常重要的情报，
as otherwise, they argued, he would not have troubled to write down and forward such trivial information as McMurdo claimed to have given him.
要不然，他干吗不厌其烦地记下麦克默多捏造的那些毫无价值的废话呢。
However, all this they would learn from his own lips. Once in their power, they would find a way to make him speak.
然而，所有这一切，他们要让他亲口招认出来。一旦把他抓到手，他们会设法让他开口的。
It was not the first time that they had handled an unwilling witness.
他们已经不是第一次处理这样的事了。
McMurdo went to Hobson's Patch as agreed. The police seemed to take particular interest in him that morning,
麦克默多到霍布森领地后，这天早晨警察似乎很注意他，
and Captain Marvin -- he who had claimed the old acquaintance with him at Chicago -- actually addressed him as he waited at the station.
正当麦克默多在车站等候时，那个自称在芝加哥就和他是老相识的马文队长，竟然和他打起招呼来。
McMurdo turned away and refused to speak with him.
麦克默多不愿和他讲话，便转身走开了。
He was back from his mission in the afternoon, and saw McGinty at the Union House.
这天下午麦克默多完成任务返回之后，到工会去见麦金蒂。
"He is coming," he said.
"他就要来了，"麦克默多说道。
"Good!" said McGinty.
"好极了！"麦金蒂说道。
The giant was in his shirt sleeves, with chains and seals gleaming athwart his ample waistcoat and a diamond twinkling through the fringe of his bristling beard.
这位巨人只穿着衬衫，背心下露出的表链闪闪发光，钻石别针尤其光彩夺目。
Drink and politics had made the Boss a very rich as well as powerful man.
既开设酒馆，又玩弄政治，使得这位首领既有权势，又非常有钱。
The more terrible, therefore, seemed that glimpse of the prison or the gallows which had risen before him the night before.
然而，前一天晚上，他面前仿佛隐约闪现着监狱和绞刑这样可怕的东西。
"Do you reckon he knows much?" he asked anxiously.
"你估计他对我们的事知道得多吗？"麦金蒂焦虑地问道。
McMurdo shook his head gloomily. "He's been here some time -- six weeks at the least.
麦克默多阴郁地摇了摇头，说道："他已经来了很长时间，至少有六个星期了。
I guess he didn't come into these parts to look at the prospect.
我想他还没有到我们这儿来收集他需要的东西。
If he has been working among us all that time with the railroad money at his back, I should expect that he has got results, and that he has passed them on."
倘若他要利用铁路资本来做后盾，又在我们中间活动了这么长时间，我想，他早已有所收获，而且早已把它传递出去了。"
"There's not a weak man in the lodge," cried McGinty.
"我们分会里没有一个意志薄弱的人，"麦金蒂高声喊道。
"True as steel, every man of them. And yet, by the Lord! there is that skunk Morris. What about him? If any man gives us away, it would be he.
"每个人都像钢铁一样坚定可靠。不过，天哪！只有那个可恶的莫里斯。他的情况怎么样？一旦有人出卖我们，那就一定是他。
I've a mind to send a couple of the boys round before evening to give him a beating upand see what they can get from him."
我想派两个弟兄在天黑以前去教训他一顿，看看他们从他身上能得到什么情况。"
"Well, there would be no harm in that," McMurdo answered.
"啊，那样做倒也无妨，"麦克默多答道。
"I won't deny that I have a liking for Morris and would be sorry to see him come to harm.
"不过，我不否认，我喜欢莫里斯，并且不忍眼看他受到伤害。
He has spoken to me once or twice over lodge matters, and though he may not see them the same as you or I, he never seemed the sort that squeals.
他曾经向我说过一两次分会里的事，尽管他对这些事的看法不像你我一样，他也绝不像是一个告密的人。
But still it is not for me to stand between him and you."
不过我并不想干涉你们之间的事。"
"I'll fix the old devil!" said McGinty with an oath. "I've had my eye on him this year past."
"我一定要结果这个老鬼！"麦金蒂发誓道，"我对他留意已经有一年了。"
