福尔摩斯探案集·四签名 第73期:凶手的末日(6)

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"It is just these very simple things which are extremely liable to be overlooked. However, I determined to act on the idea.

"正因为很简单，才容易被忽略了。于是我决定照着这个途径去进行侦查。

I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river.

我立刻穿了一身水手的服装到下游的每个船坞里去询问。

I drew blank at fifteen, but at the sixteenth--Jacobson's

问了十五个船坞全失败了，可是问到第十六个--杰克勃森船坞

I learned that the Aurora had been handed over to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial directions as to her rudder.

得知在两天前曾有一个装木腿的人把'曙光'号送进船坞修理船舵。

'There ain't naught amiss with her rudder,' said the foreman. 'There she lies, with the red streaks.'

那里的工头和我说：'就是那个画着红线的船舵，其实一点儿毛病也没有。'

At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith, the missing owner. He was rather the worse for liquor.

正说着，从那边来了一个人。不是别人，正是失踪的船主茂迪凯·斯密司，他喝了不少的酒。

I should not, of course, have known him, but he bellowed out his name and the name of his launch.

我自然不会认识他，是他喊出了自己的名字和船的名字，

'I want her to-night at eight o'clock,' said he 'eight o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting.'

并说道：'今晚八点钟我们的船要出坞去。记住了，准八点钟。有两位客人要坐船，不要耽误了。'

They had evidently paid him well, for he was very flush of money, chucking shillings about to the men.

匪徒们一定给了他不少的钱，他对工人们拍着他满口袋的银币，叮当作响。

I followed him some distance, but he subsided into an alehouse;

我跟踪了他几步，他跑进了一家酒馆。

so I went back to the yard, and, happening to pick up one of my boys on the way, I stationed him as a sentry over the launch.

于是我又回到船坞，在途中碰巧遇到了我的一个小帮手，我把他安置在那里，盯住汽船。

He is to stand at the water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start.

让他站在船坞的出口地方，预约定了，当票船出坞的时节，向我们挥动手巾作为暗号。

We shall be lying off in the stream, and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men, treasure, and all."

我们在河上歇一下，看着他的去路，要不是人赃并获那才是怪事呢。"