血字的研究·四签名(外研社双语读库) (福尔摩斯探案全集)

talk when your lips is like leather, but I guess I'd best let you
know how the cards lie. What's that you've got?"

“没有，亲爱的，什么也没有。你只需要耐心地忍一忍，一会儿就

好了。把头这样靠我身上，这样就会觉得舒服一些了。当你嘴唇干得

像牛皮一样时，说话都会费劲的，但我想还是把真实情况告诉你吧。
你手里拿的是什么？”


"Pretty things! fine things!" cried the little girl
enthusiastically, holding up two glittering fragments of
mica. "When we goes back to home I'll give them to brother
Bob."


“漂亮的东西！好看的东西！”小女孩高兴地说，手里拿着两块闪
闪发光的云母石片，“等我们回到家，我就把它送给小弟弟鲍勃。”


"You'll see prettier things than them soon," said the man
confidently. "You just wait a bit. I was going to tell you
though—you remember when we left the river?"

“很快，你就能看到比这更漂亮的东西了，”这个男人确信不疑地

说，“只要再等一会儿。我正要告诉你——你还记得咱们离开那条河时
的情形吗？”


"Oh, yes."

“哦，记得。”

"Well, we reckoned we'd strike another river soon, d'ye

see. But there was somethin' wrong; compasses, or map, or
somethin', and it didn't turn up. Water ran out. Just except a
little drop for the likes of you and—and——"

“嗯，你看，当时咱们估计，不久就能碰到另一条河。但是，不知

道什么出了问题，是罗盘呢，还是地图，或是别的什么，之后再也没
有找到河。水喝完了。只剩下一点点留给像你这样的孩子们喝，后来

——后来——”

"And you couldn't wash yourself," interrupted his

companion gravely, staring up at his grimy visage.

“后来，你连脸都不能洗了。”他的小伙伴严肃地打断了他的话，

抬起头来，望着他那张肮脏的脸。

"No, nor drink. And Mr. Bender, he was the first to go,
and then Indian Pete, and then Mrs. McGregor, and then

Johnny Hones, and then, dearie, your mother."

“不能洗脸，连喝的水都没了。后来，本德先生第一个走了，随后
是印第安人皮特，接着就是麦格雷戈太太、约翰尼·霍恩斯，再后来，

亲爱的，就是你的妈妈了。”

"Then mother's a deader too," cried the little girl

dropping her face in her pinafore and sobbing bitterly.

“这么说，妈妈也死了。”小女孩哭着说，一面用围嘴捂住脸，悲
伤地抽泣着。


"Yes, they all went except you and me. Then I thought
there was some chance of water in this direction, so I
heaved you over my shoulder and we tramped it together. It

don't seem as though we've improved matters. There's an
almighty small chance for us now!"

“对，他们都走了，只剩下你和我。后来，我想也许这个方向能找

到水，就把你背在肩上，一步一步地前进。看来情形还是没有好转。
我们现在希望很渺茫了！”

"Do you mean that we are going to die too?" asked the

child, checking her sobs, and raising her tear-stained face.

“你是说我们很快也要死了吗？”孩子停止了哭声，仰起淌满泪水
的脸问道。


"I guess that's about the size of it."

“我想大概到了这个地步了。”


"Why didn't you say so before?" she said, laughing
gleefully. "You gave me such a fright. Why, of course, now as
long as we die we'll be with mother again."

“你怎么不早说呢？”她高兴地笑着说，“你吓死我了。哎呀，当

然，现在只要咱们死了，就能再见到妈妈了。”

"Yes, you will, dearie."

“是的，你会见到她的，亲爱的。”


"And you too. I'll tell her how awful good you've been. I'll
bet she meets us at the door of Heaven with a big pitcher of
water, and a lot of buckwheat cakes, hot, and toasted on
both sides, like Bob and me was fond of. How long will it be

first?"

“你也会的.我会告诉妈妈，你待我太好了。我敢说她一定会拿着
一大壶水，在天堂门口迎接我们，还有好多荞麦饼，热气腾腾的，两

面烤得焦黄，就是我和鲍勃最喜欢吃的那种。还要多久才会死呢？”

"I don't know—not very long." The man's eyes were

fixed upon the northern horizon. In the blue vault of the
heaven there had appeared three little specks which
increased in size every moment, so rapidly did they
approach. They speedily resolved themselves into three

large brown birds, which circled over the heads of the two
wanderers, and then settled upon some rocks which
overlooked them. They were buzzards, the vultures of the
west, whose coming is the forerunner of death.


“我不知道——不会太久了。”这个男人的眼睛凝视着北方的地平
线。在蓝色的天穹下，出现了三个黑点，并且越来越大，迅速向这边

靠近。很快就能看清，这是三只褐色的大鸟，它们在这两个流浪者的
头上盘旋着，然后落在岩石上，俯视着他们。这是三只秃鹫，美国西

部的那种秃鹫，它们的到来就是死亡的预兆。

"Cocks and hens," cried the little girl gleefully, pointing

at their ill-omened forms, and clapping her hands to make
them rise. "Say, did God make this country?"

“公鸡和母鸡。”小女孩愉快地叫道，一面指着这三只带来凶兆的

家伙，并且拍着小手，想惊动它们飞起来。“你说，这个地方也是上帝

造的吗？”

"Of course He did," said her companion, rather startled

by this unexpected question.

“当然是他造的。”她的同伴说道，对这个出人意料的问题显得有
些吃惊。


"He made the country down in Illinois, and He made the
Missouri," the little girl continued. "I guess somebody else
made the country in these parts. It's not nearly so well

done. They forgot the water and the trees."

“那边的伊利诺伊州是他造的，密苏里州也是他造的，”小女孩接
着说，“我猜这里是别人造的。造得可不怎么好。他们忘记了水和树

木。”

"What would ye think of offering up prayer?" the man

asked diffidently.

“你说，我们做做祈祷好吗？”这个男人踌躇地说道。

"It ain't night yet," she answered.

“还没到晚上呢。”小女孩回答说。


"It don't matter. It ain't quite regular, but He won't mind
that, you bet. You say over them ones that you used to say
every night in the waggon when we was on the Plains."


“没关系。这是不定期的，上帝不会怪罪咱们的，放心吧。你现在
念祷告吧，就念咱们经过草原时，你每天晚上在篷车里念的那些。”


"Why don't you say some yourself?" the child asked,
with wondering eyes.

“你自己怎么不祈祷呢？”小女孩张大好奇的眼睛问。


"I disremember them," he answered. "I hain't said none
since I was half the height o' that gun. I guess it's never too
late. You say them out, and I'll stand by and come in on the
choruses."

“我不记得祈祷文了。”他回答。“自从我有那把枪的一半高时，

我就再没做过祈祷。我猜，现在祷告也不晚。你把祈祷文念出来，我
在旁边跟你一起念。”


"Then you'll need to kneel down, and me too," she said,
laying the shawl out for that purpose. "You've got to put
your hands up like this. It makes you feel kind o' good."

“那么你要跪下来，我也是，”她说着，并把披肩铺在了地

上。“你还得这样举起手来。这会让你觉得好一些。”

It was a strange sight had there been anything but the

buzzards to see it. Side by side on the narrow shawl knelt
the two wanderers, the little prattling child and the reckless,
hardened adventurer. Her chubby face, and his haggard,
angular visage were both turned up to the cloudless heaven
in heartfelt entreaty to that dread being with whom they

were face to face, while the two voices—the one thin and
clear, the other deep and harsh—united in the entreaty for
mercy and forgiveness. The prayer finished, they resumed

their seat in the shadow of the boulder until the child fell
asleep, nestling upon the broad breast of her protector. He
watched over her slumber for some time, but Nature proved
to be too strong for him. For three days and three nights he
had allowed himself neither rest nor repose. Slowly the

eyelids drooped over the tired eyes, and the head sunk
lower and lower upon the breast, until the man's grizzled
beard was mixed with the gold tresses of his companion,

and both slept the same deep and dreamless slumber.

除了秃鹫外，没有人看到这个奇特的景象。在狭窄的披肩上并排
跪着两个流浪者，一个天真的孩子和一个粗犷、坚强的冒险家。她那

胖乎乎的脸和他那憔悴、瘦削的脸仰望着无云的天空，虔诚地向面对
着他们的恐怖生灵明恳求,两种嗓音同时响起——一种清晰而细弱，另

一种则低沉而沙哑——这两种声音同声祈求着上帝的怜悯和宽恕。祈
祷完以后，他们又重新坐回到大石的阴影下，孩子倚在她保护者宽阔

的胸膛上，慢慢睡着了。他守护着她，让她睡了一会儿，但是，他自

己也无法抵抗自然的力量。因为，三天三夜以来，他一直没有休息，
也没合过眼。渐渐地，眼皮垂下来，盖住了困倦的眼，脑袋也渐渐垂

到胸前，大人斑白的胡须和小孩金黄的卷发混杂在一起，两人都沉沉
入睡了，连梦都没有做。


Had the wanderer remained awake for another half hour
a strange sight would have met his eyes. Far away on the
extreme verge of the alkali plain there rose up a little spray
of dust, very slight at first, and hardly to be distinguished

from the mists of the distance, but gradually growing higher
and broader until it formed a solid, well-defined cloud. This
cloud continued to increase in size until it became evident
that it could only be raised by a great multitude of moving

creatures. In more fertile spots the observer would have
come to the conclusion that one of those great herds of
bisons which graze upon the prairie land was approaching
him. This was obviously impossible in these arid wilds. As

the whirl of dust drew nearer to the solitary bluff upon which
the two castaways were reposing, the canvas-covered tilts
of waggons and the figures of armed horsemen began to
show up through the haze, and the apparition revealed itself

as being a great caravan upon its journey for the West. But
what a caravan! When the head of it had reached the base
of the mountains, the rear was not yet visible on the
horizon. Right across the enormous plain stretched the

straggling array, waggons and carts, men on horseback, and
men on foot. Innumerable women who staggered along
under burdens, and children who toddled beside the
waggons or peeped out from under the white coverings.

This was evidently no ordinary party of immigrants, but
rather some nomad people who had been compelled from
stress of circumstances to seek themselves a new country.
There rose through the clear air a confused clattering and

rumbling from this great mass of humanity, with the

creaking of wheels and the neighing of horses. Loud as it
was, it was not sufficient to rouse the two tired wayfarers

above them.

如果这个流浪汉晚睡半小时的话，他就能看到一幕奇怪的景象
了。在这片碱地遥远的尽头，扬起了一片烟尘，最初很轻，远远看去

很难与远处的雾气相区别，但是，渐渐地，烟尘越来越高，越来越
宽，直到形成了一团浓云。浓云越来越大，直到后来很显然可以看

出，这是行进中的大队人马卷起的飞尘。如果是在一个肥沃的地区，
人们就会断定，这是草原上游牧的大队牛群在向他这个方向移动。但

是在这片不毛之地上，这显然是不可能的。滚滚烟尘向着这两个落难
人睡觉的峭壁这边前进着，在烟尘中出现了篷车的帆布顶和武装骑士

的身影。这突然出现的人马原来这是一大队往西方进发的篷车队。真

是一支浩浩荡荡的篷车队啊！前队已到山脚下，后队还在地平线那
边，遥不可见。这支断断续续的队列在这片无边的旷野上展开，双轮

车、四轮车络绎不绝，有的男人骑在马上，有的则步行着。无数的妇
女肩负着重担在路上蹒跚前进，孩子们有的东倒西歪地跟在车旁跑，

有的则从白色的车篷里向外张望。这显然不是一个平常的移民队伍，
而更像是一支游牧民族由于环境所迫，正在迁居去另觅乐土。在这安

静的氛围中，传来这一大队人的喧嚣吵闹声，夹杂着车轱辘嘎吱作响
声和马儿的嘶鸣声。即使是如此的喧闹，也没有惊醒山上那两个困倦

的旅者。

At the head of the column there rode a score or more of

grave iron-faced men, clad in sombre homespun garments
and armed with rifles. On reaching the base of the bluff they
halted, and held a short council among themselves.

二十多个神情严肃、面容刚毅的骑马人走在队列的最前面，他们

穿着朴素的手工织布衣，带着来复枪。到达山脚时，他们停了下来，
简短地商议了一会儿。


"The wells are to the right, my brothers," said one, a
hard-lipped, clean-shaven man with grizzly hair.

“兄弟们，往右边走有井。”一个嘴唇紧绷、脸刮得很光净、头发

斑白的人说。

"To the right of the Sierra Blanco—so we shall reach the
Rio Grande," said another.

“向谢拉布兰卡山的右侧前进，咱们就可以到达里奥·格兰德。”另

一个人说。

"Fear not for water," cried a third. "He who could draw it

from the rocks will not now abandon His own chosen
people."

“不用怕没有水。”第三个人大声说。“能从岩石中引出水来的神

是不会舍弃他的选民的。”

"Amen! Amen!" responded the whole party.

“阿门！阿门！”所有人同声回答。


They were about to resume their journey when one of
the youngest and keenest-eyed uttered an exclamation and
pointed up at the rugged crag above them. From its summit

there fluttered a little wisp of pink, showing up hard and
bright against the grey rocks behind. At the sight there was
a general reining up of horses and unslinging of guns, while
fresh horsemen came galloping up to reinforce the

vanguard. The word 'Redskins' was on every lip.

他们正要重新上路的时候，一个最年轻、眼光最锐利的小伙子指
着他们头上那片崎岖不平的峭壁，惊叫了起来。山顶上有一撮很小的

粉红色的东西在摆动着，在灰色的岩石衬托下，显得非常突出。一看
到这个，骑手们便一起勒住马缰，取出来复枪，同时，更多的骑手从

后面疾驰上来增援。所有人都异口同声地喊道：“红人！”

"There can't be any number of Injuns here," said the

elderly man who appeared to be in command. "We have
passed the Pawnees, and there are no other tribes until we
cross the great mountains."

“这里不可能有任何印第安人，”一位看起来是领袖的长者

说，“咱们已经越过波尼族红人居住区了，越过大山以前，不会再有其
他的部落了。”


"Shall I go forward and see, Brother Stangerson," asked
one of the band.

“我上去察看一下好吗，斯坦格森大哥？”队中一个人说道。

"And I," "And I," cried a dozen voices.


“我也去。”“我也去。”十多个人同声喊道。

"Leave your horses below and we will await you here,"
the Elder answered. In a moment the young fellows had

dismounted, fastened their horses, and were ascending the
precipitous slope which led up to the object which had
excited their curiosity. They advanced rapidly and
noiselessly, with the confidence and dexterity of practised

scouts. The watchers from the plain below could see them
flit from rock to rock until their figures stood out against the
skyline. The young man who had first given the alarm was
leading them. Suddenly his followers saw him throw up his

hands, as though overcome with astonishment, and on
joining him they were affected in the same way by the sight
which met their eyes.

“把马留在下边，我们在这里等你们。”那位长者说。年轻人立刻

翻身下马，把马拴好，开始攀登峻峭的山坡，向着那个引起他们好奇
的目标走去。他们迅速地悄悄前进，显出久经锻炼的侦察兵那种沉着

和矫捷。山下的人们只见他们在山石间行走如飞，直到爬到山顶。那

个最先发现情况的年轻人走在最前面。跟在他后面的人忽然看见他两
手一举，似乎大吃一惊的样子，大家上前一看，眼前这番情景也使他
们都愣住了。


On the little plateau which crowned the barren hill there
stood a single giant boulder, and against this boulder there
lay a tall man, long-bearded and hard-featured, but of an

excessive thinness. His placid face and regular breathing
showed that he was fast asleep. Beside him lay a little child,

with her round white arms encircling his brown sinewy neck,
and her golden-haired head resting upon the breast of his
velveteen tunic. Her rosy lips were parted, showing the
regular line of snow-white teeth within, and a playful smile
played over her infantile features. Her plump little white

legs terminating in white socks and neat shoes with shining
buckles, offered a strange contrast to the long shrivelled
members of her companion. On the ledge of rock above this

strange couple there stood three solemn buzzards, who, at
the sight of the new comers uttered raucous screams of
disappointment and flapped sullenly away.

在这荒山顶上的一小块平地上，有一块单独的大石头，在石头旁

躺着一个高大的男子，他须发很长，且面容刚毅，但形容枯槁。从他
那安详的面容和均匀的呼吸可以看出，他睡得很熟。他的身旁睡着一

个小女孩，小女孩又圆又白的小手臂搂着大人又黑又瘦的脖子，她那
披着金发的小脑袋倚在这个穿着棉绒上衣的男人胸上。她红红的小嘴

微微张开着，露着两排整齐、雪白的牙齿，满含稚气的脸上带着顽皮
的微笑。她又白又胖的腿上穿着白色短袜和带着闪亮扣子的干净鞋

子，这些和她伙伴长而干瘦的手足形成奇异的对比。有三只虎视眈眈

的秃鹫立在这对怪人头顶的岩石上，他们一见另外的人们来到，便发
出一阵失望的啼声，无可奈何地飞走了。


The cries of the foul birds awoke the two sleepers who
stared about them in bewilderment. The man staggered to
his feet and looked down upon the plain which had been so
desolate when sleep had overtaken him, and which was now
traversed by this enormous body of men and of beasts. His

face assumed an expression of incredulity as he gazed, and
he passed his boney hand over his eyes. "This is what they
call delirium, I guess," he muttered. The child stood beside

him, holding on to the skirt of his coat, and said nothing but

looked all round her with the wondering questioning gaze of
childhood.

秃鹫的啼声惊醒了这两个熟睡的人，他们惶惑地瞧着面前的人

们。这个男子摇摇摆摆地站了起来，向着山下望去，在睡意袭来时还

是一片凄凉的荒原上，现在却出现了无数的人马。他的脸上露出不敢
相信的神情，他举起枯瘦的手，搭在眼睛上，仔细看着。“我猜这就是

所谓的精神错乱吧。”他喃喃地说。小女孩站在他身旁，紧紧抓着他的
衣角，默不作声，只是带着孩童那种惊奇和询问的目光环顾四周。


The rescuing party were speedily able to convince the
two castaways that their appearance was no delusion. One
of them seized the little girl, and hoisted her upon his
shoulder, while two others supported her gaunt companion,

and assisted him towards the waggons.

来救援的人们很快让这两个落难人相信，他们的出现并不是幻
觉。其中一个人抱起小女孩，把她放在肩膀上，另两个人扶起她憔悴

的同伴，搀着他向车队走去。

"My name is John Ferrier," the wanderer explained; "me

and that little un are all that's left o' twenty-one people. The
rest is all dead o' thirst and hunger away down in the
south."

“我叫约翰·费里尔，”流浪者解释道，“二十一个人只剩下我和这

个小家伙了。其他人都因为饥渴死在南边了。”

"Is she your child?" asked someone.

“她是你的孩子吗？”有人问。


"I guess she is now," the other cried, defiantly; "she's
mine'cause I saved her. No man will take her from me. She's
Lucy Ferrier from this day on. Who are you, though?" he

continued, glancing with curiosity at his stalwart, sunburned
rescuers; "there seems to be a powerful lot of ye."

“我想现在是了，”这个男人不顾一切地叫道，“她是我的孩子，

因为我救了她。没有人能把她从我这里夺走。从今天起，她就叫做露
西·费里尔了。可是，你们是谁？”他一边说着，一边打量着这些高

大、黝黑的救命恩人，“你们好像人很多啊。”

"Nigh onto ten thousand," said one of the young men;
"we are the persecuted children of God—the chosen of the

Angel Moroni."

“差不多上万人，”一个年轻人说，“我们是受到迫害的上帝儿女
——天使莫罗尼的选民。”


"I never heard tell on him," said the wanderer. "He
appears to have chosen a fair crowd of ye."

“我从未听过关于这位天使的事情。”流浪者说。“不过，他似乎

选到了一大群好人。”

"Do not jest at that which is sacred," said the other

sternly. "We are of those who believe in those sacred
writings, drawn in Egyptian letters on plates of beaten gold,
which were handed unto the holy Joseph Smith at Palmyra.
We have come from Nauvoo, in the State of Illinois, where
we had founded our temple. We have come to seek a refuge

from the violent man and from the godless, even though it
be the heart of the desert."

“不要拿神圣的事情开玩笑，”另一个人严肃地说，“我们是信奉

摩门经文的人，这些经文是用埃及文写在金页上的，然后在巴尔米拉
被交给了神圣的约瑟夫·史密斯。我们是从伊利诺伊州的诺伍城来的，

在那里，我们曾经建立了自己的教堂。我们现在是要逃避那个暴虐的
人和那些目无神明的人们，即使身处沙漠的中心，我们也义无反顾。”


The name of Nauvoo evidently recalled recollections to
John Ferrier. "I see," he said, "you are the Mormons."

诺伍城这个名字显然让费里尔想起了什么。“我知道了，”他

说，“你们是摩门教徒。”

"We are the Mormons," answered his companions with
one voice.

“我们是摩门教徒。”大家异口同声地说。


"And where are you going?"

“你们现在要去哪里呢？”


"We do not know. The hand of God is leading us under
the person of our Prophet. You must come before him. He
shall say what is to be done with you."

“我们也不知道。上帝之手通过我们的先知指引着我们。你必须去

见一见他。他会指示怎么样安置你们。”

They had reached the base of the hill by this time, and
were surrounded by crowds of the pilgrims—pale-faced

meek-looking women, strong laughing children, and anxious
earnest-eyed men. Many were the cries of astonishment and
of commiseration which arose from them when they

perceived the youth of one of the strangers and the
destitution of the other. Their escort did not halt, however,
but pushed on, followed by a great crowd of Mormons, until
they reached a waggon, which was conspicuous for its great
size and for the gaudiness and smartness of its appearance.

Six horses were yoked to it, whereas the others were
furnished with two, or, at most, four apiece. Beside the
driver there sat a man who could not have been more than

thirty years of age, but whose massive head and resolute
expression marked him as a leader. He was reading a
brown-backed volume, but as the crowd approached he laid
it aside, and listened attentively to an account of the
episode. Then he turned to the two castaways.


这时，他们已来到山脚下，一大群朝圣者立刻涌上来，围住他们
——有面目白净、温顺的妇女，有嬉笑着的健壮儿童，还有目光恳切

的男子。看到这两个陌生人一个是如此幼小的孩子，另一个是那么虚
弱的大人，大家都不禁怜悯地叹息起来。但是，两人的护送者没有停

住脚步，他们继续前进，后面跟着一大群摩门教徒，一直来到一辆马

车前面，这辆马车十分高大华丽，明显异于其他。这辆车套着六匹
马，而其他的车都是两匹，最多也不过四匹。在车夫旁边坐着一个不

到三十岁的人，他那宽大的额头和果决的神情，让人一看就知道他是
一个领袖人物。他正在读一本棕色封面的书，当这群人来到他面前

时，他将书放在一旁，认真地听取了对于这件事情的汇报。然后，他
看着这两个落难人。


"If we take you with us," he said, in solemn words, "it
can only be as believers in our own creed. We shall have no
wolves in our fold. Better far that your bones should bleach
in this wilderness than that you should prove to be that little

speck of decay which in time corrupts the whole fruit. Will
you come with us on these terms?"

“如果要我们带着你们一起走，”他正颜厉色地说，“你们必须信

奉我们的宗教。我们不能让狼混入我们的羊群中。如果你们日后成了
毁坏整个果子的腐烂斑点，倒不如让你们的骸骨曝晒在这旷野之中。

你愿意接受这个条件，跟我们走吗？”

"Guess I'll come with you on any terms," said Ferrier,

with such emphasis that the grave Elders could not restrain
a smile. The leader alone retained his stern, impressive
expression.

“不管什么条件，我都跟着你们走。”费里尔强调的语气让严肃的

长老们都不禁微笑起来。只有这位首领依旧保持着庄严、肃穆的神
情。


"Take him, Brother Stangerson," he said, "give him food
and drink, and the child likewise. Let it be your task also to
teach him our holy creed. We have delayed long enough.
Forward! On, on to Zion!"


“斯坦格森兄弟，你收留他吧，”他说，“给他吃的、喝的，也给
这个孩子一些。你还要负责给他讲授我们的教义。我们已经耽搁得太

久了。动身吧！向锡安山前进！”

"On, on to Zion!" cried the crowd of Mormons, and the
words rippled down the long caravan, passing from mouth

to mouth until they died away in a dull murmur in the far
distance. With a cracking of whips and a creaking of wheels
the great waggons got into motion, and soon the whole
caravan was winding along once more. The Elder to whose
care the two waifs had been committed, led them to his

waggon, where a meal was already awaiting them.

“前进，向锡安山前进！”摩门教徒们一起喊了起来，这个命令像
波浪一样，一个接一个地传了下去，直到声音渐渐消失在远方。随着

鞭子的噼啪声和车轮的嘎吱声，大队车马又动了起来，整个队列又蜿

蜒前进了。负责照顾两个流浪者的长老把他们带到他的车里，那里早
已给他们预备好了食物。


"You shall remain here," he said. "In a few days you will
have recovered from your fatigues. In the meantime,
remember that now and for ever you are of our religion.
Brigham Young has said it, and he has spoken with the voice

of Joseph Smith, which is the voice of God."

“你们就住在这里吧，”他说，“不久，你们就会从疲劳中恢复过
来了。同时，你们要记住，从今以后，你们就是我们的教徒了。布里

格姆·扬这么说过了，他的话是约瑟夫·史密斯传达的，也就是上帝的

意旨。”



Chapter 2 The Flower of Utah



第二章 犹他之花



This is not the place to commemorate the trials and
privations endured by the immigrant Mormons before they

came to their final haven. From the shores of the Mississippi
to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains they had
struggled on with a constancy almost unparalleled in history.
The savage man, and the savage beast, hunger, thirst,
fatigue, and disease—every impediment which Nature could

place in the way, had all been overcome with Anglo-Saxon
tenacity. Yet the long journey and the accumulated terrors
had shaken the hearts of the stoutest among them. There

was not one who did not sink upon his knees in heartfelt
prayer when they saw the broad valley of Utah bathed in
the sunlight beneath them, and learned from the lips of their
leader that this was the promised land, and that these virgin
acres were to be theirs for evermore.


摩门教徒在移民的过程中遭受了各种艰难困苦，直到最后定居。
对此，这里就不进行追述了。从密西西比河两岸一直到落基山脉西

麓，他们以几乎史无前例的坚忍不拔精神奋斗、前进。野人、野兽、
饥渴、劳顿和疾病——大自然可能降下的一切阻难，都被他们用盎格

鲁-撒克逊人那种不屈不挠的顽强精神克服了。但是，长途跋涉和无尽
的恐怖让他们之中最勇敢、坚强的人也为之胆寒。因此，当他们看到

脚下广阔的犹他山谷沐浴在阳光之中，并且听到他们的领袖宣称，这
片处女地就是神赐予他们的乐土家园，而且将永远属于他们的时候，

他们莫不俯首下跪，掬诚膜拜。

Young speedily proved himself to be a skilful

administrator as well as a resolute chief. Maps were drawn
and charts prepared, in which the future city was sketched
out. All around farms were apportioned and allotted in
proportion to the standing of each individual. The

tradesman was put to his trade and the artisan to his
calling. In the town streets and squares sprang up, as if by

magic. In the country there was draining and hedging,
planting and clearing, until the next summer saw the whole
country golden with the wheat crop. Everything prospered in
the strange settlement. Above all, the great temple which
they had erected in the centre of the city grew ever taller

and larger. From the first blush of dawn until the closing of
the twilight, the clatter of the hammer and the rasp of the
saw was never absent from the monument which the

immigrants erected to Him who had led them safe through
many dangers.

扬很快证明，他不仅是一个坚决果敢的领袖，还是一个干练的行

政官。很多地图和规划图都制定下来，未来城市也就有了一个轮廓。
周围的农田都根据每个教徒的身份高低按比例来分配。商人经营他的

买卖，工匠从事他的手艺活儿。城市中出现了街道和广场，就像变魔
术一般。乡村中开沟造篱、栽培垦殖，到了第二年的夏天，整个乡村

便满是黄澄澄的麦穗。这块新的定居地上的一切事物都欣欣向荣。特
别是这个城市中心那座宏伟的大教堂也一天天高耸起来。每天，从晨

光熹微一直到暮色四合，教堂里传来的斧锯之声总是不绝于耳，移民
们竖立了这座教堂，纪念那位引导他们度过无数艰险，到达平安境地

的上帝。

The two castaways, John Ferrier and the little girl who

had shared his fortunes and had been adopted as his
daughter, accompanied the Mormons to the end of their
great pilgrimage. Little Lucy Ferrier was borne along
pleasantly enough in Elder Stangerson's waggon, a retreat
which she shared with the Mormon's three wives and with

his son, a headstrong forward boy of twelve. Having rallied,
with the elasticity of childhood, from the shock caused by
her mother's death, she soon became a pet with the

women, and reconciled herself to this new life in her moving
canvas-covered home. In the meantime Ferrier having

recovered from his privations, distinguished himself as a
useful guide and an indefatigable hunter. So rapidly did he

gain the esteem of his new companions, that when they
reached the end of their wanderings, it was unanimously
agreed that he should be provided with as large and as
fertile a tract of land as any of the settlers, with the
exception of Young himself, and of Stangerson, Kemball,

Johnston, and Drebber, who were the four principal Elders.

那两个流浪者——约翰·费里尔和与他相依为命并收为义女的小女
孩，随着这群摩门教徒来到了他们伟大朝圣之旅的终点。小露西·费里

尔被收留在长老斯坦格森的篷车里，她非常受人喜爱，她和斯坦格森

的三个妻子，以及他那任性、早熟的十二岁儿子同住在一起。由于年
纪小，适应力强，她很快便从母亲死亡的打击中恢复过来，而且立刻

得到了这三个女人的宠爱。对于这样漂泊无定、帐幕之下为家的新生
活，她也逐渐习惯起来。与此同时，费里尔也已经从虚弱中恢复过

来，他声名卓著，不仅因为他是一名有用的向导，也因为他是一个顽
强无畏的猎人。他很快就赢得了新伙伴们的尊敬，因此，当他们结束

漂泊生涯的时候，大家一致赞成，除了先知扬和斯坦格森、肯博尔、
约翰斯顿及德雷伯四位长老以外，费里尔应当像其他任何一个移民一

样，分得一大片肥沃的土地。

On the farm thus acquired John Ferrier built himself a

substantial log-house, which received so many additions in
succeeding years that it grew into a roomy villa. He was a
man of a practical turn of mind, keen in his dealings and
skilful with his hands. His iron constitution enabled him to
work morning and evening at improving and tilling his lands.

Hence it came about that his farm and all that belonged to
him prospered exceedingly. In three years he was better off
than his neighbours, in six he was well-to-do, in nine he was

rich, and in twelve there were not half a dozen men in the
whole of Salt Lake City who could compare with him. From
the great inland sea to the distant Wasatch Mountains there
was no name better known than that of John Ferrier.

于是，费里尔在这片农田上建了一座结实的木屋，并且由于逐年

的扩建，木屋逐渐变成了一所宽敞的别墅。费里尔是一个重视实际的
人，他为人处世精明，长于技艺。他健壮的体格让他能够从早到晚孜

孜不倦地改良和耕作土地。因此，他的农场和他拥有的一切都非常兴
旺、发达。三年之内，他便超过了邻居，六年就过得有滋有味，九年

就十分富有了，到了十二年后，在整个盐湖城地区，能够和他相比的
便不到五六个人了。从盐湖这个内海一直到遥远的沃萨奇山脉，没有

人比约翰·费里尔的名声更大了。

There was one way and only one in which he offended
the susceptibilities of his co-religionists. No argument or

persuasion could ever induce him to set up a female
establishment after the manner of his companions. He
never gave reasons for this persistent refusal, but contented

himself by resolutely and inflexibly adhering to his
determination. There were some who accused him of
lukewarmness in his adopted religion, and others who put it
down to greed of wealth and reluctance to incur expense.
Others, again, spoke of some early love affair, and of a fair-

haired girl who had pined away on the shores of the
Atlantic. Whatever the reason, Ferrier remained strictly
celibate. In every other respect he conformed to the religion

of the young settlement, and gained the name of being an
orthodox and straight-walking man.

只有一件事，费里尔伤害了他那些同教者的感情。没有什么辩驳

和规劝能让他像他的伙伴们那样娶妻成家。他从来没有说明，他一再
拒绝这样做的理由究竟是什么，只是毫不动摇地坚持自己的决定。有
些人指责他对于他所信奉的宗教并不虔诚，也有些人认为他是吝啬财

物，不肯破费。另外一些人猜测他以前一定有过一番爱情经历，也许

在大西洋沿岸有过一位金发女郎为他而憔悴。不管是什么原因，费里
尔坚持过着严谨的独身生活。在其他各个方面，他对于这个新居住地

上的宗教却是奉行不怠的，而且被公认为是一个笃信正教、行为正派
的人。

Lucy Ferrier grew up within the log-house, and assisted
her adopted father in all his undertakings. The keen air of

the mountains and the balsamic odour of the pine trees took
the place of nurse and mother to the young girl. As year
succeeded to year she grew taller and stronger, her cheek
more rudy, and her step more elastic. Many a wayfarer upon
the high road which ran by Ferrier's farm felt long-forgotten

thoughts revive in their mind as they watched her lithe
girlish figure tripping through the wheatfields, or met her
mounted upon her father's mustang, and managing it with

all the ease and grace of a true child of the West. So the bud
blossomed into a flower, and the year which saw her father
the richest of the farmers left her as fair a specimen of
American girlhood as could be found in the whole Pacific
slope.


露西·费里尔在这个木屋中慢慢长大，她帮助养父处理一切事物。
山区清新的空气和松林中飘溢的脂香，都像慈母般抚育着这个年轻的

少女。随着岁月一年又一年地逝去，露西也一年年长大成人了，她的
面颊愈见娇艳，步态也日益轻盈。不知有多少路人在经过费里尔家农

场旁的大道时，瞧见露西那少女的倩影轻盈地穿过麦田，或者碰见她
骑着父亲的马，以地道的西部儿女的轻松和优雅驾驭它，见到这样的

情景，人们都不禁浮想起那些早已逝去的青春记忆。当年的葩蕾今天

已经开放成一朵鲜花，随着时间的流逝，她的父亲变成了农民中最富
有的人，同时，她也成长为太平洋沿岸整个山区里难得一见的一个标
致美洲少女。


It was not the father, however, who first discovered that
the child had developed into the woman. It seldom is in such
cases. That mysterious change is too subtle and too gradual

to be measured by dates. Least of all does the maiden
herself know it until the tone of a voice or the touch of a
hand sets her heart thrilling within her, and she learns, with

a mixture of pride and of fear, that a new and a larger
nature has awoken within her. There are few who cannot

recall that day and remember the one little incident which
heralded the dawn of a new life. In the case of Lucy Ferrier

the occasion was serious enough in itself, apart from its
future influence on her destiny and that of many besides.

然而，第一个感觉到这个女孩子已经长大成人的，并不是她的父

亲。这种事情很少是由父亲最先发觉的。这种神秘的变化十分微妙，
并且十分缓慢，不能用时日来衡量。对于这种变化，最难觉察的还是

少女本人，直到她听到某一个嗓音的语调，或者接触到某人的手时，
感到心头突突乱跳，产生出一种兼有骄傲和恐惧的感觉，这时她才知

道，一种新奇的、更加奔放的人性在她内心深处觉醒了。世界上很少
有人能忘记那一天，或忘记当年预示自己新生活到来的那件小事。对

于露西·费里尔来说，这件事本身已经够严重的了，姑且不论这件事对
于她和其他人的未来命运所产生的影响。


It was a warm June morning, and the Latter Day Saints
were as busy as the bees whose hive they have chosen for
their emblem. In the fields and in the streets rose the same

hum of human industry. Down the dusty high roads defiled
long streams of heavily-laden mules, all heading to the
west, for the gold fever had broken out in California, and the
overland route lay through the city of the Elect. There, too,
were droves of sheep and bullocks coming in from the

outlying pasture lands, and trains of tired immigrants, men
and horses equally weary of their interminable journey.
Through all this motley assemblage, threading her way with

the skill of an accomplished rider, there galloped Lucy
Ferrier, her fair face flushed with the exercise and her long
chestnut hair floating out behind her. She had a commission
from her father in the city, and was dashing in as she had
done many a time before, with all the fearlessness of youth,

thinking only of her task and how it was to be performed.
The travel-stained adventurers gazed after her in
astonishment, and even the unemotional Indians, journeying

in with their peltries, relaxed their accustomed stoicism as
they marvelled at the beauty of the pale-faced maiden.

那是六月里一个温暖的早晨，摩门教徒们像蜜蜂一样忙碌着，他

们就是以蜂巢为标志的。田野里和街道上到处都充斥着人们劳动时的
嘈杂声。尘土飞扬的大道上，载满货物的骡群络绎不绝地经过，全都

是朝着西方进发，因为这时，加利福尼亚州涌起了采金的热潮，横贯
大陆的路线恰好穿过依莱克特这座新城。同样，这里也有从遥远牧区

赶来的成群牛羊，还有一队队疲惫的移民，经过长途跋涉之后，显得
人困马乏。在这人畜杂沓之中，露西·费里尔仗着她的骑术高明，纵马

穿行而过，漂亮的脸蛋由于运动而红了起来，栗色的长发在脑后飘扬
着。她是奉父亲之命前往城里办事的，凭着年轻人的胆大，她像往常

一样，不顾一切地催马前进，一心想着她要去办的事情，以及如何办
妥。那些风尘仆仆的淘金冒险家一个个惊奇地看着她，就连那些运输

皮革的冷漠的印第安人瞧见了这个美丽无比的白皙少女，也感到十分

惊愕，不禁放松了他们一向呆板的面孔。

She had reached the outskirts of the city when she
found the road blocked by a great drove of cattle, driven by
a half-dozen wild-looking herdsmen from the plains. In her

impatience she endeavoured to pass this obstacle by
pushing her horse into what appeared to be a gap. Scarcely
had she got fairly into it, however, before the beasts closed
in behind her, and she found herself completely imbedded

in the moving stream of fierce-eyed, long-horned bullocks.
Accustomed as she was to deal with cattle, she was not
alarmed at her situation, but took advantage of every
opportunity to urge her horse on in the hopes of pushing her

way through the cavalcade. Unfortunately the horns of one
of the creatures, either by accident or design, came in
violent contact with the flank of the mustang, and excited it
to madness. In an instant it reared up upon its hind legs

with a snort of rage, and pranced and tossed in a way that
would have unseated any but a most skilful rider. The
situation was full of peril. Every plunge of the excited horse
brought it against the horns again, and goaded it to fresh

madness. It was all that the girl could do to keep herself in

the saddle, yet a slip would mean a terrible death under the
hoofs of the unwieldy and terrified animals. Unaccustomed

to sudden emergencies, her head began to swim, and her
grip upon the bridle to relax. Choked by the rising cloud of
dust and by the steam from the struggling creatures, she
might have abandoned her efforts in despair, but for a
kindly voice at her elbow which assured her of assistance.

At the same moment a sinewy brown hand caught the
frightened horse by the curb, and forcing a way through the
drove, soon brought her to the outskirts.

当她来到城郊时，她发现有六个面目粗野的牧人从大草原赶来了

一群牛，牛群已堵塞了道路。她不耐烦地朝着牛群中的空隙策马前

进，打算越过这群障碍。可她刚刚进入牛群，后面的牛就都挤了过
来，她发觉自己已全然陷入了一片牛的大潮之中，到处都是眼神凶狠

的长角公牛。她平日里也是和牛群相处惯了的，因此，处在这种境地
中，她也没有惊慌，而是抓住每一个机会催马前进，希望能从牛的队

伍中穿过。但不幸的是，一头牛有意无意地用角猛撞了一下马的侧
腹，马受了惊，发狂起来。它立刻腾起前蹄，狂嘶不已。它腾跃摇摆

得十分厉害，若不是头等骑手，任何人都难免被摔下马来。情况十分
危险。惊马每跳动一次，就免不了又一次受到牛角的抵触，这就越发

使它暴跳不已。这时，露西除了紧贴马鞍外，毫无其他办法，稍一失
手，就会落在那些笨拙、惊恐的畜牲蹄下被踩死。由于没有经历过这

种意外的紧急情况，她开始感到头晕眼花，手中紧紧拉着的缰绳眼看
就要放松。飞扬的尘土加上拥挤的兽群里散发出来的气味使人透不过

气来，她几乎就要绝望地放弃努力了，但这时，她肘旁响起了一个亲
切的声音，告诉她援手来了。同时，一只强有力的黝黑大手，一把捉

住了惊马的嚼环，并且在牛群中挤出了一条路，不大工夫，就把她带

到了兽群之外。

"You're not hurt, I hope, miss," said her preserver,
respectfully.

“小姐，但愿你没有受伤。”这位救星彬彬有礼地说。

She looked up at his dark, fierce face, and laughed
saucily. "I'm awful frightened," she said, na�vely; "whoever

would have thought that Poncho would have been so scared
by a lot of cows?"

她抬起头来，看着他那张黧黑而粗犷的脸，调皮地笑了起来。“真

把我吓坏了，”她天真地说，“谁会想到，庞乔这马儿竟会被一群牛吓
成这个样子呢？”


"Thank God you kept your seat," the other said
earnestly. He was a tall, savage-looking young fellow,
mounted on a powerful roan horse, and clad in the rough
dress of a hunter, with a long rifle slung over his shoulders.
"I guess you are the daughter of John Ferrier," he remarked,

"I saw you ride down from his house. When you see him, ask
him if he remembers the Jefferson Hopes of St. Louis. If he's
the same Ferrier, my father and he were pretty thick."

“谢天谢地，幸亏你抱紧了马鞍子。”他诚恳地说。他是一个高个

子、长相粗犷的年轻小伙子，骑着一匹身带灰白斑点的骏马，身上穿

着一件结实的粗布猎服，肩上背着一只长筒来复枪。“我想你是约翰·
费里尔的女儿吧，”他说，“我看到你是从他的庄园骑马过来的。你见

着他的时候，请你问问他，还记不记得圣路易斯的杰菲逊·霍普这家
人。如果他就是那个费里尔的话，我父亲过去和他还是非常亲密的朋

友呢。”

"Hadn't you better come and ask yourself?" she asked,
demurely.


“你自己去问问他不是更好吗？”她一本正经地说。

The young fellow seemed pleased at the suggestion,
and his dark eyes sparkled with pleasure. "I'll do so," he
said, "we've been in the mountains for two months, and are

not over and above in visiting condition. He must take us as
he finds us."

这个小伙子听到了这个建议后，似乎感到很高兴，他的黑色眼睛

中闪耀着快乐的光芒。“我会这么做的，”他说，“我们在大山里已经
待了两个月了，现在这副模样可不便去拜访。当他见着我们的时候，

一定会招待我们的。”

"He has a good deal to thank you for, and so have I,"
she answered, "he's awful fond of me. If those cows had

jumped on me he'd have never got over it."

“他一定会十分感激你的，我也要谢谢你，”她回答说，“他非常
喜欢我。如果那些牛从我身上踩过，他会永远都伤心的。”


"Neither would I," said her companion.

“我也会的。”她的同伴说。

"You! Well, I don't see that it would make much matter

to you, anyhow. You ain't even a friend of ours."

“你？呃，无论如何我看不出这和你有什么关系。你还不算是我们
的朋友呢。”


The young hunter's dark face grew so gloomy over this
remark that Lucy Ferrier laughed aloud.

这个年轻猎人听了这句话后，黝黑的面孔不由得阴沉下来，这让

露西大声笑了起来。

"There, I didn't mean that," she said; "of course, you are

a friend now. You must come and see us. Now I must push
along, or father won't trust me with his business any more.
Good-bye!"

“你看，我不是这个意思，”她说，“当然，你现在已经是我们的

朋友了。你一定要来看看我们。现在，我必须上路了，不然的话，父
亲以后再也不会放心让我办事啦。再见！”


"Good-bye," he answered, raising his broad sombrero,
and bending over her little hand. She wheeled her mustang

round, gave it a cut with her riding-whip, and darted away
down the broad road in a rolling cloud of dust.

“再见。”他一面回答，一面举起他那顶墨西哥式的阔檐帽，低下

头去，吻了一下她的小手。她掉转马头，扬鞭打马，在滚滚烟尘之

中，沿着大道飞驰而去。

Young Jefferson Hope rode on with his companions,
gloomy and taciturn. He and they had been among the

Nevada Mountains prospecting for silver, and were returning
to Salt Lake City in the hope of raising capital enough to
work some lodes which they had discovered. He had been
as keen as any of them upon the business until this sudden
incident had drawn his thoughts into another channel. The

sight of the fair young girl, as frank and wholesome as the
Sierra breezes, had stirred his volcanic, untamed heart to its
very depths. When she had vanished from his sight, he

realized that a crisis had come in his life, and that neither
silver speculations nor any other questions could ever be of
such importance to him as this new and all-absorbing one.
The love which had sprung up in his heart was not the
sudden, changeable fancy of a boy, but rather the wild,

fierce passion of a man of strong will and imperious temper.
He had been accustomed to succeed in all that he
undertook. He swore in his heart that he would not fail in

this if human effort and human perseverance could render
him successful.

小杰菲逊·霍普和他的伙伴们骑着马继续前进，他变得心情抑郁，

寡言少语。他和其他人一直在内华达山脉中寻找银矿，现在正要返回
盐湖城去，希望筹集一笔足够的资金，来开采他们所发现的那些矿

藏。以前，对于这种事业，他一向和他的伙伴一样非常热衷，但现
在，这件意外的遭遇将他的思想引上了另一条道路。这个美丽的少女

就像山上的微风那样清新、纯洁，深深触动了他那颗火山般奔放不羁
的心。在她的身影从他的视线中消失后，他感觉到他的生命到了一个

紧要关头，银矿也好，其他任何问题也罢，对他来说，都不如这件刚

刚发生的、吸引他全部心神的事情来得重要。在他心中绽放出来的爱

情，不是少年那种忽闪忽灭、变化无常的幻想，而是一个意志坚定、
个性刚毅的男人奔放而强烈的激情。他早已习惯了做什么事情都一帆

风顺。他暗暗发誓，只要人类的努力和恒心能够使他获得成功的话，
那么，这一次他也绝不会失败。


He called on John Ferrier that night, and many times
again, until his face was a familiar one at the farm-house.
John, cooped up in the valley, and absorbed in his work, had
had little chance of learning the news of the outside world

during the last twelve years. All this Jefferson Hope was able
to tell him, and in a style which interested Lucy as well as
her father. He had been a pioneer in California, and could
narrate many a strange tale of fortunes made and fortunes

lost in those wild, halcyon days. He had been a scout too,
and a trapper, a silver explorer, and a ranchman. Wherever
stirring adventures were to be had, Jefferson Hope had been
there in search of them. He soon became a favourite with

the old farmer, who spoke eloquently of his virtues. On such
occasions, Lucy was silent, but her blushing cheek and her
bright, happy eyes, showed only too clearly that her young
heart was no longer her own. Her honest father may not

have observed these symptoms, but they were assuredly
not thrown away upon the man who had won her affections.

当天晚上，他就去拜访了约翰·费里尔，之后又去了很多次，终于

在农场混熟了。约翰·费里尔深居山谷之中，一心致力于他的工作，在
近十二年间，几乎很少有机会知道外界的消息。而这些事情，杰菲逊·

霍普都能讲给他听，而且讲得不但让这位父亲兴致盎然，而且让露西
也同样觉得非常有趣。霍普曾经是加利福尼亚的一个拓荒者，因此，

他能够说出许多在那些狂野的太平日子里，发财致富或倾家荡产的离
奇故事。他做过侦察兵，设陷阱捕捉过野兽，也曾寻找过银矿，并在

大农场做过工人。只要哪里有令人心动的冒险事业，杰菲逊·霍普就要
前去探索一番。很快，他就获得了老农约翰的喜爱，他对霍普赞不绝

口。在这种情况下，露西总是默默无言，但是，她那泛起红晕的双

颊、明亮而幸福的眼神都非常清楚地说明，她那颗年轻的心已经不再

属于她自己了。她那诚实的老父也许还没有看出这些征兆，但毫无疑
问，这些征兆并没有逃过赢得了她芳心的那位小伙子的双眼。


One summer evening when he came galloping down the
road and pulled up at the gate. She was at the doorway, and
came down to meet him. He threw the bridle over the fence
and strode up the pathway.


一个夏天的傍晚，霍普骑着马从大道上疾驰而来，停在门口。露
西正在门口，她走向前去迎接他。他把缰绳抛在篱笆上，大踏步沿着

门前小径走了过来。

"I am off, Lucy," he said, taking her two hands in his,
and gazing tenderly down into her face; "I won't ask you to
come with me now, but will you be ready to come when I

am here again?"

“我要走了，露西。”他说着握住了她的双手，温柔地望着她的
脸，“我现在不会要求你马上跟我走，但是，当我回来的时候，你能不

能决定跟我走呢？”

"And when will that be?" she asked, blushing and

laughing.

“你什么时候回来呢？”她含羞地笑着问道。

"A couple of months at the outside. I will come and

claim you then, my darling. There's no one who can stand
between us."

“顶多两个月。亲爱的，那时我就回来接你。没有人能阻止我

们。”

"And how about father?" she asked.

“父亲怎么办呢？”她问。


"He has given his consent, provided we get these mines
working all right. I have no fear on that head."

“他已经同意了，只要我们的银矿开采进行得顺利就行。我倒不担

心这个问题。”

"Oh, well; of course, if you and father have arranged it
all, there's no more to be said," she whispered, with her

cheek against his broad breast.

“恩，好吧。当然，如果你和父亲把一切都安排好了，那就用不着
多说了。”她轻声说，同时把面颊偎依在他那宽阔的胸膛上。


"Thank God!" he said, hoarsely, stooping and kissing
her. "It is settled, then. The longer I stay, the harder it will
be to go. They are waiting for me at the ca�on. Goodbye,

my own darling—good-bye. In two months you shall see
me."

“感谢上帝！”他声音粗哑地说，弯下身去吻她。“那么，就这么

定了。我呆得越久，就会越难以离开。他们还在峡谷里等着我呢。再
见了，亲爱的，再见了！两个月以后，你就会见到我了。”


He tore himself from her as he spoke, and, flinging
himself upon his horse, galloped furiously away, never even
looking round, as though afraid that his resolution might fail
him if he took one glance at what he was leaving. She stood
at the gate, gazing after him until he vanished from her

sight. Then she walked back into the house, the happiest
girl in all Utah.

他边说边从她身边忍痛离开，翻身上马，头也不回地奔驰而去，

好像害怕只要他稍瞥一眼他所离别的人儿，他的决心就要动摇了。她
站在门旁，久久地望着他，一直到他的身影消失不见。然后，她才走

进屋去，她真是整个犹他地区最幸福的姑娘了。



Chapter 3 John Ferrier Talks with

the Prophet



第三章 约翰·费里尔和先知的会谈



Three weeks had passed since Jefferson Hope and his
comrades had departed from Salt Lake City. John Ferrier's

heart was sore within him when he thought of the young
man's return, and of the impending loss of his adopted child.
Yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to the
arrangement more than any argument could have done. He

had always determined, deep down in his resolute heart,
that nothing would ever induce him to allow his daughter to
wed a Mormon. Such a marriage he regarded as no
marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace. Whatever he

might think of the Mormon doctrines, upon that one point he
was inflexible. He had to seal his mouth on the subject,
however, for to express an unorthodox opinion was a
dangerous matter in those days in the Land of the Saints.

杰斐逊·霍普和他的伙伴们离开盐湖城已经有三个星期了。每当想

到这个年轻人回来的时候，他就要失去养女，约翰·费里尔心中便感到

非常痛苦。但是女儿那张明媚而又幸福的脸比任何争论都更能说服他
顺从这个安排。他早已暗暗决定，无论如何，他决不让他的女儿嫁给

一个摩门教徒。这种婚姻根本不能算是婚姻，而是一种耻辱。不管他
对于摩门教教义的看法究竟如何，在这一个问题上，他是不会屈从

的。然而，对于这个问题，他不得不守口如瓶，因为当时，在圣徒之
地，发表不合教义的言论是十分危险的。


Yes, a dangerous matter—so dangerous that even the
most saintly dared only whisper their religious opinions with
bated breath, lest something which fell from their lips might
be misconstrued, and bring down a swift retribution upon

them. The victims of persecution had now turned
persecutors on their own account, and persecutors of the

most terrible description. Not the Inquisition of Seville, nor
the German Vehmgericht, nor the Secret Societies of Italy,

were ever able to put a more formidable machinery in
motion than that which cast a cloud over the State of Utah.

的确，这是一件十分危险的事，危险到就连教会中那些德高望重

的圣徒们也只敢在暗地里偷偷谈论他们对于教会的意见，唯恐一句话
泄露出去，就会马上招致横祸。过去遭受迫害的人，现在自己反倒变

成了迫害者，并且是最为残酷、可怕的迫害者。塞维利亚的宗教法
庭、日耳曼人的叛教律以及意大利那些秘密团体，它们所拥有的庞大

活动组织，与摩门教徒在犹他州所布下的天罗地网相比，都是望尘莫
及的。


Its invisibility, and the mystery which was attached to it,
made this organization doubly terrible. It appeared to be
omniscient and omnipotent, and yet was neither seen nor
heard. The man who held out against the Church vanished

away, and none knew whither he had gone or what had
befallen him. His wife and his children awaited him at home,
but no father ever returned to tell them how he had fared at
the hands of his secret judges. A rash word or a hasty act

was followed by annihilation, and yet none knew what the
nature might be of this terrible power which was suspended
over them. No wonder that men went about in fear and
trembling, and that even in the heart of the wilderness they

dared not whisper the doubts which oppressed them.

无形和神秘的特点，使这个组织倍加可怖。这个组织似乎无所不
知、无所不能，但是，它本身却无人能看、无处听闻。谁要是敢反对

教会，就会突然失踪。既没有人知道他的下落，也没有人知道他的遭

遇。妻子、儿女在家中倚门而望，可是父亲却一去不返，无法向他们
诉说他落在秘密审判者手中的遭遇。说话稍一不慎，行动偶有不当，
立刻就会招来杀身之祸，而且谁也不知道，笼罩在他们头上的这股可

怕的势力究竟是什么。难怪人们个个提心吊胆，即使是在旷野无人之

处，也不敢暗地里对压迫他们的这种势力表示怀疑。

At first this vague and terrible power was exercised only
upon the recalcitrants who, having embraced the Mormon

faith, wished afterwards to pervert or to abandon it. Soon,
however, it took a wider range. The supply of adult women
was running short, and polygamy without a female
population on which to draw was a barren doctrine indeed.
Strange rumours began to be bandied about—rumours of

murdered immigrants and rifled camps in regions where
Indians had never been seen. Fresh women appeared in the
harems of the Elders—women who pined and wept, and

bore upon their faces the traces of an unextinguishable
horror. Belated wanderers upon the mountains spoke of
gangs of armed men, masked, stealthy, and noiseless, who
flitted by them in the darkness. These tales and rumours
took substance and shape, and were corroborated and

recorroborated, until they resolved themselves into a
definite name. To this day, in the lonely ranches of the West,
the name of the Danite Band, or the Avenging Angels, is a

sinister and an ill-omened one.

最初，这股神秘莫测的可怕势力只是对付那些曾经信仰摩门教，
后来又想叛教或弃教的人。但很快，它的目标范围就扩大了。未婚成

年女性渐渐变少，没有足够的女人，一夫多妻制的教条就形同虚设。
各种奇怪的传闻到处传播——在没有印第安人出没的地方，有移民被

中途谋杀，旅行人的帐篷也遭到抢劫。摩门教长老的屋室内却出现了
陌生的女人，她们面容憔悴，嘤嘤啜泣，脸上流露出难以消去的恐

惧。据山中迟暮未归的游民说，在黄昏薄暮时刻，他们看见一队队戴
着面具的武装匪徒骑着马，静悄悄地从他们身旁疾驰而过。这些故事

和传说最初不过是一鳞半爪，但是愈来愈有眉目，经过人们一再

yinzheng之后，也就知道这是某人的所作所为了。直到今天，在西
部荒凉的大草原上，“丹奈特帮”和“复仇天使”仍然是罪恶与不祥的名

称。

Fuller knowledge of the organization which produced
such terrible results served to increase rather than to lessen

the horror which it inspired in the minds of men. None knew
who belonged to this ruthless society. The names of the

participators in the deeds of blood and violence done under
the name of religion were kept profoundly secret. The very
friend to whom you communicated your misgivings as to the
Prophet and his mission, might be one of those who would
come forth at night with fire and sword to exact a terrible

reparation. Hence every man feared his neighbour, and
none spoke of the things which were nearest his heart.

进一步了解这个罪恶的组织，只会加深而不是减轻人们思想中已

经被挑起的那种恐惧。谁也不知道，都是哪些人参加了这个残暴的组
织。这些在宗教幌子下进行残酷、血腥行动的人员姓名是绝对保密

的。你把你对于先知及其教会不满的言论讲给某个朋友听，而这个朋
友可能就会是夜晚明火执仗，前来进行恐怖报复的人员之一。因此，

每个人对于他的左邻右舍都不免心怀疑惧，没有任何人敢说出他深藏

心底的话。

One fine morning, John Ferrier was about to set out to
his wheatfields, when he heard the click of the latch, and,
looking through the window, saw a stout, sandy-haired,

middle-aged man coming up the pathway. His heart leapt to
his mouth, for this was none other than the great Brigham
Young himself. Full of trepidation—for he knew that such a
visit boded him little good—Ferrier ran to the door to greet

the Mormon chief. The latter, however, received his
salutations coldly, and followed him with a stern face into
the sitting-room.

一个晴朗的早晨，约翰·费里尔正打算外出到麦田里去，忽然听到

前门的门闩咔哒响了一下，他从窗口向外一望，只见一个身强体壮、
长着一头淡茶色头发的中年男子沿着小径走了过来。他大吃一惊，因

为进来的不是别人，正是大人物布里格姆·扬本人。他感到十分害怕，
因为他明白，这种访问对他来说是凶多吉少，费里尔赶紧跑到门口，

去迎接这位摩门教的首领。但是，扬对于他的迎接表现得非常冷淡，

他板着面孔，随他进了客厅。

"Brother Ferrier," he said, taking a seat, and eyeing the
farmer keenly from under his light-coloured eyelashes, "the

true believers have been good friends to you. We picked you
up when you were starving in the desert, we shared our
food with you, led you safe to the Chosen Valley, gave you a
goodly share of land, and allowed you to wax rich under our
protection. Is not this so?"


“费里尔兄弟，”他一面说着，一面坐了下来，两眼从他那淡色睫
毛下锐利地注视着这个农民，“上帝的忠实信徒们一直以对待善良朋友

的态度来对待你。当你在沙漠里快要饿死的时候，我们拯救了你，把
我们的食物分给了你，还把你平安地带到这个上帝选定的山谷里来，

分给你一大片土地，并且让你在我们的保护下慢慢地富裕起来。难道
不是这样吗？”


"It is so," answered John Ferrier.

“是这样的。”费里尔回答说。

"In return for all this we asked but one condition: that

was, that you should embrace the true faith, and conform in
every way to its usages. This you promised to do, and this, if
common report says truly, you have neglected."

“对于这一切，我们只提出过一个条件，就是你真正必须信奉我们

的宗教，并且要在各方面奉行教规。你也曾答应过这样做，可是，如

果大家的报告不假的话，就在这一方面，你一直忽视不理。”

"And how have I neglected it?" asked Ferrier, throwing
out his hands in expostulation. "Have I not given to the

common fund? Have I not attended at the Temple? Have I
not——?"

“我到底怎样忽视不理了呢？”费里尔摊开双手答道。“难道我没

有按照规定缴纳公共基金吗？难道我没有去教堂做礼拜吗？难道我
——”

"Where are your wives?" asked Young, looking round
him. "Call them in, that I may greet them."

“你的妻子们呢？”扬问道，四面瞧了一下，“把她们叫出来，我

要见见她们。”

"It is true that I have not married," Ferrier answered.
"But women were few, and there were many who had better

claims than I. I was not a lonely man: I had my daughter to
attend to my wants."

“我没有娶妻，这倒是事实，”费里尔回答说，“可是女人不多

了，而且许多人比我更需要。我也并不是孤零零的一个人，我还有女
儿侍奉我。”


"It is of that daughter that I would speak to you," said
the leader of the Mormons. "She has grown to be the flower
of Utah, and has found favour in the eyes of many who are
high in the land."


“我就是为你的那个女儿，才来找你的，”这位摩门教的领袖
说，“她已经长大成人了，而且称得上是咱们犹他地方的一朵花，许多

有地位的人物都看中了她。”

John Ferrier groaned internally.

约翰·费里尔听了这话以后，不禁心中暗暗叫苦。


"There are stories of her which I would fain disbelieve—
stories that she is sealed to some Gentile. This must be the
gossip of idle tongues. What is the thirteenth rule in the
code of the sainted Joseph Smith? Let every maiden of the

true faith marry one of the elect; for if she wed a Gentile,
she commits a grievous sin.' This being so, it is impossible
that you, who profess the holy creed, should suffer your
daughter to violate it."


“外面有许多传闻，说她已经和某个异教徒订婚了，我不太相信这
些说法。这一定是那些无聊人的闲扯。圣人约瑟夫·史密斯法典中第十

三条说了些什么？‘让摩门教中每个少女都嫁给一个上帝的选民，如果

她嫁给了一个异教徒，她就犯下了弥天大罪。’法典上就是这样说的，

你既然信奉了神圣的教义，就不该纵容你的女儿违背它。”

John Ferrier made no answer, but he played nervously
with his riding-whip.

约翰·费里尔没有回答，他紧张地摆弄着他的马鞭子。


"Upon this one point your whole faith shall be tested—so
it has been decided in the Sacred Council of Four. The girl is
young, and we would not have her wed grey hairs, neither

would we deprive her of all choice. We Elders have many
heifers, but our children must also be provided. Stangerson
has a son, and Drebber has a son, and either of them would

gladly welcome your daughter to their house. Let her
choose between them. They are young and rich, and of the
true faith. What say you to that?"

“在这个问题上，就可以考验你的整个信仰了，四圣会已经决定

了。这个女孩子还年轻，我们不会让她嫁给一个老头子的，我们也不
会完全不让她挑选。我们这些做长老的，已经有许多‘小母牛’了，可

是我们的孩子们却还有需要。斯坦格森有一个儿子，德雷伯也有一
个，他们都非常乐意把你的女儿娶到他们家里去。叫她在他们两个人

中间选择一个吧。他们既年轻，又有钱，并且都是真心信教的。你看
怎么样？”


Ferrier remained silent for some little time with his
brows knitted.

费里尔皱着眉头，沉默了一会儿。


"You will give us time," he said at last. "My daughter is
very young—she is scarce of an age to marry."

“你总得给我们一些时间啊，”他最后说，“我的女儿还很年轻，

她几乎还没到结婚的年龄呢。”

"She shall have a month to choose," said Young, rising
from his seat. "At the end of that time she shall give her

answer."

“她会有一个月的时间来选择，”扬说着就站了起来，“一个月

后，她就要给我答复。”

He was passing through the door, when he turned, with
flushed face and flashing eyes. "It were better for you, John

Ferrier," he thundered, "that you and she were now lying
blanched skeletons upon the Sierra Blanco, than that you
should put your weak wills against the orders of the Holy

Four!"

他走过门口时，突然回过头来，脸涨得通红，目露凶光。“约翰·
费里尔，”他厉声说，“如果你和她现已化为谢拉布兰卡山上的白骨，

那也比你胆敢违抗四圣的命令下场好！”

With a threatening gesture of his hand, he turned from

the door, and Ferrier heard his heavy step scrunching along
the shingly path.

他做了一个恐吓的手势，掉头而去。费里尔听得见，他沉重的脚

步踏在门前砂石小径上，发出沙沙的声音。

He was still sitting with his elbows upon his knees,
considering how he should broach the matter to his
daughter when a soft hand was laid upon his, and looking

up, he saw her standing beside him. One glance at her pale,
frightened face showed him that she had heard what had
passed.

他用肘支在膝头上，一直坐在那里，考虑着究竟如何对女儿说这

件事才好。这时，忽然有一只柔软的手握住了他的手，他抬头一看，
只见他的女儿站在他的身旁。一瞧见她那苍白、惊恐的脸，他就明

白，她已经听见了刚才那一番谈话。

"I could not help it," she said, in answer to his look. "His

voice rang through the house. Oh, father, father, what shall
we do?"

“我没法不听，”看见父亲的脸色，她回应说，“他的声音那么

大，整个房子里都听得见。哦，爸爸，爸爸，我们该怎么办？”

"Don't you scare yourself," he answered, drawing her to
him, and passing his broad, rough hand caressingly over her

chestnut hair. "We'll fix it up somehow or another. You don't
find your fancy kind o' lessening for this chap, do you?"

“不要惊慌，”他回答说，一面把她拉到身边，用他粗大的手抚摸

着她的栗色秀发，“咱们总能想出一个办法来的。你对那个小伙子的爱
情不会淡薄下来吧，对吧？”


A sob and a squeeze of his hand was her only answer.

露西没有回答，只是紧握着老人的手，默默地啜泣着。

"No; of course not. I shouldn't care to hear you say you
did. He's a likely lad, and he's a Christian, which is more

than these folk here, in spite o' all their praying and
preaching. There's a party starting for Nevada tomorrow,
and I'll manage to send him a message letting him know the
hole we are in. If I know anything o' that young man, he'll be

back here with a speed that would whip electro-telegraphs."

“不，当然不会。我并不愿听到你说你会。他是一个有前途的小伙
子，而且他还是一个基督徒，这一点就比这里的人强多了，不管他们

怎样做礼拜祈祷和谆谆说教。明天有一伙人要动身去内华达，我准备
给霍普送个信儿，让他知道咱们现在的危险处境。如果我对这个年轻

人还算有点儿了解的话，那么他一定会像电报一样飞也似的赶回来

的。”

Lucy laughed through her tears at her father's
description.

露西听了她父亲的这番描述，不禁破涕为笑。


"When he comes, he will advise us for the best. But it is
for you that I am frightened, dear. One hears—one hears

such dreadful stories about those who oppose the Prophet:
something terrible always happens to them."

“他回来以后，一定会给咱们想一个万全之策的。可我担心的是

你，亲爱的爸爸。有人听说——听说那些反对先知的人的可怕故事：

反对他的人都要遭到可怕的灾难。”

"But we haven't opposed him yet," her father answered.
"It will be time to look out for squalls when we do. We have

a clear month before us; at the end of that, I guess we had
best shin out of Utah."

“可是，咱们还没有反对他呢，”她的父亲回答说，“如果咱们反

对了他，那可就真得防备了。咱们还有整整一个月的时间，期限一
到，我想咱们最好还是逃出犹他这个地方。”


"Leave Utah!"

“离开犹他！”

"That's about the size of it."

“就得这样吧。”


"But the farm?"

“可是农场呢？”


"We will raise as much as we can in money, and let the
rest go. To tell the truth, Lucy, it isn't the first time I have
thought of doing it. I don't care about knuckling under to
any man, as these folk do to their darned prophet. I'm a
free-born American, and it's all new to me. Guess I'm too old

to learn. If he comes browsing about this farm, he might
chance to run up against a charge of buckshot travelling in
the opposite direction."

“我们可以尽量筹措钱，而其他的也只好算了。说实话，露西，这

并不是我头一回想到要这样做。我不愿意屈从于任何人，不愿像这些

人一样，匍匐在那位该死的先知脚下。我是一个自由的美国人，这里

的一切，我实在看不惯。也许我太老了，学不来他们这一套。假如他

真要到我的农场里来横行霸道的话，他就要尝尝迎面飞来的猎枪子弹
的滋味了。”


"But they won't let us leave," his daughter objected.

“但是，他们不会放咱们走的。”他的女儿反对说。

"Wait till Jefferson comes, and we'll soon manage that.
In the meantime, don't you fret yourself, my dearie, and

don't get your eyes swelled up, else he'll be walking into me
when he sees you. There's nothing to be afeared about, and
there's no danger at all."

“等到杰弗逊回来以后，咱们很快就能逃出去了。这期间，你千万

不要自寻烦恼，我的好女儿，也不要把眼睛哭得肿肿的，否则，他看

见你这副模样，就一定会来找我麻烦的。没有什么可怕的，根本也不
会有什么危险。”


John Ferrier uttered these consoling remarks in a very
confident tone, but she could not help observing that he
paid unusual care to the fastening of the doors that night,
and that he carefully cleaned and loaded the rusty old
shotgun which hung upon the wall of his bedroom.


约翰·费里尔对她说了这些安慰的话，口气信心十足，但是当天晚
上，她却看到他异常谨慎地把门户闩牢，并且把挂在卧室墙上的那支

生锈的旧猎枪取了下来，擦拭干净，装上了子弹。



Chapter Four A Flight for Life



第四章 逃命



In the morning which followed his interview with the
Mormon Prophet, John Ferrier went in to Salt Lake City, and

having found his acquaintance, who was bound for the
Nevada Mountains, he entrusted him with his message to
Jefferson Hope. In it he told the young man of the imminent
danger which threatened them, and how necessary it was
that he should return. Having done thus he felt easier in his

mind, and returned home with a lighter heart.

在和摩门教先知会谈后的第二天早晨，约翰·费里尔就到盐湖城去
了，他在那里找到了那个前往内华达山区的朋友以后，就把一封写给

杰斐逊·霍普的信托他带去了。在信中，他把这个危及他们的紧迫危险

告诉了他，并且要他务必回来。这件事办妥以后，他觉得心中轻松了
一些，于是带着愉快的心情回家了。


As he approached his farm, he was surprised to see a
horse hitched to each of the posts of the gate. Still more
surprised was he on entering to find two young men in
possession of his sitting-room. One, with a long pale face,
was leaning back in the rocking-chair, with his feet cocked

up upon the stove. The other, a bull-necked youth with
coarse bloated features, was standing in front of the window
with his hands in his pocket, whistling a popular hymn. Both

of them nodded to Ferrier as he entered, and the one in the
rocking-chair commenced the conversation.

当他走近他的农场时，他惊奇地看到，大门两旁的门柱上各拴着

一匹马。令他更惊异的是，当他走进屋子时，发现客厅里有两个年轻
人。一个长着一张长脸，面色苍白，正躺在摇椅上，两只脚高高地跷

在火炉上。另一个年轻人脖子粗大，相貌粗俗，神情傲慢，他站在窗

前，两手插在裤袋里，嘴里吹着一首流行的圣歌。费里尔进来的时

候，他们向他点了点头，躺在椅子上的那个首先开了口。

"Maybe you don't know us," he said. "This here is the
son of Elder Drebber, and I'm Joseph Stangerson, who

travelled with you in the desert when the Lord stretched out
His hand and gathered you into the true fold."

“也许你还不认识我们，”他说，“这一位是德雷伯长老的儿子，

我是约瑟夫·斯坦格森，当上帝伸出他神圣的手，把你们引进善良的羊
群时，我们就和你们一块儿穿越了沙漠。”


"As He will all the nations in His own good time," said
the other in a nasal voice; "He grindeth slowly but
exceeding small."

“上帝终究是要把普天之下所有的人都引进来的，”另一个人鼻音

很重地说，“上帝虽然研磨得缓慢，但却非常精细，毫无疏漏。”

John Ferrier bowed coldly. He had guessed who his

visitors were. "We have come," continued Stangerson, "at
the advice of our fathers to solicit the hand of your daughter
for whichever of us may seem good to you and to her. As I
have but four wives and Brother Drebber here has seven, it
appears to me that my claim is the stronger one."


约翰·费里尔冷冷地鞠了个躬。他已经猜到了这两位来客的身
份。“我们来这里，”斯坦格森继续说道，“是奉了父亲的命令，前来

向你的女儿求婚，请你和你的女儿看看，我们两个人之中，你们更中
意谁。我呢，只有四个妻子，可是德雷伯兄弟已经有了七个，因此，

在我看来，我的需要比他大。”

"Nay, nay, Brother Stangerson," cried the other; "the

question is not how many wives we have, but how many we
can keep. My father has now given over his mills to me, and
I am the richer man."

“不对，不对，斯坦格森兄弟，”另一个大声叫道，“问题不在于

咱们有了多少个妻子，而在于你我能够养活多少。我的父亲现在已经
把他那些磨坊都给我了，我比你有钱。”


"But my prospects are better," said the other, warmly.
"When the Lord removes my father, I shall have his tanning
yard and his leather factory. Then I am your elder, and am
higher in the Church."


“可我的前途却比你更好，”斯坦格森热切地说，“等到上帝把我
父亲请去的时候，我就可以得到他的硝皮场和制革厂了。到那时，我

比你年长，在教会中的地位也就要比你高。”

"It will be for the maiden to decide," rejoined young
Drebber, smirking at his own reflection in the glass. "We will
leave it all to her decision."


“那么，只好让这位姑娘来决定了，”小德雷伯一面对着镜中的自
己傻笑，一面答道，“咱们还是完全听从她的选择好了。”


During this dialogue, John Ferrier had stood fuming in
the doorway, hardly able to keep his riding-whip from the
backs of his two visitors.


在这场对话进行的时候，约翰·费里尔一直站在门边，肺都要气炸
了，他几乎忍不住要用他的马鞭子抽打这两个客人的脊背。

"Look here," he said at last, striding up to them, "when

my daughter summons you, you can come, but until then I
don't want to see your faces again."

“听着，”他最后大踏步走到他们面前说，“我的女儿叫你们来，

你们才能到这儿来，但是，在那之前，我不想再看到你们。”

The two young Mormons stared at him in amazement. In
their eyes this competition between them for the maiden's

hand was the highest of honours both to her and her father.

两个年轻的摩门教徒十分诧异地盯着费里尔。在他们看来，他们
这样争着向他的女儿求婚，不论是对他的女儿，还是对他来说，都是

一种至高无上的光荣。

"There are two ways out of the room," cried Ferrier;

"there is the door, and there is the window. Which do you
care to use?"

“有两条路可以走出这个房间，”费里尔喝道，“一个是门，一个

是窗户。你们愿意走哪一个？”

His brown face looked so savage, and his gaunt hands
so threatening, that his visitors sprang to their feet and beat

a hurried retreat. The old farmer followed them to the door.

他黝黑的脸看起来非常凶狠可怕，一双青筋暴起的手是那样的吓
人，他那两位客人吓得跳起来，拔腿就跑。这个老农一直跟到门口。


"Let me know when you have settled which it is to be,"
he said, sardonically.

“等你们两位商量好了究竟那一位合适，请通知我一声。”他挖苦

地说。

"You shall smart for this!" Stangerson cried, white with

rage. "You have defied the Prophet and the Council of Four.
You shall rue it to the end of your days."

“你这是自讨苦吃！”斯坦格森大声叫道，脸都气白了。“你竟敢

公然违抗先知，违抗四圣会。你要后悔一辈子的。”

"The hand of the Lord shall be heavy upon you," cried
young Drebber; "He will arise and smite you!"

“上帝的手要重重地惩罚你，”小德雷伯也叫道，“他既然能够成

就你，也就能够毁灭你！”

"Then I'll start the smiting," exclaimed Ferrier furiously,

and would have rushed upstairs for his gun had not Lucy
seized him by the arm and restrained him. Before he could
escape from her, the clatter of horses' hoofs told him that

they were beyond his reach.

“那我就要开始毁灭了。”费里尔愤怒地叫道。要不是露西一把拉

住他的胳臂，把他拦住，他早就冲上楼去拿枪了。他还没有来得及从
露西的手中挣脱出来，就听见一阵马蹄声，他知道他们走远了，已经

追不上了。

"The young canting rascals!" he exclaimed, wiping the
perspiration from his forehead; "I would sooner see you in

your grave, my girl, than the wife of either of them."

“这两个胡说八道的小流氓！”他一面擦着额头上的汗，一面大声
说道，“与其嫁给他们之中的任何一个，我的孩子，你还不如死了

好。”

"And so should I, father," she answered, with spirit; "but

Jefferson will soon be here."

“爸爸，我一定会这样办的，”她勇敢地说，“不过，杰斐逊马上
就要回来了。”


"Yes. It will not be long before he comes. The sooner the
better, for we do not know what their next move may be."

“是的。他不久就要回来了。越早回来越好，咱们还不知道，他们

下一步要做什么呢。”

It was, indeed, high time that someone capable of

giving advice and help should come to the aid of the sturdy
old farmer and his adopted daughter. In the whole history of
the settlement there had never been such a case of rank
disobedience to the authority of the Elders. If minor errors
were punished so sternly, what would be the fate of this

arch rebel. Ferrier knew that his wealth and position would
be of no avail to him. Others as well known and as rich as
himself had been spirited away before now, and their goods

given over to the Church. He was a brave man, but he
trembled at the vague, shadowy terrors which hung over
him. Any known danger he could face with a firm lip, but
this suspense was unnerving. He concealed his fears from

his daughter, however, and affected to make light of the
whole matter, though she, with the keen eye of love, saw

plainly that he was ill at ease.

的确，现在正是这个坚强的老农和他的养女最危急的时候，他们
非常需要一个能够为他们出谋划策的人来帮助他们。在这个移民地区

的整个历史中，从来还没有发生过这样公然违抗四圣权威的事情。如
果说一些细小的过错都要受到严厉的惩罚，那么做出这种大逆不道的

事，结果又该怎样呢？费里尔知道，他的财富和地位对于他都是毫无
帮助的。在此之前有过其他跟他一样有名又有钱的人被偷偷除掉，他

们的财产也全部归了教会。他是一个勇敢的人，但是一想到悬在头顶
上的这种隐约而阴森的恐怖，他也会不寒而栗。他可以咬着牙勇敢地

承受任何摆在明处的危险，但是，这种悬着的恐怖却令人身心俱疲。

虽然如此，他还是把他的恐惧隐藏起来，不让他的女儿知道，并且装
出一副若无其事的样子。可是，他女儿那双聪慧的眼睛却早已看出他

的忐忑不安。

He expected that he would receive some message or
remonstrance from Young as to his conduct, and he was not
mistaken, though it came in an unlooked-for manner. Upon

rising next morning he found, to his surprise, a small square
of paper pinned on to the coverlet of his bed just over his
chest. On it was printed, in bold straggling letters:—

他预计这番行为必然会招来扬的某种警告，事情果然不出所料，

但是警告的方式却是他万万意想不到的。第二天早晨，费里尔一起

床，就吃惊地发现，在正对着他胸口的被子上，钉着一张纸条。上面
歪歪斜斜地写着一行笔道粗重的字：


"Twenty-nine days are given you for amendment, and
then——"

“限你二十九天内改邪归正，否则——”

The dash was more fear-inspiring than any threat could

have been. How this warning came into his room puzzled
John Ferrier sorely, for his servants slept in an outhouse, and

the doors and windows had all been secured. He crumpled
the paper up and said nothing to his daughter, but the

incident struck a chill into his heart. The twenty-nine days
were evidently the balance of the month which Young had
promised. What strength or courage could avail against an
enemy armed with such mysterious powers? The hand
which fastened that pin might have struck him to the heart,

and he could never have known who had slain him.

字后这一划比任何恫吓都要令人害怕。这个警告究竟是怎么送进
他的房中来的，这使得约翰·费里尔百思不得其解，因为他的仆人睡在

另一所房子里，而这里所有的门窗都是锁好的。他把这个纸条揉成一

团，丝毫也没有对他的女儿提起，可是这件事却令他胆战心寒。纸条
上写的二十九天，明明是指扬所给定的一个月期限所剩下的日子。对

付一个拥有这样神秘力量的敌人，单有力气或勇气又有什么用处呢？
钉上纸条的那只手可能会用刀刺进他的心脏，而他永远也不会知道，

究竟是谁杀了他。

Still more shaken was he next morning. They had sat
down to their breakfast when Lucy with a cry of surprise

pointed upwards. In the centre of the ceiling was scrawled,
with a burned stick apparently, the number 28. To his
daughter it was unintelligible, and he did not enlighten her.
That night he sat up with his gun and kept watch and ward.

He saw and he heard nothing, and yet in the morning a
great 27 had been painted upon the outside of his door.

第二天早晨，费里尔感到更加震惊了。当他们坐下来吃早餐的时

候，露西忽然用手向上面一指，惊叫了起来。在天花板的中央，有一
个数字28，显然是用烧焦了的木棒画的。他的女儿对于这个数字感到

莫名其妙，他也没有向她说明。那天晚上，他没有睡觉，而是拿着他
的枪，通宵守卫着。夜里他什么也没看见，什么也没听到，但是，第

二天早晨，一个大大的27却又出现在他家的门上。

Thus day followed day; and as sure as morning came he
found that his unseen enemies had kept their register, and