福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第12章Part4

"Yes," said McMurdo, "I do."
There was a murmur of astonishment through the hall.
"I believe we hold him in the hollow of our hands," he continued with an exulting smile upon his face. "If we act quickly and wisely, we can cut this thing short. If I have your confidence and your help, it is little that we have to fear."
"What have we to fear, anyhow? What can he know of our affairs?"
"You might say so if all were as stanch as you, Councillor. But this man has all the millions of the capitalists at his back. Do you think there is no weaker brother among all our lodges that could not be bought? He will get at our secrets--maybe has got them already. There's only one sure cure."
"That he never leaves the valley," said Baldwin.
McMurdo nodded. "Good for you, Brother Baldwin," he said. "You and I have had our differences, but you have said the true word to-night."
"Where is he, then? Where shall we know him?"
"Eminent Bodymaster," said McMurdo, earnestly, "I would put it to you that this is too vital a thing for us to discuss in open lodge. God forbid that I should throw a doubt on anyone here; but if so much as a word of gossip got to the ears of this man, there would be an end of any chance of our getting him. I would ask the lodge to choose a trusty committee, Mr. Chairman-- yourself, if I might suggest it, and Brother Baldwin here, and five more. Then I can talk freely of what I know and of what I advise should be done."
The proposition was at once adopted, and the committee chosen. Besides the chairman and Baldwin there were the vulture-faced secretary, Harraway, Tiger Cormac, the brutal young assassin, Carter, the treasurer, and the brothers Willaby, fearless and desperate men who would stick at nothing.
The usual revelry of the lodge was short and subdued: for there was a cloud upon the men's spirits, and many there for the first time began to see the cloud of avenging Law drifting up in that serene sky under which they had dwelt so long. The horrors they had dealt out to others had been so much a part of their settled lives that the thought of retribution had become a remote one, and so seemed the more startling now that it came so closely upon them. They broke up early and left their leaders to their council.
"Now, McMurdo!" said McGinty when they were alone. The seven men sat frozen in their seats.
"I said just now that I knew Birdy Edwards," McMurdo explained. "I need not tell you that he is not here under that name. He's a brave man, but not a crazy one. He passes under the name of Steve Wilson, and he is lodging at Hobson's Patch."
"How do you know this?"

“是的，"麦克默多说道，“我见过他。”
室内顿时出现一阵惊诧的低语声。
“我相信他跑不出我们的手心，"麦克默多笑容满面，继续说道，“假如我们干得迅速而机智，很快就可以把这件事解决好。如果你们信得过我，再给我一些帮助，那我们就更没有什么可怕的了。”
“可是，我们怕什么呢？他怎么能知道我们的事呢？”
“参议员先生，如果大家都象你那样忠诚，你就可以这样说。可是这个人有那些资本家的百万资本做靠山。你难道以为我们会里就没有一个意志薄弱的弟兄可以被收买吗？他会弄到我们的秘密的——甚至可能已经把秘密弄到手了。现在只有一种可靠的对策。”
“那就是不叫他生离这山谷！"鲍德温说道。
麦克默多点点头。“你说得好，鲍德温兄弟，"麦克默多说道，“你我过去往往意见不合，可是今晚你倒说对了。”
“那么，他在哪里呢？我们在哪里能见到他？”
“可敬的身主，"麦克默多热情洋溢地说道，“我要向你建议，这对我们是一件生死攸关的大事，不便在会上公开讨论。我并不是不信任在座的哪位弟兄。可是只要有只言片语传到那个侦探耳中，我们就会失掉抓到他的一切机会。我要求分会选择一些最可靠的人。假如我可以提议的话，参议员先生，你自己算一个，还有鲍德温兄弟，再找五个人。那么我就可以自由地发表我所知道的一切，也可以说一说我打算怎么做了。”
麦克默多的建议马上被采纳了。选出的人员除了麦金蒂和鲍德温以外，还有面如鹫鹰的书记哈拉威、老虎科马克、凶残的中年杀人凶手司库卡特和不顾生死的亡命徒威拉比两兄弟。
大家精神上仿佛笼罩了一片乌云，许多人头一次开始看到，在他们居住得那么久的地方，一片为被害者复仇的乌云——法律，弥漫在晴空。他们施加于他人的恐怖，过去被他们认为是远不会遭到报应的，现在却使他们大吃一惊，这种果报来得如此急迫，紧压在他们头上。所以党徒们例常的欢宴，这次却抑郁不欢，草草收场了。党徒们很早就走开了。只有他们的头领们留下议事。
“麦克默多，现在你说吧，"他们孤零零的七个人呆呆地坐在那里，麦金蒂说道。
“我刚才说过我认识伯尔弟·爱德华，"麦克默多解释说，“我用不着告诉你们，你们就可想到，他在这里用的不是这个名字。他是一个勇敢的人，不是一个蠢才。他诡称名叫史蒂夫·威尔逊，住在霍布森领地。”
“你怎么知道的呢？”