福爾摩斯探案集·四簽名 第73期:兇手的末日(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.

"正因為很簡單，才容易被忽略了。于是我決定照著這個途徑去進行偵查。

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裝到下游的每個船塢里去詢問。

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

問了十五個船塢全失敗了，可是問到第十六個--杰克勃森船塢

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.

得知在兩天前曾有一個裝木腿的人把'曙光'號送進船塢修理船舵。

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

那里的工頭和我說：'就是那個畫著紅線的船舵，其實一點兒毛病也沒有。'

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

正說著，從那邊來了一個人。不是別人，正是失蹤的船主茂迪凱·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.

我自然不會認識他，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.'

并說道：'今晚八點鐘我們的船要出塢去。記住了，準八點鐘。有兩位客人要坐船，不要耽誤了。'

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

匪徒們一定給了他不少的錢，他對工人們拍著他滿口袋的銀幣，叮當(dāng)作響。

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

我跟蹤了他幾步，他跑進了一家酒館。

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.

于是我又回到船塢，在途中碰巧遇到了我的一個小幫手，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.

讓他站在船塢的出口地方，預(yù)約定了，當(dāng)票船出塢的時節(jié)，向我們揮動手巾作為暗號。

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

我們在河上歇一下，看著他的去路，要不是人贓并獲那才是怪事呢。"