福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第13章Part1

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. It was on the extreme fringe of the town and stood well back from the road. 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; 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.
It was possible that they were already too late and that the work had been done. If that was indeed so, they could at least have their revenge upon the man who had done it. But they were hopeful that nothing of great importance had yet come to the detective's knowledge, as otherwise, they argued, he would not have troubled to write down and forward such trivial information as McMurdo claimed to have given him. However, all this they would learn from his own lips. Once in their power, they would find a way to make him speak. It was not the first time that they had handled an unwilling witness.
McMurdo went to Hobson's Patch as agreed. The police seemed to take particular interest in him that Morning, and Captain Marvin--he who had claimed the old acquaintance with him at Chicago--actually addressed him as he waited at the station. McMurdo turned away and refused to speak with him. He was back from his mission in the afternoon, and saw McGinty at the Union House.
"He is coming," he said.
"Good!" said McGinty. 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. Drink and politics had made the Boss a very rich as well as powerful man. The more terrible, therefore, seemed that glimpse of the prison or the gallows which had risen before him the night before.
"Do you reckon he knows much?" he asked anxiously.
McMurdo shook his head gloomily. "He's been here some time--six weeks at the least. I guess he didn't come into these parts to look at the prospect. 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."
"There's not a weak man in the lodge," cried McGinty. "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. I've a mind to send a couple of the boys round before evening to give him a beating up and see what they can get from him."
"Well, there would be no harm in that," McMurdo answered. "I won't deny that I have a liking for Morris and would be sorry to see him come to harm. 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. But still it is not for me to stand between him and you."
"I'll fix the old devil!" said McGinty with an oath. "I've had my eye on him this year past."
"Well, you know best about that," McMurdo answered. "But whatever you do must be to-morrow; for we must lie low until the Pinkerton affair is settled up. We can't afford to set the police buzzing, to-day of all days."
"True for you," said McGinty. "And we'll learn from Birdy Edwards himself where he got his news if we have to cut his heart out first. Did he seem to scent a trap?"
McMurdo laughed. "I guess I took him on his weak point," he said. "If he could get on a good trail of the Scowrers, he's ready to follow it into hell. I took his money," McMurdo grinned as he produced a wad of dollar notes, "and as much more when he has seen all my papers."
"What papers?"

正如麥克默多所說的那樣，他所寄寓的住所孤寂無鄰，正適於他們進行策劃的那種犯罪活動。寓所位於鎮子的最邊緣，又遠離大路。若是作品它案子，那些兇手只要照老辦法把要殺的人叫出來，把子彈都射到他身上就行了。可是這次，他們卻要弄清這人知道多少祕密，怎麼知道的，給他的僱主送過多少情報。
可能他們動手太晚了，對方已把情報送走了。如果真是這樣，他們至少還可以向送情報的人復仇。不過他們希望這個偵探還沒弄到什麼非常重要的情報，要不然，他幹嗎不厭其煩地記下麥克默多捏造的那些毫無價值的廢話呢。然而，所有這一切，他們要讓他親口招認出來。一旦把他抓到手，他們會設法讓他開口的，他們已經不是第一次處理這樣的事了。
麥克默多到霍布森領地後，這天早晨警察似乎很注意他，正當麥克默多在車站等候時，那個自稱在芝加哥就和他是老相識的馬文隊長，竟然和他打起招呼來。麥克默多不願和他講話，便轉身走開了，這天中午麥克默多完成任務返回之後，到工會去見麥金蒂。
“他就要來的，"麥克默多說道。
“好極了！"麥金蒂說道。這位巨人只穿着襯衫，背心下露出的錶鏈閃閃發光，鑽石別針尤其光彩奪目。既開設酒館，又玩弄政治，使得這位首領既有權勢，又非常有錢。然而，前一天晚上，他面前彷彿隱約閃現着監獄和絞刑這樣可怕的東西。
“你估計他對我們的事知道得多嗎？"麥金蒂焦慮地問道。
麥克默多陰鬱地搖了搖頭，說道：“他已經來了很長時間，至少有六個星期了。我想他還沒有到我們這兒來收集他需要的東西。倘若他要利用鐵路資本來做後盾，又在我們中間活動了這麼長時間，我想，他早已有所收穫，而且早已把它傳遞出去了。”
“我們分會裏沒有一個意志薄弱的人，"麥金蒂高聲喊道，“每個人都象鋼鐵一樣堅定可靠。不過，天哪！只有那個可惡的莫里斯。他的情況怎麼樣？一旦有人出賣我們，那就一定是他。我想派兩個弟兄在天黑以前去教訓他一頓，看看他們從他身上能得到什麼情況。”
“啊，那樣做倒也無妨，"麥克默多答道，“不過，我不否認，我喜歡莫里斯，並且不忍眼看他受到傷害。他曾經向我說過一兩次分會裏的事，儘管他對這些事的看法不象你我一樣，他也絕不象是一個告密的人。不過我並不想幹涉你們之間的事。”
“我一定要結果這個老鬼！"麥金蒂發誓道，“我對他留意已經有一年了。”
“好，你對這些知道得很清楚，"麥克默多答道，“不過你必須等到明天再去處理，因爲在平克頓這件事解決好以前，我們必須暫停其它活動。時間有的是，何必一定要在今天去驚動警察呢。”
“你說得對，"麥金蒂說道，“我們可以在把伯爾弟·愛德華的心挖出以前，從他身上弄清他到底是從什麼地方得到的消息。他會不會看穿我們設的圈套呢？”
麥克默多笑容滿面。“我想我抓住了他的弱點，"麥克默多說道，“如果他能得到死酷黨人的蹤跡，他甚至甘心尾隨他上天入地。我已經拿到他的錢了。"麥克默多咧嘴笑了，取出一疊鈔票給大家看，“他答應看到我的全部文件後，還要給更多的錢。”
“什麼文件？”