福爾摩斯探案經典:《恐怖谷》第10章Part1

On the day following the evening which had contained so many exciting events, McMurdo moved his lodgings from old Jacob Shafter's and took up his quarters at the Widow MacNamara's on the extreme outskirts of the town. Scanlan, his original acquaintance aboard the train, had occasion shortly afterwards to move into Vermissa, and the two lodged together. There was no other boarder, and the hostess was an easy-going old Irishwoman who left them to themselves; so that they had a freedom for speech and action welcome to men who had secrets in common.
Shafter had relented to the extent of letting McMurdo come to his meals there when he liked; so that his intercourse with Ettie was by no means broken. On the contrary, it drew closer and more intimate as the weeks went by.
In his bedroom at his new abode McMurdo felt it safe to take out the coining moulds, and under many a pledge of secrecy a number of brothers from the lodge were allowed to come in and see them, each carrying away in his pocket some examples of the false money, so cunningly struck that there was never the slightest difficulty or danger in passing it. Why, with such a wonderful art at his command, McMurdo should condescend to work at all was a perpetual mystery to his companions; though he made it clear to anyone who asked him that if he lived without any visible means it would very quickly bring the police upon his track.
One policeman was indeed after him already; but the incident, as luck would have it, did the adventurer a great deal more good than harm. After the first introduction there were few evenings when he did not find his way to McGinty's saloon, there to make closer acquaintance with "the boys," which was the jovial title by which the dangerous gang who infested the place were known to one another. His dashing manner and fearlessness of speech made him a favourite with them all; while the rapid and scientific way in which he polished off his antagonist in an "all in" bar-room scrap earned the respect of that rough community. Another incident, however, raised him even higher in their estimation.
Just at the crowded hour one night, the door opened and a man entered with the quiet blue uniform and peaked cap of the mine police. This was a special body raised by the railways and colliery owners to supplement the efforts of the ordinary civil police, who were perfectly helpless in the face of the organized ruffianism which terrorized the district. There was a hush as he entered, and many a curious glance was cast at him; but the relations between policemen and criminals are peculiar in some parts of the States, and McGinty himself, standing behind his counter, showed no surprise when the policeman enrolled himself among his customers.
"A straight whisky; for the night is bitter," said the police officer. "I don't think we have met before, Councillor?"
"You'll be the new captain?" said McGinty.
"That's so. We're looking to you, Councillor, and to the other leading citizens, to help us in upholding law and order in this township. Captain Marvin is my name."
"We'd do better without you, Captain Marvin," said McGinty coldly; "for we have our own police of the township, and no need for any imported goods. What are you but the paid tool of the capitalists, hired by them to club or shoot your poorer fellow citizen?"
"Well, well, we won't argue about that," said the police officer good-humouredly. "I expect we all do our duty same as we see it; but we can't all see it the same." He had drunk off his glass and had turned to go, when his eyes fell upon the face of Jack McMurdo, who was scowling at his elbow. "Hullo! Hullo!" he cried, looking him up and down. "Here's an old acquaintance!"
McMurdo shrank away from him. "I was never a friend to you nor any other cursed copper in my life," said he.
"An acquaintance isn't always a friend," said the police captain, grinning. "You're Jack McMurdo of Chicago, right enough, and don't you deny it!"
McMurdo shrugged his shoulders.

這天晚上發生了那麼多激動人心的事件，到了第二天，麥克默多便從雅各布·謝夫特老人家裏搬到鎮子最盡頭處寡婦麥克娜瑪拉家中去住。他最早在火車上結交的朋友斯坎倫，不久也不約而同地搬到維爾米薩來了，兩個人遂同住在一起。這裏沒有別的房客，女房東是一個很隨和的愛爾蘭老婦人，一點也不干涉他們的事。所以他們的言語、行動都很自由，這對於同懷隱私的這兩個人可真是再好不過了。
謝夫特對麥克默多挺厚道，他高興的時候，就請麥克默多到他家吃飯，所以，麥克默多和伊蒂的來往並沒有中斷。恰恰相反，一星期一星期地過去，他們的來往反而更頻繁更親密。
麥克默多覺得他的新居很安全，便把他鑄僞幣的模子搬到臥室中開起工來，而在保證絕不泄密的條件下，分會中的一些弟兄們就前來觀看。在每個弟兄離開時，口袋裏都裝上一些僞幣，這些僞幣鑄造得那麼精巧，使用出去從來毫不費難，而且絕無危險。麥克默多有了這件絕技，卻還要屈身去做工，這在他的會友看來實在是不解之謎。可是麥克默多對每一個問到他的人都說明，如果自己沒有任何明擺着的收入，那警察很快就會來盤查他的。
一個警察確實已經盯上了麥克默多，不過這件枝節小事，巧得很，不僅沒有給這位冒險家帶來絲毫損害，反而使他聲譽大振。自從第一天介紹他和弟兄們相見以後 ，麥克默多幾乎每晚都設法到麥金蒂的酒館裏去，在那裏更親近地結識"哥兒們"，誰都知道，這是對那些出沒此地的一夥危險人物的尊稱。麥克默多剛毅果敢的性格和無所顧忌的言談，早就博得全體兄弟們的喜愛。有一次，麥克默多在酒吧間的一場"自由式"拳擊賽中迅速而技巧熟練地打敗了對手，這又贏得了這些粗野之輩極大的尊敬。然而，另一件小事，使麥克默多在衆人中更加提高了聲望。
一天晚上，人們正在歡呼暢飲，忽然門開了，走進一個人來，身穿一套樸素的藍制服，頭戴一頂煤鐵礦警察的尖頂帽子。因爲礦區內，到處是一片恐怖，不斷髮生有組織的暴行，面對這種情況，普通警察完全束手無策。鐵路局和礦主們便招募人員組成煤鐵礦警察這一特別機構，用以補充普通警察的不足。這個警察一進門，大家頓時安靜下來，許多人好奇地看着他。不過在美國各州，警察和罪犯之間的關係是很特殊的，因此，麥金蒂站在櫃檯後面，對這個警察混在他的顧客中，毫不感到驚奇。
“今晚天氣太冷了，來點純威士忌酒，"警官說道，“參議員先生，我們以前沒見過面吧？”
“你是新來的隊長嗎？"麥金蒂問道。
“不錯，我們是來拜訪你的，參議員先生，還有其他的首領，請你們協助我們在本鎮維護法律。我的名字叫馬文，是煤鐵礦警察隊長。”
“我們這裏很好，用不着你們來維持，馬文隊長，"麥金蒂冷冷地說道，“我們鎮上有自己的警察，用不着什麼進口貨。你們不過是資本家花錢僱來的爪牙，除了用棍棒或槍支來對付窮苦老百姓之外．還能幹什麼？”
“好，好，我們不用爭論這個，"警官和平地說道，“希望我們大家都各按己見同樣儘自己的責任。不過我們的看法還不能完全一致。"他喝完了酒，轉身要走，忽然眼光落到傑克·麥克默多的臉上，麥克默多正站在近處怒視着他。“喂！喂！"馬文隊長上下打量了麥克默多一番，大聲喊道，“這裏有一個老相識了。”
麥克默多從他身旁走開，說道：“我生來就沒有和你交過朋友，也沒有和什麼別的萬惡的警察做過朋友。”
“一個相識往往不是一個朋友，"警察隊長咧嘴笑道，"你是芝加哥的傑克·麥克默多，一點也不錯，你不要抵賴。”
麥克默多聳了聳肩膀。