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The Valley Of Fear
恐怖谷
When Mcmurdo awoke next morning he had good reason to remember his initiation into the lodge.
第二天早晨，麦克默多一觉醒来，回忆起入会的情形。
His head ached with the effect of the drink, and his arm, where he had been branded, was hot and swollen.
因为酒喝多了，头有些胀痛，臂膀烙伤处也肿胀起来隐隐作痛。
Having his own peculiar source of income, he was irregular in his attendance at his work;
他既有特殊的收入来源，去做工也就不定时了，
so he had a late breakfast, and remained at home for the morning writing a long letter to a friend.
所以早餐吃得很晚，而上午便留在家中给朋友写了一封长信。
Afterwards he read the Daily Herald. In a special column put in at the last moment he read: outrage at the herald office -- editor seriously injured.
后来，他又翻阅了一下《每日先驱报》，只见专栏中刊载着一段报道：先驱报社暴徒行凶--主笔受重伤。
It was a short account of the facts with which he was himself more familiar than the writer could have been.
这是一段简要的报道，实际上麦克默多自己比记者知道得更清楚。
It ended with the statement: "The matter is now in the hands of the police;
报道的结尾说："此事现已归警署办理，
but it can hardly be hoped that their exertions will be attended by any better results than in the past.
然断难瞩望彼等获致优于前此诸案之效果。
Some of the men were recognized, and there is hope that a conviction may be obtained.
暴徒中数人已为人知，故可望予以判处。
The source of the outrage was, it need hardly be said, that infamous society which has held this community in bondage for so long a period,
而暴行之源则毋庸讳言为该声名狼藉之社团，彼等奴役全区居民多年，
and against which the Herald has taken so uncompromising a stand.
《先驱报》与彼等展开毫无妥协之斗争。
Mr. Stanger's many friends will rejoice to hear that, though he has been cruelly and brutally beaten,
斯坦格君之众多友好当喜闻下述音信，斯坦格君虽惨遭毒打，
and though he has sustained severe injuries about the head, there is no immediate danger to his life."
头部受伤甚重，然尚无性命之虞。"
Below it stated that a guard of police, armed with Winchester rifles, had been requisitioned for the defense of the office.
下面报道说，报社已由装备着温切斯特步枪之煤铁警察队守卫。
McMurdo had laid down the paper, and was lighting his pipe with a hand which was shaky from the excesses of the previous evening,
麦克默多放下报纸，点起烟斗，但手臂由于昨晚的灼伤，不觉有些颤动，
when there was a knock outside, and his landlady brought to him a note which had just been handed in by a lad.
此时外面有人敲门，房东太太给他送来一封便笺，说是一个小孩刚刚送到的。
It was unsigned, and ran thus: "I should wish to speak to you; but would rather not do so in your house.
信上没有署名，上面写着："我有事要和您谈一谈，但不能到您府上来。
You will find me beside the flagstaff upon Miller Hill.
您可在米勒山上旗杆旁找到我。
If you will come there now, I have something which it is important for you to hear and for me to say."
如您现在肯来，我有要事相告。"
McMurdo read the note twice with the utmost surprise; for he could not imagine what it meant or who was the author of it.
麦克默多十分惊奇地把信读了两遍，他想不出写信的人是谁，或有什么用意。
Had it been in a feminine hand, he might have imagined that it was the beginning of one of those adventures which had been familiar enough in his past life.
如果这出于一个女人之手，他可以设想，这或许是某些奇遇的开端，他过去生活中对此也岂不生疏。
But it was the writing of a man, and of a well educated one, too.
可是这是一个男人的手笔，此人似乎还受过良好教育。
Finally, after some hesitation, he determined to see the matter through.
麦克默多踌躇了一会儿，最后决定去看个明白。
