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The boarding house was near the edge of the town, and soon they were at the crossroads which is beyond its boundary.
他们的寓所靠近镇边，那两个人很快走到镇外边十字路口。
Here three men were waiting, with whom Lawler and Andrews held a short, eager conversation. Then they all moved on together.
另有三人早在那里等候，劳勒和安德鲁斯与他们匆匆说了几句话，便一同走了。
It was clearly some notable job which needed numbers. At this point there are several trails which lead to various mines.
可想而知，一定是有重大的事情，所以要用这么多人。有几条小径通往各个矿场。
The strangers took that which led to the Crow Hill, a huge business which was in strong hands which had been able,
这些人走上一条通往克劳山去的小路，那里的矿场掌握在一个极有气力、精明能干的人手中，
thanks to their energetic and fearless New England manager, Josiah H. Dunn, to keep some order and discipline during the long reign of terror.
由于这个英国经理乔塞亚·邓恩精力旺盛、不惧邪恶，所以长期以来，尽管恐怖笼罩着山谷，这里却依然纪律严明，秩序井然。
Day was breaking now, and a line of workmen were slowly making their way, singly and in groups, along the blackened path.
天色已经大亮，工人们慢慢上路，有的独自一人，有的三五成群，沿着踩黑了的小路走去。
McMurdo and Scanlan strolled on with the others, keeping in sight of the men whom they followed.
麦克默多和斯坎伦混在人群中慢步走去，始终保持能望到他们所尾随的人。
A thick mist lay over them, and from the heart of it there came the sudden scream of a steam whistle.
一股浓烟升起，随着是一阵汽笛的刺耳尖叫声。
It was the ten-minute signal before the cages descended and the day's labour began.
这是开工信号，十分钟以后，罐笼就要降下去，劳动也就开始了。
When they reached the open space round the mine shaft there were a hundred miners waiting, stamping their feet and blowing on their fingers; for it was bitterly cold.
他们来到矿井周围空旷的地方，已经有上百名矿工等在那里，因为天气严寒，他们不住跺脚，向手上呵气。
The strangers stood in a little group under the shadow of the engine house.
这几个陌生人站在机房附近。
Scanlan and McMurdo climbed a heap of slag from which the whole scene lay before them.
斯坎伦和麦克默多登上一堆煤渣，可以从此处望到全景。
They saw the mine engineer, a great bearded Scotchman named Menzies, come out of the engine house and blow his whistle for the cages to be lowered.
他们看到矿务技师，这位叫做孟席斯的大胡子苏格兰人，从机房走出来，吹响哨子，指挥罐笼降下去。
At the same instant a tall, loose-framed young man with a cleanshaved, earnest face advanced eagerly towards the pit head.
这时，一个身体颀长、面容诚恳、脸刮得光光的年轻人，向矿井前走去。
As he came forward his eyes fell upon the group, silent and motionless, under the engine house.
在他走过来时，一眼看到机房旁那伙默不作声、站着不动的人。
The men had drawn down their hats and turned up their collars to screen their faces.
这伙人把帽子戴得很低，竖起大衣领子遮着脸。
For a moment the presentiment of Death laidits cold hand upon the manager's heart.
一瞬间这个经理预感到死神把它冷酷的手抚到他的心上。
At the next he had shaken it off and saw only his duty towards intrusive strangers.
但他不顾一切，只顾恪尽职责，要去驱逐这几个闯来的陌生人。
"Who are you?" he asked as he advanced. "What are you loitering there for?"
"你们是什么人？"他一面向前走，一面问道，"你们在这里游荡什么？"
There was no answer; but the lad Andrews stepped forward and shot him in the stomach.
没有一个人回答他，可是少年安德鲁斯走上前去，一枪射中他的肚子。
The hundred waiting miners stood as motionless and helpless as if they were paralyzed.
这上百名等候上工的矿工一动也不动，手足无措地站在那里，似乎已被吓得目瞪口呆。
The manager clapped his two hands to the wound and doubled himself up.
这个经理双手捂住伤口，弯下身子。
Then he staggered away; but another of the assassins fired, and he went down sidewise, kicking and clawing among a heap of clinkers.
摇摇晃晃地走向一旁，可是另一个凶手又开了枪，他便倒在地上，在一堆渣块间挣扎性命了。
Menzies, the Scotchman, gave a roar of rage at the sight and rushed with an iron spanner at the murderers;
那个苏格兰人孟席斯见了，大吼一声，举起一根大铁扳手向凶手们打去，
but was met by two balls in the face which dropped him dead at their very feet.
可是他脸上立刻中了两枪，也倒在凶手脚旁死去。
There was a surge forward of some of the miners, and an inarticulate cry of pity and of anger;
有几个矿工冲上前去，发出一声可怜又愤怒的喊叫，
but a couple of the strangers emptied their sixshooters over the heads of the crowd, and they broke and scattered, some of them rushing wildly back to their homes in Vermissa.
可是两个陌生人向众人头上连发数枪，于是人群溃散开来，一些人径直跑回维尔米萨自己家中去了。
When a few of the bravest had rallied, and there was a return to the mine, the murderous gang had vanished in the mists of morning,
只有少数最胆大的人重新聚在一起，又返回矿山来，这伙杀人犯已经消逝在清晨的薄雾中，
without a single witness being able to swear to the identity of these men who in front of a hundred spectators had wrought this double crime.
他们虽然当着上百名旁观者的面杀害了两条性命，却没有留下一点证据。
Scanlan and McMurdo made their way back;
斯坎伦和麦克默多转回家去，
Scanlan somewhat subdued, for it was the first murder job that he had seen with his own eyes, and it appeared less funny than he had been led to believe.
斯坎伦心情懊丧，因为这还是他第一次亲眼目睹杀人行凶，而且不像人家让他相信的那样，是一种"游戏"。
The horrible screams of the dead manager's wife pursued them as they hurried to the town.
在他们赶回镇内时，被害经理的妻子可怕的哭叫声一直萦绕在他们耳边。
McMurdo was absorbed and silent; but he showed no sympathy for the weakening of his companion.
麦克默多受到很大震动，一言不发，不过他看到同伴如此懦弱，却也不以为然。
"Sure, it is like a war," he repeated. "What is it but a war between us and them, and we hit back where we best can."
"真的，这像是一场战争，"麦克默多重复说道，"我们和他们之间不是战争是什么呢？不管在什么地方，只要能回击就向他们回击。"
