Dave Slotter leaned belligerently against the desk that barred the way to the private office of James Ward, senior partner of the firm of Ward, Knowles & Co.. Dave was angry. Every one in the outer office had looked him over suspiciously, and the man who faced him was excessively suspicious.

戴夫·斯洛特挑衅地靠在阻拦他去詹姆斯·沃德先生私人办公室的桌子上。詹姆斯·沃德是沃德诺尔斯公司的高级合伙人之类的。戴夫生气了。外面办公室的每个人都怀疑地打量着他，正对着他的那个人更是一副怀疑的表情。

"You just tell Mr. Ward it's important," he urged.

“你就告诉沃德先生这件事很重要。”他敦促道。

"I tell you he is dictating and cannot be disturbed," was the answer. "Come to-morrow.”

“我告诉你他正在作指示，不能被打扰，”只有这样的答复，“明天再来吧。”

"To-morrow will be too late. You just trot along and tell Mr.Ward it's a matter of life and death.”

“明天就太晚了。你就快点去告诉沃德先生这是生死攸关的事。”

The secretary hesitated and Dave seized the advantage.

秘书犹豫起来，戴夫抓住这个有利条件。

"You just tell him I was across the bay in Mill Valley last night, and that I want to put him wise to something."

“你只要告诉他我昨晚穿过了米尔山谷的凹地，现在有点事想告诉他。”

"What name?" was the query.

“名字？”对方问道。

"Never mind the name. He don't know me.”

“名字并不重要。他不认识我。”

When Dave was shown into the private office, he was still in the belligerent frame of mind, but when he saw a large fair man whirl in a revolving chair from dictating to a stenographer to face him, Dave's demeanor abruptly changed. He did not know why it changed, and he was secretly angry with himself.

当戴夫被引进私人办公室的时候，他的精神还处于战斗状态；可当他看到一个高大的白人坐在转椅上，从向速记员作口述转向他的时候，他的态度突然变了。他不知道自己为什么会变，还暗暗地生自己的生气。

"You are Mr. Ward?" Dave asked with a fatuousness that still further irritated him. He had never intended it at all.

“您是沃德先生？”戴夫的问话带着一丝愚蠢，这让他自己更生气了。他从没打算过要这么做。

"Yes," came the answer.

“是的。”这是回答。

"And who are you?"

“那你是？”

"Harry Bancroft," Dave lied. "You don't know me, and my name don't matter.”

“哈里·班克罗夫特,”戴夫撒了个谎，“您不认识我，我的名字也不重要。”

"You sent in word that you were in Mill Valley last night?"

“你捎话说你昨晚在米尔山谷？”

"You live there, don't you?” Dave countered, looking suspiciously at the stenographer.

“您住在那儿，对吗？”戴夫反问道，怀疑地望着记录员。

"Yes. What do you mean to see me about? I am very busy."

“是的。你要见我是有何指教？我很忙的。”

"I'd like to see you alone, sir.”

“我想单独和您谈谈，先生。”

Mr. Ward gave him a quick, penetrating look, hesitated, then made up his mind.

沃德先生快速而锐利地看了他一眼，犹豫了一下，然后做了决定。

"That will do for a few minutes, Miss Potter."

“几分钟就好，波特小姐。”

The girl arose, gathered her notes together, and passed out. Dave looked at Mr. James Ward wonderingly, until that gentleman broke his train of inchoate thought.

那女孩站起身，收拾好她的笔记，出去了。戴夫怪异地望着詹姆斯·沃德先生，直到那位绅士打断了他刚开始的思绪。

"Well?"

“怎么回事？”

"I was over in Mill Valley last night," Dave began confusedly.

“我昨晚穿过米尔山谷。”戴夫困惑地开始讲述。

"I've heard that before. What do you want?”

“我已经听过这句了。你想干什么？”

And Dave proceeded in the face of a growing conviction that was unbelievable. "I was at your house, or in the grounds, I mean."

戴夫走上前，脸上的表情越来越坚定，让人难以置信。“我就在你家附近，我是说，或者说在你家的院子里。”

"What were you doing there?"

“你在那儿干什么？”

"I came to break in," Dave answered in all frankness.

“我本打算闯进去。”戴夫十分坦率地说。

"I heard you lived all alone with a Chinaman for cook, and it looked good to me. Only I didn't break in. Something happened that prevented. That's why I'm here. I come to warn you. I found a wild man loose in your grounds—a regular devil. He could pull a guy like me to pieces. He gave me the run of my life. He don't wear any clothes to speak of, he climbs trees like a monkey, and he runs like a deer. I saw him chasing a coyote, and the last I saw of it, by God, he was gaining on it.”

“我听说您一直独居，家里只有一个中国厨师，这对我来说很有利。可是我没闯进去。发生了点事阻止我没能进去。这就是我来这儿的原因。我是来提醒您的。我看见一个野人在您家院子随意出入——一个十足的魔鬼。他能把像我这样的人撕成碎片。他逼得我拼命地跑。值得一提的是，他没穿衣服，爬起树来就像只猴子，跑起来像只鹿。我还看见他在追赶一只郊狼，我最后一次看见他的时候，上帝啊，他就快追赶上那只郊狼了。”

Dave paused and looked for the effect that would follow his words. But no effect came. James Ward was quietly curious, and that was all.

戴夫停了一下，想看看他的话会产生什么效果。可什么效果都没有。詹姆斯·沃德安静而好奇地听着，仅此而已。

"Very remarkable, very remarkable," he murmured. "A wild man, you say. Why have you come to tell me?"

“很特别，很特别。”他嘟囔着。“野人，你是这么说的吧。那你为什么跑来告诉我？”

"To warn you of your danger. I'm something of a hard proposition myself, but I don't believe in killing people …that is, unnecessarily. I realized that you was in danger. I thought I'd warn you. Honest, that's the game. Of course, if you wanted to give me anything for my trouble, I'd take it. That was in my mind, too. But I don't care whether you give me anything or not. I've warned you anyway, and done my duty.” Mr. Ward meditated and drummed on the surface of his desk. Dave noticed they were large, powerful hands, withal well-cared for despite their dark sunburn. Also, he noted what had already caught his eye before—a tiny strip of flesh-colored courtplaster on the forehead over one eye. And still the thought that forced itself into his mind was unbelievable.

“提醒您要小心。我自认自己并不那么好对付，可我不主张杀人……那是没有必要的。我觉得您处在危险之中。我认为自己应该提醒你。说实在的，那是赌博。当然，如果你想为我的麻烦补偿点什么，我也接受。我也这么想过。可是我不介意你是否送我东西。不管怎么样，我都会来提醒你的，完成我的义务。”沃德先生思考着，用手敲着桌面。戴夫注意到他的手很大，很有力，虽然晒黑了点可保养得很好。他又注意到刚才就吸引他眼球的东西——一只眼睛上方的额头上贴着一小条肉色的薄橡皮膏。强行进入他大脑中的想法仍然令人觉得不可思议。

Mr. Ward took a wallet from his inside coat pocket, drew out a greenback, and passed it to Dave, who noted as he pocketed it that it was for twenty dollars.

沃德先生从衣服里面的口袋里掏出钱包，抽出一张美元，递给了戴夫。戴夫把钱装进兜里时注意到那是20美元。

"Thank you," said Mr. Ward, indicating that the interview was at an end.

“谢谢。”沃德先生说，暗示谈话已经结束了。

"I shall have the matter investigated. A wild man running loose IS dangerous."

“我会派人调查这事的。一个野人到处跑动确实很危险。”

But so quiet a man was Mr. Ward, that Dave's courage returned. Besides, a new theory had suggested itself. The wild man was evidently Mr. Ward's brother, a lunatic privately confined. Dave had heard of such things. Perhaps Mr. Ward wanted it kept quiet. That was why he had given him the twenty dollars.

可是沃德先生太安静了，以至于戴夫又恢复了勇气。还有就是，一个新的推测浮现在脑海里。那个野人显然是沃德先生的兄弟，一个被秘密看管的疯子。戴夫听说过类似的事情。或许沃德先生想息事宁人。这就是他为什么给了他20美元。

"Say," Dave began, "now I come to think of it that wild man looked a lot like you—”

“喂，”戴夫开始了，“我现在开始觉得那个野人长得很像你——”

That was as far as Dave got, for at that moment he witnessed a transformation and found himself gazing into the same unspeakably ferocious blue eyes of the night before, at the same clutching talon-like hands, and at the same formidable bulk in the act of springing upon him. But this time Dave had no night-stick to throw, and he was caught by the biceps of both arms in a grip so terrific that it made him groan with pain. He saw the large white teeth exposed, for all the world as a dog's about to bite. Mr. Ward's beard brushed his face as the teeth went in for the grip on his throat. But the bite was not given. Instead, Dave felt the other's body stiffen as with an iron restraint, and then he was flung aside, without effort but with such force that only the wall stopped his momentum and dropped him gasping to the floor.

戴夫就说了这么多，因为在那一瞬间，他目睹了一个转变，他发现自己又看到了和前晚一样的那双无法形容的凶残的蓝眼睛，又看到那双紧握着的爪子似的手，和那个正要跳到他身上的强大身躯。可这次戴夫没有手电筒可以扔，他被两只胳膊紧紧地握住，力量之大使得他痛苦地呻吟起来。他看到对方露出大大的白牙，完全就像一条要撕咬的狗。沃德先生准备咬他的喉咙时，他的胡须擦着戴夫的脸。可是他没咬。相反，戴夫感到对方的身体僵硬得像用钢铁撑住一般，接着他被毫不费力地摔在一边，对方用力非常大，只有墙壁才能够阻挡戴夫的冲力，接着戴夫掉在了地上，大口喘息着。

"What do you mean by coming here and trying to blackmail me?" Mr. Ward was snarling at him. "Here, give me back that money."

“你来这儿敲诈我，是什么意思？”沃德先生冲着他咆哮，“来，把钱还给我。”

Dave passed the bill back without a word.

戴夫一言不发地把钱给了他。

"I thought you came here with good intentions. I know you now. Let me see and hear no more of you, or I'll put you in prison where you belong. Do you understand?”

“我以为你来这儿是出于好意。现在我看清你了。什么都别说了，也别再让我看见你，否则我会把你扔进监狱。明白了吗？”

"Yes, sir," Dave gasped.

“明白了，先生。”戴夫喘着气。

"Then go."

“出去。”

And Dave went, without further word, both his biceps aching intolerably from the bruise of that tremendous grip. As his hand rested on the door knob, he was stopped.

戴夫什么话也没说就出来了，双臂因为那用力的一抓，起了淤青、疼痛难忍。当他把手放在门把手上时，他被拦住了。

"You were lucky," Mr. Ward was saying, and Dave noted that his face and eyes were cruel and gloating and proud.

“你很幸运。”沃德先生说道，戴夫注意到他的脸和眼睛一副残忍、满足、骄傲的神情。

"You were lucky. Had I wanted, I could have torn your muscles out of your arms and thrown them in the waste basket there."

“你很幸运。如果我想，我早就把你的肌肉从胳膊里拉出来，扔进那儿的垃圾桶里了。”

"Yes, sir," said Dave; and absolute conviction vibrated in his voice.

“是的，先生。”戴夫用坚信不疑的声音回答道。

He opened the door and passed out. The secretary looked at him interrogatively.

他打开门出去了。秘书疑惑地望着他。

"Gosh!" was all Dave vouchsafed, and with this utterance passed out of the offices and the story.

“天啊！”戴夫只说了这一句，说完就离开办公室，从这个故事里消失了。 y1Fquyv8HQStuKAb3dQwfRhUpDw2LddnypspbHi9JfeIwRhaol86NwJU6saaWuh7