Then presently the man with the cane started straight away from the peg, carrying the end of a measuring line with him, 随后，拄着手杖的男子马上从木钉子开始，拿着测量线的末端，

the other end of which the man with the plaited queue held against the top of the peg. 梳着辫子的男子拿着另外一头，并放在木钉子的顶部。

When the pirate captain had reached the end of the measuring line, he marked a cross upon the sand; 当海盗船长抵达测量线的末端后，他在沙子上做了一个十字记号；

and then again they measured out another stretch of space. So they measured a distance five times over, 然后再一次，他们测量了另外一片区域，他们测量了一个比之前大五倍的距离，

and then, from where Tom lay, he could see the man with the queue drive another peg just at the foot of a tall white sand dune 之后从汤姆躺着的地方，他可以看到梳辫子的男人将另外一个木钉子插进了高耸的白色沙丘的底部，

which stood sharp and clear against the night sky behind. 在夜晚的映衬下，声音显得清晰尖锐。

As soon as the man with the plaited queue had driven the second peg into the ground, they began measuring again. 当梳辫子的男子将第二个木钉子插入沙地后，他们开始测量。

Still measuring, they disappeared in another direction which took them in behind the sand dune 他们一边测量一边从另外一个方向消失，他们绕到了沙丘的后面，

where Tom no longer could see what they were doing. The negro still sat by the chest where the two had left him. 汤姆看不到他们在干什么，那名黑人依然坐在箱子旁，其他两人不在他身旁。

So bright was the moonlight that from where Tom lay he could see the glint of its beams twinkling in the whites of the negro's eyeballs. 月光很皎洁，从汤姆躺着的位置可以看到，黑人眼球白色的区域闪烁着光束。

Presently from behind the hill there came, for the third time, the sharp rapping sound of the mallet driving still another peg. 现在从沙丘后方，我们第三次听到了木槌敲击另外一个木钉子的尖锐敲打声。

Then after a while the two pirates came from behind the sand dune into the space of moonlight again. 过了一会，两名海盗从沙丘后面出来，再一次进入月光可以照到的区域。

They came direct to the spot where the chest lay. The white man and the black man, 他们径直走到箱子放置的地方，白人和黑人

lifting it once more, walked away across open sand, and on behind the edge of the hill, out of Tom's sight. 再一次将箱子抬起，离开了这片空旷的沙丘地区，走到了沙丘边缘的后面，远离了汤姆的视线。

TOM FLEES IN TERROR 汤姆慌忙逃窜

Tom Chist could no longer see what the pirates were doing, neither did he dare to cross over the open space of sand 汤姆·契斯特看不到海盗的行动了，但他也不敢穿越这片空旷沙地，

that now lay between them and him. He lay there wondering what they were about; 这片沙地是海盗和汤姆的障碍，他躺在那里思考他们在干什么；

and meantime the storm cloud was rising higher and higher above the horizon, with louder and louder mutterings of thunder. 同时，暴风雨升到了地平线以上，并发出愈发响亮的雷电声。

In the silence he could hear an occasional click as of some iron implement, 在寂静之中，他偶尔能够听到铁器敲击的声音，

and he supposed that the pirates were burying the chest, though just where they were at work he could neither see nor tell. 他猜想海盗正将箱子掩埋起来，尽管汤姆看不到也听不到他们的行动。