血字的研究 68逃命(7)（在线收听）

It was as well that his prairie training had given Jefferson Hope the ears of a lynx.

这也是由于侯波在草原上久经锻炼，使他的一双耳朵象山猫一样的敏锐。

He and his friends had hardly crouched down before the melancholy hooting of a mountain owl was heard within a few yards of them, which was immediately answered by another hoot at a small distance.

他们刚刚伏下，只听见离他们几步之外有一声猫头鹰的惨啼。同时，在不远的地方立刻又有另外一声呼应着。

At the same moment a vague, shadowy figure emerged from the gap for which they had been making, and uttered the plaintive signal cry again, on which a second man appeared out of the obscurity.

只见一个隐隐约约的人影，在他们亲手所开辟的那个缺口处出现了，他又发出一声这种凄惨的暗号，立刻，另外一个人便应声从暗处出来了。

"To-morrow at midnight," said the first, who appeared to be in authority. "When the whippoorwill calls three times."

"明天半夜，怪鸱叫三声时下手。"头一个人这样说，看来他是一个领头的人物。

"It is well," returned the other. "Shall I tell Brother Drebber?"

另一个答道："好的，要我传达给锥伯兄弟吗？"

"Pass it on to him, and from him to the others. Nine to seven!"

"告诉他，让他再传达给其他的人。九到七！"

"Seven to five!" repeated the other; and the two figures flitted away in different directions.

"七到五！"另一个接着说。于是，这两个人便分道悄然而去了。

Their concluding words had evidently been some form of sign and countersign.

他们最后说的两句话，显然是一种问答式的暗号。

The instant that their footsteps had died away in the distance, Jefferson Hope sprang to his feet,

在他们刚刚走远，脚步声刚刚消失的时候，杰弗逊·侯波就立刻跳起身来，

and helping his companions through the gap, led the way across the fields at the top of his speed,

扶着他的同伴穿过缺口，一面用他的最快速度领着他们飞快地越过田地。

supporting and half-carrying the girl when her strength appeared to fail her.

这时，露茜似乎已经精疲力竭了，于是他又半扶半拖地拉着她飞跑。

"Hurry on! hurry on!" he gasped from time to time.

"快点！赶快！"他气喘喘地一次又一次地催促着，

"We are through the line of sentinels. Everything depends on speed. Hurry on!"

"咱们已经闯过了警戒线了。一切就靠迅速了，快跑！"

Once on the high road, they made rapid progress.

一上了大道，他们就立刻快速前进了。

Only once did they meet anyone, and then they managed to slip into a field, and so avoid recognition.

路上，他们碰到过一次人，于是立刻闪进了一片麦田中去躲避，以免被人识破。

Before reaching the town the hunter branched away into a rugged and narrow footpath which led to the mountains.

他们快到城边的时候，侯波又折进了一条通向山间去的崎岖小道。

Two dark, jagged peaks loomed above them through the darkness, and the defile which led between them was the Eagle Canon in which the horses were awaiting them.

黑暗中，只见两座黑压压的巍峨大山浮现在眼前。他们所走的这条狭窄的峡道就是鹰谷，马匹就在这里等候着他们。