孤身骑车人（13）（在线收听）

“They didn't go to the house. Here are their marks on  the left—here, beside the laurel bushes! Ah, I said  so!”

As he spoke a woman's shrill scream—a scream which  vibrated with a frenzy of horror—burst from the thick  green clump of bushes in front of us. It ended suddenly  on its highest note with a choke and a gurgle.

“This way! This way! They are in the bowling alley,”  cried the stranger, darting through the bushes. “Ah,  the cowardly dogs! Follow me, gentlemen! Too late! too  late! by the living Jingo!”

We had broken suddenly into a lovely glade of  greensward surrounded by ancient trees. On the farther  side of it, under the shadow of a mighty oak, there  stood a singular group of three people. One was a  woman, our client, drooping and faint, a handkerchief  round her mouth. Opposite her stood a brutal, heavy- faced, red-moustached young man, his gaitered legs  parted wide, one arm akimbo, the other waving a  riding-crop, his whole attitude suggestive of  triumphant bravado. Between them an elderly, grey- bearded man, wearing a short surplice over a light  tweed suit, had evidently just completed the wedding  service, for he pocketed his prayer-book as we appeared  and slapped the sinister bridegroom upon the back in  jovial congratulation.

“They're married!” I gasped.

“Come on!” cried our guide; “come on!” He rushed  across the glade, Holmes and I at his heels. As we  approached, the lady staggered against the trunk of the  tree for support. Williamson, the ex-clergyman, bowed  to us with mock politeness, and the bully Woodley  advanced with a shout of brutal and exultant laughter.

“You can take your beard off, Bob,” said he. “I know  you right enough. Well, you and your pals have just  come in time for me to be able to introduce you to Mrs.  Woodley.”

Our guide's answer was a singular one. He snatched off  the dark beard which had disguised him and threw it on  the ground, disclosing a long, sallow, clean-shaven  face below it. Then he raised his revolver and covered  the young ruffian, who was advancing upon him with his  dangerous riding-crop swinging in his hand.

“他们没有进宅院。左边有他们的脚印，在这儿，在月桂树丛旁边。啊！我说得不错。”

他正说着，传来一阵女人的尖声哀叫，一种带着极度惊恐的颤声狂呼从我们面前一片浓密的绿色灌木丛中传出来。突然尖声高叫停止了，接着是一阵窒息的咯咯声。

“这边！这边！他们在滚球场，"那陌生人闯过灌木丛，说道，"啊，这些胆小表！苞我来，先生们！哎呀！太迟了！太迟了！”

我们猛然闯进古树环绕的一片林间绿草地。草地那一边，在一棵大橡树的树荫下站着三个人。一个是女人，就是我们的委托人，她垂着头，半昏厥过去，嘴上蒙着手帕。她对面站着面貌凶残的红一胡一子年青人，腿上扎着绑腿，大叉腿站着，一只手叉腰，另一只手里晃动着马鞭，他的整个神情显示出一种洋洋得意的架式。这两个人中间站着一个花白一胡一子的老家伙，穿浅色花呢衣服，外罩白色短法衣，显然刚做完结婚仪式，因为我们一到，他就把一本祈祷书装进衣袋，并且轻轻拍着那一陰一险的新郎的后背，兴致勃勃地向他祝福。

“他们在举行婚礼！"我气喘吁吁地说道。

“来！"我们的领路人喊道，"来！"他冲过林中空地，福尔摩斯和我紧紧跟随。在我们冲到姑一娘一跟前时，她摇摇晃晃地靠在树干上以免摔倒。前牧师威廉森向我们嘲弄地鞠了一躬，而暴徒伍德利却野蛮地大吼一声，得意忘形地狂笑着，向我们冲来。

“你可以把你的一胡一子摘掉，鲍勃，"他说道，"我认识你，一点不含糊。喂，你和你的同伙来得正是时候，我正好给你们介绍一下伍德利夫人。”

我们那带路人的回答很特别。他一把拉掉用以伪装的黑一胡一子，把它扔到地上，露出刮得光光的浅黄色长脸。然后举起手槍，对准了那年轻的暴徒，这时，那暴徒正好手挥致命的马鞭向他冲来。