“鲍勃同我一起当过牧牛人，”少校接着说，他说得很慢，字斟句酌，若有所思，仿佛他关心的不是目前的紧要关头，而是以往的旧事，“我们一起在阿利桑那、新墨西哥和加利福尼亚大部分地区踏勘过金矿银矿。我们一起参加了一八六一年的南北战争，只是在不同的部队里。我们一起打过印第安人和马贼；我们在阿利桑那山区的小屋里，被埋在二十英尺深的雪底下，一起挨过几星期饿；大风天气，连闪电都给刮得打不下来时，我们一起赶过牛群——哎，自从我同鲍勃在铺记牧场的烙印营地认识以来，我们经历了一些磨难。那时候，我们不止一次发现，在患难中必须互相帮助。那时候，交朋友必须忠实，并不是要得到什么好处。也许你第二天就需要他支持你，帮你打退一群流氓，或者替你在被响尾蛇咬伤的腿上绑止血器，骑上马去搞威士忌。嗯，说到头，这是有来有往的。如果你对待朋友不真心实意，你需要他的时候，你自己也会惭愧的。鲍勃这个人对待朋友远不止这样呢。他的好心肠是没话说的。
“Twenty years ago I was sheriff of this country， and I made Bob my chief deputydeputy n.代理人， 代表。 That was before the boom in cattle when we both made our stake. I was sheriff and collector， and it was a big thing for me then. I was married， and we had a boy and a girl—a four and a six year old. There was a comfortable house next to the courthousecourthouse n.法院， 郡政府所在地， furnished by the county， rent free， and I was saving some money. Bob did most of the office work. Both of us had seen rough times and plenty of rustling and danger， and I tell you it was great to hear the rain and the sleet dashing against the windows of nights， and be warm and safe and comfortable， and know you could get up in the morning and be shaved and have folks call you ‘mister’。 And then， I had the finest wife and kids that ever struck the range， and my old friend with me enjoying the first fruits of prosperity and white shirts， and I guess I was happy. Yes， I was happy about that time.”
“二十年前，我在这个县里当警长，我请鲍勃做警官。那是在牛生意兴旺之前，我们还没有发财。我既是警长，又是收税员，那时候我觉得很了不起。我给了婚，有了一男一女两个孩子——一个四岁，一个六岁。县政府隔壁有一座很舒适的房子，是县里免费供给我居住的，我逐渐积攒了一些钱。事务工作大多由鲍勃做。我们两人都经历过许多艰难危险，那时候可真快活。晚上窗外大雨倾盆，狂风怒吼，你却待在屋子里又暖和，又安全舒适，知道你明天早晨可以平安无事地起身，刮刮胡子，听人家称呼你‘先生’。我的老婆孩子又是牧场上最了不起的，我同老朋友一起享受兴旺和宁静的生活，我想我是幸福的。是啊，那时候我是幸福的。”
The major sighed and glanced casually out of the window. The bank examiner changed his position， and leaned his chin upon his other hand.
少校叹了一口气，有意无意地朝窗外望了一眼。稽核换了一个姿势，把下巴支在另一只手上。
“One winter，” continued the major， “the money for the county taxes came pouring in so fast that I didnt have time to take the stuff to the bank for a week. I just shoved the checks into a cigar box and the money into a sack， and locked them in the big safe that belonged to the sheriffs office.
“一年冬天，”少校接着说，“县里征收的税款大量涌来，一星期里，我没时间去银行存钱。我只是把支票塞在一个雪茄烟盒里，把现钱装进一个袋子，然后往警长办公室的大保险箱里一锁。
“I had been overworked that week， and was about sick， anyway. My nerves were out of order， and my sleep at night didnt seem to rest me. The doctor had some scientific name for it， and I was taking medicine. And so， added to the rest， I went to bed at night with that money on my mind. Not that there was much need of being worried， for the safe was a good one， and nobody but Bob and I knew the combination. On Friday night there was about 6，500 in cash in the bag. On Saturday morning I went to the office as usual. The safe was locked， and Bob was writing at his desk. I opened the safe， and the money was gone. I called Bob， and roused everybody in the courthouse to announce the robbery. It struck me that Bob took it pretty quiet， considering how much it reflected upon both him and me.
“那个星期，我工作过度，快病倒了。我的神经不很正常，晚上睡了也不能得到休息。大夫对这种病有一个科学名称，他给我吃了一些药。这还不算，我心里一直惦记着那些钱，睡觉时都放不开。其实没有什么可担忧的，因为保险箱很坚固，开销的暗码只有鲍勃和我两个人知道。星期五晚上，袋子里的现款大约有六千五百元。星期六早晨，我像往常那样去办公。保险箱仍然锁着，鲍勃在桌子前写东西。我打开保险箱，发觉里面的钱不见了。我立刻召集鲍勃和机关里所有的人，把失窃的事声张开来。使我奇怪的是，这件事对鲍勃、对我的影响都非同小可，而鲍勃却好像无动于衷。
“Two days went by and we never got a clew. It couldnt have been burglars， for the safe had been opened by the combination in the proper way. People must have begun to talk， for one afternoon in comes Alice—thats my wife—and the boy and girl， and Alice stamps her foot， and her eyes flash， and she cries out， The lying wretches—Tom， Tom！ and I catch her in a faint， and bring her round little by little， and she lays her head down and cries and cries for the first time since she took Tom Kingmans name and fortunes. And Jack and Zilla—the youngsters—they were always wild as tiger cubs to rush over Bob and climb all over him whenever they were allowed to come to the courthouse—they stood and kicked their little shoes， and herded together like scared partridges. They were having their first trip down into the shadows of life. Bob was working at his desk， and he got up and went out without a word. The grand jury was in sessionsessionn.会议， 开庭 then， and the next morning Bob went before them and confessed that he stole the money. He said he lost it in a poker game. In fifteen minutes they had found a true bill and sent me the warrant to arrest the man with whom Id been closer than a thousand brothers for many a year.
“过了两天。我们仍旧毫无线索。不可能是外贼偷的，因为保险箱是按照暗码正常打开的。别人一定在说闲话了，因为一天下午，艾丽斯——那是我老婆的名字——带了男孩女孩走了进来，她顿着脚，眼睛直冒火，嚷道：‘那些红口白舌的家伙——汤姆，汤姆！’她昏了过去。我抱着她，呼唤着她。她慢慢醒来，垂下头，开始哭了。自从她同汤姆·金曼结婚以来，这是第一次哭呢。那两个孩子，杰克和齐拉，一向像虎崽子那样顽皮，只要让他们到办公室来，他们就扑在鲍勃身上乱爬，这时候也局促不安地站着，像受惊的松鸡似的挤在一起。他们还是初次遇到生活中的阴暗面。鲍勃正在桌上写字，他站起来，一声不响地走了出去。那期间，大陪审团正开庭，鲍勃第二天早晨去他们那儿坦白说钱是他偷的。他说这笔钱被他赌输掉了。十五分钟后，他们裁定他有罪，给我送来一张拘捕证，要我逮捕这个多年来同我一起，比兄弟还要亲的人。”I did it， and then I said to Bob， pointing： ‘Theres my house， and heres my office， and up theres Maine， and out that way is California， and over there is Florida—and thats your range til court meets. Youre in my charge， and I take the responsibility. You be here when youre wanted.’
“我照办了。之后我对鲍勃说，‘那里是我的家，这里是我的办公室，东面是缅因州，西面是加利福尼亚州，南面是佛罗里达州——在法院开庭之前，你尽管走动。你归我看管，由我负责好了。需要你的时候，你会来的。’
“‘Thanks， Tom，’ he said， kind of carelessly； ‘I was sort of hoping you wouldnt lock me up. Court meets next Monday， so， if you dont object， Ill just loaf around the office until then. Ive got one favour to ask， if it isnt too much. If youd let the kids come out in the yard once in a while and have a romp Id like it.’
“‘多谢，汤姆，’他满不在乎地说，‘我原希望你不要把我关押起来。法院下星期一开庭，如果你不反对，在这以前我想待在办公室里。如果不算过分，我还有一个要求。假如你让孩子们时常到院子里来玩玩，我将很高兴。’