“我可不可以请问，”稽核说，“对于这些失窃的担保品，你还有什么直接有关的话要说？”
“Abstracted securities， sir！” Major Tom turned suddenly in his chair， his blue eyes flashing upon the examiner. “What do you mean， sir？”
“失窃的担保品，先生！”汤姆少校突然在椅子里转过身，他那双蓝眼睛炯炯有神地盯着稽核。“你这是什么意思，先生？”
He drew from his coat pocket a batch of folded papers held together by a rubber band， tossed them into Nettlewicks hands， and rose to his feet.
他从上衣口袋里掏出一捆用橡皮圈箍住的纸张，往内特尔威克手里一扔，站了起来。
“Youll find those securities there， sir， every stock， bond， and share of em. I took them from the notes while you were counting the cash. Examine and compare them for yourself.”
“担保品全在这里，先生，每一张证券、公债和股票。你数现金的时候，我从票据里抽出来的。请你检查吧。”
The major led the way back into the banking room. The examiner， astounded， perplexedperplexedadj.困惑的， 不知所措的， nettled， at sea， followed. He felt that he had been made the victim of something that was not exactly a hoax， but that left him in the shoes of one who had been played upon， used， and then discarded， without even an inkling of the game. Perhaps， also， his official position had been irreverently juggled with. But there was nothing he could take hold of. An official report of the matter would be an absurdityabsurdityn.荒谬， 谬论。 And， somehow， he felt that he would never know anything more about the matter than he did then.
少校又带路回到银行营业室里。稽核跟在他后面，有些吃惊、困惑和恼怒，不知道该怎么办。他觉得自己上了当，虽不能说是受了骗，但仿佛被玩弄，被利用了，之后又被一脚踢开，而他自己却莫名其妙。也许他的职务地位也受到了不够尊敬的愚弄。但是他抓不到把柄。把这件事打个正式报告将会闹笑话的。而且，不知怎的，他觉得现在弄不明白，以后也永远弄不明白。
Frigidly， mechanically， Nettlewick examined the securities， found them to tally with the notes， gathered his black wallet， and rose to depart.
内特尔威克冷淡地、呆板地检查了担保品，发现它们同票据完全符合。他拿起黑公事包，起身告辞。
“I will say，” he protested， turning the indignant glare of his glasses upon Major Kingman， “that your statements—your misleading statements， which you have not condescended to explain—do not appear to be quite the thing， regarded either as business or humour. I do not understand such motives or actions.”
“我得说，”他愤愤地盯着金曼少校说，“不论是谈正经或是讲笑话，你的声明——容易使人误会的声明——同事实并不符合，而你又没有加以解释。我不理解你的动机和行为。”
Major Tom looked down at him serenely and not unkindly.
汤姆少校镇静而和善地看着他。
“Son，” he said， “there are plenty of things in the chaparralchaparral n.丛林， 茂密的树丛， and on the prairies， and up the canyons that you dont understand. But I want to thank you for listening to a garrulous old mans prosy story. We old Texans love to talk about our adventures and our old comrades， and the home folks have long ago learned to run when we begin with ‘Once upon a time’， so we have to spin our yarns to the stranger within our gates.”
“老弟，”他说，“在西部的丛林、草原和峡谷里，有许多事情是你所不理解的。不过我得感谢你费神听了一个唠叨老头儿的枯燥乏味的故事。我们这些老得克萨斯人向来喜欢谈谈我们的经历和我们的老朋友。家乡的人一听到我们谈起‘从前怎么怎么样’，便立刻想法脱身，因此，我们只能同找上门来的客人闲扯淡了”
The major smiled， but the examiner only bowed coldly， and abruptly quitted the bank. They saw him travel diagonally across the street in a straight line and enter the Stockmens National Bank.
少校笑了笑，稽核只是冷冷地一鞠躬，头也不回地走出了银行。他们看见他穿过马路，到斜对面的国家畜牧银行去了。
Major Tom sat down at his desk， and drew from his vest pocket the note Roy had given him. He had read it once， but hurriedly， and now， with something like a twinkle in his eyes， he read it again. These were the words he read：汤姆少校在自己的办公桌前坐下，从炊肩口袋里掏出罗伊递给他的便条。他已经看过一遍，不过看得很匆忙。现在他眼睛里闪着光，再看了一遍。便条是这样写的：Dear Tom：
I hear theres one of Uncle Sams grayhounds going through you，and that means that well catch him inside of a couple of hours，maybe. Now， I want you to do something for me. Weve got just2，200 in the bank， and the law requires that we have 20，000. Ilet Ross and Fisher have 18，000 late yesterday afternoon to buyup that Gibson bunch of cattle. Theyll realise 40，000 in lessthan thirty days on the transaction， but that wont make my cashon hand look any prettier to that bank examiner. Now， I cant showhim those notes， for theyre just plain notes of hand without anysecurity in sight， but you know very well that Pink Ross and JimFisher are two of the finest white men God ever made， and theylldo the square thing. You remember Jim Fisher—he was the one whoshot that faro dealer in El Paso. I wired Sam Bradshaws bank tosend me 20，000， and it will get in on the narrowgauge at 10∶35.You cant let a bank examiner in to count 2，200 and close yourdoors. Tom， you hold that examiner. Hold him. Hold him if you haveto rope him and sit on his head. Watch our front window after thenarrowgauge gets in， and when weve got the cash inside wellpull down the shade for a signal. Dont turn him loose till then.Im counting on you， Tom.
Your Old Pard， Bob Buckly， /Prest. Stockmens National/。
亲爱的汤姆：
我听说有一个山姆叔叔的猎狗在查你的账目，那意味着一两个小时之后也许要找到我们这里来。我希望你帮我一个忙。我们银行里只有两千两百元现款，而账面上要求有两万元。昨天傍晚，我借给罗斯和费希尔一万八千元，让他们去买吉布森的那批牛。那批牛在一个月之内准能卖四万元，但是在银行稽核看来，我手头的现金情况并不会因之好转。我又不能给他看那些措据，因为那只是普通的便条，没有任何担保品。你知道千克·罗斯和吉姆·费希尔是世界上两个最好的人，他们是靠得住的。你总记得吉姆·费希尔吧——他就是在埃尔帕索枪杀法罗赌场老板的那个人。我已经给萨姆·布雷德肖的银行去了电报，请他们运两万块钱来，十点三十五分可以由窄轨铁路运到。你总不能让稽核来数数两千两百块钱，把你的银行封掉。汤姆，你得绊住那个稽核。绊住他。即使把他捆起来，坐在他脑袋上，也要绊住他。窄轨火车开到后，请注意我们的前窗，我们拿到了钱便拉下窗帘作为信号。在那以前别放他走。我指望着你了，汤姆。
你的老朋友，
国家畜牧银行总经理
The major began to tear the note into small pieces and throw them into his waste basket. He gave a satisfied chucklechuckle n.吃吃的笑声vi.吃吃地笑， 咯咯叫 as he did so.
鲍勃·巴克利少校把便条撕成碎片，扔在废纸篓里。他这样做的时候，得意地笑出声来。
“Confounded old reckless cowpunchercowpunchern.<美俗>（=cowboy）牛仔！” he growled， contentedly， “That pays him some on account for what he tried to do for me in the sheriffs office twenty years ago.”
“那个该死的、不顾前后的老牧牛人！”他满意地粗声粗气地说，“二十年前他在警长办公室里为我干的事，如今多少报答了他一些。”