“I never played son any that I remember of.” said the Kid. “If I had any parents to mention they went over the divide about the time I gave my first bleatbleat n.叫声 v.低声诉说. What is the plan of your roundup？”
“从我记事的时候起，我从没有扮演过儿子的角色。”小利亚诺说，“假如我有父母的话，我第一次哇哇大叫时，他们就进了鬼门关。你的计划是怎么样的呀？”
Thacker leaned back against the wall and held his glass up to the light.
撒克往后靠着墙，把酒杯对着亮光瞧瞧。
“Weve come now，” said he， “to the question of how far youre willing to go in a little matter of the sort.”
“现在的问题是，”他说，“你打算在这件小事里干多久。”
“I told you why I came down here.” said the Kid simply.
“我已经把我来这里的原因告诉你了。”小利亚诺简单地说。
“A good answer.” said the consul. “But you wont have to go that far. Heres the scheme. After I get the trademark tattooed on your hand Ill notify old Urique. In the meantime Ill furnish you with all of the family history I can find out， so you can be studying up points to talk about. Youve got the looks， you speak the Spanish， you know the facts， you can tell about Texas， youve got the tattoo mark. When I notify them that the rightful heir has returned and is waiting to know whether he will be received and pardoned， what will happen？ Theyll simply rush down here and fall on your neck， and the curtain goes down for refreshmentsrefreshment n.点心， 饮料， 精力恢复， 爽快 and a stroll in the lobby.”
“回答得好。”领事说，“不过你用不着待这么久。我的计划是这样的：等我在你手上制好商标之后，我就通知老乌里盖。刺花期间，我把我收集到的有关那个家族的情况讲给你听，那你谈吐就不会露出破绽了。你的长相像西班牙人，你能说西班牙语，你了解情况，你又能谈谈得克萨斯州的见闻，你有刺花。当我通知他们说，真正的继承人已经回来，想知道他能不能得到收容和宽恕时，那会发生什么事情？他们一准立刻赶到这里，抱住你的脖子，这场戏也就结束，可以到休息室去吃些茶点，舒散舒散了。”
“Im waiting.” said the Kid. “I havent had my saddle off in your camp long， pardner， and I never met you before， but if you intend to let it go at a parentalparental adj.父母亲的， 做双亲的 blessing， why， Im mistaken in my man， thats all.”
“我准备好了。”小利亚诺说，“我在你营地里歇脚的时间还不长，老兄，以前也不认识你，但如果你的目的只限于父母的祝福，那我可看错人了。”
“Thanks.” said the consul. “I havent met anybody in a long time that keeps up with an argument as well as you do. The rest of it is simple. If they take you in only for a while its long enough. Dont give em time to hunt up the strawberry markstrawberry mark n.(草莓状)红色胎记 on your left shoulder. Old Urique keeps anywhere from 50，000 to 100，000 in his house all the time in a little safe that you could open with a shoe buttoner. Get it. My skill as a tattooer is worth half the boddle. We go halves and catch a tramp steamer for Rio Janeiro. Let the United States go to pieces if it cant get along without my services. Que dice， senor？”
“多谢。”领事说，“我好久没有遇到像你这样条理分明的人了，以后的事情很简单，只要他们接纳，哪怕是很短一个时期，事情就好了。别让他们有机会查看你左肩膀上有一块红记。老马里盖家的一个小保险箱里经常藏着五万到十万块钱，那个保险箱，你用一根铜丝都可以捅开。把钱搞来。我的刺花技术值其中的半数。我们把钱平分，搭一条不定期的轮船到里约热内卢去。如果美国政府由于少了我的服务而混不下去的话，那就让它垮台吧。你觉得怎么样，先生？”
“It sounds to me！” said the Kid， nodding his head. “Im out for the dust.”
“很合我的味口！”小利亚诺说，“我干。”
“All right， then.” said Thacker. “Youll have to keep close until we get the bird on you. You can live in the back room here. I do my own cooking， and Ill make you as comfortable as a parsimoniousparsimonious adj.吝啬的， 节俭的 Government will allow me.”
“那好。”撒克说，“在我替你刺上老鹰之前，你得躲起来，你可以住这里的后房，我是自己做饭的，我一定在吝啬的政府给我的薪俸所许可的范围之内尽量款待你。”
Thacker had set the time at a week， but it was two weeks before the design that he patiently tattooed upon the Kids hand was to his notion. And then Thacker called a muchacho， and dispatcheddispatch vt.分派， 派遣 n.派遣， 急件 this note to the intended victim.
撒克估计的时间是一星期，但是等他不厌其烦地在小利亚诺手上刺好那个花样，觉得满意时，已经过了两个星期。撒克找了一个小厮，把下面的便条送达他准备暗算的人。
El Senor Don Santos Urique， La Casa Blanca，
My Dear Sir：
I beg permission to inform you that there is in my house as a temporarytemporary adj.暂时的， 临时的， 临时性 guest a young man who arrived in Buenas Tierras from the United States some days ago. Without wishing to excite any hopes that may not be realized， I think there is a possibility of his being your longabsent son. It might be well for you to call and see him. If he is， it is my opinion that his intention was to return to his home， but upon arriving here， his courage failed him from doubts as to how he would be received. Your true servant，
Thompson Thacker.
白屋
堂·桑托斯·马里盖先生
亲爱的先生：
请允许我奉告，数目前有一位年轻人从美国来到布埃纳斯蒂埃拉斯，目前暂住舍间。我不想引起可能落空的希望，但是我认为这人可能是您失踪多年的儿子。您最好亲自来看看他。如果他确实是您的儿子，据我看，他很想回自己家，可是到后不知道将会得到怎样的接待，不敢贸然前去。
汤普森·撒克谨启。
Half an hour afterward—quick time for Buenas Tierras—Senor Uriques ancient landau drove to the consuls door， with the barefootedbarefooted adj.光着脚的 adv.未戴帽地 coachman beating and shouting at the team of fat， awkwardawkward adj.难使用的， 笨拙的 horses.
半小时以后——这在布埃纳斯蒂埃拉斯还算是快的——乌里盖先生的古色古香的四轮马车，由一个赤脚的马夫鞭打和吆喝着那几匹肥胖笨拙的马，来到了领事住处的门口。
A tall man with a white moustachemoustache n.小胡子， (哺乳动物的)触须 alighted， and assisted to the ground a lady who was dressed and veiled in unrelieved black.
一个白胡须的高个子下了车，然后搀扶着一个穿黑衣服，蒙黑面纱的太太下来。
The two hastened inside， and were met by Thacker with his best diplomatic bow. By his desk stood a slenderslender adj.苗条的， 微薄的， 微弱的 young man with clearcut， sunbrowned features and smoothly brushed black hair.
两人急匆匆地走进来，撒克以最彬彬有利的外交式的鞠躬迎接了他们。他桌旁站着一个瘦长的年轻人，眉清目秀，皮肤黑，乌黑的头发梳得光光的。
Senora Urique threw back her black veil with a quick gesture. She was past middle age， and her hair was beginning to silver， but her full， proud figure and clear olive skin retained traces of the beauty peculiar to the Basque province. But， once you had seen her eyes， and comprehended the great sadness that was revealed in their deep shadows and hopeless expression， you saw that the woman lived only in some memory.
乌里盖夫人飞快地把厚面纱一揭。她已过中年，头发开始花白，但她那丰满漂亮的身段和浅橄榄色的皮肤还保存着巴斯克妇女所特有的美丽。你一见到她的眼睛，发现它们的倩影和失望的表情中透露出极大的哀伤，你就知道这个女人只是依靠某种记忆才能生活。
She bent upon the young man a long look of the most agonized questioning. Then her great black eyes turned， and her gaze rested upon his left hand. And then with a sob， not loud， but seeming to shake the room， she cried “Hijo mio！” and caught the Llano Kid to her heart.
她带着痛苦万分的询问神情，向那年轻人瞅了好久。她一双乌黑的大眼睛转到了他的左手。接着，她抽噎了一下，声音虽然不大，但仿佛震动了整幢房屋。她嚷道：“我的儿子！”紧接着便把小利亚诺搂在怀里。
A month afterward the Kid came to the consulate in response to a message sent by Thacker.
过了一个月，小利亚诺接到撒克捎给他的信，来到领事馆。
He looked the young Spanish caballero. His clothes were imported， and the wiles of the jewellersjeweller n.珠宝商， 宝石匠，钟表匠 had not been spent upon him in vain. A more than respectablerespectable adj.可敬的， 有名望的， 高尚的， 值得尊敬的 diamond shone on his finger as he rolled a shuck cigarette.