他飞快地匍匐前进。我们迂回穿过荒野里的一片又一片凹地,脸上沾满了泥土,浑身酸疼。我们常常会听到翅膀的拍打声,一只鸟从灌木丛中腾空而起,是我们把它惊动了。这时,我们就一动不动地躺了下来。
The soldiers had not seen us,and were ridingon. They had spread out and were covering two milesof ground. If I had slept longer,we must haverun in front of them. Now we were escaping to oneside.
红外套没有发现我和艾伦,继续策马向前。他们分散开来,布满了两英里的地面。我要是再多睡一会儿,我们肯定要在他们的眼皮底下逃跑了。现在,我们是在他们侧面往外逃。
My hands were sore,my eyes and mouth andthroat were dusty. My heart was bursting. Only thefear of Alan made me go on. My companion’s facewas red,and he was breathing very hard. He wasstill wearing his heavy French overcoat. Yet he wasin good spirits,and hurried on and on. I admired
我的双手酸疼,眼睛、嘴和喉咙里全是尘土,心简直快要爆裂了。
只是因为害怕艾伦才不得不向前爬行。他的脸色通红,呼哧呼哧地大口喘着气。他依然穿着那件厚实的法国大衣,可是,他精神抖擞,迅速
his strength and courage.
地一个劲儿朝前爬。我真佩服他的力量和勇气。
Night came at last. We looked back and sawthe red - coats. They had stopped to camp in themiddle of the moor.
夜 幕终于降临了。我们回过头,看见了红外套。他们停止搜索,在荒野中央地带扎营了。
I begged Alan for some sleep,but he refused. Isaid I could not walk.
我恳求艾伦让我多睡一会儿,但是遭到了拒绝。我说我一步也挪不动了。
“Ve ry we ll,the n,”he said,“I’ll ca rry you .”
他说;“好吧,那我背你走。”
I was ashamed. 我感到羞愧。
“Le a d ,a nd I will follow. ”I said.
“你领路,我跟着走。”我说。
We went forward again. It was a summer nightwithout clouds,and the air was sweet. For longhours I thought only that each fresh step was killingme. I hated Alan,but I obeyed him. He was a soldier,and like a good officer he led me on.
我们又继续向前走去。那是一个万里无云的夏日夜晚,空气很清新。一连好几个钟头,我都在想,我每向前再迈一步,就象要命一样艰难。我恨艾伦,但是还得听他的指挥。他是个军人,象一名精干的军官一样,领着我前进。
We were walking still when day came. Wewere bent like old grandfathers. Our faces werewhite and we could not speak. We just lifted upeach foot and set it down again. We were not watchingthe way now. We were too tired for that.
破 晓时,我们仍然在走着。我们象老爷爷一样弯着腰,脸色惨白,连说一句话的气力也没有了,只是机械地抬起每只脚,再放下去。我们累得要命,根本顾不上看路上有什么危险没有了。
Suddenly three or four men sprang from theheather. They attacked us with dirks and threw usto the ground.
突然,有三、四个人从灌木丛中跳了出来,用匕首逼着,把我们打翻在地。
I heard Alan and one of the men whispering in
我听见艾伦跟其中一个人用盖
Gaelic. The men took away their dirks from ourthroats.
尔语轻声说话。后来,这几个人把架在我们脖子上的匕首拿开了。
“The y a re Cluny’z me n ,”Alan said.“We a reve ry lucky. The y a re his s e n trie s ,a n d will s e nd ame s s a ge to the ir chie f.”
艾 伦说:“他们是克卢尼的部下,咱们算走运。这几个人是克卢尼的哨兵,他们会给自己的首领报个信的。”
“Wha t!”I cried.“Is Cluny s till he re ?”
我失声说:“什么?克卢尼还在这儿吗?”
Cluny Macpherson had been one of the chiefrebels six years before. There was a price on hislife.
克卢尼·麦克弗森是六年前的起义领导人之一,政府悬赏捉拿他。
I thought he had escaped to France.
我 还以为他已经逃到法国去了。
“He is s till in his own c ountry,”Alan said,“a ndhis own c la n is ke e ping him.”
艾 伦说:“他仍然在自己的家乡,他的家族保护着他。”
He rolled over and went to sleep. I could notdo this. My head was full of noises,and my bodyached. I looked at Cluny’s wild sentries,and listenedto their Gaelic talk. I could not rest.
他翻了个身就睡着了,我可睡不着。我的头在嗡嗡直响,全身疼痛。我瞅着克卢尼手下的那几个哨兵,听着他们用盖尔语交谈,就是睡不着。
Cluny ’s man came back with words of welcome.
We got to our feet again. Alan was strongafter his rest,but now I could not walk. Two of themen carried me through many dark valleys and hollows.
We came at last into the centre of BenAlder.
克卢尼的人回来了,说他们的首领欢迎我们。我们又站了起来。
艾伦睡了一觉,精神奕奕,可我这时却一点也走不动了。两个哨兵抬着我走过一个个黑黝黝的山谷和洼地。我们终于来到本奥尔德尔山的深处。