Page 201 - 血字的研究·四签名(外研社双语读库) (福尔摩斯探案全集)

had marked up in some conspicuous position how many
days were still left to him out of the month of grace.

Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared upon the walls,
sometimes upon the floors, occasionally they were on small
placards stuck upon the garden gate or the railings. With all
his vigilance John Ferrier could not discover whence these
daily warnings proceeded. A horror which was almost

superstitious came upon him at the sight of them. He
became haggard and restless, and his eyes had the troubled
look of some hunted creature. He had but one hope in life

now, and that was for the arrival of the young hunter from
Nevada.

日子就这样一天又一天地过去了，就像黎明每天必然来临一样，

他每天也都会发现那些看不见的敌人在记着数字，而且在一些明显的
地方，写出他的一个月期限还剩下几天。有时这个要命的数字是在墙

上出现，有时是在地板上面，还有几次，这些数字是写在小纸条上，
贴在花园的门上或栏杆上。约翰·费里尔虽然百般警戒，但是，他总不

能发现这些每天来临的警告究竟是在什么时候发出的。他一看这些警
告，就感到一种近乎迷信般的恐惧。他变得坐卧不宁，一天天憔悴下

来，他的眼中流露出被追逐的野兽才有的那种惊骇、仓皇的神色。现
在他唯一的希望就是等待那个年轻的猎人从内华达回来。

Twenty had changed to fifteen and fifteen to ten, but
there was no news of the absentee. One by one the
numbers dwindled down, and still there came no sign of

him. Whenever a horseman clattered down the road, or a
driver shouted at his team, the old farmer hurried to the
gate thinking that help had arrived at last. At last, when he
saw five give way to four and that again to three, he lost
heart, and abandoned all hope of escape. Single-handed,

and with his limited knowledge of the mountains which
surrounded the settlement, he knew that he was powerless.
The more-frequented roads were strictly watched and

guarded, and none could pass along them without an order
from the Council. Turn which way he would, there appeared