四签名 118琼诺赞·斯茂的奇异故事（28）

'Well, Small,' said the major, 'we must, I suppose, try and meet you.

少校道：'斯茂，我想我们只好表示同意了，

We must first, of course, test the truth of your story.

可是我们需要先试一试你的话是否真实，

Tell me where the box is hid, and I shall get leave of absence and go back to India in the monthly relief-boat to inquire into the affair.'

你可先告诉我藏箱的地方，等到定期轮船来的时候，我请假到印度去调查一下。'

'Not so fast,' said I, growing colder as he got hot.

他愈着急，我就愈冷静。我道：'先别忙，

'I must have the consent of my three comrades. I tell you that it is four or none with us.'

我必须先征求我那三个伙伴的同意。我已经告诉过您，四个人里有一个不同意就不能进行。'

'Nonsense!' he broke in. 'What have three black fellows to do with our agreement?'

他插言道：'岂有此理！我们的协议和三个黑家伙有什么关系？'

'Black or blue,' said I, 'they are in with me, and we all go together.'

我道：'黑的也罢，蓝的也罢，我和他们有约在先，必须一致同意才能进行。'

Well, the matter ended by a second meeting, at which Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, and Dost Akbar were all present.

终于在第二次见面时，莫郝米特·辛格，爱勃德勒·克汗和德斯特·阿克勃尔全都在场，

We talked the matter over again, and at last we came to an arrangement.

经过再度协商，才把事情决定下来。

We were to provide both the officers with charts of the part of the Agra fort,

结果是我们把阿格拉碉堡藏宝的图交给两位军官每人一份，

and mark the place in the wall where the treasure was hid.

在图上把那面墙上藏宝的地方标志出来，

Major Sholto was to go to India to test our story.

以便舒尔托少校到印度去调查。

If he found the box he was to leave it there, to send out a small yacht provisioned for a voyage,

舒尔托少校如果找到了那宝箱，他先不能挪动，必须先派出一只小快艇，备好足用的食粮，

which was to lie off Rutland Island, and to which we were to make our way, and finally to return to his duties.

到罗特兰德岛迎接我们逃走，那时舒尔托少校应即回营销假，

Captain Morstan was then to apply for leave of absence, to meet us at Agra,

再由摩斯坦上尉请假去阿格拉和我们相会，

and there we were to have a final division of the treasure, he taking the major's share as well as his own.

均分宝物，并由摩斯坦上尉代表舒尔托少校分取他们二人应得的部分。

All this we sealed by the most solemn oaths that the mind could think or the lips utter.

所有这些条件都经过我们共同提出了最庄重的誓言--所能想到和说得出的誓言。