福尔摩斯探案全集哪个版本最好 福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第10章Part3

福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第10章Part3  

On a Saturday night McMurdo was introduced to the lodge. He had thought to pass in without ceremony as being an initiate of Chicago; but there were particular rites in Vermissa of which they were proud
and these had to be undergone by every postulant. The assembly met in a large room reserved for such purposes at the Union House. Some sixty members assembled at Vermissa; but that by no means represented the full strength of the anization
for there were several other lodges in the valley
and others across the mountains on each side
who exchanged members when any serious business was afoot
so that a crime might be done by men who were strangers to the locality. Altogether there were not less than five hundred scattered over the coal district.
In the bare assembly room the men were gathered round a long table. At the side was a second one laden with bottles and glasses
on which some members of the pany were already turning their eyes. McGinty sat at the head with a flat black velvet cap upon his shock of tangled black hair
and a coloured purple stole round his neck
so that he seemed to be a priest presiding over some diabolical ritual. To right and left of him were the higher lodge officials
the cruel
handsome face of Ted Baldwin among them. Each of these wore some scarf or medallion as emblem of his office.
They were
for the most part
men of mature age; but the rest of the pany consisted of young fellows from eighteen to enty-five
the ready and capable agents who carried out the mands of their seniors. Among the older men were many whose features showed the tigerish
lawless souls within; but looking at the rank and file it was difficult to believe that these eager and open-faced young fellows were in very truth a dangerous gang of murderers
whose minds had suffered such plete moral perversion that they took a horrible pride in their proficiency at the business
and looked with deepest respect at the man who had the reputation of making what they called "a clean job."
To their contorted natures it had bee a spirited and chivalrous thing to volunteer for service against some man who had never injured them
and whom in many cases they had never seen in their lives. The crime mitted
they quarrelled as to who had actually struck the fatal blow
and amused one another and the pany by describing the cries and contortions of the murdered man.
At first they had shown some secrecy in their arrangements; but at the time which this narrative describes their proceedings were extraordinarily open
for the repeated failure of the law had proved to them that
on the one hand
no one would dare to witness against them
and on the other they had an unlimited number of stanch witnesses upon whom they could call
and a well-filled treasure chest from which they could draw the funds to engage the best legal talent in the state. In ten long years of outrage there had been no single conviction
and the only danger that ever threatened the Scowrers lay in the victim himself--who
however outnumbered and taken by surprise
might and occasionally did leave his mark upon his assailants.
McMurdo had been warned that some ordeal lay before him; but no one would tell him in what it consisted. He was led now into an outer room by o solemn brothers. Through the plank partition he could hear the murmur of many voices from the assembly within. Once or ice he caught the sound of his own name
and he knew that they were discussing his candidacy. Then there entered an inner guard with a green and gold sash across his chest.
"The Bodymaster orders that he shall be trussed
blinded
and entered
" said he.
The three of them removed his coat
turned up the sleeve of his right arm
and finally passed a rope round above the elbows and made it fast. They next placed a thick black cap right over his head and the upper part of his face
so that he could see nothing. He was then led into the assembly hall.
It was pitch dark and very oppressive under his hood. He heard the rustle and murmur of the people round him
and then the voice of McGinty sounded dull and distant through the covering of his ears.
"John McMurdo
" said the voice
"are you already a member of the Ancient Order of Freemen?"
He bowed in assent.
"Is your lodge No. 29
Chicago?"
He bowed again.
"Dark nights are unpleasant
" said the voice.
"Yes
for strangers to travel
" he answered.
"The clouds are heavy."
"Yes
a storm is approaching."
"Are the brethren satisfied?" asked the Bodymaster.
There was a general murmur of assent.
"We know
Brother
by your sign and by your countersign that you are indeed one of us
" said McGinty. "We would have you know
however
that in this county and in other counties of these parts we have certain rites
and also certain duties of our own which call for good men. Are you ready to be tested?"
"I am."
"Are you of stout heart?"
"I am."