In spite of the reticence of their guests, Scanlan and McMurdo were quite determined to be present at what they called “the fun.” When, therefore, at an early hour one morning McMurdo heard them creeping down the stairs he awakened Scanlan, and the two hurried on their clothes. When they were dressed they found that the others had stolen out, leaving the door open behind them. It was not yet dawn, and by the light of the lamps they could see the two men some distance down the street. They followed them warily, treading noiselessly in the deep snow.

彼らの客人の無口さにも拘わらず / スキャンランとマクマードは固く決心していた / 彼らが言うところの「娯楽」の現場にいようと / したがってある朝早くに / マクマードは彼らがこっそりと階段を降りていく音を聞きつけた時 / 彼はスキャンランを起こし / 二人は急いで服を着た◆彼らが服を着終わった時 / 二人がそっと出て行くのが分かった / 扉を開けたまま◆まだ夜明けにはなっていなかった / ランプの光で / 彼らは二人の男が通りの向こうにいるのが見えた◆彼らは慎重に後をつけた / 深い雪を足音を立てないようにして

The boarding house was near the edge of the town, and soon they were at the crossroads which is beyond its boundary. Here three men were waiting, with whom Lawler and Andrews held a short, eager conversation. Then they all moved on together. It was clearly some notable job which needed numbers. At this point there are several trails which lead to various mines. The strangers took that which led to the Crow Hill, a huge business which was in strong hands which had been able, thanks to their energetic and fearless New England manager, Josiah H. Dunn, to keep some order and discipline during the long reign of terror.

下宿屋は町の境界近くにあった / そしてすぐに彼らはその境界を越える十字路に差し掛かった◆そこには三人の男が待っていた / 彼らとローラーとアンドリューは短く熱心に話し合った◆その後彼らは一緒に歩いていった◆それは明らかに人手が必要な重要な仕事だった◆この地点から / 様々な鉱山へ繋がる小道がいくつかあった◆男達はクロー・ヒルに続く道を選んだ / 可能な限りの強い支配力を持った巨大な事業だった / 活動的で恐れを知らぬニュー・イングランドの経営者のおかげで / ジョシア・H・ダン / 一定の秩序と規律が保たれていた / 長い恐怖の治世下でも

Day was breaking now, and a line of workmen were slowly making their way, singly and in groups, along the blackened path.

夜が明けかけていた / そして作業者達は列を作ってゆっくりと歩いていた / 単独で、そして、組を作り / 黒くなった道に沿って

McMurdo and Scanlan strolled on with the others, keeping in sight of the men whom they followed. A thick mist lay over them, and from the heart of it there came the sudden scream of a steam whistle. It was the ten-minute signal before the cages descended and the day’s labour began.

マクマードとスキャンランはゆっくりと彼らについていった / 後をつけている男達を見失わないようにして◆濃霧がかかっていた / そしてその中から / 突然汽笛の大きな音がとどろいた◆それは昇降台が下ろされる十分前の合図で / 一日の仕事の開始の合図でもあった

When they reached the open space round the mine shaft there were a hundred miners waiting, stamping their feet and blowing on their fingers; for it was bitterly cold. The strangers stood in a little group under the shadow of the engine house. Scanlan and McMurdo climbed a heap of slag from which the whole scene lay before them. They saw the mine engineer, a great bearded Scotchman named Menzies, come out of the engine house and blow his whistle for the cages to be lowered.

彼らが坑道を取り囲む広場に着いた時 / 100人の炭鉱夫が待っていた / 足踏みをし、指に息を掛けながら / 身を切るように寒かったので◆暗殺者達は集まって立っていた / 機関室の下の影の中に◆スキャンランとマクマードは鉱滓のボタ山に登った / そこから辺り全体が前方に見渡せた◆彼らは見た / 炭鉱技術者が / メンジーズという名前の顎鬚を生やした大きなスコットランド人だったが / 機関室から出てきて笛を吹くのを / 昇降台を下ろすために

At the same instant a tall, loose-framed young man with a clean-shaved, earnest face advanced eagerly towards the pit head. As he came forward his eyes fell upon the group, silent and motionless, under the engine house. The men had drawn down their hats and turned up their collars to screen their faces. For a moment the presentiment of Death laid its cold hand upon the manager’s heart. At the next he had shaken it off and saw only his duty towards intrusive strangers.

同時に背の高いしまりのない体格の青年が / 髭をそって熱心な顔の / 勢いよく立坑の入り口に進んだ◆彼が前に行った時 / 彼は黙って動かない一群の男達に目をとめた / 機関室の下の◆男達は帽子を下げ襟を立て / 顔を隠していた◆一瞬 / 死の予感が / 経営者の心を冷たい手で掴んだ◆次の瞬間 / 彼はそれを振り払い / 侵入してきた外部者に対する自分の職務だけを考えた

“Who are you?” he asked as he advanced. “What are you loitering there for?”

「お前達は何物だ？」 / 彼は近づいて尋ねた◆「何のためにそんなところにたむろしている？」

There was no answer; but the lad Andrews stepped forward and shot him in the stomach. The hundred waiting miners stood as motionless and helpless as if they were paralyzed. The manager clapped his two hands to the wound and doubled himself up. Then he staggered away; but another of the assassins fired, and he went down sidewise, kicking and clawing among a heap of clinkers. Menzies, the Scotchman, gave a roar of rage at the sight and rushed with an iron spanner at the murderers; but was met by two balls in the face which dropped him dead at their very feet.

返事はなかった / かわりにアンドリューが前にでて / 彼の腹部を撃った◆待っていた百人の炭鉱夫は / 身じろぎもせず無力に立っていた / あたかも凍りついたように◆経営者は両手で傷口を押さえ / 前のめりになった◆それから彼はよろめきながら逃げた / しかし別の暗殺者が発砲した / そして彼は横倒しになり / 燃え殻の山の中で手足をばたばたとさせた◆メンジーズ / スコットランド男は / この光景を見て怒りの唸り声を上げ / 鉄のスパナを持って殺人者達に襲い掛かった / しかし彼は顔に二発の銃弾を受け / 彼らの足元に倒れて死んだ

There was a surge forward of some of the miners, and an inarticulate cry of pity and of anger; but a couple of the strangers emptied their six-shooters over the heads of the crowd, and they broke and scattered, some of them rushing wildly back to their homes in Vermissa.

炭鉱夫の何人かが前に押し寄せ / 悲しみと怒りの言葉にならない叫びが起きた / しかし二人の殺人者が / 群集の頭上に六連発銃が空になるまで発砲し / 彼らは崩れて逃げ去った / バーミッサの自分達の家まで必死で走って逃げ帰る者もいた

When a few of the bravest had rallied, and there was a return to the mine, the murderous gang had vanished in the mists of morning, without a single witness being able to swear to the identity of these men who in front of a hundred spectators had wrought this double crime.

何人かの勇気ある者が集まり / 採掘抗に戻ってきた時 / 殺人集団は朝の霧の中に消え去っていた / 目撃者の誰一人として犯人の顔を特定する事が出来なかった / 百人の人間が見ている前でこの二つの犯罪を行った男達の

Scanlan and McMurdo made their way back; Scanlan somewhat subdued, for it was the first murder job that he had seen with his own eyes, and it appeared less funny than he had been led to believe. The horrible screams of the dead manager’s wife pursued them as they hurried to the town. McMurdo was absorbed and silent; but he showed no sympathy for the weakening of his companion.

スキャンランとマクマードは帰途についた / スキャンランは少し圧倒されていた / 彼が自分の目で目撃した最初の殺人だったからだ / 彼らが信じさせられていたものよりも楽しいものではなかった◆殺された経営者の妻の恐ろしい叫び声が後ろから聞こえた / 彼らが町へ急いでいる時◆マクマードは物思いに耽り黙っていた / しかし仲間の落ち込みには共感を示さなかった

“Sure, it is like a war,” he repeated. “What is it but a war between us and them, and we hit back where we best can.”

「たしかに、これは戦争みたいなものだ」 / 彼は繰り返した◆「俺たちと彼らの間の戦争じゃなくてなんだ / 俺たちはできる限りの反攻をするのだ」