McGuire looked upon things strange to him. The ranchhouse was the best in the country. It was built of brick hauled one hundred miles by wagon， but it was of but one story， and its four rooms were completely encircledencircle vt.环绕， 围绕， 包围， 绕……行一周 by a mud floor “gallery”. The miscellaneous setting of horses， dogs， saddles， wagons， guns， and cowpunchers paraphernaliaparaphernalia n.随身用具 oppressed the metropolitanmetropolitan adj.首都的， 主要都市的， 大城市 eyes of the wrecked sportsman.
麦圭尔打量着陌生的环境。这个牧场的庄院是当地最好的。砌房的砖是从一百英里以外运来的。不过房子只有一层，四间屋子外面围着一道泥地的回廊。杂乱的马具、狗具、马鞍、大车、枪支以及牧童的装备，叫那个过惯城市生活，如今落魄的运动家看了不顺眼。
“Well， here we are at home.” said Raidler， cheeringly.
“好啦，我们到家啦。”雷德勒快活地说。
“Its a hill of a looking place.” said McGuire promptly， as he rolled upon the gallery floor in a fit of coughing.
“这个鬼地方。”麦圭尔马上接口说，他突然一阵咳嗽，憋得他上气不接下气，在回廊的泥地上打滚。
“Well try to make it comfortable for you， buddy.” said the cattleman gently， “It aint fine inside， but its the outdoors， anyway， thatll do you the most good. Thisll be your room， in here. Anything we got， you ask for it.”
“我们会想办法让你舒服些，老弟。”牧场主和气地说，“屋子里面并不精致；不过对你最有好处的倒是室外。里面的一间归你住。只要是我们有的东西，你尽管要好啦。”
He led McGuire into the east room. The floor was bare and clean. White curtains waved in the gulf breeze through the open windows. A big willow rocker， two straight chairs， a long table covered with newspapers， pipes， tobacco， spurs， and cartridgescartridge n.弹药筒 stood in the centre. Some wellmounted heads of deer and one of an enormous black javeli projected from the walls. A wide， cool cotbed stood in a corner. Nueces County people regarded this guest chamber as fit for a prince. McGuire showed his eyeteeth at it. He took out his nickel and spun it up to the ceiling.
他把麦圭尔领到东面的屋子里。地上很干净，没有地毯。打开的窗户里吹来一阵阵海湾风，拂动着白色的窗帘。屋子当中有一张柳条大摇椅，两把直背椅子，一张长桌，桌子上满是报纸、烟斗、烟草、马刺和子弹。墙壁上安着几只剥制得很好的鹿头和一个硕大的黑野猪头。屋角有一张宽阔而凉爽的帆布床。纽西斯郡的人认为这间客房给王子住都合适。麦圭尔却朝它撇撇嘴。他掏出他那五分钱的镍币，往天花板上一扔。
“Thought I was lying about the money， did you？ Well， you can frisk me if you wanted. Thats the last simoleonsimoleon n.<美俚>1元 in the treasury. Whos going to pay？”
“你以为我说没钱是撒谎吗？你高兴的话，不妨搜我口袋。那是库房里最后一枚钱币啦。谁来付钱呀？”
The cattlemans clear grey eyes looked steadily from under his grizzly brows into the huckleberry optics of his guest. After a little he said simply， and not ungraciouslyungraciously adv.不礼貌地， 没教养地， “Ill be much obliged to you， son， if you wont mention money any more. Once was quite a plenty. Folks I ask to my ranch dont have to pay anything， and they very scarcely ever offers it. Supper will be ready in half an hour. Theres water in the pitcherpitcher n.(带柄和倾口的)大水罐， (棒球)投手， and some， cooler， to drink， in that red jar hanging on the gallery.”
牧场主那清澈的灰色眼睛，从灰色地眉毛底下坚定地瞅着他客人那黑珠子般的眼睛。歇了一会儿，他直截了当，然而并不失礼地说：“老弟，假如你不再提钱，我就很领你的情。一次已经足够啦。被我请到牧场上来的人一个钱也不用花，他们也很少提起要付钱。再过半小时就可以吃晚饭了。壶里有水，挂在回廊里的红瓦罐里的水比较凉，可以喝。”
“Wheres the bell？” asked McGuire， looking about.
“铃在哪儿？”麦圭尔打量着周围说。
“Bell for what？”
“什么铃？”
“Bell to ring for things. I cant—see here，” he exploded in a sudden， weak fury， “I never asked you to bring me here. I never held you up for a cent. I never gave you a hardluck story till you asked me. Here I am fifty miles from a bellboybellboy n.侍者 or a cocktail. Im sick. I cant hustle. Gee！ But Im up against it！” McGuire fell upon the cot and sobbedsob v.哭诉， (风等)发呜咽声， 哭泣 n.呜咽， 哭泣 shiveringly.
“召唤佣人拿东西的铃。我可不能——喂，”他突然软弱无力地发起火来，“我根本没请你把我带来。我根本没有拦住你向你要过一分钱。我根本没有先开口把我的不幸告诉你，你问了我才说的。现在我落到这里，离侍者和鸡尾酒有五十英里远。我有病，不能动。哟！可是我一个钱也没有！”麦圭尔扑到床上，抽抽噎噎地哭了起来。
Raidler went to the door and called. A slender， brightcomplexioned Mexican youth about twenty came quickly. Raidler spoke to him in Spanish.
雷德勒走到门口喊了一声。一个二十来岁，身材瘦长，面色红润的墨西哥小伙子很快就来了。雷德勒对他讲西班牙语。
“Ylario， it is in my mind that I promised you the position of vaquero on the San Carlos range at the fall rodeo.”
“伊拉里奥，我记得我答应过你，到秋季赶牲口的时候让你去圣卡洛斯牧场当牧童”
“Si， senor， such was your goodness.”
“是的，先生，承蒙你的好意。”
“Listen. This senorito is my friend. He is very sick. Place yourself at his side. Attend to his wants at all times. Have much patience and care with him. And when he is well， or—and when he is well， instead of vaquero I will make you mayordomo of the Rancho de las Piedras. Esta bueno？”
“听着，这位小先生是我的朋友。他病得很厉害。你待在他身边。随时伺候他。耐心照顾他。等他好了，或者——唔，等他。好了，我就让你当多石牧场的总管，比牧童更强，好吗？”
“Si， si—mil gracias， senor.” Ylario tried to kneel upon the floor in his gratitude， but the cattleman kicked at him benevolently， growling， “None of your operyhouse antics， now.”
“那敢情好——多谢你，先生。”伊拉里奥感激得几乎要跪下去，但是牧场主善意地踹了他一脚，喝道：“别演滑稽戏啦。”
Ten minutes later Ylario came from McGuires room and stood before Raidler.
十分钟后，伊拉里奥从麦圭尔的屋子里出来，站到雷德勒面前。
“The little senor，” he announced， “presents his compliments” (Raidler credited Ylario with the preliminary) “and desires some pounded ice， one hot bath， one gin feezz， that the windows be all closed， toast， one shave， one Newyorkheral， cigarettes， and to send one telegram.” Raidler took a quart bottle of whisky from his medicine cabinet. “Here， take him this.” he said.
“那位小先生。”他说，“向你致意，”（这是雷德勒教给伊拉里奥的规矩）“他要一些碎冰，洗个热水浴，喝掺有柠檬汽水的杜松子酒，把所有的窗子都关严，还要烤面包，修脸，一份《纽约先驱报》香烟，再要发一个电报。” 雷德勒从药品柜里取出一夸脱容量的威士忌酒瓶。“把这给他。”他说。
Thus was instituted the reign of terror at the Solito Ranch. For a few weeks McGuire blusteredbluster v.风狂吹， 咆哮， 吓唬 n.怒号， 吓唬 and boasted and swaggered before the cowpunchers who rode in for miles around to see this latest importation of Raidlers. He was an absolutely new experience to them. He explained to them all the intricateintricate adj.复杂的， 错综的， 难以理解的 points of sparring and the tricks of training and defence. He opened to their minds view all the indecorous life of a tagger after professional sports. His jargon of slang was a continuous joy and surprise to them. His gestures， his strange poses， his frank ribaldry of tongue and principle fascinated them. He was like a being from a new world.
索利托牧场上的恐怖统治就是这样开始的。最初几个星期，各处的牧童骑着马赶了好几英里路来看雷德勒新弄来的客人；麦圭尔则在他们面前吆喝，吹牛，大摆架子。在他们眼里，他完全是个新奇的人物。他把拳斗的错综复杂的奥妙和腾挪闪躲的诀窍解释给他们听。他让他们了解到靠运动吃饭的人的不规矩的生活方式。他的切口和俚语者是引起他们发笑和诧异的乐趣所在。他的手势，特别的姿态，赤裸裸的下流活和下流想法，把他们迷住了。他好像是从一个新世界来的人物。