Alan recovered first from our hard running. Hewent to the edge of the wood and looked out a little.
Then he returned and sat down.
“We ll！”he said,“tha t wa s a sha rp run，Da vid.”
I neither spoke nor lifted my face. I had seenthe sudden death of a great，fine strong gentleman.
I had not recovered from that sight，and I still feltthe pity of it. But there was something else.
Someone had murdered the Red Fox. Alan hatedthis man and Alan was an expert with a gun.
Alan was here. He was hiding in the trees，and runningfrom the soldiers. Had he fired the shot or hadhe only ordered the man’s death？It did not matter.
My only friend in that wild Highland countrywas guilty of murder. I could not look at him.
“Are you s till tire d？”he asked.
“No ，”I said，with my face in the bracken,“no，
刚才那阵猛跑之后，艾伦第一个喘过气来，他走到树林边上，向外张望了一下，然后回来坐下，说：
“哎呀，大卫，咱们刚才跑得可真够呛。”
我没有吭声，也没有抬头。我刚才亲眼看到一位身材高大、身体健壮的绅士突然一命呜呼，当时的惨状仍然历历在目，使我感到伤心。
但这只是事情的一方面。
有人杀害了红狐狸。艾伦对红狐狸是恨之入骨的，而他又是个神枪手。艾伦就在此地，躲在树林里，逃避士兵们的追捕。刚才那枪是他开的呢？还是仅仅由他下令，别人执行的？反正是一回事。我在这荒凉的高地一带唯一的朋友是个刽子手，我不愿意抬头看他。
“你还累吗?”他问道。
我的头仍然钻在羊齿植物丛中，
I am no t tire d now，a nd I c a n spe a k. You a nd I mus ts e pa ra te . I like d you we ll，Ala n ，but your wa ys a re notmy wa ys . And the y a re not God ’s .”
说：“不，不，我现在不累，可以讲话了。
咱们俩得分道扬镳。我原来很喜欢你，艾伦，可是你的所作所为我无法接受，也是违背上帝旨意的。”
“I will not pa rt from you，Da vid ，without somegood re a s on，”Alan said very seriously. “If youknow a nythin g a ga ins t my good name ，you mus t te llme . And if you a re only tire d of my c ompa ny，I mus the a r the c a us e of tha t. I mus t judge if you a re insutlingme .”
“Ala n ，”I said,“you know ve ry we ll tha t theCampbe ll ma n lie s in his blood down the re .”
He was silent for a little. Then he spoke.
“Mr Ba lfour of S haws ，if I kille d a ge ntlema n ，Ic ould ne ve r do it he re ，to bring trouble on my cla n . Ic ould no t do it without a sword or a gun. I co uld notdo it with a fis hing - rod .”
“We ll！”I said,“tha t’s true ！”
“An d now，”Alan continued,“I give you myword of honour. I ha d no pa rt in th e de e d .”
“I tha nk God for tha t！”I cried，and offered himmy hand.
He did not see it .
“He re is a lot o f trouble a bout a Campbe ll！”hesaid.“Th e re a re ple nty more of them，I think.”
“You ca nnot blame me ，”I said.“Remembe r
艾伦非常严肃地说：“我绝不会无缘无故跟你分手的，大卫。你要是知道任何不利于我名誉的事，一定得告诉我。如果仅仅是不愿意跟我在一起，那我得问问原因。我得想一想你是否在侮辱我的人格。”
我说：“艾伦，你完全清楚，那个坎贝尔人就在山底下，躺在自己的血泊里。”
他沉默了一下，然后说：
“肖府的巴尔福先生，假定我要杀死一名绅士，我决不会在这儿下手，给我的家族招惹麻烦。我一不带刀，二不带枪，怎么杀人呢？总不能用一根钓鱼杆置人于死地吧?”
我说：“是呀，这倒是真的。”
艾伦说：“我现在以我的名誉起誓，这件事与我毫不相干。”
“那可真是谢天谢地！”我大声说着，向他伸出一只手。
他没有看见我的手，却说：
“为了一个坎贝尔人竟惹出这么多的事！我看以后要遇到的坎贝尔人还多着呢。”
我说：“这可不能怪我。不要忘
your words on the b rig. You ha te d the Re d Fox a ndyou wishe d fo r his de a th. But the thought a nd thede e d a re diffe re n t things . I tha nk God a ga in for tha t. Iam gla d you did not ta ke his life ，Ala n . And I offe r youmy ha nd a ga in .”
He gave me both of his. He said he could forgiveme anything.
记你在双桅船上说过的话。你说你恨透了红狐狸，巴不得把他宰了。
当然，想法并不等于事实。为此，我再一次感谢上帝。艾伦，我很高兴他不是你打死的。我再一次向你伸出手，请你原谅我。”
他向我伸出双手，说他对我完全谅解。
Then be told me we must not waste time. Wemust leave that country.“Afte r Gle nure ’s de a th ，there d - c oa ts will e xamine e ve ryone in Appin ，”he said.
“I am a de s e rte r . The y think you a re the murde re r’sa c complice . We a re not s a fe he re .”
“Whe re mus t we go？”I asked.
“To the Lowla nds ，”he replied.
I was glad because the Lowlands were my owncountry. My inheritance was there. Besides，I mustreturn to punish my uncle. And I was not guilty ofthe Red Fox’s murder，but I feared death for it.
“I’ll go with yo u，Ala n ，”I said.
