“Bill Bassett agreed to that， and we hiked westward as soon as we could catch a safe train.When we got to a town in Arizona called Los Perros I suggested that we once more try our luck on terracotta. That was the home of Montague Silver， my old instructor， now retired from business. I knew Monty would stake me to web money if I could show him a fly buzzing round the localitylocality n.位置， 地点. Bill Bassett said all towns looked alike to him as he worked mainly in the dark. So we got off the train in Los Perros， a fine little town in the silver region.
“比尔·巴西特同意这样做，于是我们向西出发，——到安全地点就搭上火车。火车开到亚利桑那州一个叫洛斯佩罗斯的小镇上，我提议我们不妨再在小地方碰碰运气。那是我以前的师父蒙塔古·西尔弗的家乡。如今他已退休了。我知道，只要我把附近营营作声的苍蝇指给蒙塔古看，他就会教我怎么张网捕捉。比尔·巴西特说他主要是在夜间工作的，因此任何城镇对他都没有区别。于是我们在这个产银地区的洛斯佩罗斯小镇下了火车。
“I had an elegant little sure thing in the way of a commercial slugshot that I intended to hit Bassett behind the ear with. I wasnt going to take his money while he was asleep， but I was going to leave him with a lottery ticket that would represent in experience to him 4，755——I think that was the amount he had when we got off the train. But the first time I hinted to him about an investment， he turns on me and disencumbersdisencumber vt.摆脱烦恼， 不受妨碍 himself of the following terms and expressions.
“我有一个又巧妙又稳妥的打算，简直等于一颗商业的炮弹，我准备用它来打中巴西特的要害。我并不想趁他睡熟的时候拿走他的钱，而是想留给他一张代表四千七百五十五元的彩票——据我估计，我们下火车时他的钱还剩下那么多。我旁敲侧击地谈起某种投资，他立刻反对我的意见，说了下面一番话。
“‘Brother Peters，’ says he， ‘it aint a bad idea to go into an enterprise of some kind， as you suggest. I think I will. But if I do it will be such a cold proposition that nobody but Robert E. Peary and Charlie Fairbanks will be able to sit on the board of directors.’
“‘彼得斯老哥，’他说，‘你提议加入某个企业的主意并不坏。我想我会这么做。但是，我要参加的企业必须十分可靠，非要罗伯特·伊·皮尔里和查尔斯·费尔班克斯之类的人当董事不可。’
“‘I thought you might want to turn your money over.’ says I.
“‘我原以为你打算拿这笔钱来做买卖呢。’我说。
“‘I do，’ says he， ‘frequently. I cant sleep on one side all night. Ill tell you， Brother Peters，’ says he， ‘Im going to start a poker room. I dont seem to care for the humdrum in swindling， such as peddling eggbeaters and working off breakfast food on Barnum and Bailey for sawdust to strew in their circus rings. But the gambling business，’ says he， ‘from the profitable side of the table is a good compromise between swiping silver spoons and selling penwiperspenwiper n.拭笔具 at a WaldorfAstoria charity bazar.’
“‘不错，’他说，‘我不能整夜抱着钱睡，不翻翻身子。我告诉你，彼得斯老哥，’他说，‘我打算开一家赌场。我不喜欢无聊的骗局，例如叫卖搅蛋器，或者在巴纳姆和贝利的马戏场里推销那种只能当铺地锯末用的麦片。但是从利润观点来看，赌场生意是介乎偷银器和在沃尔多夫—阿斯托里亚旅馆义卖抹笔布之间的很好的折中办法。’
“‘Then，’ says I， ‘Mr. Bassett， you dont care to talk over my little business proposition？’
“‘那么说，巴西特先生，’我说，‘你是不愿意听听我的小计划了？’
“‘Why，’ says he， ‘do you know， you cant get a Pasteur institute to start up within fifty miles of where I live. I bite so seldom.’
“‘哎，你要明白，’他说，‘你不可能在我落脚地点方圆五十英里以内办任何企业。我是不会上钩的。’
“So， Bassett rents a room over a saloon and looks around for some furniture and chromos. The same night I went to Monty Silvers house， and he let me have 200 on my prospects. Then I went to the only store in Los Perros that sold playing cards and bought every deck in the house. The next morning when the store opened I was there bringing all the cards back with me. I said that my partner that was going to back me in the game had changed his mind； and I wanted to sell the cards back again. The storekeeper took em at half price.
“巴西特租了一家酒店的二楼，采办了一些家具和五彩石印画。当天晚上，我去蒙塔古·西尔弗家，向他借了二百元做本钱。我到洛斯佩罗斯独家经营纸牌的商店，把他们的纸牌全部买了下来。第二天，那家商店开门后，我又把纸牌全都送了回去。我说同我合作的搭档改变了主意；我要把纸牌退给店里。老板以半价收回去了。
