iam fleming.for your eyes only-第11部分

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　Bond　took　out　his　gun　and　read　off　the　number。　Colonel　Johns　filled　in　the　form　and　pushed　it　over。
　〃Now　then；　maps。　Here's　a　local　Esso　map　that's　all　you　need　to　get　you　to　the　area。〃　Colonel　Johns　got　up　and　walked　round　with　the　map　to　Bond　and　spread　it　out。　〃You　take　this　route　17　back　to　Montreal；　get　on　to　37　over　the　bridge　at　St　Anne's　and　then　over　the　river　again　on　to　7。　Follow　7　on　down　to　Pike　River。　Get　on　52　at　Stanbridge。　Turn　right　in　Stanbridge　for　Frelighsburg　and　leave　the　car　in　a　garage　there。　Good　roads　all　the　way。　Whole　trip　shouldn't　take　you　more　than　five　hours　including　stops。　Okay？　Now　this　is　where　you've　got　to　get　things　right。　Make　it　that　you　get　to　Frelighsburg　around　three　a。m。　Garage…hand'll　be　half　asleep　and　you'll　be　able　to　get　the　gear　out　of　the　boot　and　move　off　without　him　noticing　even　if　you　were　a　double…headed　Chinaman。〃　Colonel　Johns　went　back　to　his　chair　and　took　two　more　pieces　of　paper　off　the　file。　The　first　was　a　scrap　of　pencilled　map；　the　other　a　section　of　aerial　photograph。　He　said；　looking　seriously　at　Bond：　〃Now；　here　are　the　only　inflammable　things　you'll　be　carrying　and　I've　got　to　rely　on　you　getting　rid　of　them　just　as　soon　as　they've　been　used；　or　at　once　if　there's　a　chance　of　you　getting　into　trouble。　This；〃　he　pushed　the　paper　over；　〃is　a　rough　sketch　of　an　old　smuggling　route　from　Prohibition　days。　It's　not　used　now　or　I　wouldn't　remend　it。〃　Colonel　Johns　smiled　sourly。　〃You　might　find　some　rough　customers　ing　over　in　the　opposite　direction；　and　they're　apt　to　shoot　and　not　even　ask　questions　afterwards　…　crooks；　druggers；　white…slavers　…　but　nowadays　they　mostly　travel　up　by　Viscount。　This　route　was　used　for　runners　between　Franklin；　just　over　the　Derby　Line；　and　Frelighsburg。　You　follow　this　path　through　the　foothills；　and　you　detour　Franklin　and　get　into　the　start　of　the　Green　Mountains。　There　it's　all　Vermont　spruce　and　pine　with　a　bit　of　maple；　and　you　can　stay　inside　that　stuff　for　months　and　not　see　a　soul。　You　get　across　country　here；　over　a　couple　of　highways；　and　you　leave　Enosburg　Falls　to　the　west。　Then　you're　over　a　steep　range　and　down　into　the　top　of　the　valley　you　want。　The　cross　is　Echo　Lake　and；　judging　from　the　photographs；　I'd　be　inclined　to　e　down　on　top　of　it　from　the　east。　Got　it？〃
　〃What's　the　distance？　About　ten　miles？〃
　〃Ten　and　a　half。　Take　you　about　three　hours　from　Frelighsburg　if　you　don't　lose　your　way；　so　you'll　be　in　sight　of　the　place　around　six　and　have　about　an　hour's　light　to　help　you　over　the　last　stretch。〃　Colonel　Johns　pushed　over　the　square　of　aerial　photograph。　It　was　a　central　cut　from　the　one　Bond　had　seen　in　London。　It　showed　a　long　low　range　of　well…kept　buildings　made　of　cut　stone。　The　roofs　were　of　slate；　and　there　was　a　glimpse　of　graceful　bow　windows　and　a　covered　patio。　A　dust　road　ran　past　the　front　door　and　on　this　side　were　garages　and　what　appeared　to　be　kennels。　On　the　garden　side　was　a　stone　flagged　terrace　with　a　flowered　border；　and　beyond　this　two　or　three　acres　of　trim　lawn　stretched　down　to　the　edge　of　the　small　lake。　The　lake　appeared　to　have　been　artificially　created　with　a　deep　stone　dam。　There　was　a　group　of　wrought…iron　garden　furniture　where　the　dam　wall　left　the　bank　and；　halfway　along　the　wall；　a　diving…board　and　a　ladder　to　climb　out　of　the　lake。　Beyond　the　lake　the　forest　rose　steeply　up。　It　was　from　this　side　that　Colonel　Johns　suggested　an　approach。　There　were　no　people　in　the　photograph；　but　on　the　stone　flags　in　front　of　the　patio　was　a　quantity　of　expensive…looking　aluminium　garden　furniture　and　a　central　glass　table　with　drinks。　Bond　remembered　that　the　larger　photograph　had　shown　a　tennis　court　in　the　garden　and　on　the　other　side　of　the　road　the　trim　white　fences　and　grazing　horses　of　a　stud　farm。　Echo　Lake　looked　what　it　was　…　the　luxurious　retreat；　in　deep　country；　well　away　from　atom　bomb　targets；　of　a　millionaire　who　liked　privacy　and　could　probably　offset　a　lot　of　his　running　expenses　against　the　stud　farm　and　an　occasional　good　let。　It　would　be　an　admirable　refuge　for　a　man　who　had　had　ten　steamy　years　of　Caribbean　politics　and　who　needed　a　rest　to　recharge　his　batteries。　The　lake　was　also　convenient　for　washing　blood　off　hands。
　Colonel　Johns　closed　his　now　empty　file　and　tore　the　typewritten　list　into　small　fragments　and　dropped　them　in　the　wastepaper　basket。　The　two　men　got　to　their　feet。　Colonel　Johns　took　Bond　to　the　door　and　held　out　his　hand。　He　said：　〃Well；　I　guess　that's　all。　I'd　give　a　lot　to　e　with　you。　Talking　about　all　this　has　reminded　me　of　one　or　two　sniping　jobs　at　the　end　of　the　War。　I　was　in　the　Army　then。　We　were　under　Monty　in　Eighth　Corps。　On　the　left　of　the　line　in　the　Ardennes。　It　was　much　the　same　sort　of　country　as　you'll　be　using；　only　different　trees。　But　you　know　how　it　is　in　these　police　jobs。　Plenty　of　paper　work　and　keep　your　nose　clean　for　the　pension。　Well；　so　long　and　the　best　of　luck。　No　doubt　I'll　read　all　about　it　in　the　papers；〃　he　smiled；　〃whichever　way　it　goes。〃
　Bond　thanked　him　and　shook　him　by　the　hand。　A　last　question　occurred　to　him。　He　said：　〃By　the　way；　is　the　Savage　single　pull　or　double？　I　won't　have　a　chance　of　finding　out　and　there　may　not　be　much　time　for　experimenting　when　the　target　shows。〃
　〃Single　pull　and　it's　a　hair…trigger。　Keep　your　finger　off　until　you're　sure　you've　got　him。　And　keep　outside　three　hundred　if　you　can。　I　guess　these　men　are　pretty　good　themselves。　Don't　get　too　close。〃　He　reached　for　the　door　handle。　His　other　hand　went　to　Bond's　shoulder。　〃Our　missioner's　got　a　motto：　'Never　send　a　man　where　you　can　send　a　bullet。'　You　might　remember　that。　So　long；　mander。〃
　
　Bond　spent　the　night　and　most　of　the　next　day　at　the　KO…ZEE　Motor　Court　outside　Montreal。　He　paid　in　advance　for　three　nights。　He　passed　the　day　looking　to　his　equipment　and　wearing　in　the　soft　ripple　rubber　climbing　boots　he　had　bought　in　Ottawa。　He　bought　glucose　tablets　and　some　smoked　ham　and　bread　from　which　he　made　himself　sandwiches。　He　also　bought　a　large　aluminium　flask　and　filled　this　with　three…quarters　Bourbon　and　a　quarter　coffee。　When　darkness　came　he　had　dinner　and　a　short　sleep　and　then　diluted　the　walnut　stain　and　washed　himself　all　over　with　the　stuff　even　to　the　roots　of　his　hair。　He　came　out　looking　like　a　Red　Indian　with　blue…grey　eyes。　Just　before　midnight　he　quietly　opened　the　side　door　into　the　automobile　bay；　got　into　the　Plymouth　and　drove　off　on　the　last　lap　south　to　Frelighsburg。
　The　man　at　the　all…night　garage　was　not　as　sleepy　as　Colonel　Johns　had　said　he　would　be。
　〃Goin'　huntin'；　mister？〃
　You　can　get　far　in　North　America　with　laconic　grunts。　Huh；　hun　and　hi！　in　their　various　modulations；　together　with　sure；　guess　so；　that　so？　and　nuts！　will　meet　almost　any　contingency。
　Bond；　slinging　the　strap　of　his　rifle　over　his　shoulder；　said　〃Hun。〃
　〃Man　got　a　fine　beaver　over　by　Highgate　Springs　Saturday。〃
　Bond　said　indifferently　〃That　so？〃；　paid　for　two　nights　and　walked　out　of　the　garage。　He　had　stopped　on　the　far　side　of　the　town；　and　now　he　only　had　to　follow　the　highway　for　a　hundred　yards　before　he　found　the　dirt　track　running　off　into　the　woods　on　his　right。　After　half　an　hour　the　track　petered　out　at　a　broken…down　farmhouse。　A　chained　dog　set　up　a　frenzied　barking；　but　no　light　showed　in　the　farmhouse　and　Bond　skirted　it　and　at　once　found　the　path　by　the　stream。　He　was　to　follow　this　for　three　miles。　He　lengthened　his　stride　to　get　away　from　the　dog。　When　the　barking　stopped　there　was　silence；　the　deep　velvet　silence　of　woods　on　a　still　night。　It　was　a　warm　night　with　a　full　yellow　moon　that　threw　enough　light　down　through　the　thick　spruce　for　Bond　to　follow　the　path　without　difficulty。　The　springy；　cushioned　soles　of　the　climbing　boots　were　wonderful　to　walk　on；　and　Bond　got　his　second　wind　and　knew　he　was　making　good　time。　At　around　four　o'clock　the　trees　began　to　thin　and　he　was　soon　walking　through　open　fields　with　the　scattered　lights　of　Franklin　on　his　right。　He　crossed　a　secondary；　tarred　road；　and　now　there　was　a　wider　track　through　the　woods　and　on　his　right　the　pale　glitter　of　a　lake。　By　five　o'clock　he　had　crossed　the　black　rivers　of　US　highways　108　and　120。　On　the　latter　was　a　sign　saying　ENOSBURG　FALLS　1　MI。　Now　he　was　on　the　last　lap　…　a　small　hunting　trail　that　climbed　steeply。　Well　away　from　the　highway；　he　stopped　and　shifted　his　rifle　and　knapsack　round；　had　a　cigarette　and　burned　the　sketch…map。　Already　there　was　a　faint　paling　in　the　sky　and　small　noises　in　the　forest　…　the　harsh；　melancholy　cry　of　a　bird　he　did　not　know　and　the　rustlings　of　small　animals。　Bond　visualised　the　house　deep　down　in　the　little　valley　on　the　other　side　of　the　mountain　ahead　of　him。　He　saw　the　blank　curtained　windows；　the　crumpled　sleeping　faces　of　the　four　men；　the　dew　on　the　lawn　and　the　widening　rings　of　the　early　rise　on　the　gunmetal　surface　of　the　lake。　And　here；　on　the　other　side　of　the　mountain；　was　the　executioner　ing　up　through　the　trees。　Bond　closed　his　mind　to　the　picture；　trod　the　remains　of　his　cigarette　into　the　ground　and　got　going。
　Was　this　a　hill　or　a　mountain？　At　what　height　does　a　hill　bee　a　mountain？　Why　don't　they　manufacture　something　out　of　the　silver　bark　of　birch