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I had met the man, but now, there were two revolvers strapped to his hips. Instinctively I knew he was the game warden. I glanced at the squirrel involuntarily; I knew the season was closed. But the man was grinning.
我以前見過這個人，但是這次他髖部卻挎著兩支左輪手槍。憑直覺我明白他是個獵區監管員。我不由自主地瞥了一眼地上的松鼠，我清楚現在到了禁獵季節，可是這人卻咧嘴笑了。
That's all right. I saw it all, he said.
“沒關系，我全看見了，”他說。
That's lucky for me, I said, "but I really caused him to shoot it. I thought he was hunting squirrels."
“我運氣不錯，”我說，“但的確是我引他開槍的。我以為他是在獵松鼠。”
No, he's hunting nothing that lives in trees. He was hunting old King Solomon.
“不，他從來不獵取生活在樹上的動物。他要獵捕老所羅門王。”
I see, I said, though I didn't see at all. A triangle affair possibly, or a mountain feud.
“我明白了，”我說，盡管我根本就不明白。也許是一場三角戀，或是山區里的深仇大恨。
Old King Solomon is a bass, he said. "We call him that because he's so smart nobody can catch him. That fellow with the gun hooked him once, but couldn't hold him. Ever since, he's been trying to shoot him. Well, that's against the law; and nobody's going to do that if I can help it."
“老所羅門王是一只鱸魚，”他說。因為他太狡猾了，沒人能抓到他，所以我們這樣稱呼他。那個帶槍的家伙曾釣到一次，但沒能抓住。從那以后，他就一直設法用槍打他。得了，那是違法的，只要我還在，誰也別想這么做。”
How big was he?
“他有多大？”
I don't like strangers to think I'm lying, he said, "even when I'm telling the truth."
“我不想讓陌生人覺得我在撒謊，”他說，“雖然我說的是實話。”
That was enough. I determined then and there to keep a sharp lookout.
這就足夠了。我當場就打定主意要格外留意這件事。
Where does King Solomon hold court most of the time? I asked with a studied effort to be casual. "It seems that our friend with the gun expects to find him in this hole. Has he ever been seen here?"
“老所羅門王大都在哪兒臨朝聽政呢？”我故意漫不經心地問道。“看起來我們那位帶槍的朋友想在這個洞里找到他，有人曾在這里看到過他嗎？”
Once. About a year ago. But he might be a mile or two up or down by now. Well, I reckon I'll get back to town. See you again.
“有過一次。大約在一年以前。但是他可能就在這上下游一兩英里遠的地方。好啦，我想我要回鎮上了，再見。”
Well, I did see the warden several times after that; and when I saw him, usually I saw the man with the gun.
從那以后，我的確又見過那個獵區監管員幾次，而且每次見到他，通常都會看到那個帶槍的人。
