“这不是个坏主意。” 海伦说。“你带大炮了吗？要打那个治安官，没什么比大炮更管用了。” 她深吸了一口气，说道：“我以前从没像现在这样高兴看到海军陆战队登陆。再晚一分钟，英雄就要被锯成两半了。杰克现在可能正在和治安法官理论呢。”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Helene said. “Did you bring along a cannon? It wouldn’t take anything less to shoot that sheriff.” She caught her breath and said, “I never was so glad to see the marines land before. Another minute, and the hero would be sawed in two. Jake is probably having it out with the justice of the peace right now.”
她抓住他的胳膊，以惊人的速度拉着他沿着主街走。马龙紧紧抓住他的手提包，气喘吁吁地跟在她旁边，穿过一片由灯光、面孔和窗户组成的万花筒。
She grabbed his arm and dragged him up Main Street at a breakneck speed. Malone took a firm grip on his handbag and panted along beside her through a kaleidoscope of lights, faces, and windows.
“慢点。” 他最后吼道。“记住我不是那种运动型的海军陆战队员。”
“Slow down,” he growled at last. “Remember I’m not the athletic-type marine.”
她放慢速度，几乎恢复到正常的步行速度，立刻人行道上的人群就开始围住他们。马龙把一个穿着印花连衣裙的胖女人从他肚子上推开，说道：“这里似乎并不比正午时分的州街和麦迪逊街更拥挤。这些人到底都是从哪儿冒出来的？”
She slowed down to almost an average walking speed, and immediately the sidewalk crowd began to engulf them. Malone pushed a plump woman in a print dress off his stomach and said, “It doesn’t seem to be any more crowded than State and Madison Streets at high noon. Where in blazes do all these people e from?”
“从四面八方来到这里。” 海伦调皮地说。
“Out of the everywhere into the here,” Helene said coyly.
马龙放下手提包，差点踩到两个小男孩，说道：“下一趟回芝加哥的公共汽车什么时候？”
Malone put down his handbag, nearly trampling a couple of small boys as he did so, and said, “When is the next bus back to Chicago?”
“早上七点才有公共汽车。” 海伦说。她的手紧紧抓住他的胳膊。“而且，我们需要你。”
“There isn’t a bus until seven in the morning,” Helene said. Her hand tightened on his arm. “Besides, we need you.”
他任由她带着自己沿着街道走了半条街。“别告诉我所有这些人都住在威斯康星州的杰克逊。” 他生气地说。“镇边上的路标写着人口三千。”
He allowed himself to be led half a block up the street. “Don’t tell me all these people live in Jackson, Wisconsin,” he said crossly. “The signboard at the edge of town said population three thousand.”
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