2. Che lim lo̍h, it-chhè tō hó-sè
"Hoat-lu̍t siōng lâi-kóng, góa nā tōaⁿ-sí chhim-ji̍p goán chhù ê chha̍t-á, he bô sǹg bô͘-sat," i giâm-lē án-ne kóng. "Koh-kóng, pēng bô kìm-chí sú-iōng niáu-chhí io̍h-á. Tio̍h phò-hoāi, niáu-chhí chiah ū khó-lêng chìn-ji̍p chit-ê piah-tû. Jiân-āu hoat-seng siáⁿ tāi-chì, he tō bô góa ê koan-hē."
"Judson, m̄-thang án-ne chò," yi khún-kiû, "hoat-lu̍t bē phòaⁿ chha̍t-thau sí-hêng; lí ná-ū hit-ê khoân-lī?"
"Iú-koan pó-hō͘ góa ê châi-sán ê tāi-chì, iû góa lâi tēng ka-tī ê hoat-lu̍t." I kóng-ōe ê kē-im, kài sêng tōa-chiah káu in-ūi khó-lêng sit-khì kut-thâu teh ngāu-siaⁿ.
"M̄-koh, in put-kò sī thau chi̍t-sut-á chiú," yi kiû-chêng, hoān-sè sī gín-á chi̍t-sî ê hó-sńg. In pēng bô chō-sêng chin-chiàⁿ ê sún-hāi."
"Che m̄-sī tiōng-tiám," i kóng. "Nā ū-lâng lia̍h góa chhiúⁿ 5 kho͘ bí-kim, he hām i the̍h 100 kho͘ hō͘ góa pêⁿ sim-thiàⁿ. Chha̍t tō sī chha̍t."
Yi chīn chòe-āu ê khó͘-khǹg. "Lán tio̍h kàu mê-nî chhun-thiⁿ chiah ē koh lâi. Siūⁿ tio̍h hit-ê sí-bông ki-koan it-ti̍t tī hia, góa bē an-sim. Ká-sú lán ū siáⁿ tāi-chì -- che mā chin pháiⁿ kóng."
Thiaⁿ yi ê ōe, i koh chhiò-chhiò. "Che, lán tio̍h tó͘ khòaⁿ-māi," i kóng. "Góa sī khò ki-un thàn chiah-ê ke-hóe. Góa nā sí, it-chhè tō sûi-chāi lí. Ke-hóe lóng kui hō͘ lí ah."
Koh chèⁿ mā bô-hāu -- yi chai-iáⁿ. I chò seng-lí, nā ū siáⁿ bô sūn-ì, it-hiòng chin bô-chêng. Tāi-chì chóng tio̍h chiàu i ê ì-sù. Yi thó͘ chi̍t-ē khùi, oa̍t hiòng mn̂g-kháu.
"Góa kiâⁿ-lō͘ khì lông-sià kóng chài-hōe," yi khin-siaⁿ kóng, "lí tán-leh lâi hia chài góa." Yi koat-ì boeh kā Alec in bó͘ kóng. Tio̍h ài ū-lâng chai.
"Hó lah, chhin-ài ê," i chhiò-chhiò, "m̄-bián ūi hit-ê sió chha̍t-thau hoân-ló. Kap i bô tī-tāi ê lâng, bô-lâng ē siū siong-hāi."
Tán yi kiâⁿ lo̍h sió-lō͘ ê sî, i khai-sí boeh koaiⁿ piah-tû ê mn̂g, koh hut-leh tòng-tiām, in-ūi i siūⁿ-tio̍h phah-la̍h ê tn̂g-hia iáu tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha. He tio̍h siu lâi piah-tû lāi. Chū án-ne, mn̂g bô koaiⁿ, i khì hit-tè chho͘-ióng ê toh-á téng the̍h tn̂g-hia, iáu-ū phāiⁿ-pau hām gōa-thò.
Alec ùi ô͘-piⁿ kòe-lâi, hn̄g-hn̄g ǹg i ia̍t-chhiú.
Chi̍t-chiah hoe-la̍t chhí, thiaⁿ tio̍h Judson chho͘-tāng ê kha-pō͘ siaⁿ, pàng lo̍h chi̍t-lia̍p i boeh chhàng tī sió-chhù piah-lāi ê chhiūⁿ-chí, cháu kah bô iáⁿ-jiah.
Judson chhun-chhiú khì the̍h tn̂g-hia ê sî, ta̍h tio̍h hit-lia̍p chhiūⁿ-chí. I ê kha-té chhu khì, thâu-khak khok tio̍h tāng toh, koh poa̍h-tó.
Kúi hun-cheng liáu-āu, i khai-sí hôe-ho̍k ì-sek. I ê thâu-khak khòe tī Alec ê chho͘ chhiú-kut, lâng tó tī gîm-chîⁿ-kha, chi̍t-ê chhin-chhiat ê siaⁿ-im kóng, "M̄-sī giâm-tiōng ê poa̍h-tó, Webb Ss. Lí bô gōa-siong; chí-sī khok hūn khì chi̍t-ē-á. Chia, che lim lo̍h. It-chhè tō lóng hó-sè ah."
Chi̍t-ê sè-sè ê wiski poe-á tu tī i ê chhùi-tûn. Thâu hîn-hîn koh sió-khóa bô chheng-chhéⁿ, i kā lim lo̍h.
--
2. 這啉落, 一切 tō 好勢
"法律上來講, 我若彈死侵入阮厝 ê 賊仔, 彼無算謀殺," 伊嚴厲 án-ne 講. "閣講, 並無禁止使用鳥鼠藥仔. 著破壞, 鳥鼠才有可能進入這个壁櫥. 然後發生啥代誌, 彼 tō 無我 ê 關係."
"Judson, 毋通 án-ne 做," 她懇求, "法律袂判賊偷死刑; 你那有彼个權利?"
"有關保護我 ê 財產 ê 代誌, 由我來訂家己 ê 法律." 伊講話 ê 低音, 蓋成大隻狗因為可能失去骨頭 teh ngāu 聲.
"毋過, in 不過是偷一屑仔酒," 她求情, 凡勢是囡仔一時 ê 好耍. In 並無造成真正 ê 損害."
"這毋是重點," 伊講. "若有人掠我搶 5 kho͘ 美金, 彼和伊提 100 kho͘ hō͘ 我平心疼. 賊 tō 是賊."
她盡最後 ê 苦勸. "咱著到明年春天才會 koh 來. 想著彼个死亡機關一直 tī hia, 我袂安心. 假使咱有啥代誌 -- 這 mā 真歹講."
聽她 ê 話, 伊 koh 笑笑. "這, 咱著賭看覓," 伊講. "我是靠機運趁 chiah-ê 家伙. 我若死, 一切 tō 隨在你. 家伙 lóng 歸予你 ah."
Koh 諍 mā 無效 -- 她知影. 伊做生理, 若有啥無順意, 一向真無情. 代誌總著照伊 ê 意思. 她吐一下氣, 越向門口.
"我行路去農舍講再會," 她輕聲講, "你等 leh 來 hia 載我." 她決意欲 kā Alec in 某講. 著愛有人知.
"好 lah, 親愛 ê," 伊笑笑, "毋免為彼个小賊偷煩惱. Kap 伊無底代 ê 人, 無人會受傷害."
等她行落小路 ê 時, 伊開始欲關壁櫥 ê 門, koh 忽 leh 擋恬, 因為伊想著拍獵 ê 長靴猶 tī 砛簷跤. 彼著收來壁櫥內. 自 án-ne, 門無關, 伊去彼塊粗勇 ê 桌仔頂提長靴, 猶有揹包和外套.
Alec ùi 湖邊過來, 遠遠 ǹg 伊擛手.
一隻花栗鼠, 聽著 Judson 粗重 ê 跤步聲, 放落一粒伊欲藏 tī 小厝壁內 ê 橡子, 走 kah 無影跡.
Judson 伸手去提長靴 ê 時, 踏著彼粒橡子. 伊 ê 跤底趨去, 頭殼硞著重桌, koh 跋倒.
幾分鐘了後, 伊開始回復意識. 伊 ê 頭殼蹶 tī Alec ê 粗手骨, 人倒 tī 砛簷跤, 一个親切 ê 聲音講, "毋是嚴重 ê 跋倒, Webb Ss. 你無外傷; 只是硞昏去一下仔. Chia, 這啉落. 一切 tō lóng 好勢 ah."
一个細細 ê wiski 杯仔 tu tī 伊 ê 喙唇. 頭眩眩 koh 小可無清醒, 伊 kā 啉落.
--
2.
“The law doesn’t call it murder if I shoot a thief who is entering my house by force,” he said harshly. “Also, the use of rat poison is not forbidden. The only way any rat can get into this closet is to break in. What happens then has nothing to do with me.”
“Don’t do it, Judson,” she begged, “the law doesn’t punish burglary by death; so what right have you?”
“When it comes to protecting my property, I make my own laws.” His deep voice was like that of a big dog growling at the possible loss of a bone.
“But all they did was to steal a little liquor,” she pleaded, “probably some boys off on a lark. They didn’t do any real damage.”
“That’s not the point,” he said. “If a man holds me up and robs me of five dollars, it makes me just as sore as if he took a hundred. A thief’s a thief.”
She made one last effort. “We won’t be here till next spring. I can’t bear to think of that death-trap waiting there all the time. Suppose something happens to us – and no one knows.”
He chuckled once more at her words. “We’ll take a chance on that,” he said. “I’ve made my pile by taking chances. If I should die, you can do as you please. The stuff will be yours.”
It was useless to argue – she knew. He had always been ruthless in business and whenever anything crossed him. Things had to be done his way. She turned towards the door with a sigh.
“I’ll walk down the road and say good bye at the farmhouse,” she said quietly, “you can pick me up there.” She had made up her mind to tell Alec’s wife. Someone had to know.
“Okay, my dear,” he smiled, “and don’t worry about your poor little burglar. No one is going to get hurt who hasn’t got it coming to him."
As she went down the path, he started to close the closet door, and then paused as he remembered his hunting boots outside on the porch. They belonged in the closet. So, leaving the door open, he went to fetch them from the heavy, rustic table on which they stood, along with his bag and top coat.
Alec was coming up from the lake and waved to him from a distance.
A chipmunk, hearing Judson’s heavy tread, left the acorn it was about to add to its store within the cabin wall and disappeared.
When reaching for his boots, Judson stepped upon that acorn. His foot slid from under him and his head struck the massive table as he fell.
Several minutes later, he began to regain his senses. Alec’s strong arm was supporting his head as he lay on the porch, and a kindly voice was saying, “It wasn’t much of a fall, Mr. Webb. You aren’t cut none; just knocked out for a minute. Here, take this. It’ll pull you together.”
A small whiskey glass was pressed to Judson’s lips. Dazed and half-conscious he drank.
--
// 2022-8-26
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