04-01-04-三十九级台阶 [6]
，towards Dumfries. I hoped that if the police were following me，they would think that I had gone on to the coast in the west，where I could escape by ship.
I walked in the same beautiful spring weather as before，and still couldn't make myself feel nervous or worried. After a time I came to the railway line，and soon a little station，which was perfect for my plan. There was just a single line and moors all around. I waited until I saw a train in the distance，and then bought a ticket to Dumfries.
The only person in the carriage was an old farmer with his sheepdog. He was asleep，and next to him was a newspaper. I picked it up to see if there was any news about me. There was only a short piece about the Langham Place Murder. My servant Paddock had called the police，and the milkman had been arrested. The poor man had spent most of the day with the police，but they had let him go in the evening. The police believed that the real murderer had escaped from London on a train to the north.
When I had finished reading，I looked out of the window and noticed that we were stopping at the station where I had got out yesterday. Three men were talking to the man who I had seen digging potatoes. I sat well back from the window and watched carefully. One of the men was taking notes，and I supposed they were from the local police. Then，I saw the child who had taken my ticket talking，and the men looked out across the moor along that road I had taken.
As we left the station，the farmer woke up，looked at me，and asked where he was. He had clearly drunk too much.
'I'm like this because I never drink，'he said，sadly. 'I haven't touched whisky since last year. Not even at Christmas. And now I've got this terrible headache. '
'What did it？'I asked.
'A drink they call brandy. I didn't touch the whisky because I don't drink，but I kept drinking this brandy. I'll be ill for a fortnight. 'His voice got slower and slower and soon he fell asleep again.
I had planned to leave the train at a station，but it now stopped by a river and I decided this would be better. I looked out of the carriage window and saw nobody，so I opened the door and dropped quickly down into the long grass. My plan was going perfectly until the dog decided that I was stealing something and began to bark loudly. This woke up the farmer who started to shout. He thought I was trying to kill myself. I crawled through the long grass for about a hundred metres and then looked back. The train driver and several passengers were all staring in my direction.
Luckily，the dog was now so excited that he pulled the farmer out of the carriage. The farmer began to slide down towards the river. The otner passengers ran to help him，the dog bit somebody，and there was a lot of excited shouting. Soon they had forgotten me，and the next time I looked back，the train was moving again.
I was now in the middle of the empty moor，and for the first time I felt really frightened，not of the police but of the people who knew that I knew Scudder's secret. If they caught me，I would be a dead man.
I reached the top of a low hill and looked around. To the south，a long way away，I saw something which made me tremble…
Low in the sky a small plane was flying slowly across the moor. I was certain that it was looking for me，and I was also certain that it was not the police. I hid low in the heather and watched it for an hour or two as it flew in circles. Finally it disappeared to the south.
I did not like this spying from the air，and I began to think that an open moor was perhaps not the best place to hide. I could see distant forests in the east，and decided that would be better country.
It was about six o'clock in the evening when I left the moor and entered the trees. I came to a bridge by a house，and there，on the bridge，was a young man. He was sitting smoking a pipe，dreamily watching the water，and holding a book. He jumped up as he heard my feet on the road and I saw a friendly young face.
'Good evening to you，'he said in a serious voice. 'It's a fine night to be on the road. '
The smell of cooking came from the house.
I walked in the same beautiful spring weather as before，and still couldn't make myself feel nervous or worried. After a time I came to the railway line，and soon a little station，which was perfect for my plan. There was just a single line and moors all around. I waited until I saw a train in the distance，and then bought a ticket to Dumfries.
The only person in the carriage was an old farmer with his sheepdog. He was asleep，and next to him was a newspaper. I picked it up to see if there was any news about me. There was only a short piece about the Langham Place Murder. My servant Paddock had called the police，and the milkman had been arrested. The poor man had spent most of the day with the police，but they had let him go in the evening. The police believed that the real murderer had escaped from London on a train to the north.
When I had finished reading，I looked out of the window and noticed that we were stopping at the station where I had got out yesterday. Three men were talking to the man who I had seen digging potatoes. I sat well back from the window and watched carefully. One of the men was taking notes，and I supposed they were from the local police. Then，I saw the child who had taken my ticket talking，and the men looked out across the moor along that road I had taken.
As we left the station，the farmer woke up，looked at me，and asked where he was. He had clearly drunk too much.
'I'm like this because I never drink，'he said，sadly. 'I haven't touched whisky since last year. Not even at Christmas. And now I've got this terrible headache. '
'What did it？'I asked.
'A drink they call brandy. I didn't touch the whisky because I don't drink，but I kept drinking this brandy. I'll be ill for a fortnight. 'His voice got slower and slower and soon he fell asleep again.
I had planned to leave the train at a station，but it now stopped by a river and I decided this would be better. I looked out of the carriage window and saw nobody，so I opened the door and dropped quickly down into the long grass. My plan was going perfectly until the dog decided that I was stealing something and began to bark loudly. This woke up the farmer who started to shout. He thought I was trying to kill myself. I crawled through the long grass for about a hundred metres and then looked back. The train driver and several passengers were all staring in my direction.
Luckily，the dog was now so excited that he pulled the farmer out of the carriage. The farmer began to slide down towards the river. The otner passengers ran to help him，the dog bit somebody，and there was a lot of excited shouting. Soon they had forgotten me，and the next time I looked back，the train was moving again.
I was now in the middle of the empty moor，and for the first time I felt really frightened，not of the police but of the people who knew that I knew Scudder's secret. If they caught me，I would be a dead man.
I reached the top of a low hill and looked around. To the south，a long way away，I saw something which made me tremble…
Low in the sky a small plane was flying slowly across the moor. I was certain that it was looking for me，and I was also certain that it was not the police. I hid low in the heather and watched it for an hour or two as it flew in circles. Finally it disappeared to the south.
I did not like this spying from the air，and I began to think that an open moor was perhaps not the best place to hide. I could see distant forests in the east，and decided that would be better country.
It was about six o'clock in the evening when I left the moor and entered the trees. I came to a bridge by a house，and there，on the bridge，was a young man. He was sitting smoking a pipe，dreamily watching the water，and holding a book. He jumped up as he heard my feet on the road and I saw a friendly young face.
'Good evening to you，'he said in a serious voice. 'It's a fine night to be on the road. '
The smell of cooking came from the house.