他完全成了一位年轻的西班牙绅士，他的衣服都是进口货，珠宝商的狡黠并没有在他身上白费力气。他卷纸烟的时候，一枚大得异乎寻常的钻石戒指在他手上闪闪发光。
“Whats doing？” asked Thacker.
“怎么样啦？”撒克问道。
“Nothing much.” said the Kid calmly. “I eat my first iguana steak today. Theyre them big lizards， you sabe？ I reckon， though， that frijolesfrijole n.［植］菜豆 and side bacon would do me about as well. Do you care for iguanasiguana n.［动］鬣蜥(一种产于南美洲和西印度群岛的大蜥蜴)， Thacker？”
“没怎么样。”小利亚诺平静地说。“今天我第一次吃了软蝎肉排。就是那种大四脚蛇，你知道吗？我却认为成肉煮豆子也配我的胃口。你喜欢吃蜥蜴吗，撒克？”
“No， nor for some other kinds of reptilesreptile n.爬虫动物， 卑鄙的人 adj.爬行的， 爬虫类的， 卑鄙的.” said Thacker.
“不，别的爬虫也不吃。”撒克说。
It was three in the afternoon， and in another hour he would be in his state of beatitudebeatitude n.至福， 祝福.
现在是下午三点钟，再过一个小时，他就要达到那种飘飘然的境界了。
“Its time you were making good， sonny.” he went on， with an ugly look on his reddened face. “Youre not playing up to me square. Youve been the prodigal son for four weeks now， and you could have had veal for every meal on a gold dish if youd wanted it. Now， Mr. Kid， do you think its right to leave me out so long on a husk diet？ Whats the trouble？ Dont you get your filialfilial adj.子女的， 孝顺的， 当作子女的 eyes on anything that looks like cash in the Casa Blanca？ Dont tell me you dont. Everybody knows where old Urique keeps his stuff. Its U.S. currency， too. He dont accept anything else. Whats doing？ Dont say ‘nothing’ this time.”
“你该履行诺言了，老弟。”他接着说，他那张猪肝色的脸上露出一副狰狞相，“你对我太不公平。你已经当了四星期的宝贝儿子，你喜欢的话，每顿饭都可以用金盘子来盛小牛肉。喂，小利亚诺先生，你说应不应该让我老是过粗茶淡饭的日子？毛病在哪里？难道你这双孝顺儿子的眼睛在白屋里面没有见到任何像是现款的东西？别对我说你没有见到。谁都知道老乌里盖藏钱的地方。并且还是美国货币；别的钱他不要。你究竟怎么啦？这次别说‘没有’。”
“Why， sure，” said the Kid， admiring his diamond， “theres plenty of money up there. Im no judge of collateralcollateral adj.间接的 in bunches， but I will undertake for to say that Ive seen the rise of 50，000 at a time in that tin grub box that my adopted father calls his safe. And he lets me carry the key sometimes just to show me that he knows Im the real Francisco that strayed from the herd a long time ago.”
“哎，当然，”小利亚诺欣赏着他的钻石戒指说，“那里的钱确实很多，至于证券之类的玩意儿我可不懂，但是我可以担保说，在我干爸爸叫做保险箱的铁皮盒子里，我一次就见到过五万元现款。有时候，他把保险箱的钥匙交给我，主要是让我知道他把我当作那个走失多年的真的小弗朗西斯科。”
“Well， what are you waiting for？” asked Thacker， angrily. “Dont you forget that I can upset your applecart any day I want to. If old Urique knew you were an imposter， what sort of things would happen to you？ Oh， you dont know this country， Mr. Texas Kid. The laws here have got mustard spread between em. These people hered stretch you out like a frog that had been stepped on， and give you about fifty sticks at every corner of the plaza. And theyd wear every stick out， too. What was left of you theyd feed to alligators.”
“哎，那你还等什么呀？”撒克愤愤地问道。“别忘了只要我高兴，我随时随地都可以揭你的老底。如果老马里盖知道你是骗子，你知道会出什么事？哦，得克萨斯的小利亚诺先生，你才不了解这个国家。这里的法律才叫辣呢。他们会把你绷得像一只被踩扁的蛤蟆，在广场的每一个角上揍你五十根。棍子都要打断好几根。再把你身上剩下来的皮肉喂鳄鱼。”
“I might just as well tell you now， pardner，” said the Kid， sliding down low on his steamer chair， “that things are going to stay just as they are. Theyre about right now.”
“我现在不妨告诉你，伙计，”小利亚诺舒适地坐在帆布椅子里说，“事情就按照目前的样子维持下去。目前很不坏。”
“What do you mean？” asked Thacker， rattling the bottom of his glass on his desk.
“你这是什么意思？”撒克问道，把酒杯在桌子上碰得格格直响。
“The schemes off.” said the Kid. “And whenever you have the pleasure of speaking to me address me as Don Francisco Urique. Ill guaranteeguarantee n.保证， 保证书， 担保， 抵押品 vt.保证， 担保 Ill answer to it. Well let Colonel Urique keep his money. His little tin safe is as good as the timelocker in the First National Bank of Laredo as far as you and me are concerned.”
