the adventure of the priory school-第3节

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　　〃No；　sir。〃

　　〃One　more　question；　your　Grace。　I　understand　that　you　wrote　to

your　son　upon　the　day　when　this　incident　occurred。〃

　　〃No；　I　wrote　upon　the　day　before。〃

　　〃Exactly。　But　he　received　it　on　that　day？〃

　　〃Yes。〃

　　〃Was　there　anything　in　your　letter　which　might　have　unbalanced　him

or　induced　him　to　take　such　a　step？〃

　　〃No；　sir；　certainly　not。〃

　　〃Did　you　post　that　letter　yourself？〃

　　The　nobleman's　reply　was　interrupted　by　his　secretary；　who　broke

in　with　some　heat。

　　〃His　Grace　is　not　in　the　habit　of　posting　letters　himself；〃　said　he。

〃This　letter　was　laid　with　others　upon　the　study　table；　and　I　myself

put　them　in　the　post…bag。〃

　　〃You　are　sure　this　one　was　among　them？〃

　　〃Yes；　I　observed　it。〃

　　〃How　many　letters　did　your　Grace　write　that　day？〃

　　〃Twenty　or　thirty。　I　have　a　large　correspondence。　But　surely　this　is

somewhat　irrelevant？〃

　　〃Not　entirely；〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃For　my　own　part；〃　the　Duke　continued；　〃I　have　advised　the　police　to

turn　their　attention　to　the　south　of　France。　I　have　already　said

that　I　do　not　believe　that　the　Duchess　would　encourage　so　monstrous　an

action；　but　the　lad　had　the　most　wrongheaded　opinions；　and　it　is

possible　that　he　may　have　fled　to　her；　aided　and　abetted　by　this

German。　I　think；　Dr。　Huxtable；　that　we　will　now　return　to　the　Hall。〃

　　I　could　see　that　there　were　other　questions　which　Holmes　would

have　wished　to　put；　but　the　nobleman's　abrupt　manner　showed　that　the

interview　was　at　an　end。　It　was　evident　that　to　his　intensely

aristocratic　nature　this　discussion　of　his　intimate　family　affairs

with　a　stranger　was　most　abhorrent；　and　that　he　feared　lest　every

fresh　question　would　throw　a　fiercer　light　into　the　discreetly

shadowed　corners　of　his　ducal　history。

　　When　the　nobleman　and　his　secretary　had　left；　my　friend　flung

himself　at　once　with　characteristic　eagerness　into　the　investigation。

　　The　boy's　chamber　was　carefully　examined；　and　yielded　nothing　save

the　absolute　conviction　that　it　was　only　through　the　window　that　he

could　have　escaped。　The　German　master's　room　and　effects　gave　no

further　clue。　In　his　case　a　trailer　of　ivy　had　given　way　under　his

weight；　and　we　saw　by　the　light　of　a　lantern　the　mark　on　the　lawn

where　his　heels　had　come　down。　That　one　dint　in　the　short；　green　grass

was　the　only　material　witness　left　of　this　inexplicable　nocturnal

flight。

　　Sherlock　Holmes　left　the　house　alone；　and　only　returned　after

eleven。　He　had　obtained　a　large　ordnance　map　of　the　neighbourhood；　and

this　he　brought　into　my　room；　where　he　laid　it　out　on　the　bed；　and；

having　balanced　the　lamp　in　the　middle　of　it；　he　began　to　smoke　over

it；　and　occasionally　to　point　out　objects　of　interest　with　the　reeking

amber　of　his　pipe。

　　〃This　case　grows　upon　me；　Watson；〃　said　he。　〃There　are　decidedly

some　points　of　interest　in　connection　with　it。　In　this　early　stage；

I　want　you　to　realize　those　geographical　features　which　may　have　a

good　deal　to　do　with　our　investigation。

　　〃Look　at　this　map。　This　dark　square　is　the　Priory　School。　I'll　put　a

pin　in　it。　Now；　this　line　is　the　main　road。　You　see　that　it　runs

east　and　west　past　the　school；　and　you　see　also　that　there　is　no

side　road　for　a　mile　either　way。　If　these　two　folk　passed　away　by

road；　it　was　this　road。〃　（See　illustration。）

　　〃Exactly。〃

　　〃By　a　singular　and　happy　chance；　we　are　able　to　some　extent　to　check

what　passed　along　this　road　during　the　night　in　question。　At　this

point；　where　my　pipe　is　now　resting；　a　county　constable　was　on　duty

from　twelve　to　six。　It　is；　as　you　perceive；　the　first　cross…road　on

the　east　side。　This　man　declares　that　he　was　not　absent　from　his

post　for　an　instant；　and　he　is　positive　that　neither　boy　nor　man　could

have　gone　that　way　unseen。　I　have　spoken　with　this　policeman

to…night　and　he　appears　to　me　to　be　a　perfectly　reliable　person。

That　blocks　this　end。　We　have　now　to　deal　with　the　other。　There　is

an　inn　here；　the　Red　Bull；　the　landlady　of　which　was　ill。　She　had　sent

to　Mackleton　for　a　doctor；　but　he　did　not　arrive　until　morning；

being　absent　at　another　case。　The　people　at　the　inn　were　alert　all

night；　awaiting　his　coming；　and　one　or　other　of　them　seems　to　have

continually　had　an　eye　upon　the　road。　They　declare　that　no　one　passed。

If　their　evidence　is　good；　then　we　are　fortunate　enough　to　be　able

to　block　the　west；　and　also　to　be　able　to　say　that　the　fugitives　did

not　use　the　road　at　all。〃

　　〃But　the　bicycle？〃　I　objected。

　　〃Quite　so。　We　will　come　to　the　bicycle　presently。　To　continue　our

reasoning：　if　these　people　did　not　go　by　the　road；　they　must　have

traversed　the　country　to　the　north　of　the　house　or　to　the　south　of　the

house。　That　is　certain。　Let　us　weigh　the　one　against　the　other。　On　the

south　of　the　house　is；　as　you　perceive；　a　large　district　of　amble

land；　cut　up　into　small　fields；　with　stone　walls　between　them。

There；　I　admit　that　a　bicycle　is　impossible。　We　can　dismiss　the

idea。　We　turn　to　the　country　on　the　north。　Here　there　lies　a　grove

of　trees；　marked　as　the　'Ragged　Shaw；'　and　on　the　farther　side

stretches　a　great　rolling　moor；　Lower　Gill　Moor；　extending　for　ten

miles　and　sloping　gradually　upward。　Here；　at　one　side　of　this

wilderness；　is　Holdernesse　Hall；　ten　miles　by　road；　but　only　six

across　the　moor。　It　is　a　peculiarly　desolate　plain。　A　few　moor　farmers

have　small　holdings；　where　they　rear　sheep　and　cattle。　Except　these；

the　plover　and　the　curlew　are　the　only　inhabitants　until　you　come　to

the　Chesterfield　high　road。　There　is　a　church　there；　you　see；　a　few

cottages；　and　an　inn。　Beyond　that　the　hills　become　precipitous。　Surely

it　is　here　to　the　north　that　our　quest　must　lie。〃

　　〃But　the　bicycle？〃　I　persisted。

　　〃Well；　well！〃　said　Holmes；　impatiently。　〃A　good　cyclist　does　not

need　a　high　road。　The　moor　is　intersected　with　paths；　and　the　moon　was

at　the　full。　Halloa！　what　is　this？〃

　　There　was　an　agitated　knock　at　the　door；　and　an　instant　afterwards

Dr。　Huxtable　was　in　the　room。　In　his　hand　he　held　a　blue　cricket…cap

with　a　white　chevron　on　the　peak。

　　〃At　last　we　have　a　clue！〃　he　cried。　〃Thank　heaven！　at　last　we　are　on

the　dear　boy's　track！　It　is　his　cap。〃

　　〃Where　was　it　found？〃

　　〃In　the　van　of　the　gipsies　who　camped　on　the　moor。　They　left　on

Tuesday。　To…day　the　police　traced　them　down　and　examined　their

caravan。　This　was　found。〃

　　〃How　do　they　account　for　it？〃

　　〃They　shuffled　and　lied…　said　that　they　found　it　on　the　moor　on

Tuesday　morning。　They　know　where　he　is；　the　rascals！　Thank　goodness；

they　are　all　safe　under　lock　and　key。　Either　the　fear　of　the　law　or

the　Duke's　purse　will　certainly　get　out　of　them　all　that　they　know。〃

　　〃So　far；　so　good；〃　said　Holmes；　when　the　doctor　had　at　last　left　the

room。　〃It　at　least　bears　out　the　theory　that　it　is　on　the　side　of

the　Lower　Gill　Moor　that　we　must　hope　for　results。　The　police　have

really　done　nothing　locally；　save　the　arrest　of　these　gipsies。　Look

here；　Watson！　There　is　a　watercourse　across　the　moor。　You　see　it

marked　here　in　the　map。　In　some　parts　it　widens　into　a　morass。　This　is

particularly　so　in　the　region　between　Holdernesse　Hall　and　the　school。

It　is　vain　to　look　elsewhere　for　tracks　in　this　dry　weather；　but　at

that　point　there　is　certainly　a　chance　of　some　record　being　left。　I

will　call　you　early　to…morrow　morning；　and　you　and　I　will　try　if　we

can　throw　some　little　light　upon　the　mystery。〃

　　The　day　was　just　breaking　when　I　woke　to　find　the　long；　thin　form　of

Holmes　by　my　bedside。　He　was　fully　dressed；　and　had　apparently　already

been　out。

　　〃I　have　done　the　lawn　and　the　bicycle　shed；〃　said；　he。　〃I　have

also　had　a　rumble　through　the　Ragged　Shaw。　Now；　Watson；　there　is　cocoa

ready　in　the　next　room。　I　must　beg　you　to　hurry；　for　we　have　a　great

day　before　us。〃

　　His　eyes　shone；　and　his　cheek　was　flushed　with　the　exhilaration　of

the　master　workman　who　sees　his　work　lie　ready　before　him。　A　very

different　Holmes；　this　active；　alert　man；　from　the　introspective　and

pallid　dreamer　of　Baker　Street。　I　felt；　as　I　looked　upon　that

supple；　figure；　alive　with　nervous　energy；　that　it　was　indeed　a

strenuous　day　that　awaited　us。

　　And　yet　it　opened　in　the　blackest　disappointment。　With　high　hopes　we

struck　across　the　peaty；　russet　moor；　intersected　with　a　thousand

sheep　paths；　until　we　came　to　the　broad；　light…green　belt　which　marked

the　morass　between　us　and　Holdernesse。　Certainly；　if　the　lad　had

gone　homeward；　he　must　have　passed　this；　and　he　could　not　pass　it

without　leaving　his　traces。　But　no　sign　of　him　or　the　German　could

be　seen。　With　a　darkening　face　my　friend　strode　along　the　margin；

eagerly　observant　of　every　muddy　stain　upon　the　mossy　surface。

Sheep…marks　there　were　in　profusion；　and　at　one　place；　some　miles

down；　cows　had　left　their　tracks。　Nothing　more。

　　〃Check　number　one；〃　said　Holmes；　looking　gloomily　over　the　rolling

expanse　of　the　moor。　〃There　is　another　morass　down　yonder；　and　a

narrow　neck　between。　Halloa！　halloa！　halloa！　what　have　we　here？〃

　　We　had　come　on　a　small　black　ribbon　of　pathway。　In　the　middle　of　it；

clearly　marked　on　the　sodden　soil；　was　the　track　of　a　bicycl