the boscombe valley mystery-第5节

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farther　side　of　this　and　lay　down　once　more　upon　his　face　with　a

little　cry　of　satisfaction。　For　a　long　time　he　remained　there；　turning

over　the　leaves　and　dried　sticks；　gathering　up　what　seemed　to　me　to　be

dust　into　an　envelope　and　examining　with　his　lens　not　only　the

ground　but　even　the　bark　of　the　tree　as　far　as　he　could　reach。　A

jagged　stone　was　lying　among　the　moss；　and　this　also　he　carefully

examined　and　retained。　Then　he　followed　a　pathway　through　the　wood

until　he　came　to　the　highroad；　where　all　traces　were　lost。

　　〃It　has　been　a　case　of　considerable　interest；〃　he　remarked；

returning　to　his　natural　manner。　〃I　fancy　that　this　gray　house　on

the　right　must　be　the　lodge。　I　think　that　I　will　go　in　and　have　a　word

with　Moran；　and　perhaps　write　a　little　note。　Having　done　that；　we

may　drive　back　to　our　luncheon。　You　may　walk　to　the　cab；　and　I　shall

be　with　you　presently。〃

　　It　was　about　ten　minutes　before　we　regained　our　cab　and　drove　back

into　Ross；　Holmes　still　carving　with　him　the　stone　which　he　had　picked

up　in　the　wood。

　　〃This　may　interest　you；　Lestrade；〃　he　remarked；　holding　it　out。　〃The

murder　was　done　with　it。〃

　　〃I　see　no　marks。〃

　　〃There　are　none。〃

　　〃How　do　you　know；　then？〃

　　〃The　grass　was　growing　under　it。　It　had　only　lain　there　a　few

days。　There　was　no　sign　of　a　place　whence　it　had　been　taken。　It

corresponds　with　the　injuries。　There　is　no　sign　of　any　other　weapon。〃

　　〃And　the　murderer？〃

　　〃Is　a　tall　man；　left…handed；　limps　with　the　right　leg；　wears

thick…soled　shooting　boots　and　a　gray　cloak；　smokes　Indian　cigars；

uses　a　cigar…holder；　and　carries　a　blunt　pen…knife　in　his　pocket。

There　are　several　other　indications；　but　these　may　be　enough　to　aid　us

in　our　search。〃

　　Lestrade　laughed。　〃I　am　afraid　that　I　am　still　a　sceptic；〃　he

said。　〃Theories　are　all　very　well；　but　we　have　to　deal　with　a

hard…headed　British　jury。〃

　　〃Nous　verrons；〃　answered　Holmes　calmly。　〃You　work　your　own　method；

and　I　shall　work　mine。　I　shall　be　busy　this　afternoon；　and　shall

probably　return　to　London　by　the　evening　train。〃

　　〃And　leave　your　case　unfinished？〃

　　〃No；　finished。〃

　　〃But　the　mystery？〃

　　〃It　is　solved。〃

　　〃Who　was　the　criminal；　then？〃

　　〃The　gentleman　I　describe。〃

　　〃But　who　is　he？〃

　　〃Surely　it　would　not　be　difficult　to　find　out。　This　is　not　such　a

populous　neighbourhood。〃

　　Lestrade　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃I　am　a　practical　man；〃　he　said；

〃and　I　really　cannot　undertake　to　go　about　the　country　looking　for　a

left…handed　gentleman　with　a　game…leg。　I　should　become　the

laughing…stock　of　Scotland　Yard。〃

　　〃All　right；〃　said　Holmes　quietly。　〃I　have　given　you　the　chance。　Here

are　your　lodgings。　Good…bye。　I　shall　drop　you　a　line　before　I　leave。〃

　　Having　left　Lestrade　at　his　rooms；　we　drove　to　our　hotel；　where　we

found　lunch　upon　the　table。　Holmes　was　silent　and　buried　in　thought

with　a　pained　expression　upon　his　face；　as　one　who　finds　himself　in

a　perplexing　position。

　　〃Look　here；　Watson；〃　he　said　when　the　cloth　was　cleared；　〃just　sit

down　in　this　chair　and　let　me　preach　to　you　for　a　little。　I　don't　know

quite　what　to　do；　and　I　should　value　your　advice。　Light　a　cigar　and

let　me　expound。〃

　　〃Pray　do　so。〃

　　〃Well；　now；　in　considering　this　case　there　are　two　points　about

young　McCarthy's　narrative　which　struck　us　both　instantly；　although

they　impressed　me　in　his　favour　and　you　against　him。　One　was　the

fact　that　his　father　should；　according　to　his　account；　cry　'Cooee！'

before　seeing　him。　The　other　was　his　singular　dying　reference　to　a

rat。　He　mumbled　several　words；　you　understand；　but　that　was　all　that

caught　the　son's　ear。　Now　from　this　double　point　our　research　must

commence；　and　we　will　begin　it　by　presuming　that　what　the　lad　says

is　absolutely　true。〃

　　〃What　of　this　'Cooee！'　then？〃

　　〃Well；　obviously　it　could　not　have　been　meant　for　the　son。　The

son；　as　far　as　he　knew；　was　in　Bristol。　It　was　mere　chance　that　he　was

within　earshot。　The　'Cooee！'　was　meant　to　attract　the　attention　of

whoever　it　was　that　he　had　the　appointment　with。　But　'Cooee'　is　a

distinctly　Australian　cry；　and　one　which　is　used　between

Australians。　There　is　a　strong　presumption　that　the　person　whom

McCarthy　expected　to　meet　him　at　Boscombe　Pool　was　someone　who　had

been　in　Australia。〃

　　〃What　of　the　rat；　then？〃

　　Sherlock　Holmes　took　a　folded　paper　from　his　pocket　and　flattened　it

out　on　the　table。　〃This　is　a　map　of　the　Colony　of　Victoria；〃　he

said。　〃I　wired　to　Bristol　for　it　last　night。〃　He　put　his　hand　over

part　of　the　map。　〃What　do　you　read？〃

　　〃ARAT；〃　I　read。

　　〃And　now？〃　He　raised　his　hand。

　　〃BALLARAT。〃

　　〃Quite　so。　That　was　the　word　the　man　uttered；　and　of　which　his　son

only　caught　the　last　two　syllables。　He　was　trying　to　utter　the　name　of

his　murderer。　So　and　so；　of　Ballarat。〃

　　〃It　is　wonderful！〃　I　exclaimed。

　　〃It　is　obvious。　And　now；　you　see；　I　had　narrowed　the　field　down

considerably。　The　possession　of　a　gray　garment　was　a　third　point

which；　granting　the　son's　statement　to　be　correct；　was　a　certainty。　We

have　come　now　out　of　mere　vagueness　to　the　definite　conception　of　an

Australian　from　Ballarat　with　a　gray　cloak。〃

　　〃Certainly。〃

　　〃And　one　who　was　at　home　in　the　district；　for　the　pool　can　only　be

approached　by　the　farm　or　by　the　estate；　where　strangers　could

hardly　wander。〃

　　〃Quite　so。〃

　　〃Then　comes　our　expedition　of　to…day。　By　an　examination　of　the

ground　I　gained　the　trifling　details　which　I　gave　to　that　imbecile

Lestrade；　as　to　the　personality　of　the　criminal。〃

　　〃But　how　did　you　gain　them？〃

　　〃You　know　my　method。　It　is　founded　upon　the　observation　of　trifles。〃

　　〃His　height　I　know　that　you　might　roughly　judge　from　the　length　of

his　stride。　His　boots；　too；　might　be　told　from　their　traces。〃

　　〃Yes；　they　were　peculiar　boots。〃

　　〃But　his　lameness？〃

　　〃The　impression　of　his　right　foot　was　always　less　distinct　than

his　left。　He　put　less　weight　upon　it。　Why？　Because　he　limped…he　was

lame。〃

　　〃But　his　left…handedness。〃

　　〃You　were　yourself　struck　by　the　nature　of　the　injury　as　recorded　by

the　surgeon　at　the　inquest。　The　blow　was　struck　from　immediately

behind；　and　yet　was　upon　the　left　side。　Now；　how　can　that　be　unless　it

were　by　a　left…handed　man？　He　had　stood　behind　that　tree　during　the

interview　between　the　father　and　son。　He　had　even　smoked　there。　I

found　the　ash　of　a　cigar；　which　my　special　knowledge　of　tobacco

ashes　enables　me　to　pronounce　as　an　Indian　cigar。　I　have；　as　you　know；

devoted　some　attention　to　this；　and　written　a　little　monograph　on

the　ashes　of　140　different　varieties　of　pipe；　cigar；　and　cigarette

tobacco。　Having　found　the　ash；　I　then　looked　round　and　discovered

the　stump　among　the　moss　where　he　had　tossed　it。　It　was　an　Indian

cigar；　of　the　variety　which　are　rolled　in　Rotterdam。〃

　　〃And　the　cigar…holder？〃

　　〃I　could　see　that　the　end　had　not　been　in　his　mouth。　Therefore　he

used　a　holder。　The　tip　had　been　cut　off　not　bitten　off；　but　the　cut

was　not　a　clean　one；　so　I　deduced　a　blunt　pen…knife。〃

　　〃Holmes；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　drawn　a　net　round　this　man　from　which　he

cannot　escape；　and　you　have　saved　an　innocent　human　life　as　truly　as

if　you　had　cut　the　cord　which　was　hanging　him。　I　see　the　direction

in　which　all　this　points。　The　culprit　is…〃

　　〃Mr。　John　Turner；〃　cried　the　hotel　waiter；　opening　the　door　of　our

sitting…room；　and　ushering　in　a　visitor。

　　The　man　who　entered　was　a　strange　and　impressive　figure。　His　slow；

limping　step　and　bowed　shoulders　gave　the　appearance　of　decrepitude；

and　yet　his　hard；　deep…lined；　craggy　features；　and　his　enormous

limbs　showed　that　he　was　possessed　of　unusual　strength　of　body　and

of　character。　His　tangled　beard；　grizzled　hair；　and　outstanding；

drooping　eyebrows　combined　to　give　an　air　of　dignity　and　power　to

his　appearance；　but　his　face　was　of　an　ashen　white；　while　his　lips　and

the　corners　of　his　nostrils　were　tinged　with　a　shade　of　blue。　It　was

clear　to　me　at　a　glance　that　he　was　in　the　grip　of　some　deadly　and

chronic　disease。

　　〃Pray　sit　down　on　the　sofa；〃　said　Holmes　gently。　〃You　had　my　note？〃

　　〃Yes；　the　lodge…keeper　brought　it　up。　You　said　that　you　wished　to

see　me　here　to　avoid　scandal。〃

　　〃I　thought　people　would　talk　if　I　went　to　the　Hall。〃

　　〃And　why　did　you　wish　to　see　me？〃　He　looked　across　at　my　companion

with　despair　in　his　weary　eyes；　as　though　his　question　was　already

answered。

　　〃Yes；〃　said　Holmes；　answering　the　look　rather　than　the　words。　〃It　is

so。　I　know　all　about　McCarthy。〃

　　The　old　man　sank　his　face　in　his　hands。　〃God　help　me！〃　he　cried。

〃But　I　would　not　have　let　the　young　man　come　to　harm。　I　give　you　my

word　that　I　would　have　spoken　out　if　it　went　against　him　at　the

Assizes。〃

　　〃I　am　glad　to　hear　you　say　so；〃　said　Holmes　gravely。

　　〃I　would　have　spoken　now　had　it　not　been　for　my　dear　girl。　It

would　break　her　heart…it　will　break　her　heart　when　she　hears　that　I　am

arrested。〃

　　〃It　may　not　come　to　that；〃　said　Holmes。

　　〃What？〃

　　〃I　am　no　official　agent。　I　understand　that　it　was　your　daughter

who　required　my　presence　here；　and　I　am　acting　in　her　interests。　Young

McCarthy　must　be　g