Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 1

Chapter 49 Adventure History 7
I took out my pistol, loaded it, and put it on the wooden box where I was hiding.Holmes drew down the light panel of the lantern, and the whole basement was plunged into darkness--such darkness as I have never experienced before.Only the smell of the baked metal of the light-baffle reassured us that the lights were still on and ready to shine.I waited on high nerves, oppressed and depressed by the sudden darkness, damp and cold air of the basement.

"They have but one course of retreat," whispered Holmes, "and that is to the house in Sachs-Coburg Square. Jones, I hope you have done what I ask you to do?"

"I've sent an officer and two policemen outside the gate."

"Then we'll plug all the holes."

Time flies so slowly!Although I checked my notes afterwards, we only waited for an hour and a quarter, but I felt as if the night was almost over and the dawn was approaching.My limbs were tired and numb, and I didn't dare to change my position; but my nerves were highly tense, and my hearing was so sharp that I could not only hear the slight breathing of my friend, but also distinguish the deep and rough sound of Big Jones. The sound of breathing; what is the thin breathing of the bank director.Looking over the box I'm hiding in, I can see that spot on the floor.Suddenly, I saw a faint light.

At first it was just little sparks sprinkled on the slate, then it grew long and became a yellow line.There was a soundless crack in the floor, and a hand appeared, groping around in the place where the light was.This hand was white, like a woman's hand.The hand groped the ground for over a minute, then disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.Except for the faint light peeking out from the cracks in the stone slabs, the surroundings were once again plunged into darkness.

But the hand disappeared only for a moment.With a harsh cracking sound, a large white stone slab in the middle of the floor turned over to one side, revealing a square opening.The light poured in through the gap, illuminating a delicate and immature face.He scanned the surroundings keenly, and then pushed his hands up the gap.First, the shoulders were exposed, then the waist came up, and the last leg fell to the ground.In a blink of an eye, he was standing at the edge of the cave, pulling up the accomplice behind him.The man's movements were also very agile, he was not tall, with a pale face, and a head of fiery red hair that looked disheveled.

’ he whispered: ‘Everything is going well.Get the chisel and the bag quickly!God!No, Archie, jump down, quick!I'll take care of the rest! "

Sherlock Holmes sprang across and seized the man by the collar.Another man jumped into the hole.There was only a hissing sound, and Jones only grabbed the hem of his clothes.In the panic flashed the barrel of a revolver, and Holmes immediately struck the man on the wrist with his hunting whip, and the pistol fell to the ground with a clang.

Holmes said unhurriedly, "John Cray, don't waste your efforts. You won't be able to escape."

The other party said very calmly: "I can see it. But my friend will escape, but unfortunately you only grabbed him by the lapel."

"Three people are waiting for him at the door," said Holmes.

"Oh! Is it? It seems that you have arranged well. I should pay tribute to you!"

"Each, each other," said Holmes. "That Redhead method you have devised is also unique and effective."

Jones said: "You'll see your accomplice soon. He's going down the hole faster than I can. Hold out your hand and let me handcuff it."

"Please don't touch me with those dirty hands," John?With his hands handcuffed, Corey said, "You probably don't know I'm of royal blood. Please always use 'your honor' and 'please' when you speak to me."

"Okay," said Jones, glaring at him, with a secret smile in his heart, "then, sir, could you please go upstairs so that we can find a carriage and take you to the police station?"

"That's much better," John?Corey said calmly.He saluted the three of us and walked out silently under the supervision of the detective.

We also left the basement. "That's true, Mr. Holmes!" said Mr. Merriweather. "I don't know how to thank you from the bank. There is no doubt that you not only noticed, but also foiled a well-planned bank robbery with absolute superiority. .I've never seen a case like this before?"

"I have a small account or two to settle between myself and Mr. John Corey," said Holmes. "I have spent some money on the case, and I hope the bank will settle it for me. Apart from that, I have got The rewards were the unique experience of solving this case and hearing the unusual Redhead story."

"You see, Watson," he explained the next morning, as we sat drinking whiskey and soda in our Baker Street lodgings, "it was all too obvious from the outset: some ridiculous red Sending a meeting, copying the Encyclopedia Britannica, with only one purpose, and that is to spend a few hours a day on this confused pawnbroker. This arrangement is a bit weird, but it is quite difficult to find a better way Yes. No doubt Corley took advantage of his partner's red hair to come up with such a brilliant idea. Four pounds a week is no doubt a temptation for the shopkeeper, and he will take the bait; What's four quid, gambler? First they put up that ad, and one scoundrel rented a makeshift office, and the other came and got the shopkeeper to apply. So they sang a double reed, and sent the old man away every day. Ever since I heard that the apprentice started at half the salary, so I obviously think he has other plans."

"But how did you ever think of his real motive?"

"Had there been women in the family, I might have thought they were just a bit of stealth. But that's not the case at all. The shop is small, and there's nothing worth his troubles and money, so it must be a Out of the shop idea. What was it? I thought about the apprentice's hobby of photography and his little basement tricks. Yes, the basement! That's where the tangled threads ended. Then I went to Asked about his apprentice and found himself up against some of the coolest and most daring criminals in all of London. What the hell was he doing in the basement - something that took hours a day and months to complete So what? I can't think of anything else that would take so much time other than digging tunnels to other buildings.

"And then we went to the shop together. At the time you might not know why I was banging on the sidewalk with my cane, but I was trying to figure out which way the basement went. I was told it went back. Then I knocked on the door Well, as I expected, the guy opened the door. I barely looked at his face, I just wanted to see his knees, and the knees of his trousers were particularly worn and dirty, which proves that he spent a lot of time going to Digging a tunnel. So, what is the reason for him digging a tunnel? So I looked around the corner and found that a bank was next to this house. At this time, I took the bus home after listening to the music At that time, I visited the chairman of the bank. You have seen the results."

I asked him, "How do you know they committed the crime on Saturday night?"

"There was a sign that their Redheads had disbanded. It meant they didn't care if Jabots? Mr. Wilson was in the pawnshop. That is, they had dug the tunnel. But the tunnel hadn't been If there is any possibility of discovery, then their plan will fail. They must act as soon as possible. There is no other day than Saturday, which will give them two days to escape. So I guess they will do it last night."

I exclaimed in admiration: "Your reasoning is amazing! You are so amazing, it is beyond words. This series of reasoning is so long, and you have hit it all."

He replied: "It keeps me from being bored. I already feel that life is too boring. I have no pursuit in my life, I just hope not to spend it in mediocrity. These small cases meet my needs."

(End of this chapter)