The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 24 Four Signatures (8)
He stretched out his hand, took a thick book from the shelf, and said, "This is the first volume of the newly published Geographical Dictionary, which can be considered the latest authoritative work. What is written here?" Andaman Islands Located in the Bay of Bengal, 340 miles from Sumatra. 'Hey, hey! What's this?' Wet weather, coral reefs, sharks, Port Burrell, prison camps, Rotland Island, poplars...' Ah, in Here!' The natives of the Andaman Islands can be regarded as the smallest people in the world. Although anthropologists also say that the Bushmen in Africa or the Dig Indians and Fuegos in America are the shortest. Here The average human height is less than four feet, and adults are quite a few shorter than that. They are fierce, irritable and stubborn by nature, but they can be loyal when trust and affection are established with them.' Note this Now, Watson! Listen to the following: 'They are terrible by nature, with large deformed heads, small fierce eyes, strange features, and remarkably small hands and feet. There was no way of winning them over. They were always a bane to shipwrecked sailors, and were often crushed in the head with stone-studded clubs, or shot dead with poisoned arrows. The result of this massacre was always Without exception, it ends with a feast of human flesh." What a lovely man! Watson, if this kid is left alone and he is allowed to move freely, the result will be even more unimaginable. I think that even Jonozan Si Mao hired him, probably as a last resort."

"But how did he find such a strange accomplice?"

"Ah, we don't know about that. But since we know that Small is from the Andaman Islands, it is not surprising that this native is with him. No doubt we will know more details in the future." ...Watson, it seems that you are very tired, you lie down on that sofa, and I will help you hypnotize you."

He took his violin from the corner of the room, and began to play a muffled lullaby -- no doubt composed by himself, for he had a knack for improvisation.Until now, I can still vaguely remember his thin hands, sincere face and the movement of the bowstring.At that time, I drifted into a dreamland amidst the sound of music, and I saw the sweet face of Meryl Morstan smiling at me.

Nine Clues Interrupted
When I woke up in the afternoon, it was late and my spirits were fully restored.Holmes had put the violin aside, and was sitting with a book in his hands, reading carefully.Seeing me wake up, he looked at me with a very unhappy expression.

He said: "You slept very deeply, I was afraid that the sound of our talking would wake you up."

I replied, "I haven't heard anything. Have you got any news?"

"Unfortunately, no. I really didn't think of it, so I was disappointed. I expected some definite news by this time. Wiggins just came to report, and he said there was no sign of the steamer left, What a rush. Because the time is running out, and every hour counts."

"Can I help? My spirits have recovered, and I shall have no problem going out for another night."

"No, we can't do anything now, all we can do is wait for the news. If we go out now, if there is news, it will delay things. You can do your own thing, I have to wait here."

"Then I want to go to Camberwell to visit Mrs Sissel Forrester, who had an appointment with me yesterday."

Holmes asked with a smile in his eyes: "Are you going to visit Mrs. Sissel Forrester?"

"And Miss Morstan, of course. They are all anxious to know the news of the case."

Holmes warned: "Don't tell them too much, even the best women can never be completely trusted in them."

Instead of arguing with his impersonal remarks, I said, "I'll be back in an hour or two."

"Well! I wish you all the best! If you go across the river, you might as well send Toby back, as I don't think we need him any more now."

I returned Toby to its owner as he had said, and paid him half a pound.At Camberwell I met Miss Morstan.After last night's adventure, she is still a little tired, but she has been looking forward to the news.Mrs Forrester was also very curious, eager to know everything.I told them most of the story, leaving some dangerous plots undisclosed.Although I mentioned the murder of Mr. Sholto, I did not describe the terrible scene and the murder weapon used by the murderer.It was such a simple narration, but these were enough for them to listen with gusto.

Mrs. Forrester said: "It's like a novel! A wronged girl, a treasure worth 50 pounds, a cannibal black man, and a gangster with a wooden leg. This is very different from the plot of ordinary novels." Not the same."

Miss Morstan looked at me happily and said, "There are still two knights to save me."

"But Mei Li, your wealth depends on this search. I don't think you feel excited. Please think about how gratifying it will be if you become a rich man once!"

Miss Morstan shook her head, not seeming to care much about the matter.It was a great relief to me to see that she wasn't particularly happy about being rich.

She said: "My main concern is the safety of Mr. Thaddeus Sholto, the rest is irrelevant. His behavior in the whole case is very kind and honorable. It is our responsibility to get rid of this disgraceful and Clean up his charges in the groundless injustice."

It was late when I got home from Camberwell.My companion's book and pipe were still beside his chair, but he was gone.I looked around for a note, but I couldn't find a word.

Mrs. Hudson came in to put the curtains, and I asked: "Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes out?"

"Sir, he hasn't gone out. He's in his own room." She lowered her voice and whispered, "Sir, do you know that I'm afraid he's ill!"

"Mrs. Hudson, how did you know he was ill?"

"Sir, things are a little strange. After you left, he kept walking up and down the house, and the sound of his footsteps annoyed me. Then I heard him talking to himself, and every time the door was called, he ran away." to the landing and shouted: 'Mrs. Hudson, who is it?' Now he shuts himself in the room, but I can still hear him pacing up and down the room. Sir, I hope he is not ill. Just now I took the liberty to suggest that he take some cold medicine, but sir, he gave me a stare, and I was so frightened that I didn't know how I ran out of that room."

I replied: "Mrs. Hudson, I don't think you need to worry. I've seen him like this before. He has something on his mind, and it makes him uneasy." I was talking to my good landlord, but I heard his footsteps faintly from time to time in the long night, and I knew that his urgent mood had become more and more agitated because he could not take action.

At breakfast the next day, his face was tired and thin, his cheeks were slightly flushed.

I said, "Man, you've got yourself down. I hear you walking up and down the house at night."

He replied: "I can't sleep, this annoying question makes me anxious. All the great difficulties have been overcome, and now I am stumped by a very inconspicuous obstacle. What a shame! Now We already know who the culprits are, and the name of the boat and all, but there is no news of the boat. Others are at work, and I have exhausted my means, and the whole river is destroyed I have searched all over, but there is still no news. Mrs. Smith has not heard from her husband, and I almost think they have sunk the boat to the bottom of the river. But there is also a certain contradiction at this level."

"We may have been fooled by Mrs. Smith."

"No, I don't think there's much need to worry about it, because after investigation, there is indeed such a steamboat."

"Could it have gone upstream?"

"I also thought of this possibility, and sent a group of searchers to the Richmond area. If there is no news today, I plan to go out to find the gangsters tomorrow and give up looking for the steamboat. But what is certain is that We'll get some news."

A day passed without word from Wiggins or the rest of the searchers.Most of the papers carried reports of the Upper Norwood tragedy.They all attacked the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto very badly.There was nothing new in the newspapers, except that the official post-mortem was to be performed the next day.I walked to Camberwell in the evening, and reported our failure to the two ladies.When I came back, I found Holmes still dejected and unhappy, and he didn't even bother to answer my questions.He was there all night working on a mysterious chemical experiment, and the stench of the heated distillate forced me to leave the room.When it was almost dawn, I could still hear the sound of the test tube, and knew that he was still conducting this foul-smelling experiment there.

The next morning, I woke up suddenly and saw Holmes standing beside my bed.He was dressed as a sailor, with a short overcoat and a red scarf round his neck.

He said, "Watson, I'm going downriver myself. After thinking twice, I think this is the only way to go. It's worth a try anyway."

I said, "Then shall I go with you?"

"No. It would be more useful for you to stay here as my representative. Actually, I don't want to go myself. Although Wiggins was very discouraged last night, I think there will be news today. All letters and calls are welcome. You disassemble and act according to your judgment. Can you help me with this?"

"Of course I'd love to."

"My whereabouts are uncertain, and I am afraid you will not be able to send me a telegram. But if I am lucky, I will not delay long. I will always have something to report to you when I get back."

At breakfast, there was no news from him.But when he opened the Standard, he saw a new development in the case.The report said: Regarding the tragedy in Upper Norwood, it is reported that the content of the case is very complicated and not as simple as expected.New discoveries proved that Mr. Thaddeus Sholto was indeed beyond suspicion.Mr Sholto and Mrs Burnstone, the housekeeper, had also been released from the police last night.As for the real murderer, the police department has new clues.The case is now in the hands of the able Mr. Ethelney Jones of Scotland Yard, and it is expected to be resolved soon...  

I think it is quite satisfactory that our friend Sholto is free at last.But what are the new clues?This still seems to be the old style of covering up mistakes on the part of the police department.

I threw the newspaper on the table, and my eyes were suddenly attracted by a small advertisement in the missing person section of the newspaper.The advertisement said: "Missing people: The owner of the ship, Merdecai Smith, and his eldest son, Jim, left Smith's pier on the steamer "Dawn" at about 221:[-] on Tuesday morning and have not returned. The hull of the "Dawn" is black, There are two red lines, the chimney is black, and there is one white line. If you know the whereabouts of Mordecai Smith and his ship "Dawn", please report to Mrs. Smith at Smith Wharf or [-]B Baker Street. As a reward five pounds in gold coins."

The little ad was obviously Holmes' own, as evidenced by his address in Baker Street.I thought the wording of this ad was very clever, because even if the gangsters saw it, they would think it was just an ordinary ad for a wife looking for a husband, and would not see the mystery.

The day goes by so slowly.Every time I heard a knock at the door, or a heavy step in the street, I thought it was Holmes or someone who had seen the advertisement and came to report.I tried to read, but I couldn't concentrate, and my thoughts kept going to the two strange gangsters we were tracking.Sometimes I wonder, is there some principled mistake in Sherlock Holmes' theory?Was he suffering from a severe form of self-deception?Could it be that his assumption was wrong because the evidence was not real enough?I have never seen him make a mistake at work, but a wise man is bound to make a mistake. I think it may be because his self-confidence is too strong, but he regards a plain problem as an extremely complicated and bizarre mystery, so that he makes a mistake. Wrong again.But looking back, I saw these evidences with my own eyes, and I know the reason for his inference.Look again at this strange chain of facts, some of them irrelevant, but all pointing in the same direction.I have to admit that, even if Holmes had been mistaken, the case itself must have been extraordinary.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the doorbell rang loudly, and there was a loud commanding conversation downstairs. It did not occur to me that none other than Mr. Ethelney Jones came up.But his attitude is completely different from before.He was no longer the surly, airy, common-sense expert he had been at Upper Norwood, and he had some self-assurance in addition to his modesty.

He said, "Good day, sir, good day! I hear Mr. Holmes is out."

"Yes, I don't know when he will be back. Will you please wait a moment? Sit down and have one of our cigars?"

"Thank you, please give me one." He gently wiped his forehead with a red silk scarf as he spoke.

"How about a whiskey and soda?"

"Well, half a glass is enough. It's this time, and it's still so hot, and I'm sick of it. Do you remember my understanding of the upper Norwood case?"

"I remember you saying that."

"Well, I'm going to have to reconsider the case now. I had Mr. Sholto securely in my hands, but, well, sir, let him slip through the net again. He made an irreversible The fact that he has been with him since he left his brother, so the person who entered the house through the secret door cannot be him. This case is really difficult to solve, and my prestige in the police station is about to be shaken. , I'd love to get some help."

I said, "There are times when we all need help from others."

He said with certainty: "Sir, your friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes is indeed a remarkable man. No one can surpass him. I have seen many cases solved by him, and there is not one case that he did not understand. He The methods used are unpredictable, and of course he is sometimes a little too hasty, but on the whole, he can be a most able police officer. I am not afraid of people's jokes, I can only hope that I can't match it. I got a letter from him this morning. The telegram, from which it follows that he has made new discoveries about Sholto's case. This is the telegram."

He took the telegram out of his pocket and handed it to me.The telegram, sent from Poplars at twelve o'clock, said: "Go to Baker Street at once. If I am not back, please wait. I have traced the Sholto gangsters. If you would like to see The outcome of this case, you can go with me tonight."

I said: "The content of this telegram is very exciting. He must have connected the broken thread."

Jones said proudly: "Ah, so he sometimes makes mistakes. Our detective experts sometimes go the wrong way. Then this time may also be a joyous occasion, but the responsibility of our police is not to let Any chance missed. Oh, someone called the door, maybe he's back."

While speaking, there was a sound of heavy footsteps going up the stairs, accompanied by heavy breathing, indicating that the person had difficulty breathing.He paused once or twice in between, as if it was a laborious thing for him to go up the stairs.At last he came into the room, and his face matched the voice we had heard.It was an old man in a sailor suit with a coat buttoned up to his neck.He was bent over, his legs were trembling, and he was panting painfully.He was leaning on a thick wooden stick, and his shoulders kept shrugging, as if he was struggling to breathe.His face, except for a pair of twinkling eyes, has only white eyebrows and gray mustache, and the rest is covered by his scarf.He looked like an old, down-and-out but respectable navigator.

I asked, "Friend, what's the matter?"

Slowly, with the peculiar habit of old people, he looked around.

"Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes in?" he asked.

"He's not at home. But I can represent him, and you can tell me anything you want."

He said: "I can only tell him personally."

"But I tell you, I can represent him. Is it about the steamboat Merdecai Smith?"

"Yes, I know where the ship is, where the person he wants to track is, and where the treasure is. I know everything."

"You tell me, I'll tell him."

He fully demonstrated the irritable and stubborn characteristics of the old man."I can only tell him personally," he stressed.

"Then you'll just have to wait."

"No, no, I can't waste a day on this matter. If Mr. Holmes is not at home, he will have to find out the information for himself. I don't like the appearance of either of you, and I don't want a word." I won't tell you."

He got up to go out, but Ethelney Jones ran ahead of him and stopped him.

Jones said: "My friend, please wait a moment. You have important news to report, you can't just leave like this. Whether you like it or not, we will keep you until our friend comes back."

The old man wanted to rush out the door, but Ethelney Jones had already leaned her back against the door, blocking the old man's way.

The old man knocked on the floor with his cane angrily and shouted: "It's unreasonable! I came here to visit a friend, but you two didn't know me before, but you insisted on keeping me and treating me like this." rude!"

I persuaded: "Please don't worry, we will try to make up for the time you wasted. Please sit on the sofa over there. Mr. Holmes will be back soon."

(End of this chapter)