Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 43 Adventure History (21)
"He will try to protect himself first. Because he may have discovered that someone better than him is watching him. You must lock the door tonight and don't let him in. If he dares to behave wildly, we will send you to your aunt." Home. Now we must hurry up, you take us to check those rooms immediately."

The mansion is built of gray stone, rising in the center and curving on either side, like a pair of crab claws extending out to either side.The walls are covered with moss, the windows of the side rooms are dilapidated, and the windows are blocked with wooden boards, and part of the roof has collapsed. It is a dilapidated and desolate scene.Due to years of disrepair, it is almost horrible.But the house on the right was passable, with curtains and smoke rising from the chimney, where the family obviously lived.There are some scaffolding erected by the wall, and the stone on the wall has been chiseled, and it looks like it is being renovated, but not half of the workers can be seen.Holmes walked up and down the lightly mowed lawn for a while, examining the exterior of the window earnestly.

"I guess, this is your bedroom, the one in the middle is your sister's, and the one next to the main building is your stepfather's bedroom."

"Yes, but I've moved into my sister's bedroom now."

"The wall over there doesn't seem to need decoration?"

"Yeah, I think it was just an excuse to force me to move out of my bedroom."

"Oh, there is a problem. There is a passage on the other side of this room. The doors of the three bedrooms all face it. Are there any windows?"

"Yes, but it's very small and too narrow for a person to get in."

"Since you all lock your doors at night, it is impossible to enter your rooms from the passage side. You now go to your rooms and close the shutters as usual.

Miss Sterner did as Holmes said.Holmes examined the windows carefully, then tried to open the shutters, but could not.If you could get the knife in, it might be possible to pry the bar up.But there wasn't a single slot in the shutter for a knife to slip through.Later, he checked the hinge with a magnifying glass and found that the iron hinge was firmly embedded in the hard wall. "Well," he said, rubbing his chin, puzzled, "there must be a loophole in my reasoning. It seems that once the shutters are closed, no one can get in. All right, let's see if we can find any clues in the bedroom. "

We went through a small side door leading into a whitewashed passage.Holmes skipped the third bedroom and went straight to the second.Here now lives Miss Sterner, and it is in this very room that her poor sister died.It was very austere inside, with low ceilings and open fireplaces, all in the style of an old country mansion.There was a chest of drawers in one corner of the room, a narrow bed with a white coverlet in the other, and a dresser to the left of the window.There were also two wicker chairs, which were all the furniture in the room.There was a square Wilton rug in the center of the room, and the boards and paneling on the walls were brown oak, very old, moth-holed and faded, and probably older than the house. It's still a long time ago.Holmes found a chair and sat in a corner, but his eyes were still looking around, as if he had memorized every detail in the room.At last he noticed the head of the bed, where a thick drawstring dangled from the pillow, presumably as a means of tying the bell to call the servant.Pointing to it, he asked, "Where does the bell lead to?"

"Leading to the butler's room."

"It seems to have been configured later than anything else in the house."

"Yes, it's only been installed for two years."

"Did your sister ask to pretend?"

"No, I know she never uses it, we always go get what we want ourselves."

"Yes, it seems that there is no need to install such a bell-rope at all. I am sorry, but I will take a moment to examine this floor." Holmes, lying on the ground with a magnifying glass, began to examine it very carefully.Then he examined the paneling in the same manner.Finally came to the bed again and observed for a long time.He looked up and down the wall, and suddenly grabbed the bell and pulled it hard.

"Strange! The bell-rope is useless at all, but a show," he said.

"No sound?"

"Not only didn't it sound, but it hasn't been connected to it. You see, the other end of the rope is actually tied to the hook above the vent hole."

"It's really absurd, it's never been discovered before."

"It's incredible!" murmured Holmes, holding the bell in his hand. "There are two queer features in this room, for instance, that the air-vent opens into the adjoining room, which is a foolish thing to do, since the same effort would It is perfectly possible to make it open to the outside."

"This vent is also very recent," said the lady.

"Was it fitted at the same time as the bell-rope?" asked Holmes.

"Yes, several other places were modified at that time."

"It's very interesting--the bell-rope is just for show, and the vent holes are not ventilated. If you agree, Miss Sterner, we'd like to look inside and see if there's anything unusual about it."

Dr. Roylott's bedroom was slightly wider than his stepdaughter's, but the furniture was almost as modest.A camp bed, many technical books on a small wooden bookshelf, an armchair beside the bed, an ordinary wooden chair against the wall, a round table and a large iron safe, all the furniture and furniture can be seen at a glance sundries.Holmes walked slowly round the room, observing it intently, and examining all the furniture and clutter.

"What is this?" He knocked on the iron safe.

"It contains my stepfather's business papers."

"Oh? Have you seen the contents with your own eyes?"

"I saw it once a few years ago, and I remember it was full of papers."

"For example, maybe there will be a cat in it?"

"Impossible, your idea is too ridiculous!"

"Oh, what is this?" He picked up a small saucer of milk from the safe.

"No, we never had cats, we only had a cheetah and a baboon at home."

"Well, yes, a cheetah is also considered a big cat, but I'm sure a plate of milk is not enough for it to eat. There is another point, I have to confirm." He squatted in front of the wooden chair, intently inspecting the surface of the chair.

"Thank you, I basically understand." He stood up and put the magnifying glass in his pocket.

"Hey, a few interesting things here."

A whip for beating puppies attracted Holmes.The whip was hung above the bed, coiled and tied in a knot.

"What do you think, Watson?"

"It's just an ordinary whip, but what I can't figure out is, why is it tied in a knot?"

"This whip is not as simple as you think. Hey, in this wicked world, it is a tragedy if a wise man puts his wisdom on mischief. I think I have found what I want to know. Miss Sterner, if you like, let's go for a walk out on the lawn."

After leaving the scene, my friend's face was very serious. I had never seen such a gloomy expression on his face before.As we lingered on the lawn, neither I nor Miss Sterner wished to disturb Holmes' thoughts, but waited patiently for him to recover from his contemplation.

At last he said: "Miss Sterner, it is very important that you do everything I tell you to do."

"I will definitely listen to you."

"The matter is very serious. You can't be careless. Your fate is in your own hands. You must listen to me."

"I promise to obey your orders."

"First, my friend and I have to spend the night in your room."

Miss Sterner and I were startled and looked at him in bewilderment. "That's right, it must be done. Please listen to my explanation. I guess, that's the inn in the village over there?"

"Yes, the Crown Inn."

"Well, can you see your window from there?"

"Yes, I can."

"When your stepfather comes back, you have to shut yourself in and pretend to have a headache. At night, when you're sure he's gone to sleep, open the shutters in your room, unbuckle the windows, and put the lights in the windows." Give us a signal. Then you take the necessary things and go back to your original room, remember to go in quietly. Although it is still under renovation, you can still stay for one night."

"Yes, no problem."

"Leave the rest to us."

"What do you want to do?"

"We're going to stay in your room and find out where the noises that are disturbing your life come from."

"Mr. Holmes, I believe you have already figured out a way." Miss Sterner said excitedly, tugging at his sleeve.

"Maybe."

"Then tell me quickly, how did my sister die?"

"I will tell you when I have more convincing evidence."

"But you can at least tell me that my sister was frightened to death, can't you?"

"No, I don't think so. I think there was a more specific reason for her death. Come on, Miss Sterner, we must go, and if Dr. Roylott comes back to meet us, it will be a waste of time. Good-bye, Brave Point! Don't worry, just do as I say, and your danger will soon be relieved."

Holmes and I quickly took a bedroom and sitting-room at the Crown Inn in the village, on the second floor.Through the window we could look down on the gate and the inhabited wing of Stormokland Manor on the avenue.At dusk we saw Dr. Roylott return.His tall stature stood out even more against the skinny boy who was driving for him.We hear him yelling and see him angrily pumping his fist at one of the servants.Because there was a delay when the manservant opened the door.The carriage entered the yard, and the lights in one of the living rooms were lit up in a short while, and the lights could be seen from a long distance through the woods.

"Do you know, Watson?" said Holmes, and we were sitting together talking now, as it was getting dark, "I do have some misgivings about asking you to come with me to-night, as there is a real danger here."

"How can I help you?"

"As long as you are there, it will definitely help me a lot."

"That's true, I'd love to."

"thank you very much."

"You said it was dangerous, it must be because you saw valuable clues in the house."

"No, I just made a little more inference. I think what I saw, you saw too."

"But apart from the bell-rope, I found little in particular. And I have to admit, I can't think of a use for it."

"Did you notice that vent?"

"Yes. But I don't think it's strange that there is a ventilation hole between the two rooms, and the hole is so small that even a mouse can't get through it."

"Before we got here, I guessed that we were going to find a vent."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes. Since Miss Sterner said her sister smelled Dr. Roylott's cigars, there must be a passage between the two rooms. But it must be very narrow, otherwise the coroner would have will be found, so I conclude that the passage may only be a vent."

"But what does it do?"

"Don't you think it strange? At almost the same time, a vent was dug, a bell-rope pulled, and a lady was killed."

"I still can't figure out how the three are connected."

"Did you see any difference in that bed?"

"No."

"It's fixed to the floor. Have you ever seen a fixed bed before?"

"Not really."

"That lady's bed can't be moved, so it can only be placed there for a long time! And it faces both the rope and the ventilation hole, and the rope is just a decoration, and it has no effect at all."

"Holmes," I exclaimed, "I seem to understand. It is fortunate that I have been able to prevent the further success of some terrible plot."

"It is terrible. A doctor who goes astray can become the most dangerous villain. Palmer and Pretchard are the outstanding representatives of your profession? But they are not as clever as this man He has guts and sense. There's a lot going on before dawn, for God's sake, let's take a break, smoke a cigarette quietly, and let our minds relax."

At about nine o'clock, the lights from the bushes went out, and the manor was immersed in darkness.After another two hours, at about eleven o'clock, a light appeared directly in front of our line of sight, emitting a dazzling light. "That light came from the middle room, and was a signal to us," said Holmes.

On our way out we greeted the innkeeper, who thought we were visiting an acquaintance, and might spend the night there.Soon, we came to the road, the chilly cold wind was blowing on our faces, and in the dark night, only the dim yellow light flickered in front of us, guiding us to complete the heavy mission.

Since the gable wall has not been repaired for many years, there are broken walls everywhere, and we easily entered the yard.Through the bushes, across the lawn, and just as we were about to enter the room through the window, suddenly a hideous figure in the shape of a deformed child sprang out of a laurel bush.It twisted its limbs and jumped onto the lawn, then flew across the lawn and disappeared into the night. "Good heavens!" I cried in a low voice, "do you see that?" Holmes was as startled as I was.He gripped my wrist tightly, very excited, and whispered in my ear with a smile, "This family is insane! That's the baboon."

I almost forgot, doctors like to keep weird animals.And that cheetah!Maybe it will suddenly come to our shoulders at any time.Following Holmes' example, I took off my shoes and got into the bedroom, only to breathe a sigh of relief.My friend closed the shutter softly, moved the lamp over the table, and looked around the room.The room was the same as during the day, and he came to me on tiptoe, "Don't make any noise, even the smallest noise will make our plan fail." He whispered to me.

I nodded to show I understand.

"We had to sit in the dark, otherwise he'd see the light through the vent."

I nodded again.

"You mustn't fall asleep. It's a matter of life. Grab a pistol. Maybe we'll need it. You sit in that chair and I sit by the bed."

I took out the revolver and put it on the table.

Holmes also placed the slender whip which he had brought with him on the bed.There was a box of matches and a candle stub beside the bed, and he blew out the lamp.So we are plunged into darkness.

I will never forget that terrible night, when I heard not a sound, not even a gasp, but I knew that my friend was sitting next to me with wide-eyed eyes, both on high nerves.We can only wait in the dark, because the shutters block all the light outside.Occasionally there was the hooting of an owl, followed by another meowing cry from the window, apparently from the cheetah.The bells in the church in the distance will continue to ring, every quarter of an hour, the clock strikes twelve o'clock, one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, we wait quietly for the situation to emerge...

Finally, a fleeting light suddenly appeared in the direction of the vent, followed by the smell of burning kerosene and metal heating, and a blackout lamp was lit in the adjacent room.I heard movement, albeit very slightly.Half an hour later, I suddenly heard another sound—like the sound of a kettle boiling water and hissing, and it was very soft and slow.At the sound Holmes sprang up from the bed, struck a match, and with his slender whip struck the cords at the head of the bed.

"Have you seen it, Watson?" he asked, under his breath.

But I didn't see anything.All I heard was a low but distinct whistle as Holmes struck a match.The sudden light shone on his eyes, so I couldn't immediately see what he was trying to beat, but I could see his face clearly, extremely pale, with an expression of anger and hatred.

Finally, he stopped and looked up at the vent.At this moment, a terrible scream suddenly sounded in the silent night—an extremely terrifying scream that I had never heard before, it was intertwined with pain, fear and anger, and it was creepy.It is said that the screams woke up those people who were far away in the village and even in the parish.I stared blankly at Holmes, and he stared at me in the same way.Finally, the echo finally disappeared, and the surroundings fell into silence again.

I asked anxiously, "What's going on?"

"It is over," said Holmes, "and perhaps the best kind of ending. Take your guns, and let us go and see Dr. Roylott's bedroom."

My friend lit the lamp and led me down the hallway with a serious face. I knocked on the door twice, but when there was no response from inside, he turned the handle and walked in.I followed closely behind, pistol in hand.

Here was the scene: a blackout lamp on the table, with the shutter ajar, a bright light on the safe, and the chest also ajar.Dr. Roylott was sitting in a chair by the table in a long gray nightgown, under which his bare ankles showed.He wore a pair of Turkish slippers, and the long, short-handled whip we had seen during the day lay on his knees.The doctor's jaw was tilted upward, and his eyes were fixed on the ceiling.Around his forehead was a curious yellow band with brown spots, and he did not make a sound or move when we entered the room.

"The tape, the speckled tape!" said Holmes in a low voice.

I took a step forward, and saw that strange headdress began to squirm, and a poisonous snake came out of his hair.The venomous snake was thick and short, with a diamond-shaped head, curled up there with its neck swollen, making people sick to look at.

Holmes said: "This is an Indian poisonous snake. To be precise, it is an adder that grows in the swamp. The doctor died ten seconds after being bitten by it. ...we'll have to throw the beast back in its lair, then get Miss Sterner to safety, and finally tell the police what's going on here."

As he spoke, he quickly took the whip from the dead man's hand, flicked the slipknot over the snake's neck, pulled it up, threw it back into the safe, and closed the box behind him.

(End of this chapter)