Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 80 Memoirs (14)
"At first I speculated that maybe Miss Morrison was having an affair with the Colonel, and she told the Colonel's wife that night. This would explain why the Colonel's wife went home very angry, and why Miss Morrison denied that she knew all the facts. What happened. And this speculation does not contradict what the servants have heard. But Mrs. Buckley mentioned David, and everyone knows that the colonel is faithful to his wife. A third person broke into the scene. In this case, it is difficult to base this guess. However, in general, I do not want to admit that Miss Morrison has a relationship with the colonel, but I am more willing to believe that this girl knows that Buckley The cause of the quarrel between the husband and wife. So I went to Miss Morrison and asked her about the situation. I was completely sure that she knew the truth and told her that if she couldn't figure it out, her friend Mrs. Buckley was the important suspect.

"Miss Morrison is thin and elegant, with flaxen hair, a bit shy in her eyes, but it can be seen that she is a very intelligent person. She sat there, pondered for a while after listening to my words, and then said firmly Something came up that worked for me:
"'I promised my friend that I would never tell this matter. Since I have promised, I must keep my promise. But my friend is unable to explain herself because of illness, and will be charged for it, so if I can really help her If so, I would break my promise and tell what happened on Monday night.

"'We came back from the Watt Street Charity at 45:[-] that night. We passed Hutson Street on our way home, which was quiet except for a light on the left side of the road. I saw a person walking towards us. He was carrying a small box on his shoulders. His back was bent so badly that he seemed to be disabled. Because his body was bent, his head was bowed, and his legs could only walk with bent legs. When he passed by us, Under the illumination of the street lamps, he raised his head and looked at us. When he saw clearly, he stopped immediately and exclaimed frighteningly: "My God!It's Nancy! "Mrs. Buckley's face turned pale immediately. If she hadn't been supported by that person, she must have fallen. I was about to call the police, but Mrs. Buckley was very polite to the man.

"' She asked tremblingly: "Henry, I haven't heard from you for 30 years, and I thought you were dead. "

"' The man replied: "I am indeed dead. "His voice is amazing, his face is extremely terrifying, and the hatred in his eyes is still in my memory. In addition, his hair and beard are gray, and his face is covered with wrinkles, like a withered apples.

"' Mrs Buckley said with feigned ease: 'My dear Morrison, if you go ahead, I would like to say a few words to this man. "At that time, her face was ashen, her mouth trembled so much that she could hardly speak.

"'I hurried away first, leaving them alone for a while. Then I saw the man standing by the lamppost, pumping his fists in the air like crazy, while my friend walked towards me without a word. We came over. We didn't talk all the way, until at the door of my house, she took my hand and begged me to keep it a secret for her.

"' She said: 'That's my old friend, and now he's too miserable to be human. "I said yes, and she kissed me and hurried off. I haven't seen her since. I've told all I know, and I didn't tell the police at first because I didn't know My friend's perilous situation. Now, all is said and done, hopefully in her favour.'

"Miss Morrison told me all this, Watson. As you can imagine, it was like a ray of light in the darkness to me. Some of the information that had been scattered before could be connected at once. So far, I have The ins and outs of the case are basically clear. The next thing to do is to find the strange hunchback. If he is still in Aldershot, things will be easier. The place is sparsely populated, and a disabled person is more likely to cause trouble. People's attention. I spent a whole day looking for him today, and finally found him at night. Watson, his name is Henry Wood, and he lives in the street where he met Mrs. Buckley. He is five Arrived here two days ago. I had a very pleasant conversation with the landlady in my capacity as tenant registrar, and learned that he lived as a juggler, going every evening to the various privately run soldiers' clubs, and at each He had a little animal in his trunk with him, and the landlady said he used to do tricks with it. That's all the landlady provided, but then added that such a twisted man could It was not easy to survive. He often said strange things, and that night, the landlady heard him crying in the room. When it came to the rent, the landlady said that he was very happy to pay, but the deposit he gave to the landlady There was a silver coin like a florin in it. Watson, the landlord showed me that silver coin. It was an Indian rupee .

"Dear friend, now you understand why you are looking for you? There is no doubt that after the two women parted from the hunchback, he followed them quietly. He heard the couple quarreling outside the window, so he broke in, and the little animals in his wooden box also ran out. However, only he himself knows what happened afterwards."

"So you're going to see him?"

"Yes, but a witness is required."

"You want me to be a witness?"

"Yes, if you like. It would be best if he would speak clearly; if he does not, we have no choice but to apply for his arrest."

"But are you sure he'll be there when we go there?"

"I've made preparations and hired a boy in Baker Street to follow him. Wherever he goes, the boy will follow him. Tomorrow, we will find him in Hutson Street. If I continue to keep you from sleeping , that would be a crime."

At noon the next day, we arrived at the scene of the crime.Under the leadership of Holmes, we hurried to Hutson Street at once.Although Holmes is good at hiding his emotions, I can still see his excitement.Of course, I also feel the inexplicable impulse, like hunting for novelty, more like the beginning of an intellectual contest.I have this experience every time I investigate a case with him.

We turned into a short street lined with two-story brick buildings, and Holmes said, "This is Hutson Street. Look, Simpson has come to see us."

A little waif ran towards us, calling, "Mr. Holmes, he's inside now."

Holmes patted the child's head enthusiastically and said, "Very well, Simpson! Come on, Watson, this room is the only one." Holmes handed in a business card, saying that he had something to ask for advice.After a while, the man came out to meet us.Despite the heat, the man squatted by the fire, and the hut was as hot as a steamer.The man was hunched over, his body curled up in the chair, giving people an indescribable sense of ugliness due to his deformed body.However, when he turned his head to look at us, I vaguely felt that although his face was rough and dark, he could vaguely see a kind of tall and handsome.He stared at us suspiciously, sat there without saying a word, just pointed to the chair for us to sit down.

"You are, I suppose, Henry Wood, who was in India. We have come to call on you in connection with the murder of Colonel Barclay," said Holmes mildly.

"How do I know this?"

"That's what I'm looking for. I want to tell you that if the matter is not cleared up, your old friend Mrs. Buckley will be considered a suspect."

He was taken aback.Hastily said: "I don't know you, and I don't know how you know this, but can you swear that what you said is true?"

"Of course it is true! She is unconscious now, and we will arrest her when she wakes up."

"My God! Are you a policeman?"

"No."

"Then what does this matter to you?"

"It's everyone's duty to get to the truth."

"You should trust me, she is innocent."

"So you are the murderer?"

"not me."

"But who else would kill Colonel Buckley but you?"

"He was retribution from the heavens, and he died an untimely death. However, please believe that if I can open his head and let him die in my hands as I wish, then he deserves what he deserves. If he didn't feel guilty and fell himself to death , I will definitely kill him too. Up to now, I don’t want to hide anything anymore, I want to tell this matter, because I have no shame for anyone.

"Gentlemen, here's the thing. Don't look at me now, with my back terribly bent and my ribs twisted, but in those days Corporal Henry was the handsomest of the [-]th Infantry. We were then stationed at Burr, India. At Camp Tee. I was a sergeant major in the company with the dead Buckley, and Nancy DeVoy, the daughter of a marine sergeant, was a well-known belle in the regiment, and we both fell in love with She, but she only loves me. Maybe you will laugh, Nancy really fell in love with me because of my handsomeness at that time, even though I am terrible now.

"But, though I had her love, her heart, her father betrothed her to Barclay. I was a rash man, and Barclay was well educated, and soon rose to the rank of officer. But, Nancy was still infatuated with me, and I might well have been her husband if the Indian rebellion had not occurred and the state of the country had not been greatly changed.

"We were all trapped in Burti, including our regiment, half an artillery battery, a Sikh company, and many civilians. The rebels numbered about 1 people, like a pack of fierce hounds around a prey. After the second week, we ran out of drinking water. At that time, General Neal's column was coming this way. So, the only question, or the only hope, was to see if we could get in touch with them , because it was impossible to break out of the encirclement with women and children. So I proposed myself and asked to go out and contact General Neil. My request was immediately approved, and I went to Barkley to discuss the route, because he is the most familiar with the route here. Terrain. He drew a topographic map for me to take with me so that I could break out of the encirclement according to the route on the map. I set off around ten o'clock that night. Thousands of lives in the city were waiting for me to rescue, but when I climbed from the city wall When I came down, I only thought of one person.

"I crossed a dry river according to the topographical map. I thought I could avoid the enemy's sentry post. Unexpectedly, when I climbed to the corner of the river, I fell into an ambush by six enemy soldiers—they were already squatting there Waiting for me. In an instant, I was knocked out, and my hands and feet were bound. But the real wound was in my heart, not my body, because when I woke up, I heard their conversation, although I only knew a little bit of their language , but one can also understand that the person who drew the road map for me betrayed me, and he tipped the news through a local aborigine.

"I don't need to describe this experience in detail. You must have understood Barkley's character. The next day, General Neil came to relieve the siege, but when the rebels were forced to retreat, they took me with them. Since then, for so many years, I have never seen a white person again. I suffered a lot and ran away several times, but I was caught back. I am what I am now thanks to them. They took me to Nepal, and Turned to Darjeeling. As a result, the villagers there killed these rebels, and I became their slave before I could escape. In the end, I ran away, but I did not dare to flee south, but went north Afghanistan. I wandered there for a few years and came back to Punjab. During those years, I spent most of my time living with the natives, and I learned to juggle for a living. Why is there any need to go back like this Britain, why let my comrades know my situation? Although I want revenge, I don't want to go back. I'd rather let them and Nancy think I'm dead in India than let them see me now , They all thought I was dead. Later, I heard that Buckley and Nancy were married, and that Buckley rose quickly in the regiment, but even so, I didn't want to tell the truth.

"Many years have passed, and when I get old, I miss my hometown very much. In recent years, the green land and beautiful countryside of England have appeared in my dreams from time to time. Finally, I finally made up my mind to return to my hometown for the rest of my life. Look. I came back when I had saved enough money for the trip, and then I lived near the barracks. I knew barracks life, so I knew what to do to keep the soldiers happy, so juggling became my means of living."

Holmes said: "Your story is really touching. I heard that you met Mrs. Buckley by chance, and you also recognized each other. I think that after you followed her home, you heard the quarrel between their husband and wife from the window. Dash in across the lawn."

"Yes, sir. When he saw me, he turned pale with fright, and it was the ugliest face I ever saw. Then he fell backwards, and hit his head on the fender of the stove. Actually, he was Dead before he fell, I knew him dead by the look of his face, as clearly as reading the scriptures in the frame over the mantelpiece. When he saw me, it was like an arrow through a sinful Heart."

"What happened next?"

"Later Nancy also fainted. I hurriedly took the key from her and prepared to open the door for help. But I suddenly thought that this matter is not good for me. If I am caught, the secret will be revealed. Go away. I hastily put the key in my pocket, dropped my cane, caught the teddy on the curtain, put it in the box, and ran away."

"Who is Teddy?" asked Holmes.

Henry leaned forward and opened the door to a small cage in the corner of the room.A cute little red-brown animal ran out.It was thin and lithe, with legs like a weasel's, a thin and long nose, and beautiful red eyes, the prettiest little animal I had ever seen.

"It's a mongoose," I yelled.

"Yes," said Henry, "that's what people call it, but some people call it a mongoose, and I call it a snake-catcher. Teddy is very good at catching cobras. I have a snake that has lost its fangs, and Teddy catches it every night in the club." The snake amuses the soldiers.

"Sir, do you have any questions?"

"No, but if Mrs. Barkley has something else to do, we will come to you."

"Of course, if that's the case, I'll go myself."

"If you can, don't shake out Buckley's crimes! You already know that he has been very guilty of conscience for these 30 years, so you can spare him. Major Murphy is over there, Wood, goodbye .I'm going to find out if something else happened."

We had caught up with the Major before he had turned the corner.

The major said: "Holmes, you must have heard about it. It seems that we have troubled ourselves in this matter."

"What do you mean?"

"The doctor just finished the autopsy. The colonel died of a stroke. You see, it should have been so simple."

Holmes said with a smile: "Yes, it is very simple, Watson, let us go back! Aldershot does not need us any more."

When I arrived at the station, I couldn't help asking: "There is one more thing I don't know. Nancy's husband is named James, and that man's name is Henry, but why did Nancy say David?"

"My dear Watson, I'm not what you say I am. I'm a good reasoner, not that godly. Otherwise I should be able to guess the whole story from this word. Now it seems that David is only a word of condemnation." .”

"A word of condemnation?"

"Yes, you know, David (the Bible records that King David of Israel liked Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the leader of the Hittites in the Israeli army, and sent Uriah to the front in order to get her. Betrayed and ambushed to death——Translator’s Note) Once did the same wrong thing as Buckley. Do you remember the story of Uriah and Bathsheba? I don’t remember the details in the Bible Too clear. But if you look at Samuel Chapter 1 or Chapter 2 in the Bible, you should know the answer.” Clinic Mysteries
I roughly read through the scattered memoirs, trying to find Holmes' thinking characteristics and reasoning rules that are different from ordinary people, but I still can't find a proper example that can fully prove it.Because in the investigation process of each case, although my friend used his reasoning method very skillfully, and finally proved the importance of his special method, the facts themselves are often very small and ordinary, not very obvious. Worth mentioning to readers.In addition, it is often the case that the case itself is full of twists and turns, but his role in the investigation process cannot satisfy my desire as a biographer.Previously written works such as "The Tracking of Blood" and "The Tragedy on the Prison Ship", because of the thrilling and confusing facts of the case itself, are bound to become the attention of criminal historians.In the case I am going to tell now, although my friend did not play the most critical role in it, but because the case is so rare, it is really necessary to include it and introduce it to readers.

It was a hot, humid, rainy day in July, the curtains of the apartment were half drawn, and Holmes sat on the sofa, reading over and over a letter he had received this morning.Because I had served in the Indian army, I was always afraid of the cold rather than the heat. Even when the thermometer showed ninety degrees Fahrenheit, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

But today's papers are boring, Parliament is adjourned and MPs are on holiday.I would also like to play in a clearing in the forest or on a pebbled beach by the South Sea.It's a pity that we were short of cash at that time, so we had to postpone the holiday.As for my friend, neither the country nor the beach interested him.He just likes to stay in the center of this city with a population of 500 million, and he pays keen attention to the rumors or speculations about various strange cases in this city.He has no interest in traveling, and his only reason for traveling is to visit his brother in the country.

At this moment, Holmes fell into deep thought again and said nothing.I had no choice but to throw aside the boring newspapers, lean on the chair in a daze, and think about some problems.Suddenly, my friend spoke.

He said: "You are quite right, Watson. It is absurd to use such a method to solve the problem."

(End of this chapter)