Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 2

Chapter 17 Memoirs 17
"Did you ever hear of a dog climbing a curtain? But that's the clear sign that the thing I found on the curtain left when it did it."

"Or a monkey?"

"It can't be a monkey's paw print."

"And what is that?"

"Not a dog, nor a cat, nor a monkey, nor anything else with which we are familiar. I have managed to outline the animal from the size of the paw print. About fifteen inches from front to back paw. With the length of the head and neck, the animal is at least two feet long, and with the tail, it may be longer. The animal has moved, and we have measured the distance it takes, and each step is only about three inches. This thing It has a long body and short legs. Although this thing has no hair left, its general shape must be the same as I said, and it can also climb curtains. It is a carnivore."

"How did you figure it out?"

"Because there was a cage with a canary hanging in the window, and it climbed up the curtain, presumably to grab the bird."

"So, what kind of beast is it?"

"If you could name it, it would be very useful in solving the case. It might be a weasel or something, but much bigger than I've ever seen."

"What does that have to do with the case?"

"That's not clear. But we know quite a bit. Because the curtains were not drawn, and the house was still lighted, a man stood on the road and saw the Buckleys arguing. We also know that He once ran across the lawn and into the house with a strange animal. It is possible that he struck Colonel Barkley, or that the Colonel, after seeing him, fell down in fright and smashed his head on the corner of the stove. ...the last thing we knew was that the intruder took the key with him when he left."

"This discovery seems to have messed things up even more than before," I said.

"Yes, the case does appear to be more complicated. I think I must think about it differently. But Watson, before you go to bed, I can take the remaining I will tell you in detail."

"Thanks, but you've already said the funniest part."

"Well, when Mrs Buckley left the house at 07:30, she and her husband were still on good terms. Equally sure, as soon as she came back, she went into the morning sitting room and had tea made for her. When Colonel Buckley went On seeing her, she suddenly reproached the Colonel with agitation. So something must have happened between 07:30 and nine o'clock that completely changed her feelings for the Colonel. But Miss Morrison was in a Mrs. Barkley remained with Mrs. Buckley throughout the half hour, and it was certain that Miss Morrison must have known something about the matter, though she would not admit it.

"At first I wondered, maybe this young woman had something to do with this old soldier, and now she confesses to the Colonel's wife, which proves why the Colonel's wife came home in a rage, and why the girl would deny that anything had happened Such conjectures do not completely contradict what the servant heard, but Mrs. Buckley once said that David, the colonel is known to be faithful to his wife. These are contradictory, not to mention the first The three broke in. However, I am more convinced that the girl understands why Mrs. Barkley dislikes her husband. The simple way is to visit her and explain to her that I am very sure that she knows the truth and makes it clear. She believed that, if these matters were not cleared, Mrs Barclay's friend would be tried as chiefly responsible.

"Miss Morrison was very clever. After I said that, she thought for a while, and then stated firmly something worth noting.

"'I promised Mrs. Buckley that I would never speak of it,' said Miss Morrison, 'and if I could really help her, I should rather tell you all that happened on Monday night.

"'We came back from Watt Street Charity at about 45:[-]. We crossed Hudson Street on our way home. There was only one street light on the street, and it was on the left. As I passed this light, I saw A man walked up, his back was very bent, and he was carrying a small box or something. He was already disabled, his whole body was bent down, his head was bent down, and his knees were bent. When we walked by him, He looked up at us in the light of the street lamps. He stopped immediately when he saw us and exclaimed, "Nancy, my God! It's you. Mrs. Buckley turned pale. I was going to call the police, but Mrs. Buckley spoke very politely to this man, to my surprise.

"' said Mrs Buckley in a trembling voice: "For thirty years I thought you were dead, Henry. "

"'"I am dead," said the man. The man's voice sounded frightening. His face was gloomy and terrible, his hair and beard were gray, and his face was like a withered apple.

"'" Please take a few steps first, I want to say a few words to this person, dear, don't be afraid. ’ she tried to speak lightly, but her face remained deathly pale, and her quivering lips could scarcely speak.

"'I went first, and they talked for a few minutes. Then she came out into the street angrily. The poor crippled man was standing by the light-post, waving his clenched fists in the air like mad. On the way She didn't say a word until my door where she begged me not to tell anyone what happened.

"'I promised her she would say nothing, and she kissed me. I have told you all I know. I have told her all, and I hope it will do her good.'

"That's what Miss Morrison told me, Watson, and to me it was like seeing a ray of light in a dark night. It was obvious that my next step was to find the man who made such an unusual impression on Mrs. Barclay. If the man was still in Aldershot, it would be easy. It took me a day to find him at last. The man's name was Henry Wood, and he lived in the street where the two women met him. Been here only five days. I've had a good conversation with the landlady as the registrant. This man is a juggler, and goes to the soldiers' clubs every evening after. He has an animal with him in that little box. , he used to use the animal for several tricks. She also said that a man as tortured as him survived. The last two nights, the landlady heard him sobbing in the bedroom. He is not short of money When paying the deposit, what he handed over to the landlady was a silver coin like a florin (a two shilling silver coin minted in Britain in 1849.) It was an Indian rupee.

"It is clear that after the two women broke up with this man, he followed them from a distance, saw the Buckleys from the window arguing, broke in, and the thing contained in the small wooden box came out. .All of this is absolutely certain."

"Are you going to ask him?"

"Of course, but a witness is needed."

"You mean me to be a witness?"

"If you like. It would be best if he could explain himself. If he doesn't, there is only an application for his arrest."

"But how do you know, he's still there?"

"I sent a boy hired from Baker Street to watch him, and he couldn't get rid of the boy anyway."

At noon the next day we made our way to Hudson Street.

"This is the street," said Holmes. "Ah, here comes Simpson."

"He's in there, Mr. Holmes," cried a little street bum, running towards us.

"Very well," said Holmes. "Come on, Watson, this is the room." Holmes handed over a business card.After a while, we meet the person being interviewed.Despite the heat, the man curled up by the fire, huddled in a chair.But when he turned his face towards us, we could see that although it was thin and dark, it must have been very beautiful in the past.He neither spoke nor stood up, but pointed to two chairs for us to sit down.

"I suppose you are Henry Wood!" said Holmes kindly. "It is on account of the death of Colonel Barkley that we have come to visit you."

"How would I know?"

"If this is not cleared, Mrs Buckley will likely stand trial for murder."

The man was taken aback.

"I don't know who you are," he cried, "but you must swear that what you say is true."

"Of course it is true. They will arrest her only after she regains consciousness."

"My God! Are you from the police station too?"

"No."

"What does this matter to you?"

"Justice is for everyone."

"She is innocent."

"So it was you who committed the crime?"

"No, not me."

"Then who killed Colonel James Buckley?"

"God has eyes, so he died unexpectedly. If I blow his head, he will only get what he deserved.

"That's right, gentlemen. Don't look at me now, but in those days Corporal Henry Wood was the handsomest man in the [-]th Infantry. We were stationed at Burti's barracks in India. Buckley and I It was a sergeant in the same company and there was a beautiful woman back then, Nancy DeVoy, the daughter of a Marine Corps sergeant, and she only loved one of the two. You see me now , and then hear me say that I got her love because I was beautiful and handsome, you will laugh your teeth out.

"Her father promised her to Barkley. But that girl is very loyal to me. If it hadn't been for the riots in India, it seems that I could have married her.

"We were trapped in Burti with half an artillery battery, a Sikh company, and many civilians and women, and more than 1 rebels surrounded us. In the second week, we ran out of drinking water. General Neil was moving to the interior at that time, and being able to contact them was the only way out for us, so I took the initiative to ask to break out of the siege and ask General Neil for help. After the request was approved, I discussed it with Buckley. He drew He gave me a road map. At ten o'clock at night, I started on the road. But when I climbed down from the city wall that night, I only thought of one person.

"I was going to pass through a dry river. But when I climbed to the corner of the river, I happened to break into an ambush of six enemy troops. I was knocked out immediately, and my hands and feet were tied. But my real injury The pain was in my heart, for when I awoke to hear their talk, I figured out that the one who had given me my route had betrayed me, through a native servant.

"Now you know what James Buckley is good at. The next day General Neal came to relieve the siege, but when the rebels withdrew, they took me with them. They haven't seen a white person in years. They put I'm what I am, I've learned to juggle for a living. I'm such a poor cripple why should I go back to England, I'd rather Nancy and my old mates think Henry Wood was dead than let them Seeing that I'm alive. They're convinced I'm dead, and I'd like them to think so. I've heard Buckley married Nancy and was rising fast. Even so, I don't want to tell the truth.

"However, in old age, homesickness arises spontaneously. Later, I finally decided to take a look at my hometown before I died. I saved enough travel expenses to go back to my hometown, so I came to the place where the army was stationed. Because I Know what a soldier's life is, know how to make them happy, and live by it."

Sherlock Holmes said: "I heard that you met Mrs. Buckley, and you both recognized each other. I think that you followed her home later, and Mrs. Buckley may have reprimanded him for his behavior in person. You Ran across the lawn and broke in."

"That's right, sir. But Buckley's face changed when he saw me, and he fell backwards and hit his head on the stove guard. He was actually dead before he fell, from his face I can already feel the expression."

"And then what?"

"Later Nancy fainted. I picked up the key and was about to open the door to call for help, but I felt that I might as well go away. If I was caught, all my secrets would be exposed. I hurriedly stuffed the key into my pocket and dropped it. The cane grabbed Teddy who had climbed up the curtain, and fled quickly."

"Who is Teddy?" asked Holmes.

The man leaned forward and opened the door of a cage in the corner of the room, and out came a handsome little reddish-brown animal with a small, lithe body, weasel-like legs, a long thin nose, and very fine red eyes.

"A mongoose," I called.

"Yes, some people call it a mongoose, too," said the man. "I call it a snake-catcher, and it catches cobras surprisingly fast. I have a snake that has its fangs removed, and Teddy shows it to the soldiers every night for the amusement of the soldiers."

"If misfortune happens to Mrs. Buckley, I will come to you."

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

"If that's not the case, there's no need to dig up all the old stuff. For thirty years, Barkley has had a strong conscience for doing a bad thing, and at least you should be satisfied. Ah, Major Murphy has gone across the street." Goodbye, Wood, I wonder what happened yesterday."

"Ah, Holmes," said the major, "I presume you have heard that the incident is nothing more than nothing."

"Um?"

"The doctor certifies that the colonel died of a stroke. You see, this is a very simple case."

"There seems to be more than one thing," I asked Holmes when we reached the station, "if Mrs. Barclay's husband is called James, and her other lover is called Henry, why does she mention David?"

"My dear Watson, that is clearly a word of reprimand."

"Words of rebuke?"

"Yeah, David did something wrong by accident, like Sergeant James Buckley. Do you remember the little story of Uriah and Balba? You can find it in the first or Chapter 2 to find the story."

(End of this chapter)