The Sign of the Four Part 4 (2/2)
”Thewith people of that sort,” said Holmes, as we sat in the sheets of the wherry, ”is never to let thehtest importance to you If you do, they will instantly shut up like an oyster If you listen to theet what you want”
”Our course now seems pretty clear,” said I
”What would you do, then?”
”I would engage a launch and go down the river on the track of the Aurora”
”My dear fellow, it would be a colossal task She may have touched at any wharf on either side of the streae there is a perfect labyrinth of landing-places for miles It would take you days and days to exhaust them, if you set about it alone”
”Employ the police, then”
”No I shall probably call Athelney Jones in at the last moment He is not a bad fellow, and I should not like to do anything which would injure hi it out one so far”
”Could we advertise, then, asking for inforers?”
”Worse and worse! Our men would know that the chase was hot at their heels, and they would be off out of the country As it is, they are likely enough to leave, but as long as they think they are perfectly safe they will be in no hurry Jones's energy will be of use to us there, for his view of the case is sure to push itself into the daily press, and the runaill think that every one is off on the wrong scent”
”What are we to do, then?” I asked, as we landed near Millbank Penitentiary
”Take this hansoet an hour's sleep It is quite on the cards that we raph-office, cabby! We will keep Toby, for he may be of use to us yet”
We pulled up at the Great Peter Street post-office, and Holmes despatched his wire ”Whom do you think that is to?” he asked, as we resumed our journey
”I am sure I don't know”
”You remember the Baker Street division of the detective police force whom I employed in the Jefferson Hope case?”
”Well,” said I, laughing
”This is just the case where they ht be invaluable If they fail, I have other resources; but I shall try theins, and I expect that he and his gang will be with us before we have finished our breakfast”
It was between eight and nine o'clock now, and I was conscious of a strong reaction after the successive exciteed in ued in body I had not the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion on, nor could I look at the matter as a mere abstract intellectual problem As far as the death of Bartholoood of him, and could feel no intense antipathy to his murderers The treasure, however, was a different htfully to Miss Morstan While there was a chance of recovering it I was ready to devote my life to the one object True, if I found it it would probably put her forever beyond my reach Yet it would be a petty and selfish love which would be influenced by such a thought as that If Holer reason to urge me on to find the treasure
A bath at Baker Street and a coe freshened me up wonderfully When I came down to our roo out the coffee
”Here it is,” said he, laughing, and pointing to an open newspaper ”The energetic Jones and the ubiquitous reporter have fixed it up between theh of the case Better have your has first”
I took the paper from him and read the short notice, which was headed ”Mysterious Business at Upper Norwood”
”About twelve o'clock last night,” said the Standard, ”Mr Bartholoe, Upper Norwood, was found dead in his room under circumstances which point to foul play As far as we can learn, no actual traces of violence were found upon Mr Sholto's person, but a valuable collection of Indian geentleman had inherited from his father has been carried off The discovery was first made by Mr Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, who had called at the house with Mr Thaddeus Sholto, brother of the deceased By a singular piece of good fortune, Mr Athelney Jones, the well-known member of the detective police force, happened to be at the Norwood Police Station, and was on the ground within half an hour of the first alarm His trained and experienced faculties were at once directed towards the detection of the cri result that the brother, Thaddeus Sholto, has already been arrested, together with the housekeeper, Mrs Bernstone, an Indian butler naatekeeper, named McMurdo It is quite certain that the thief or thieves ell acquainted with the house, for Mr Jones's well-known technical knowledge and his powers of minute observation have enabled him to prove conclusively that the miscreants could not have entered by the door or by the , but , and so through a trap-door into a room which communicated with that in which the body was found This fact, which has been very clearly made out, proves conclusively that it was no etic action of the officers of the las the great advantage of the presence on such occasions of a single vigorous and ument to those ould wish to see our detectives ht into closer and more effective touch with the cases which it is their duty to investigate”
”Isn't it gorgeous!” said Hol over his coffee-cup ”What do you think of it?”
”I think that we have had a close shave ourselves of being arrested for the crime”
”So do I I wouldn't answer for our safety now, if he should happen to have another of his attacks of energy”
At thisat the bell, and I could hear Mrs Hudson, our landlady, raising her voice in a wail of expostulation and dis, ”I believe that they are really after us”
”No, it's not quite so bad as that It is the unofficial force,--the Baker Street irregulars”
As he spoke, there ca of naked feet upon the stairs, a clatter of high voices, and in rushed a dozen dirty and ragged little street-Arabs There was so them, despite their tumultuous entry, for they instantly drew up in line and stood facing us with expectant faces One of their number, taller and older than the others, stood forith an air of lounging superiority which was very funny in such a disreputable little scarecrow
”Got your ht 'em on sharp Three bob and a tanner for tickets”
”Here you are,” said Hol soins, and you to me I cannot have the house invaded in this way However, it is just as well that you should all hear the instructions I want to find the whereabouts of a steam launch called the Aurora, owner Mordecai Smith, black with two red streaks, funnel black with a white band She is down the river soe opposite Millbank to say if the boat co yourselves, and do both banks thoroughly Let me know the uv'nor,” said Wiggins
”The old scale of pay, and a guinea to the boy who finds the boat Here's a day in advance Now off you go!” He handed the each, and away they buzzed down the stairs, and I saw the down the street
”If the launch is above water they will find her,” said Holo everywhere, see everything, overhear every one I expect to hear before evening that they have spotted her In thebut await results We cannot pick up the broken trail until we find either the Aurora or Mr Mordecai Smith”
”Toby could eat these scraps, I dare say Are you going to bed, Holmes?”
”No: I am not tired I have a curious constitution I never reh idleness exhauststo smoke and to think over this queer business to which my fair client has introduced us If ever ed men are not so common, but the other man must, I should think, be absolutely unique”
”That other ain!”
”I have no wish to make a mystery of him,--to you, anyway But you must have formed your own opinion Now, do consider the data Diminutive footmarks, toes never fettered by boots, naked feet, stone-headed wooden ility, small poisoned darts What do you e!” I exclaimed ”Perhaps one of those Indians ere the associates of Jonathan Sns of strange weapons I was inclined to think so; but the remarkable character of the footmarks caused me to reconsider my views Some of the inhabitants of the Indian Peninsula are small men, but none could have left suchand thin feet The sandal-wearing Mohareat toe well separated fro is commonly passed between These little darts, too, could only be shot in one way They are froe?”
”South American,” I hazarded
He stretched his hand up, and took down a bulky voluazetteer which is now being published It may be looked upon as the very latest authority What have we here? 'Andaman Islands, situated 340 al' Hum! hum! What's all this? Moist climate, coral reefs, sharks, Port Blair, convict-barracks, Rutland Island, cottonwoods--Ah, here we are 'The aborigines of the Anda the sists prefer the Busher Indians of Aht is rather below four feet, although rown adults may be found who are very much smaller than this They are a fierce,most devoted friendshi+ps when their confidence has once been gained' Mark that, Watson Now, then, listen to this 'They are naturally hideous, having large, misshapen heads, small, fierce eyes, and distorted features Their feet and hands, however, are remarkably small So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win theree They have always been a terror to shi+pwrecked crews, braining the survivors with their stone-headed clubs, or shooting them with their poisoned arrows These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast' Nice, amiable people, Watson! If this fellow had been left to his own unaided devices this affair hastly turn I fancy that, even as it is, Jonathan Sood deal not to have eular a companion?”
”Ah, that is more than I can tell Since, however, we had already determined that Small had come from the Andamans, it is not so very wonderful that this islander should be with him No doubt we shall know all about it in tiularly done Lie down there on the sofa, and see if I can put you to sleep”
He took up his violin froan to play some low, dreamy, ift for iaunt limbs, his earnest face, and the rise and fall of his bow Then I seemed to be floated peacefully away upon a soft sea of sound, until I found myself in drea down upon me