The Valley of Fear Part 6 (2/2)
”That sounds more like sanity”
”All of it was excellent advice; but I don't insist, so long as you are here when I need you But now, before we part, I want you to write a note to Mr Barker”
”Well?”
”I'll dictate it, if you like Ready?
”Dear Sir: ”It has struck me that it is our duty to drain the moat, in the hope that we may find some--”
”It's impossible,” said the inspector ”I've made inquiry”
”Tut, tut! My dear sir, please do what I ask you”
”Well, go on”
”--in the hope that we ation I have e diverting the strea the streaht it best to explain n that, and send it by hand about four o'clock At that hour we shall ain in this room Until then we may each do e like; for I can assure you that this inquiry has co in e reassembled Holmes was very serious in his manner, myself curious, and the detectives obviously critical and annoyed
”Well, gentle you now to put everything to the test with e for yourselves whether the observations I have made justify the conclusions to which I have co our expeditionthat you ear your warmest coats It is of the first irows dark; so with your per the outer bounds of the Manor House park until we caap in the rails which fenced it Through this we slipped, and then in the gathering gloom we followed Holmes until we had reached a shrubbery which lies nearly opposite to the e The latter had not been raised Holmes crouched down behind the screen of laurels, and we all three followed his example
”Well, what are we to do now?” asked MacDonald with soruffness
”Possess our souls in patience and make as little noise as possible,” Holmes answered
”What are we here for at all? I really think that you hed ”Watson insists that I am the dramatist in real life,” said he ”Some touch of the artist wells up within ed performance Surely our profession, Mr Mac, would be a drab and sordid one if we did not solorify our results The blunt accusation, the brutal tap upon the shoulder--what can one make of such a denouement? But the quick inference, the subtle trap, the clever forecast of co events, the triumphant vindication of bold theories--are these not the pride and the justification of our life's work? At the present lamour of the situation and the anticipation of the hunt Where would be that thrill if I had been as definite as a timetable? I only ask a little patience, Mr Mac, and all will be clear to you”
”Well, I hope the pride and justification and the rest of it will coet our death of cold,” said the London detective with coood reason to join in the aspiration; for our vigil was a long and bitter one Slowly the shadows darkened over the long, sombre face of the old house A cold, damp reek from theThere was a single laht in the fatal study Everything else was dark and still
”How long is this to last?” asked the inspector finally ”And what is it we are watching for?”
”I have noit is to last,” Holmes answered with some asperity ”If criminals would always schedule their movements like railway trains, it would certainly be more convenient for all of us As to what it is we--Well, THAT'S e are watching for!”
As he spoke the bright, yellow light in the study was obscured by so which we lay were immediately opposite theand not more than a hundred feet froes, and we could di out into the gloom For some minutes he peered forth in furtive, stealthy fashi+on, as one ishes to be assured that he is unobserved Then he leaned forward, and in the intense silence ere aware of the soft lapping of agitated water He see which he held in his hand Then suddenly he hauled soe, round object which obscured the light as it was dragged through the open casement
”Now!” cried Hol after him with our stiffened li violently at the bell There was the rasping of bolts from the other side, and the amazed Ames stood in the entrance Holmes brushed him aside without a word and, followed by all of us, rushed into the roo
The oil lalohich we had seen from outside It was now in the hand of Cecil Barker, who held it towards us as we entered Its light shone upon his strong, resolute, clean-shaved face and hisof all this?” he cried ”What are you after, anyhow?”
Hollance round, and then pounced upon a sodden bundle tied together with cord which lay where it had been thrust under the writing table
”This is e are after, Mr Barker--this bundle, weighted with a dumb-bell, which you have just raised from the bottom of the moat”
Barker stared at Holmes with amaze about it?” he asked
”Simply that I put it there”
”You put it there! You!”
”Perhaps I should have said 'replaced it there,'” said Holmes ”You will remember, Inspector MacDonald, that I was somewhat struck by the absence of a dumb-bell I drew your attention to it; but with the pressure of other events you had hardly the tiive it the consideration which would have enabled you to draw deductions fro it is not a very far-fetched supposition that so has been sunk in the water The idea was at least worth testing; so with the help of Ames, who admitted me to the rooht to fish up and inspect this bundle
”It was of the first importance, however, that we should be able to prove who placed it there This we acco that the moat would be dried to-morrohich had, of course, the effect that whoever had hidden the bundle would most certainly withdraw it the moment that darkness enabled him to do so We have no less than four witnesses as to who it ho took advantage of the opportunity, and so, Mr Barker, I think the word lies noith you”
Sherlock Hol bundle upon the table beside the lamp and undid the cord which bound it From within he extracted a dumb-bell, which he tossed down to its fellow in the corner Next he drew forth a pair of boots ”A to the toes Then he laid upon the table a long, deadly, sheathed knife Finally he unravelled a bundle of clothing, coray tweed suit, and a short yellow overcoat
”The clothes are commonplace,” reestive touches” He held it tenderly towards the light ”Here, as you perceive, is the inner pocket prolonged into the lining in such fashi+on as to give a piece The tailor's tab is on the neck--'Neal, Outfitter, Vermissa, USA' I have spent an instructive afternoon in the rector's library, and have enlargedthe fact that Ver little town at the head of one of the best known coal and iron valleys in the United States I have some recollection, Mr Barker, that you associated the coal districts with Mr Douglas's first wife, and it would surely not be too far-fetched an inference that the VV upon the card by the dead body ht stand for Vermissa Valley, or that this very valley which sends forth emissaries of murder may be that Valley of Fear of which we have heard So much is fairly clear And now, Mr Barker, I see rather in the way of your explanation”
It was a sight to see Cecil Barker's expressive face during this exposition of the great detective Anger, amazement, consternation, and indecision swept over it in turn Finally he took refuge in a somewhat acrid irony
”You know such a lot, Mr Holmes, perhaps you had better tell us some more,” he sneered
”I have no doubt that I could tell you a great deal race from you”
”Oh, you think so, do you? Well, all I can say is that if there's any secret here it is not ive it away”
”Well, if you take that line, Mr Barker,” said the inspector quietly, ”we ht until we have the warrant and can hold you”
”You can do what you damn please about that,” said Barker defiantly
The proceedings seemed to have come to a definite end so far as he was concerned; for one had only to look at that granite face to realize that no peine forte et dure would ever force hiainst his will The deadlock was broken, however, by a wo at the half opened door, and now she entered the rooh for now, Cecil,” said she ”Whatever coh and ravely ”I have every sye you to have some confidence in the common sense of our jurisdiction and to take the police voluntarily into your complete confidence Itup the hint which you conveyed to h my friend, Dr Watson; but, at that time I had every reason to believe that you were directly concerned in the crime Now I am assured that this is not so At the same tily recolas to tell us his own story”
Mrs Douglas gave a cry of astonishment at Holmes's words The detectives and I must have echoed it, ere aware of a ed froloolas turned, and in an instant her arms were round him Barker had seized his outstretched hand
”It's best this way, Jack,” his wife repeated; ”I alas,” said Sherlock Holmes, ”I am sure that you will find it best”
Theat us with the dazed look of one who coht It was a rerizzledchin, and a huood look at us all, and then to my amazement he advanced to me and handed me a bundle of paper
”I've heard of you,” said he in a voice which was not quite English and not quite A ”You are the historian of this bunch Well, Dr Watson, you've never had such a story as that pass through your hands before, and I'll lay my last dollar on that Tell it your oay; but there are the facts, and you can'tas you have those I've been cooped up two days, and I've spent the daylight hours--asthe thing into words You're welcome to them--you and your public There's the story of the Valley of Fear”
”That's the past, Mr Douglas,” said Sherlock Holmes quietly ”What we desire now is to hear your story of the present”
”You'll have it, sir,” said Douglas ”May I smoke as I talk? Well, thank you, Mr Holht, and you'll guess what it is to be sitting for two days with tobacco in your pocket and afraid that the sainst the ar which Holuessed that I should h with that,” he nodded atfresh”