Chapter VIII The Baker Street Irregulars

eggedmenarenotsocommon,buttheothermanmust,Ishouldthink,beabsolutelyunique.” “Thatothermanagain!” “Ihavenowishtomakeamysteryofhim,—toyou,anyway.Butyoumusthaveformedyourownopinion.Now,doconsiderthedata.Diminutivefootmarks,toesneverfetteredbyboots,nakedfeet,stone-headedwoodenmace,greatagility,smallpoisoneddarts.Whatdoyoumakeofallthis?” “Asavage!”Iexclaimed.“PerhapsoneofthoseIndianswhoweretheassociatesofJonathanSmall.” “Hardlythat,”saidhe.“WhenfirstIsawsignsofstrangeweaponsIwasinclinedtothinksobuttheremarkablecharacterofthefootmarkscausedmetoreconsidermyviews.SomeoftheinhabitantsoftheIndianPeninsulaaresmallmen,butnonecouldhaveleftsuchmarksasthat.TheHindooproperhaslongandthinfeet.Thesandal-wearingMohammedanhasthegreattoewellseparatedfromtheothers,becausethethongiscommonlypassedbetween.Theselittledarts,too,couldonlybeshotinoneway.Theyarefromablow-pipe.Now,then,wherearewetofindoursavage?” “SouthAmerican,”Ihazarded. Hestretchedhishandup,andtookdownabulkyvolumefromtheshelf.“Thisisthefirstvolumeofagazetteerwhichisnowbeingpublished.Itmaybelookeduponastheverylatestauthority.Whathavewehere?‘AndamanIslands,situated340milestothenorthofSumatra,intheBayofBengal.’Hum!hum!What’sallthis?Moistclimate,coralreefs,sharks,PortBlair,convict-barracks,RutlandIsland,cottonwoods—Ah,hereweare.‘TheaboriginesoftheAndamanIslandsmayperhapsclaimthedistinctionofbeingthesmallestraceuponthisearth,thoughsomeanthropologistsprefertheBushmenofAfrica,theDiggerIndiansofAmerica,andtheTerradelFuegians.Theaverageheightisratherbelowfourfeet,althoughmanyfull-grownadultsmaybefoundwhoareverymuchsmallerthanthis.Theyareafierce,morose,andintractablepeople,thoughcapableofformingmostdevotedfriendshipswhentheirconfidencehasoncebeengained.’Markthat,Watson.Now,then,listentothis.‘Theyarenaturallyhideous,havinglarge,misshapenheads,small,fierceeyes,anddistortedfeatures.Theirfeetandhands,however,areremarkablysmall.SointractableandfiercearetheythatalltheeffortsoftheBritishofficialhavefailedtowinthemoverinanydegree.Theyhavealwaysbeenaterrortoshipwreckedcrews,brainingthesurvivorswiththeirstone-headedclubs,orshootingthemwiththeirpoisonedarrows.Thesemassacresareinvariablyconcludedbyacannibalfeast.’Nice,amiablepeople,Watson!Ifthisfellowhadbeenlefttohisownunaideddevicesthisaffairmighthavetakenanevenmoreghastlyturn.Ifancythat,evenasitis,JonathanSmallwouldgiveagooddealnottohaveemployedhim.” “Buthowcamehetohavesosingularacompanion?” “Ah,thatismorethanIcantell.Since,however,wehadalreadydeterminedthatSmallhadcomefromtheAndamans,itisnotsoverywonderfulthatthisislandershouldbewithhim.Nodoubtweshallknowallaboutitintime.Lookhere,Watsonyoulookregularlydone.Liedownthereonthesofa,andseeifIcanputyoutosleep.” Hetookuphisviolinfromthecorner,andasIstretchedmyselfouthebegantoplaysomelow,dreamy,melodiousair,—hisown,nodoubt,forhehadaremarkablegiftforimprovisation.Ihaveavagueremembranceofhisgauntlimbs,hisearnestface,andtheriseandfallofhisbow.ThenIseemedtobefloatedpeacefullyawayuponasoftseaofsound,untilIfoundmyselfindreamland,withthesweetfaceofMaryMorstanlookingdownuponme.