Chapter XII The Strange Story of Jonathan Small

,—nothingforthegallows.Toescape,totrackdownSholto,tohavemyhanduponhisthroat,—thatwasmyonethought.EventheAgratreasurehadcometobeasmallerthinginmymindthantheslayingofSholto. “Well,Ihavesetmymindonmanythingsinthislife,andneveronewhichIdidnotcarryout.Butitwaswearyyearsbeforemytimecame.IhavetoldyouthatIhadpickedupsomethingofmedicine.OnedaywhenDr.SomertonwasdownwithafeveralittleAndamanIslanderwaspickedupbyaconvict-ganginthewoods.Hewassicktodeath,andhadgonetoalonelyplacetodie.Itookhiminhand,thoughhewasasvenomousasayoungsnake,andafteracoupleofmonthsIgothimallrightandabletowalk.Hetookakindoffancytomethen,andwouldhardlygobacktohiswoods,butwasalwayshangingaboutmyhut.Ilearnedalittleofhislingofromhim,andthismadehimallthefonderofme. “Tonga—forthatwashisname—wasafineboatman,andownedabig,roomycanoeofhisown.WhenIfoundthathewasdevotedtomeandwoulddoanythingtoserveme,Isawmychanceofescape.Italkeditoverwithhim.Hewastobringhisboatroundonacertainnighttoanoldwharfwhichwasneverguarded,andtherehewastopickmeup.Igavehimdirectionstohaveseveralgourdsofwaterandalotofyams,cocoa-nuts,andsweetpotatoes. “Hewasstanchandtrue,waslittleTonga.Nomaneverhadamorefaithfulmate.Atthenightnamedhehadhisboatatthewharf.Asitchanced,however,therewasoneoftheconvict-guarddownthere,—avilePathanwhohadnevermissedachanceofinsultingandinjuringme.Ihadalwaysvowedvengeance,andnowIhadmychance.ItwasasiffatehadplacedhiminmywaythatImightpaymydebtbeforeIlefttheisland.Hestoodonthebankwithhisbacktome,andhiscarbineonhisshoulder.Ilookedaboutforastonetobeatouthisbrainswith,butnonecouldIsee.ThenaqueerthoughtcameintomyheadandshowedmewhereIcouldlaymyhandonaweapon.Isatdowninthedarknessandunstrappedmywoodenleg.WiththreelonghopsIwasonhim.Heputhiscarbinetohisshoulder,butIstruckhimfull,andknockedthewholefrontofhisskullin.YoucanseethesplitinthewoodnowwhereIhithim.Webothwentdowntogether,forIcouldnotkeepmybalance,butwhenIgotupIfoundhimstilllyingquietenough.Imadefortheboat,andinanhourwewerewelloutatsea.Tongahadbroughtallhisearthlypossessionswithhim,hisarmsandhisgods.Amongotherthings,hehadalongbamboospear,andsomeAndamancocoa-nutmatting,withwhichImadeasortofsail.Fortendayswewerebeatingabout,trustingtoluck,andontheeleventhwewerepickedupbyatraderwhichwasgoingfromSingaporetoJiddahwithacargoofMalaypilgrims.Theywerearumcrowd,andTongaandIsoonmanagedtosettledownamongthem.Theyhadoneverygoodquality:theyletyoualoneandaskednoquestions. “Well,ifIweretotellyoualltheadventuresthatmylittlechumandIwentthrough,youwouldnotthankme,forIwouldhaveyouhereuntilthesunwasshining.Hereandtherewedriftedabouttheworld,somethingalwaysturninguptokeepusfromLondon.Allthetime,however,Ineverlostsightofmypurpose.IwoulddreamofSholtoatnight.AhundredtimesIhavekilledhiminmysleep.Atlast,however,somethreeorfouryearsago,wefoundourselvesinEngland.IhadnogreatdifficultyinfindingwhereSholtolived,andIsettoworktodiscoverwhetherhehadrealisedthetreasure,orifhestillhadit.Imadefriendswithsomeonewhocouldhelpme,—Inamenonames,forIdon’twanttogetanyoneelseinahole,—andIsoonfoundthathestillhadthejewels.ThenItriedtogetathiminmanywaysbuthewasprettysly,andhadalwaystwoprize-fighters,besideshissonsandhiskhitmutgar,onguardoverhim. “Oneday,however,Igotwordthathewasdying.Ihurriedatoncetothegarden,madthatheshouldslipoutofmyclutcheslikethat,and,lookingthroughthewindow,Isawhimlyinginhisbed,withhissonsoneachsideofhim.I’dhavecomethroughandtakenmychancewiththethreeofthem,onlyevenasIlookedathimhisjawdropped,andIknewthathewasgone.Igotintohisroomthatsamenight,though,andIsearchedhispaperstoseeiftherewasanyrecordofwherehehadhiddenourjewels.Therewasnotaline,however:soIcameaway,bitterandsavageasamancouldbe.BeforeIleftIbethoughtmethatifIevermetmySikhfriendsagainitwouldbeasatisfactiontoknowthatIhadleftsomemarkofourhatredsoIscrawleddownthesignofthefourofus,asithadbeenonthechart,andIpinneditonhisbosom.Itwastoomuchthatheshouldbetakentothegravewithoutsometokenfromthemenwhomhehadrobbedandbefooled. “WeearnedalivingatthistimebymyexhibitingpoorTongaatfairsandothersuchplacesastheblackcannibal.Hewouldeatrawmeatanddancehiswar-dance:sowealwayshadahatfulofpenniesafteraday’swork.IstillheardallthenewsfromPondicherryLodge,andforsomeyearstherewasnonewstohear,exceptthattheywerehuntingforthetreasure.Atlast,however,camewhatwehadwaitedforsolong.Thetreasurehadbeenfound.Itwasupatthetopofthehouse,inMr.BartholomewSholto’schemicallaboratory.Icameatonceandhadalookattheplace,butIcouldnotseehowwithmywoodenlegIwastomakemywayuptoit.Ilearned,however,aboutatrap-doorintheroof,andalsoaboutMr.Sholto’ssupper-hour.ItseemedtomethatIcouldmanagethethingeasilythroughTonga.Ibroughthimoutwithmewithalongropewoundroundhiswaist.Hecouldclimblikeacat,andhesoonmadehiswaythroughtheroof,but,asillluckwouldhaveit,BartholomewSholtowasstillintheroom,tohiscost.Tongathoughthehaddonesomethingverycleverinkillinghim,forwhenIcameupbytheropeIfoundhimstruttingaboutasproudasapeacock.VerymuchsurprisedwashewhenImadeathimwiththerope’sendandcursedhimforalittleblood-thirstyimp.Itookthetreasure-boxandletitdown,andthensliddownmyself,havingfirstleftthesignofthefouruponthetable,toshowthatthejewelshadcomebackatlasttothosewhohadmostrighttothem.Tongathenpulleduptherope,closedthewindow,andmadeoffthewaythathehadcome. “Idon’tknowthatIhaveanythingelsetotellyou.IhadheardawatermanspeakofthespeedofSmith’slaunchtheAurora,soIthoughtshewouldbeahandycraftforourescape.IengagedwitholdSmith,andwastogivehimabigsumifhegotussafetoourship.Heknew,nodoubt,thattherewassomescrewloose,buthewasnotinoursecrets.Allthisisthetruth,andifItellittoyou,gentlemen,itisnottoamuseyou,—foryouhavenotdonemeaverygoodturn,—butitisbecauseIbelievethebestdefenceIcanmakeisjusttoholdbacknothing,butletalltheworldknowhowbadlyIhavemyselfbeenservedbyMajorSholto,andhowinnocentIamofthedeathofhisson.” “Averyremarkableaccount,”saidSherlockHolmes.“Afittingwind-uptoanextremelyinterestingcase.Thereisnothingatallnewtomeinthelatterpartofyournarrative,exceptthatyoubroughtyourownrope.ThatIdidnotknow.Bytheway,IhadhopedthatTongahadlostallhisdartsyethemanagedtoshootoneatusintheboat.” “Hehadlostthemall,sir,excepttheonewhichwasinhisblow-pipeatthetime.” “Ah,ofcourse,”saidHolmes.“Ihadnotthoughtofthat.” “Isthereanyotherpointwhichyouwouldliketoaskabout?”askedtheconvict,affably. “Ithinknot,thankyou,”mycompanionanswered. “Well,Holmes,”saidAthelneyJones,“Youareamantobehumoured,andweallknowthatyouareaconnoisseurofcrime,butdutyisduty,andIhavegoneratherfarindoingwhatyouandyourfriendaskedme.Ishallfeelmoreateasewhenwehaveourstory-tellerheresafeunderlockandkey.Thecabstillwaits,andtherearetwoinspectorsdownstairs.Iammuchobligedtoyoubothforyourassistance.Ofcourseyouwillbewantedatthetrial.Good-nighttoyou.” “Good-night,gentlemenboth,”saidJonathanSmall. “Youfirst,Small,”remarkedthewaryJonesastheylefttheroom.“I’lltakeparticularcarethatyoudon’tclubmewithyourwoodenleg,whateveryoumayhavedonetothegentlemanattheAndamanIsles.” “Well,andthereistheendofourlittledrama,”Iremarked,afterwehadsetsometimesmokinginsilence.“IfearthatitmaybethelastinvestigationinwhichIshallhavethechanceofstudyingyourmethods.MissMorstanhasdonemethehonourtoacceptmeasahusbandinprospective.” Hegaveamostdismalgroan.“Ifearedasmuch,”saidhe.“Ireallycannotcongratulateyou.” Iwasalittlehurt.“Haveyouanyreasontobedissatisfiedwithmychoice?”Iasked. “Notatall.IthinksheisoneofthemostcharmingyoungladiesIevermet,andmighthavebeenmostusefulinsuchworkaswehavebeendoing.Shehadadecidedgeniusthatway:witnessthewayinwhichshepreservedthatAgraplanfromalltheotherpapersofherfather.Butloveisanemotionalthing,andwhateverisemotionalisopposedtothattruecoldreasonwhichIplaceaboveallthings.Ishouldnevermarrymyself,lestIbiasmyjudgment.” “Itrust,”saidI,laughing,“thatmyjudgmentmaysurvivetheordeal.Butyoulookweary.” “Yes,thereactionisalreadyuponme.Ishallbeaslimpasaragforaweek.” “Strange,”saidI,“howtermsofwhatinanothermanIshouldcalllazinessalternatewithyourfitsofsplendidenergyandvigour.” “Yes,”heanswered,“thereareinmethemakingsofaveryfineloaferandalsoofaprettysprysortoffellow.IoftenthinkofthoselinesofoldGoethe,— SchadedassdieNaturnureinenMenschausDirschuf, DennzumwürdigenMannwarundzumSchelmenderStoff. “Bytheway,àproposofthisNorwoodbusiness,youseethattheyhad,asIsurmised,aconfederateinthehouse,whocouldbenoneotherthanLalRao,thebutler:soJonesactuallyhastheundividedhonourofhavingcaughtonefishinhisgreathaul.” “Thedivisionseemsratherunfair,”Iremarked.“Youhavedonealltheworkinthisbusiness.Igetawifeoutofit,Jonesgetsthecredit,praywhatremainsforyou?” “Forme,”saidSherlockHolmes,“therestillremainsthecocaine-bottle.”Andhestretchedhislongwhitehandupforit.