V.THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS

eranddiarymayimplicatesomeofthefirstmenintheSouth,andthattheremaybemanywhowillnotsleepeasyatnightuntilitisrecovered.” “Thenthepagewehaveseen—” “Issuchaswemightexpect.Itran,ifIrememberright,‘sentthepipstoA,B,andC’—thatis,sentthesociety’swarningtothem.ThentherearesuccessiveentriesthatAandBcleared,orleftthecountry,andfinallythatCwasvisited,with,Ifear,asinisterresultforC.Well,Ithink,Doctor,thatwemayletsomelightintothisdarkplace,andIbelievethattheonlychanceyoungOpenshawhasinthemeantimeistodowhatIhavetoldhim.Thereisnothingmoretobesaidortobedoneto-night,sohandmeovermyviolinandletustrytoforgetforhalfanhourthemiserableweatherandthestillmoremiserablewaysofourfellowmen.” Ithadclearedinthemorning,andthesunwasshiningwithasubduedbrightnessthroughthedimveilwhichhangsoverthegreatcity.SherlockHolmeswasalreadyatbreakfastwhenIcamedown. “Youwillexcusemefornotwaitingforyou,”saidhe“Ihave,Iforesee,averybusydaybeforemeinlookingintothiscaseofyoungOpenshaw’s.” “Whatstepswillyoutake?”Iasked. “Itwillverymuchdependupontheresultsofmyfirstinquiries.ImayhavetogodowntoHorsham,afterall.” “Youwillnotgotherefirst?” “No,IshallcommencewiththeCity.Justringthebellandthemaidwillbringupyourcoffee.” AsIwaited,Iliftedtheunopenednewspaperfromthetableandglancedmyeyeoverit.Itresteduponaheadingwhichsentachilltomyheart. “Holmes,”Icried,“youaretoolate.” “Ah!”saidhe,layingdownhiscup,“Ifearedasmuch.Howwasitdone?”Hespokecalmly,butIcouldseethathewasdeeplymoved. “MyeyecaughtthenameofOpenshaw,andtheheading‘TragedyNearWaterlooBridge.’Hereistheaccount: “‘BetweennineandtenlastnightPolice-ConstableCook,oftheHDivision,ondutynearWaterlooBridge,heardacryforhelpandasplashinthewater.Thenight,however,wasextremelydarkandstormy,sothat,inspiteofthehelpofseveralpassers-by,itwasquiteimpossibletoeffectarescue.Thealarm,however,wasgiven,and,bytheaidofthewater-police,thebodywaseventuallyrecovered.Itprovedtobethatofayounggentlemanwhosename,asitappearsfromanenvelopewhichwasfoundinhispocket,wasJohnOpenshaw,andwhoseresidenceisnearHorsham.ItisconjecturedthathemayhavebeenhurryingdowntocatchthelasttrainfromWaterlooStation,andthatinhishasteandtheextremedarknesshemissedhispathandwalkedovertheedgeofoneofthesmalllanding-placesforriversteamboats.Thebodyexhibitednotracesofviolence,andtherecanbenodoubtthatthedeceasedhadbeenthevictimofanunfortunateaccident,whichshouldhavetheeffectofcallingtheattentionoftheauthoritiestotheconditionoftheriversidelanding-stages.’” Wesatinsilenceforsomeminutes,HolmesmoredepressedandshakenthanIhadeverseenhim. “Thathurtsmypride,Watson,”hesaidatlast.“Itisapettyfeeling,nodoubt,butithurtsmypride.Itbecomesapersonalmatterwithmenow,and,ifGodsendsmehealth,Ishallsetmyhanduponthisgang.Thatheshouldcometomeforhelp,andthatIshouldsendhimawaytohisdeath—!”Hesprangfromhischairandpacedabouttheroominuncontrollableagitation,withaflushuponhissallowcheeksandanervousclaspingandunclaspingofhislongthinhands. “Theymustbecunningdevils,”heexclaimedatlast.“Howcouldtheyhavedecoyedhimdownthere?TheEmbankmentisnotonthedirectlinetothestation.Thebridge,nodoubt,wastoocrowded,evenonsuchanight,fortheirpurpose.Well,Watson,weshallseewhowillwininthelongrun.Iamgoingoutnow!” “Tothepolice?” “NoIshallbemyownpolice.WhenIhavespunthewebtheymaytaketheflies,butnotbefore.” AlldayIwasengagedinmyprofessionalwork,anditwaslateintheeveningbeforeIreturnedtoBakerStreet.SherlockHolmeshadnotcomebackyet.Itwasnearlyteno’clockbeforeheentered,lookingpaleandworn.Hewalkeduptothesideboard,andtearingapiecefromtheloafhedevoureditvoraciously,washingitdownwithalongdraughtofwater. “Youarehungry,”Iremarked. “Starving.Ithadescapedmymemory.Ihavehadnothingsincebreakfast.” “Nothing?” “Notabite.Ihadnotimetothinkofit.” “Andhowhaveyousucceeded?” “Well.” “Youhaveaclue?” “Ihavetheminthehollowofmyhand.YoungOpenshawshallnotlongremainunavenged.Why,Watson,letusputtheirowndevilishtrade-markuponthem.Itiswellthoughtof!” “Whatdoyoumean?” Hetookanorangefromthecupboard,andtearingittopieceshesqueezedoutthepipsuponthetable.Ofthesehetookfiveandthrustthemintoanenvelope.Ontheinsideoftheflaphewrote“S.H.forJ.O.”Thenhesealeditandaddresseditto“CaptainJamesCalhoun,BarqueLoneStar,Savannah,Georgia.” “Thatwillawaithimwhenheentersport,”saidhe,chuckling.“Itmaygivehimasleeplessnight.HewillfinditassureaprecursorofhisfateasOpenshawdidbeforehim.” “AndwhoisthisCaptainCalhoun?” “Theleaderofthegang.Ishallhavetheothers,buthefirst.” “Howdidyoutraceit,then?” Hetookalargesheetofpaperfromhispocket,allcoveredwithdatesandnames. “Ihavespentthewholeday,”saidhe,“overLloyd’sregistersandfilesoftheoldpapers,followingthefuturecareerofeveryvesselwhichtouchedatPondicherryinJanuaryandFebruaryin’83.Therewerethirty-sixshipsoffairtonnagewhichwerereportedthereduringthosemonths.Ofthese,one,theLoneStar,instantlyattractedmyattention,since,althoughitwasreportedashavingclearedfromLondon,thenameisthatwhichisgiventooneofthestatesoftheUnion.” “Texas,Ithink.” “IwasnotandamnotsurewhichbutIknewthattheshipmusthaveanAmericanorigin.” “Whatthen?” “IsearchedtheDundeerecords,andwhenIfoundthatthebarqueLoneStarwasthereinJanuary,’85,mysuspicionbecameacertainty.ItheninquiredastothevesselswhichlayatpresentintheportofLondon.” “Yes?” “TheLoneStarhadarrivedherelastweek.IwentdowntotheAlbertDockandfoundthatshehadbeentakendowntheriverbytheearlytidethismorning,homewardboundtoSavannah.IwiredtoGravesendandlearnedthatshehadpassedsometimeago,andasthewindiseasterlyIhavenodoubtthatsheisnowpasttheGoodwinsandnotveryfarfromtheIsleofWight.” “Whatwillyoudo,then?” “Oh,Ihavemyhanduponhim.Heandthetwomates,areasIlearn,theonlynative-bornAmericansintheship.TheothersareFinnsandGermans.Iknow,also,thattheywereallthreeawayfromtheshiplastnight.Ihaditfromthestevedorewhohasbeenloadingtheircargo.Bythetimethattheirsailing-shipreachesSavannahthemail-boatwillhavecarriedthisletter,andthecablewillhaveinformedthepoliceofSavannahthatthesethreegentlemenarebadlywantedhereuponachargeofmurder.” Thereiseveraflaw,however,inthebestlaidofhumanplans,andthemurderersofJohnOpenshawwerenevertoreceivetheorangepipswhichwouldshowthemthatanother,ascunningandasresoluteasthemselves,wasupontheirtrack.Verylongandverysevereweretheequinoctialgalesthatyear.WewaitedlongfornewsoftheLoneStarofSavannah,butnoneeverreachedus.WedidatlasthearthatsomewherefaroutintheAtlanticashatteredstern-postofaboatwasseenswinginginthetroughofawave,withtheletters“L.S.”carveduponit,andthatisallwhichweshalleverknowofthefateoftheLoneStar.