IX.THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER’S THUMB

ns.Fergusonappearedtobeamoroseandsilentman,butIcouldseefromthelittlethathesaidthathewasatleastafellow-countryman. “ColonelLysanderStarkstoppedatlastbeforealowdoor,whichheunlocked.Withinwasasmall,squareroom,inwhichthethreeofuscouldhardlygetatonetime.Fergusonremainedoutside,andthecolonelusheredmein. “‘Wearenow,’saidhe,‘actuallywithinthehydraulicpress,anditwouldbeaparticularlyunpleasantthingforusifanyoneweretoturniton.Theceilingofthissmallchamberisreallytheendofthedescendingpiston,anditcomesdownwiththeforceofmanytonsuponthismetalfloor.Therearesmalllateralcolumnsofwateroutsidewhichreceivetheforce,andwhichtransmitandmultiplyitinthemannerwhichisfamiliartoyou.Themachinegoesreadilyenough,butthereissomestiffnessintheworkingofit,andithaslostalittleofitsforce.Perhapsyouwillhavethegoodnesstolookitoverandtoshowushowwecansetitright.’ “Itookthelampfromhim,andIexaminedthemachineverythoroughly.Itwasindeedagiganticone,andcapableofexercisingenormouspressure.WhenIpassedoutside,however,andpresseddowntheleverswhichcontrolledit,Iknewatoncebythewhishingsoundthattherewasaslightleakage,whichallowedaregurgitationofwaterthroughoneofthesidecylinders.Anexaminationshowedthatoneoftheindia-rubberbandswhichwasroundtheheadofadriving-rodhadshrunksoasnotquitetofillthesocketalongwhichitworked.Thiswasclearlythecauseofthelossofpower,andIpointeditouttomycompanions,whofollowedmyremarksverycarefullyandaskedseveralpracticalquestionsastohowtheyshouldproceedtosetitright.WhenIhadmadeitcleartothem,Ireturnedtothemainchamberofthemachineandtookagoodlookatittosatisfymyowncuriosity.Itwasobviousataglancethatthestoryofthefuller’s-earthwasthemerestfabrication,foritwouldbeabsurdtosupposethatsopowerfulanenginecouldbedesignedforsoinadequateapurpose.Thewallswereofwood,butthefloorconsistedofalargeirontrough,andwhenIcametoexamineitIcouldseeacrustofmetallicdepositalloverit.IhadstoopedandwasscrapingatthistoseeexactlywhatitwaswhenIheardamutteredexclamationinGermanandsawthecadaverousfaceofthecolonellookingdownatme. “‘Whatareyoudoingthere?’heasked. “Ifeltangryathavingbeentrickedbysoelaborateastoryasthatwhichhehadtoldme.‘Iwasadmiringyourfuller’s-earth,’saidI‘IthinkthatIshouldbebetterabletoadviseyouastoyourmachineifIknewwhattheexactpurposewasforwhichitwasused.’ “TheinstantthatIutteredthewordsIregrettedtherashnessofmyspeech.Hisfacesethard,andabalefullightsprangupinhisgreyeyes. “‘Verywell,’saidhe,‘youshallknowallaboutthemachine.’Hetookastepbackward,slammedthelittledoor,andturnedthekeyinthelock.Irushedtowardsitandpulledatthehandle,butitwasquitesecure,anddidnotgiveintheleasttomykicksandshoves.‘Hullo!’Iyelled.‘Hullo!Colonel!Letmeout!’ “AndthensuddenlyinthesilenceIheardasoundwhichsentmyheartintomymouth.Itwastheclankoftheleversandtheswishoftheleakingcylinder.Hehadsettheengineatwork.ThelampstillstooduponthefloorwhereIhadplaceditwhenexaminingthetrough.ByitslightIsawthattheblackceilingwascomingdownuponme,slowly,jerkily,but,asnoneknewbetterthanmyself,withaforcewhichmustwithinaminutegrindmetoashapelesspulp.Ithrewmyself,screaming,againstthedoor,anddraggedwithmynailsatthelock.Iimploredthecoloneltoletmeout,buttheremorselessclankingoftheleversdrownedmycries.Theceilingwasonlyafootortwoabovemyhead,andwithmyhandupraisedIcouldfeelitshard,roughsurface.ThenitflashedthroughmymindthatthepainofmydeathwoulddependverymuchuponthepositioninwhichImetit.IfIlayonmyfacetheweightwouldcomeuponmyspine,andIshudderedtothinkofthatdreadfulsnap.Easiertheotherway,perhapsandyet,hadIthenervetolieandlookupatthatdeadlyblackshadowwaveringdownuponme?AlreadyIwasunabletostanderect,whenmyeyecaughtsomethingwhichbroughtagushofhopebacktomyheart. “Ihavesaidthatthoughthefloorandceilingwereofiron,thewallswereofwood.AsIgavealasthurriedglancearound,Isawathinlineofyellowlightbetweentwooftheboards,whichbroadenedandbroadenedasasmallpanelwaspushedbackward.ForaninstantIcouldhardlybelievethatherewasindeedadoorwhichledawayfromdeath.ThenextinstantIthrewmyselfthrough,andlayhalf-faintingupontheotherside.Thepanelhadclosedagainbehindme,butthecrashofthelamp,andafewmomentsafterwardstheclangofthetwoslabsofmetal,toldmehownarrowhadbeenmyescape. “Iwasrecalledtomyselfbyafranticpluckingatmywrist,andIfoundmyselflyinguponthestonefloorofanarrowcorridor,whileawomanbentovermeandtuggedatmewithherlefthand,whilesheheldacandleinherright.ItwasthesamegoodfriendwhosewarningIhadsofoolishlyrejected. “‘Come!come!’shecriedbreathlessly.‘Theywillbehereinamoment.Theywillseethatyouarenotthere.Oh,donotwastetheso-precioustime,butcome!’ “Thistime,atleast,Ididnotscornheradvice.Istaggeredtomyfeetandranwithheralongthecorridoranddownawindingstair.Thelatterledtoanotherbroadpassage,andjustaswereacheditweheardthesoundofrunningfeetandtheshoutingoftwovoices,oneansweringtheotherfromtheflooronwhichwewereandfromtheonebeneath.Myguidestoppedandlookedaboutherlikeonewhoisatherwit’send.Thenshethrewopenadoorwhichledintoabedroom,throughthewindowofwhichthemoonwasshiningbrightly. “‘Itisyouronlychance,’saidshe.‘Itishigh,butitmaybethatyoucanjumpit.’ “Asshespokealightsprangintoviewatthefurtherendofthepassage,andIsawtheleanfigureofColonelLysanderStarkrushingforwardwithalanterninonehandandaweaponlikeabutcher’scleaverintheother.Irushedacrossthebedroom,flungopenthewindow,andlookedout.Howquietandsweetandwholesomethegardenlookedinthemoonlight,anditcouldnotbemorethanthirtyfeetdown.Iclamberedoutuponthesill,butIhesitatedtojumpuntilIshouldhaveheardwhatpassedbetweenmysaviourandtheruffianwhopursuedme.Ifshewereill-used,thenatanyrisksIwasdeterminedtogobacktoherassistance.Thethoughthadhardlyflashedthroughmymindbeforehewasatthedoor,pushinghiswaypastherbutshethrewherarmsroundhimandtriedtoholdhimback. “‘Fritz!Fritz!’shecriedinEnglish,‘rememberyourpromiseafterthelasttime.Yousaiditshouldnotbeagain.Hewillbesilent!Oh,hewillbesilent!’ “‘Youaremad,Elise!’heshouted,strugglingtobreakawayfromher.‘Youwillbetheruinofus.Hehasseentoomuch.Letmepass,Isay!’Hedashedhertooneside,and,rushingtothewindow,cutatmewithhisheavyweapon.Ihadletmyselfgo,andwashangingbythehandstothesill,whenhisblowfell.Iwasconsciousofadullpain,mygriploosened,andIfellintothegardenbelow. “IwasshakenbutnothurtbythefallsoIpickedmyselfupandrushedoffamongthebushesashardasIcouldrun,forIunderstoodthatIwasfarfrombeingoutofdangeryet.Suddenly,however,asIran,adeadlydizzinessandsicknesscameoverme.Iglanceddownatmyhand,whichwasthrobbingpainfully,andthen,forthefirsttime,sawthatmythumbhadbeencutoffandthatthebloodwaspouringfrommywound.Iendeavouredtotiemyhandkerchiefroundit,buttherecameasuddenbuzzinginmyears,andnextmomentIfellinadeadfaintamongtherose-bushes. “HowlongIremainedunconsciousIcannottell.Itmusthavebeenaverylongtime,forthemoonhadsunk,andabrightmorningwasbreakingwhenIcametomyself.Myclotheswereallsoddenwithdew,andmycoat-sleevewasdrenchedwithbloodfrommywoundedthumb.Thesmartingofitrecalledinaninstantalltheparticularsofmynight’sadventure,andIsprangtomyfeetwiththefeelingthatImighthardlyyetbesafefrommypursuers.Buttomyastonishment,whenIcametolookroundme,neitherhousenorgardenweretobeseen.Ihadbeenlyinginanangleofthehedgeclosebythehighroad,andjustalittlelowerdownwasalongbuilding,whichproved,uponmyapproachingit,tobetheverystationatwhichIhadarriveduponthepreviousnight.Wereitnotfortheuglywounduponmyhand,allthathadpassedduringthosedreadfulhoursmighthavebeenanevildream. “Halfdazed,Iwentintothestationandaskedaboutthemorningtrain.TherewouldbeonetoR