IX.THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER’S THUMB

eadinginlessthananhour.Thesameporterwasonduty,Ifound,ashadbeentherewhenIarrived.IinquiredofhimwhetherhehadeverheardofColonelLysanderStark.Thenamewasstrangetohim.Hadheobservedacarriagethenightbeforewaitingforme?No,hehadnot.Wasthereapolice-stationanywherenear?Therewasoneaboutthreemilesoff. “Itwastoofarformetogo,weakandillasIwas.IdeterminedtowaituntilIgotbacktotownbeforetellingmystorytothepolice.ItwasalittlepastsixwhenIarrived,soIwentfirsttohavemywounddressed,andthenthedoctorwaskindenoughtobringmealonghere.Iputthecaseintoyourhandsandshalldoexactlywhatyouadvise.” Webothsatinsilenceforsomelittletimeafterlisteningtothisextraordinarynarrative.ThenSherlockHolmespulleddownfromtheshelfoneoftheponderouscommonplacebooksinwhichheplacedhiscuttings. “Hereisanadvertisementwhichwillinterestyou,”saidhe.“Itappearedinallthepapersaboutayearago.Listentothis:‘Lost,onthe9thinst.,Mr.JeremiahHayling,agedtwenty-six,ahydraulicengineer.Lefthislodgingsatteno’clockatnight,andhasnotbeenheardofsince.Wasdressedin,’etc.,etc.Ha!Thatrepresentsthelasttimethatthecolonelneededtohavehismachineoverhauled,Ifancy.” “Goodheavens!”criedmypatient.“Thenthatexplainswhatthegirlsaid.” “Undoubtedly.Itisquiteclearthatthecolonelwasacoolanddesperateman,whowasabsolutelydeterminedthatnothingshouldstandinthewayofhislittlegame,likethoseout-and-outpirateswhowillleavenosurvivorfromacapturedship.Well,everymomentnowisprecious,soifyoufeelequaltoitweshallgodowntoScotlandYardatonceasapreliminarytostartingforEyford.” Somethreehoursorsoafterwardswewereallinthetraintogether,boundfromReadingtothelittleBerkshirevillage.TherewereSherlockHolmes,thehydraulicengineer,InspectorBradstreet,ofScotlandYard,aplain-clothesman,andmyself.BradstreethadspreadanordnancemapofthecountyoutupontheseatandwasbusywithhiscompassesdrawingacirclewithEyfordforitscentre. “Thereyouare,”saidhe.“Thatcircleisdrawnataradiusoftenmilesfromthevillage.Theplacewewantmustbesomewherenearthatline.Yousaidtenmiles,Ithink,sir.” “Itwasanhour’sgooddrive.” “Andyouthinkthattheybroughtyoubackallthatwaywhenyouwereunconscious?” “Theymusthavedoneso.Ihaveaconfusedmemory,too,ofhavingbeenliftedandconveyedsomewhere.” “WhatIcannotunderstand,”saidI,“iswhytheyshouldhavesparedyouwhentheyfoundyoulyingfaintinginthegarden.Perhapsthevillainwassoftenedbythewoman’sentreaties.” “Ihardlythinkthatlikely.Ineversawamoreinexorablefaceinmylife.” “Oh,weshallsoonclearupallthat,”saidBradstreet.“Well,Ihavedrawnmycircle,andIonlywishIknewatwhatpointuponitthefolkthatweareinsearchofaretobefound.” “IthinkIcouldlaymyfingeronit,”saidHolmesquietly. “Really,now!”criedtheinspector,“youhaveformedyouropinion!Come,now,weshallseewhoagreeswithyou.Isayitissouth,forthecountryismoredesertedthere.” “AndIsayeast,”saidmypatient. “Iamforwest,”remarkedtheplain-clothesman.“Thereareseveralquietlittlevillagesupthere.” “AndIamfornorth,”saidI,“becausetherearenohillsthere,andourfriendsaysthathedidnotnoticethecarriagegoupany.” “Come,”criedtheinspector,laughing“it’saveryprettydiversityofopinion.Wehaveboxedthecompassamongus.Whodoyougiveyourcastingvoteto?” “Youareallwrong.” “Butwecan’tallbe.” “Oh,yes,youcan.Thisismypoint.”Heplacedhisfingerinthecentreofthecircle.“Thisiswhereweshallfindthem.” “Butthetwelve-miledrive?”gaspedHatherley. “Sixoutandsixback.Nothingsimpler.Yousayyourselfthatthehorsewasfreshandglossywhenyougotin.Howcoulditbethatifithadgonetwelvemilesoverheavyroads?” “Indeed,itisalikelyruseenough,”observedBradstreetthoughtfully.“Ofcoursetherecanbenodoubtastothenatureofthisgang.” “Noneatall,”saidHolmes.“Theyarecoinersonalargescale,andhaveusedthemachinetoformtheamalgamwhichhastakentheplaceofsilver.” “Wehaveknownforsometimethataclevergangwasatwork,”saidtheinspector.“Theyhavebeenturningouthalf-crownsbythethousand.WeeventracedthemasfarasReading,butcouldgetnofarther,fortheyhadcoveredtheirtracesinawaythatshowedthattheywereveryoldhands.Butnow,thankstothisluckychance,Ithinkthatwehavegotthemrightenough.” Buttheinspectorwasmistaken,forthosecriminalswerenotdestinedtofallintothehandsofjustice.AswerolledintoEyfordStationwesawagiganticcolumnofsmokewhichstreamedupfrombehindasmallclumpoftreesintheneighbourhoodandhunglikeanimmenseostrichfeatheroverthelandscape. “Ahouseonfire?”askedBradstreetasthetrainsteamedoffagainonitsway. “Yes,sir!”saidthestation-master. “Whendiditbreakout?” “Ihearthatitwasduringthenight,sir,butithasgotworse,andthewholeplaceisinablaze.” “Whosehouseisit?” “Dr.Becher’s.” “Tellme,”brokeintheengineer,“isDr.BecheraGerman,verythin,withalong,sharpnose?” Thestation-masterlaughedheartily.“No,sir,Dr.BecherisanEnglishman,andthereisn’tamanintheparishwhohasabetter-linedwaistcoat.Buthehasagentlemanstayingwithhim,apatient,asIunderstand,whoisaforeigner,andhelooksasifalittlegoodBerkshirebeefwoulddohimnoharm.” Thestation-masterhadnotfinishedhisspeechbeforewewereallhasteninginthedirectionofthefire.Theroadtoppedalowhill,andtherewasagreatwidespreadwhitewashedbuildinginfrontofus,spoutingfireateverychinkandwindow,whileinthegardeninfrontthreefire-engineswerevainlystrivingtokeeptheflamesunder. “That’sit!”criedHatherley,inintenseexcitement.“Thereisthegravel-drive,andtherearetherose-busheswhereIlay.ThatsecondwindowistheonethatIjumpedfrom.” “Well,atleast,”saidHolmes,“youhavehadyourrevengeuponthem.Therecanbenoquestionthatitwasyouroil-lampwhich,whenitwascrushedinthepress,setfiretothewoodenwalls,thoughnodoubttheyweretooexcitedinthechaseafteryoutoobserveitatthetime.Nowkeepyoureyesopeninthiscrowdforyourfriendsoflastnight,thoughIverymuchfearthattheyareagoodhundredmilesoffbynow.” AndHolmes’fearscametoberealised,forfromthatdaytothisnowordhaseverbeenheardeitherofthebeautifulwoman,thesinisterGerman,orthemoroseEnglishman.EarlythatmorningapeasanthadmetacartcontainingseveralpeopleandsomeverybulkyboxesdrivingrapidlyinthedirectionofReading,buttherealltracesofthefugitivesdisappeared,andevenHolmes’ingenuityfailedevertodiscovertheleastclueastotheirwhereabouts. Thefiremenhadbeenmuchperturbedatthestrangearrangementswhichtheyhadfoundwithin,andstillmoresobydiscoveringanewlyseveredhumanthumbuponawindow-sillofthesecondfloor.Aboutsunset,however,theireffortswereatlastsuccessful,andtheysubduedtheflames,butnotbeforetheroofhadfallenin,andthewholeplacebeenreducedtosuchabsoluteruinthat,savesometwistedcylindersandironpiping,notatraceremainedofthemachinerywhichhadcostourunfortunateacquaintancesodearly.Largemassesofnickelandoftinwerediscoveredstoredinanout-house,butnocoinsweretobefound,whichmayhaveexplainedthepresenceofthosebulkyboxeswhichhavebeenalreadyreferredto. Howourhydraulicengineerhadbeenconveyedfromthegardentothespotwhereherecoveredhissensesmighthaveremainedforeveramysterywereitnotforthesoftmould,whichtoldusaveryplaintale.Hehadevidentlybeencarrieddownbytwopersons,oneofwhomhadremarkablysmallfeetandtheotherunusuallylargeones.Onthewhole,itwasmostprobablethatthesilentEnglishman,beinglessboldorlessmurderousthanhiscompanion,hadassistedthewomantobeartheunconsciousmanoutofthewayofdanger. “Well,”saidourengineerruefullyaswetookourseatstoreturnoncemoretoLondon,“ithasbeenaprettybusinessforme!IhavelostmythumbandIhavelostafifty-guineafee,andwhathaveIgained?” “Experience,”saidHolmes,laughing.“Indirectlyitmaybeofvalue,youknowyouhaveonlytoputitintowordstogainthereputationofbeingexcellentcompanyfortheremainderofyourexistence.”