Chapter 6 engineer thumb

Of all the cases that have been brought to my friend during the years of Holmes' close association, I have introduced only two—the Thumb case of Hanschery, and that of Colonel Webbton. crazy case.While the latter will give the keen and unique onlooker a better frame of mind, another case, which began so strangely, and whose details were so dramatic, seemed more worthy of record, though it did not make my The friend gave full play to his invincible detective reasoning methods.This story, I believe, has been in the papers more than once, but, like all reports of this kind, when the whole story is reduced to a half-column, it is not nearly as effective as it is unfolding before your eyes. That way, each new discovery provides a new clue, gradually clarifying ambiguities, and finally allowing the whole truth to emerge.When this happened, it made such a deep impression on me that I can still remember it clearly two years later.

The incident which I am about to relate took place in the summer of 1889, shortly after my marriage.I then returned to civilian medical practice, and finally left Holmes alone in his Baker Street flat, but I visited him frequently, and occasionally even persuaded him to give up his wild temper and come to our house.My medical practice is increasing, and I happen to live not far from Paddington Station, so I have some patients who are staff on the station.In one of them, I cured him of a chronic and painful illness, and he never tires of promoting my skills and trying to refer to me every patient he can influence.

One morning, just before seven o'clock, I was awakened by the maid's knock on the door, and she said that two men from Paddington Station were waiting in the consultation room.I got up and dressed in a hurry and went downstairs, for I knew from experience that railroad emergencies were rarely trivial.When I went down, my old friend, the station attendant whom I had healed, came out of the consulting room and closed the door tightly behind him. "I got him here," he whispered, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "He's all right." "What's the matter with him?" I asked, and he acted like he'd locked something weird into the consulting room.

"It's a new patient," he whispered, "and I think I'd better bring him myself, so he can't get away. He's in there, safe and sound. I've got to go, doctor, I've got a duty, Just like you." The loyal guy who always brought me clients left without even asking me to thank him. I walked into my consulting room to find a man sitting at a desk.He was wearing a plain mottled suit, and a soft stuffed hat lay on top of my book.One of his hands was bound with a handkerchief and was stained with blood.He was rather young, I do not think more than twenty-five, with a strong, strong face, but very pale, and gave me the impression of a man of great blows and pain, who had to use all the strength of his to suppress.

"I'm sorry to wake you up so early, Doctor," he said, "but I've had a very serious accident in the night. I came this morning by train, got off at Paddington station, and asked them where The doctor was found, and a kind gentleman took me here. I gave the maid one of my cards, which I saw she put on a little table next to her." I picked up the business card and glanced at it. "Mr. Vic Hanshely, hydraulic engineer, 4th Floor, No. 16a, Victoria Street." This is the name, occupation and address of this visitor this morning. "Sorry to keep you waiting," I said, as I settled into my office chair. "As far as I understand, you've only been in the car all night, and that's a pretty tedious thing in itself."

"Oh, I can't call it a boring night," he said, laughing hysterically in a very high-pitched tone, rocking his body against the back of the chair from side to side.With my doctor's intuition, I sensed that his laughter was not good. "Stop!" I yelled. "Collect yourself!" I poured a glass of water from the thermos. But my cries were in vain. He was in a state of hysteria, the natural reaction of a man of strong character after some serious crisis.After a while he regained his composure, but looked very tired and pale. "I made a fool of myself," he gasped.

"Not at all. Drink this." I added some brandy to the water, and his pale cheeks gradually returned to color. "That's much better!" he said. "Now, Doctor, perhaps you'll take the trouble to see my thumb, or rather where my thumb used to be." He unfastened his handkerchief and held out his hand.Looking at it, even a person with strong nerves like me can't help but shudder.There were only four protruding fingers in that hand, and a terrible blood-red sponge-like section was in place of the original thumb, which had been cut off at the root. "God!" I exclaimed, "it's a bad wound, and it must have bled a lot."

"Yeah, there was a lot of blood. I passed out and I guess I was completely unconscious for a long time. When I woke up and found myself bleeding, I wrapped the end of my handkerchief around my wrist , and fastened with a twig." "Excellent job! You should be a surgeon." "You know, it's a hydraulic problem, and that's my area of ​​expertise." "It was wounded by a heavy sharp object." I said while examining the wound. "Like a big knife or something," he said. "An accident? I suppose." "Absolutely not." "What! Was that intentional?"

"In fact, it was an extremely brutal and deliberate killing." "You scare me." I blotted the wound, cleaned it, medicated it, and finally covered it with sterile cotton and a bandage.During the process, he bit his lip from time to time, but leaned back on the chair without flinching. "How?" I asked him when I was done. "Amazing! Your brandy and your bandages together, I feel like I'm alive. I was very weak, but I did have a lot of things happen to me." "Maybe you'd better not think about it. Obviously that would make you nervous."

"Oh, no, not now. I will certainly tell the police what happened to me in the future; but, to tell you the truth, it's incredible to me that they would believe my account if my injury hadn't been such a strong evidence, Because this is such an unusual story, and I have no other evidence to support my claim. And even if they believe me, the clues I can provide them are so unclear, I doubt whether things will be fair processing." "Ha!" I exclaimed, "if you want to get the truth out of the matter, I strongly recommend that you go to my friend, Mr. Holmes, before you go to the regular police."

"Oh, I've heard of this man," replied my visitor, "and I'd be very glad if he could take over the business, but I'll have to use the regular police at the same time. Can you introduce me to him?" "I can do better. I will take you to him myself." "That's very grateful." "We can take a cab and go together, and we may be just in time to have breakfast with him. Do you have strength?" "Yes, I can't relax until I tell the story." "Then my servant will call the streetcar, and I'll be right there." I quickly went upstairs, explained briefly to my wife, and within five minutes I was in the carriage with my new acquaintance. A friend of mine went to Baker Street. As I expected, Holmes was in the drawing-room, lounging in a chair in his dressing-gown, reading the personnel advertisements column of The Times, and smoking his aperitif, the pipe-filled tobacco of his own. Ashes smoked the day before that are carefully dried before being placed on the mantelpiece.He received us calmly and gently, and ordered freshly fried eggs to eat with us.When he was done, he settled our new friend on the sofa, put a pillow under his head, and kept a glass of brandy and water by his hand. "It is obvious that your experience is not ordinary, Mr. Hanshely," he said. "Please lie there and be polite. Tell us as much as you can, and if you feel tired, stop and have a drink to keep your strength. " "Thank you," said my patient. "I've been a different person since the doctor bandaged me, and your breakfast, I think, rounds out the whole treatment. I try not to take up your precious Time, I will immediately start to describe my strange experience." Holmes sat in his arm-chair with a tired face and heavy eyelids that belied his keen and eager nature.I sat across from him, and we listened in silence to our visitor as he recounted his story. "You know," said he, "that I have no relatives, I am a bachelor, and I live alone in London. I am a hydraulic engine engineer by trade, and I am an apprentice for seven years at a well-known company called Fannen & Mathesons in Greenwich. In the middle of the year, I gained quite a bit of professional experience. Two years ago, when I finished my apprenticeship, and my poor father died at the time, I got a sum of money and decided to open my own business. I took a room in Victoria Street. office. "I'm sure anyone who starts their own business for the first time finds it a harrowing experience, more so for me. I only had three consulting cases and one small job in two years and that was all I had My total income was twenty-seven pounds ten shillings. Every day, from nine o'clock in the morning to four o'clock in the afternoon, I sat in my little office, until at last I began to despair, and I gradually came to believe that I should not opened. "But yesterday, just as I was leaving the office, my clerk came in and said there was a gentleman waiting to do business with me. He came in with a card that said 'Colonel Raysander Stark' name, and then the colonel himself followed in. He was a little taller than average, but very thin. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so thin. His whole face was so pointed that only the nose and chin remained. , the skin of his cheeks was taut against his protruding cheekbones, but the thinness seemed to be his birthright, not a disease, for his eyes were bright, his steps quick, and his manners strong. He was dressed plainly but Very clean, and his age, I judge, was between thirty and forty. "'Mr. Hanscher?' said he, speaking in a German accent, 'you were recommended to me, Mr. Hanschel, not only as a professional, but also as a discreet man who could keep a secret.' "I bowed to him, as any young man would, flattered by his flattery. 'May I know who flattered me so much?' "'Oh, perhaps I'd better not tell you now. From the same source, I know you have no relations, and are a bachelor, living alone in London.' "'Not at all,' I replied, 'but if you'll excuse me for saying so, I don't see how all this has anything to do with my professional qualifications. I understand that you have a professional matter to discuss with me. ' "'Undoubtedly so, but you will find that all I say is directed at this. I have a professional job for you, but absolute secrecy is very important—absolute secrecy. You know, of course , we trust a person who lives alone more than a person who lives with a family.' "'If I promise to keep it secret,' I said, 'then you can trust me a hundred percent.' "As I spoke, he looked at me sternly, and it seemed to me that I had never seen such suspicious, distrustful eyes. "'You agreed, then?' he said at last. "'Yes, I promise.' "'Complete silence before, during and after the event? Absolutely no mention of it, either verbally or in writing.' "'I have promised you.' "'Very well.' He stood up abruptly, crossed the room with lightning speed, and flung open the door. The passage outside was empty. "'That's fine,' he said, walking back. 'I know sometimes employees are curious about their bosses. Now we can safely talk further.' He pulled his chair farther back. Standing close to me, he still stared at me with the same suspicious and thoughtful eyes. "For the strange behavior of this fleshless guy, I felt a feeling of disgust and similar fear from the bottom of my heart, and even the fear of losing a client who had finally come to the door could not stop me from showing an impatient look. "'Please tell me your business, sir,' said I, 'and my time is precious.' Forgive me for the last sentence, which was a purely involuntary blurt. "'What do you think of fifty ducats for a night's work?' he asked. "'Very satisfied.' "'I said one night's work when it should have been an hour's work. I'm just asking for your opinion on a hydraulic embossing machine that's not working. If you can tell us what's wrong, we'll be able to fix it ourselves soon. Fix it. What do you think of such a job?' "'The work seems easy and well paid.' "'Exactly. We want you to come by the last train tonight.' "'To where?' "'To Evertown, in Polkshire. It's a little place near the Oxfordshire border, less than seven miles from Reading. There's a train from Paddington that will get you there at about eleven-fifteen. get there.' "'very good.' "'I will come for you in a carriage.' "'And another ride in the carriage?' "'Yes, our little place is quite out of the way, and it's a full seven miles from Ever Station.' "'Then we may not be able to get there before midnight. I don't think there will be any cars coming back? I'll have to stop for the night.' "'Yes, we have a makeshift cot ready for you, which would be very convenient.' "'This is a real inconvenience to everyone. Can't I go at a more convenient time?' "'We thought it best for you to come at night. We compensated you for all the inconvenience by paying an unknown young man like you at the same rate as the top of your profession. Of course, if you wish to quit, you still There is plenty of time to do so.' "I thought of those fifty ducats, and how useful they were to me. 'No,' said I, 'I would be more than happy to do what you want. But I wish I could understand a little more clearly what you want me to do. ' "'Yes, that's natural, and our demand for absolute secrecy must arouse your curiosity. I won't deliver you anything until you've figured it out. We won't be bugged, I suppose. Bar?' "'Relax yourself.' "'Then it goes like this. You probably know that bleaching earth is a very valuable product, and only one or two places in the whole of England have it.' "'I heard so.' "'Not long ago I bought a small place—a very small place—within ten miles of Reading. I was lucky enough to find deposits of drift earth in one of my lands, but upon probing I found that The reserves are quite small, and it is connected to two lands with much larger reserves on the left and right-but these two lands belong to my neighbors. These good people have no idea that there is something as valuable as a gold mine in their land. Of course , it was in my interest to buy their land before they discovered their true value; but unfortunately, I did not have the means to do so. So I told the secret to some friends, and they suggested that we should first dig our own small mine in secret, so that we could earn money to buy our neighbour's land. We have been doing this for some time, and for ease of operation we have installed a hydraulic machine. This machine, As I explained, it is malfunctioning, and we would like your advice on the matter. However, we must keep this a secret, and if anyone discovers that the hydraulic engineer has visited our cabin, it will immediately prompt questions. Then, If the truth is revealed, then we will have to say goodbye to the opportunity to buy those lands and our plans. That is why I want you to promise not to tell anyone that you are going to Evertown tonight. I hope I explained everything very clearly.' "'I see what you're saying,' said I, 'and the only thing I don't quite understand is what use a hydraulic machine is for digging drift-soil? As far as I know, digging drift-soil is like digging stones out of a gravel pit.' "'Oh!' he said casually, 'we have our way. We press the drift earth into bricks so that when we move it, we don't reveal what they are. But it's just details. Now I put all the I've told you all the secrets, Mr. Hanselly, which shows how much I trust you." He stood up as he said, "then I'll be waiting for you at Evertown at eleven-fifteen." "'I'll be there.' "'Remember, don't say a single word to anyone.' He gave me a long, questioning look at last, then shook me with his cold, wet hand, and hurried out the door. "I thought it over calmly, and, as you can imagine, I was horrified at the seemingly out-of-the-box task. Of course, on the one hand, I was delighted, because I paid at least ten times the price I set myself, And this business may lead to future business; but on the other hand, my client's look and attitude gave me a rather uncomfortable impression, and his explanation of the incident was not sufficient. It was not enough to justify my having to go before midnight, nor his extreme anxiety that I should mention my errand to others. But I put all fears to rest, had a good dinner, and drove Go to Paddington, and follow tight-lipped orders to set off. "In Reading I had to change not only trains but also stations, but I managed to catch the last train to Iver and arrived at the dimly lit little station just after eleven. That's where I got off. The only passenger on the train, the platform was empty except for a dozing station attendant with an oil lamp. I stepped out of the gate to find the gentleman from the morning waiting for me in the shadows. Without saying a word, he Taking me by the arm, he led me hastily into a carriage with the doors open. He closed both windows, tapped the wooden frame, and off we went as fast as the horses could." "Only one horse?" interrupted Holmes. "Yes, one." "Do you see the color of the horse?" "Yes, I saw it by the light beside the carriage when I stepped into the carriage. It was a sorrel horse." "Looking tired or refreshed?" "Oh! Spirited and shiny." "Thank you. Sorry to interrupt you, please continue your interesting story." "Then we set off, and traveled for at least an hour. Colonel Raysander Stark said it was only seven miles, but I guess at the rate we were going and the time it took us, it was nearly twelve miles." The whole time he sat beside me in silence, and I noticed that more than once I looked at him, he was watching me closely. The country roads there didn't seem to be very good, and we were rocking and bumping a lot .I try to look out the window to see where we are but it's frosted glass and I can't see anything except the occasional blur of light when there is a light outside.Sometimes I look for a chance to say a word or two To break the monotony of the journey, but the colonel always answered me with simple words, so the conversation was quickly terminated. Finally, the bumpy road finally turned into a dry and smooth gravel road, and then the carriage stopped. Ray Sander Shi Colonel Darke got out of the carriage, and I followed him, who quickly drew me through a door in front of us. Since we entered the door as soon as we got out of the carriage, I couldn't get a glimpse of the house. I stepped in Threshold, the door slammed shut immediately behind us, and I vaguely heard the wheels of the carriage rolling away as it drove away. "It was pitch black in the room. The colonel was groping for matches and muttering to himself. Suddenly the door on the other side of the passage opened, and a long strip of golden light shot towards us. The light gradually widened, and a woman's hand Holding an oil lamp and holding her head high, she appeared in the doorway, and she peered out at us. I could see that she was beautiful, and by the way the light shone on her dark clothes, I could see that the material was good. She A few words in foreign language were spoken, and by the tone of her voice it seemed she had asked a question, and when my companion answered in a hoarse monosyllabic she seemed so taken aback that she almost dropped the oil lamp in her hand. Colonel Stark The former whispered a few words in her ear, then pushed her back to the room she came out of, and he took the oil lamp and walked towards me. "'Perhaps you don't mind waiting a few minutes in this room,' he said, pushing open another door. It was a quiet, small, simply furnished room, with a round table in the center upon which several Bend clerk. Colonel Stark put the oil lamp on the harmonium by the door. 'I won't keep you waiting,' he said, and disappeared into the darkness. "I glanced at the books on the table, and although I didn't know German, I could tell that two of them had something to do with science, and the others were poetry. I went to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the country, but the oak The shutters were bolted securely, covering the entire window. It was a very quiet house, except for an old clock ticking somewhere in the corridor, but otherwise utter silence. A vague sense of uneasiness began. Hit me. What kind of people are these Germans? What are they doing in this strange place? What the hell is this place? All I know is I'm about ten miles from Evertown, but southeast of the town I have no idea which direction is north-west. At this point, Reading and some other towns may also be within ten miles, so the place is not so isolated; Pretty sure we were in the country. I paced the room, humming to calm my nerves, making me feel like I was really here to earn those fifty gold pieces. "Suddenly, in complete silence, without any prior sound, the door of my room was gently pushed open. The woman was standing by the door just now, and the corridor behind her was completely dark, illuminated by the dim light of the oil lamp inside the room. On her anxious but beautiful face. Just one look at her and I could tell she was terrified, and the sight sent a chill down my spine. She raised a trembling finger to warn me to keep quiet, and she whispered He spoke a few words to me in broken English, and glanced towards the dark back, like a frightened bird. "'If I must go,' said she, trying to speak calmly, it seemed to me, 'if I must go, I will not stay here, and there is nothing good for you to do here.' "'But, ma'am,' said I, 'I have business to do. I can't leave without looking at that machine.' "'It's not worth your wait,' she went on, 'you can go through that door and no one will stop you.' Then, seeing me laughing and shaking her head, she suddenly dropped her restraint and walked forward. She took a step, clasping her hands. 'For God's sake!' she whispered. 'Get out of here before it's too late!' "But I was born with a curmudgeon, and when things got in the way, I did the more. I thought of my reward of fifty ducats, and the whole tiring journey, and what seemed to be an unpleasant Night. Is all of this in vain? Why would I sneak away before doing my mission and getting my pay? All I know is that this woman might be biased or not normal, so although her attitude Shocking me more than I would admit, I shook my head with resolute courage and said I would stay here. She was about to go on pleading with me when there was a door closing upstairs, followed by a sound on the stairs. She heard the sound of footsteps. She listened for a while, and made a gesture of giving up with her hands in disappointment, disappearing as silently as she had suddenly appeared. "It was Colonel Raysander Stark and another stout man with a chinchilla beard growing from his wrinkled double chin. The colonel introduced him as Mr. Ferguson. "'This is my secretary-manager,' said the Colonel. 'By the way, I remember I shut the door well just now. I think you must have felt the wind blowing in.' "'On the contrary,' said I, 'I opened the door because I found the room a little stuffy.' "He was looking at me again with his suspicious eyes. 'Well, maybe we should get down to business,' he said. 'Mr. Ferguson and I will take you up to see the machine.' "'I think I'd better put my hat on.' "'Oh no, in the house.' "'What, you're digging clay in the house?' "'No, no. We press the drifting earth into adobe bricks in the house. Never mind that, we just want you to check the machine and tell us what the problem is?' "We went upstairs together, the colonel leading with the lamp, and the fat steward and I following him. It was an old labyrinth of corridors, passages, narrow winding stairs, and small, low doors. , those thresholds have been sunken by generations of people who have walked through it. There is neither carpet nor furniture on the upper floor, and the plaster on the walls has peeled off, and moisture has seeped in to form green and dirty patches. I tried to appear indifferent, but I did not forget the lady's warnings, and although I ignored them, I kept an eye on my two companions. Ferguson seemed to be a sullen People, but from his few words, I can hear that he should be my compatriots. "Colonel Raysander Stark halted at a low door, which he unlocked. It was a small square room which could not fit the three of us, so Ferguson remained outside, Colonel. Take me in. "'We are now,' said he, 'actually in a hydraulic press, and it would be very unpleasant for anyone to start it now. The ceiling of this small room is in fact the chassis of the descending piston, which as it descends There's tons of pressure on this metal floor. There's a small column of water out there that takes the force and then doubles it and transmits it, the process you're familiar with. The machine works fairly well, but when it's in operation It's going to be a little laborious, and it seems to be weakening. Maybe you can check it out and let us know how we can get it back to normal.' "I took the oil lamp from him and went over the machine thoroughly. It's a very big machine indeed, capable of tremendous pressure. The whoosh from it when I depress the lever outside Sound, I knew right away where it was leaking, which was allowing water to flow back from one of the cylinders next to it. After checking, I found out that a rubber band around the front end of one of the push rods had shrunk so it couldn't fill the cylinder it was running on The hole, which was clearly the cause of the weakening of strength, I pointed it out to my companion. He listened to me carefully, and then asked a few practical questions about how they would need it to be corrected. After explaining it to them , I went back to the main machine room and took a good look at the machine to satisfy my curiosity. With just one glance, I saw that the story of the so-called drifting soil was pure fiction, because such a powerful engine was used to It is an absurd claim to do such an unimportant thing. The surrounding walls are boards, but the floor has a large iron trough. When I inspect it, I can see that it is full of hard metal deposits. I bent down to scratch to see what it was, when I heard a German cry of surprise, and the Colonel's ghostly face looked down at me. "'What are you doing there?' he asked. "I was furious that he had lied to me with such an elaborate story. 'I'm admiring your drifter,' I said, 'and I thought, if I knew what this machine was really for, I should be able to give Your better advice.' "As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted my indiscretion. His face hardened, and a malevolent light shone into his gray eyes. "'Very well,' said he, 'you'll know all about the machine.' He stepped back, slammed the little door shut, and turned the key. I rushed to the handle, But the door was so strong that it did not interfere with my kicking. 'Hey!' I cried, 'Hey! Colonel! Let me out!' "Then in the middle of nowhere, I heard a sound and my heart almost jumped out. It was the click of the control lever and the rustle of the leaky cylinder. The guy turned the engine on. The oil lamp was still on I just checked where the gutter was, and with that light I could see the black ceiling pressing down on me, slowly, wobbly, but no one knew better than me that it was coming down. The force crushed me to a pulp in less than a minute. I rushed to the door, screaming, turning the lock with difficulty with my fingernails. I begged the colonel to let me out, but the lever clicked mercilessly The sound drowned out my cries. The ceiling was only a foot or two from my head, and I could touch the hard, rough surface with my raised hands. Then, suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind, that is, what happened to me when I died. The degree of pain will depend on the position in which I die. If I were face down, the weight would be on my spine and I would shudder at the thought of the horrible snap. Maybe another position would die I need to be more comfortable, but do I have the courage to lie down and watch the black shadow of death slowly descending on me? I can't stand upright anymore, just when this room is closed, my eyes see something, which brings me A sudden hope. "I had said that while the ceiling and floor were metal, the walls were wood. I looked around quickly and saw a very thin yellow light between two boards, with a small board pushed back Going and widening. At that moment, I couldn't believe that there was a door that would lead me out of death. The next moment, I threw myself out and lay half unconscious outside the door. The door Immediately the door closed behind me again, and the sound of the oil lamp being crushed and the subsequent clash of two pieces of metal told me how I escaped from the gate of hell by a narrow escape. "I was awakened by someone tugging on my wrist, and I found myself lying on the stone floor in a narrow corridor, a woman bent over, holding a candle in her right hand, and pulling me with her left hand. It was the same kind person, she The kind woman whose warning I foolishly refused. "'Quick! Quick!' she cried hastily. 'They'll be here in a moment, and they'll see you're not dead in there. Oh, don't waste such precious time, quick!' "At least this time I didn't take her advice lightly. I staggered to my feet and ran with her down the corridor and down a winding staircase. The staircase led to another wide passage, and as we ran there we Hearing the sound of running footsteps and two shouting voices, they answered each other on the floor we were just on and the floor below. The person who led me stopped and glanced around her in bewilderment. Then she pushed away He opened a door and entered a bedroom, and the bright moonlight shone in through the window of the room. "'This is your only chance,' she said, 'too high, but chances are you can jump off.' "While she was speaking, a little light from the far end of the corridor jumped into my eyes, and I saw the lanky figure of Colonel Raysander Stark rushing forward, with an oil lamp in one hand and a butcher's knife in the other. Arms. I hastened across the bedroom, and pushed open the window to look out. How secluded the garden looked in the moonlight, how sweet and cozy, and not more than thirty feet high. I climbed to the ledge, but before I heard my help Before I could say something between my benefactor and the assailant who was chasing me, I hesitated and did not jump down. If she is being mistreated, I should go back and help her at any risk. It just crossed my mind, Colonel There he was, and he pushed her away, but she put her arms around him, trying to hold him back. "'Fitz! Fitz!' she cried in English. 'Remember, you promised me last time that it would never happen again. He won't tell! Oh, he won't tell out!' "'You're crazy, Alice!' he cried, trying to break free. 'You're going to ruin us. He's seen too much. Let me pass, I order you!' He threw her aside , rushed to the window, and slashed me with his murder weapon. When he slashed, I was still holding the window frame with both hands, and my body was hanging in the air. I felt a sharp pain, and I let go of my clenched hands, and fell to the garden below inside. "I was terrified, but I was not hurt by the fall; so I got up immediately and ran as hard as I could into the bushes, knowing that I was far from safety. Suddenly, as I was running, I felt extremely dizzy. Assaulted me, I looked down at my aching hand, only to see that my thumb had been chopped off and the blood was gushing from the wound. I tried to wrap it tightly with a handkerchief, but suddenly there was a buzzing in my ears, and then I passed out among the rose bushes. “我不知道我失去知觉有多久，但必定有很长的一段时间，因为我清醒过来时，月已西沉，天刚破晓。我的衣服整个被露水浸湿，外衣的袖子也被我受伤的拇指所渗出的血水浸透。伤口的剧痛使我立刻记起我这一夜的奇异历险，我跳起身来，觉得我很可能还没完全逃离追赶我的人。但出乎我意料的是，我朝周围一看，既不见房子，也不见花园，我是躺在靠近公路的树篱边上，不远处有一幢长形的建筑物，我走过去，证实就是我前一晚下车的那个车站。如果不是我手上那可怕的伤口，这恐怖的几小时里所发生的一切，可能我只会觉得是一场噩梦。 “恍惚中，我走进了车站，询问早班火车的时间。在一小时之内有一班到瑞丁。我发现正是我到达时的那个车站人员值班，我问他有没有听说过一个叫雷三德·史达克上校的人，这名字对他完全是陌生的。问他有没有看到前一晚有一辆马车等我？他说不，他没看见。问他附近有警察局吗？他说大约三英里外有一个。 “我当时太虚弱，走到那里对我来说是太远了，我决定等我回到城里再向警方报案。我到达时才六点出头，因此我先去包扎了伤口，然后医生很好心地带我到这里来。我将这案子交托给你了，我会完全照着你的指示做。” 听完这极不平常的叙述后，我们两人坐在那里沉默了好一阵子。福尔摩斯由书架上取下一本厚重的书，里头夹了一些他的剪报资料。 “这里有一则广告，你们会有兴趣的。”他说，“大约一年前，这则广告出现在所有的报纸上。你们听着： “失踪，本月九号，杰米·海林先生，二十六岁，水力发动工程师。晚上十时由他的居处离开，就此毫无消息。身穿——等等，哈！我想这就是上一次上校需要修理他的机器的时候。” “上帝！”我的病人叫道，“这就解释了那女士所说的了。” “是的。很明显，上校是一个冷酷而且极邪恶的人，他绝对不让任何人阻碍他的计划，就像那些海盗对抢劫的船只不会留下一个活口一样。好了，现在每一分钟都很宝贵。如果你吃得消的话，在去爱佛镇之前我们先去苏格兰场一趟。” 在大约只小时后，我们一起坐上了火车，由瑞丁到那波克郡的小村落去。我们这一伙有福尔摩斯、那位水力发动工程师、苏格兰场的布雷兹特里特探长、一个便衣刑警和我。布雷兹特里特在座位上摊开一张该郡的地图，以爱佛为中心用圆规画了一个圆。 “好啦，”他说，“这个圆是以这个村落为中心、半径为十英里画成的。我们要找的地方一定是在圆周线附近。我记得你说是十英里，先生。” “我们整整走了一个钟头。” “你认为你昏迷时他们把你由那儿一直送回到车站？” “他们一定是这么做的，因为我迷迷糊糊中记得自己被抬起送到某个地方。” “我不了解的是，”我说，“为什么他们发现你昏迷在花园里时会饶过你。也许是那女人的哀求软化了那个恶徒的心。” “很难想象会这样。我这一生中从没见过比那更残酷的一张脸。” “哦，我们很快就会弄清楚所有这些事了。”布雷兹特里特说，“好了，我已经画了我的圆了，我只希望能知道我们要找的人在圆周的哪一个点上。” “我想，我能直接指出这个地方。”福尔摩斯平静地说。 “真的？好极了！”探长叫道，“你已有结论了！听着，让我们看看谁的看法跟你较接近。我说是南方，因为那里较荒僻。” “我说是东方。”我的病人说。 “我选西方，”那个便衣人员说，“那边有好几个僻静的小村落。” “我说是北方，”我说，“因为那里没有坡地，我们的朋友并没有注意到马车爬过坡。” “好了，”探长笑着叫道，“意见完全分歧，我们四个人四个方向。你投谁的票，福尔摩斯？” “你们都错了。” “但我们不可能'全'错了。” “噢，是的，你们有可能。这就是我说的那一点。”他手指着圆心，“这就是我们会找到他们的地方。” “但是那整整十二英里的路怎么说？”韩舍利喘息着问。 “去六英里回来六英里，再没比这更简单的了。你自己说过，你上马车时，那匹马是干净闪亮而有精神的。如果在颠簸的路上走了十二英里，怎么可能还这样？” “不错，这是个诡计。”布雷兹特里特思索着说，“毫无疑问，这更可说明这批匪徒的险恶本性。” “一点也不错，”福尔摩斯说，“他们是大规模铸造伪币的人，他们用那机器来合成汞合金以代替银。” “我们已经知道了相当一段时间了。有一个极聪明的恶徒领头，”探长说，“他们制造数以千计的半元银币。我们甚至追踪到瑞丁，但就再也追不下去了，因为他们掩饰得非常好，完全是惯犯老手。现在，感谢这个天赐良机，我想这回我们可以逮到他们了。” 但探长错了，那些匪徒注定不会落入正义者的手中。我们驶进爱佛车站时，看到一柱浓烟由附近的一小丛树之后冲向天际，看起来像一片巨大的鸵鸟羽毛遮盖了整片天空。 “有房子起火了？”火车再次开动离站时，布雷兹特里特问。 “是的，先生！”站长答道。 “什么时候开始的？” “听说是夜间开始，先生，而且愈烧愈烈，整个地方成了一片火海。” “是谁的房子？” “拜契尔医生的。” “告诉我，”工程师插嘴道，“拜契尔医生是德国人吗？很瘦，有个长而尖的鼻子？” 站长大笑起来。“不，先生，拜契尔医生是英国人，在这教区之内没有人比他穿着更好更得体了。但是有位先生跟他同住，据我所知是个病人，他是个外国人，那样子好像真应该多吃点波克郡的牛肉。” 没等站长说完，我们全不约而同朝火场方向匆匆赶去。道路直通到一个低坡之上，有一幢占地颇广的粉白色建筑物出现在我们面前。火舌由每一个裂隙和窗口蹿出，花园前面有只辆救火车竭力但徒然地想控制住火势。 “就是这里！”韩舍利极端激动地叫道，“这就是那条石子路，那是我躺过的玫瑰花丛，那里第二扇窗就是我跳下的地方。” “唉，至少，”福尔摩斯说，“你的断指之仇报了。毫无疑问，是你那盏油灯，它被水压机碾压时造成四周木板墙起火，但他们急着追你而没能及时发现。现在注意那些人群，看看里面是否找得到你昨晚的朋友，但我怀疑他们现在已在百英里之外了。” 福尔摩斯的怀疑成真，因为从那天起，就再也没有听说过那位漂亮的女人、邪恶的德国人或那个阴沉的英国人的踪迹了。当天清晨，有个农民看到一辆马车，上面坐着几个人，放着一些很大的箱子朝瑞丁方向疾驰而去。所有这些逃犯的线索都不见了，甚至福尔摩斯的才智都无法找到有关他们去向的任何线索。 救火人员被那房子里奇怪的陈设弄糊涂了，当他们在二楼窗台上发现了一截新切下的拇指时，他们更不知道这是怎么回事。黄昏降临，他们的努力总算成功了，他们扑灭了火焰，但房顶已塌了下来，整座宅第完完全全被毁了，除了一些扭曲的汽缸及金属管之外，找不到一点带给我们这位朋友如此巨大不幸的那台机器的痕迹。在没多远的一间小房子里发现了大量的镍及锡，但没有任何钱币，这可能解释了前面所提过的那些大箱子。 如果不是由于软泥里的痕迹清楚证实了这一切，否则我们这位水力工程师如何从花园被送到他清醒时躺的地方，可能永远是个谜。很明显，他是被两个人合力抬过去的，其中一人的脚印颇小，另一人的脚印却远比平常人大。整件事看起来，最可能的答案是那个英国人，因为他没有他的同伙那么胆大妄为、那么凶残，他帮着那女人将昏迷的工程师抬出了险境。 “唉，”我们再次坐上火车回伦敦时，工程师悲哀地说，“我可真倒霉！我失去了我的拇指、五十个金币的报酬，而我得到了什么呢？” “经验，”福尔摩斯笑着说，“你知道，可能有某种间接的价值：这件事传出去，可以让你的公司得到非常好的声誉。”