No. 4 The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle
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pool . he appeared to_be much surprised at seeing me and asked me rather roughly what i_was doing there .a conversation ensued which led to high words and almost to blows, for_my father was a man of a very violent temper .Seeing that his passion was becoming ungovernable, I left him and returned towards Hatherley farm .I had_not gone more than 150 yards, however, when I heard a hideous outcry behind me, which caused me to run back again . I_found my father expiring upon_the ground, with_his head terribly injured .I dropped my gun and held him in my arms, but he almost instantly expired .I knelt beside him for some minutes, and then made my way to Mr turner's lodge- keeper, his house being the nearest, to ask for assistance . I_saw no one near my father when I returned, and I_have no idea how he_came by his injuries . he_was not a popular man, being somewhat cold and forbidding in_his manners, but he had, as far as I_know, no active enemies . I_know nothing further of_the matter ."

" the coroner: ' did your father make any statement to_you before he died ? '

" witness: ' he mumbled a few words, but I_could only catch some allusion to a rat .'

" the coroner: ' what did you understand by_that ? '

" witness: ' it conveyed no meaning to_me . i_thought that he_was delirious .'

" the coroner: ' what_was the point upon_which you and your father had this final quarrel ? '

" witness: ' i_should prefer not to answer .'

" the coroner: ' I_am afraid that I_must press it .'

" witness: ' it_is really impossible for_me to_tell you . I_can assure you that_it has nothing to_do with_the sad tragedy which followed .'

" the coroner: ' that_is for_the court to decide . I_need not point out to_you that your refusal to answer will prejudice your case considerably in any future proceedings which_may arise'

" witness: ' I_must still refuse .'

" the coroner: 'I understand that_the cry of "Cooee" was a common signal between you and your father ? '

" witness: ' it_was .'

" the coroner: ' how was_it, then, that he uttered it before he_saw you, and before he even knew that you had returned from Bristol ? '

" witness ( with considerable confusion): ' I_do_not know .'

"A juryman: ' did you_see nothing which aroused your suspicions when_you returned on hearing the cry and found your father fatally injured ? '

" witness: ' nothing definite .'

" the coroner: ' what do_you_mean ? '

" witness: ' i_was so disturbed and excited as I rushed out into_the open, that I_could think of nothing except of_my father . yet I_have a vague impression that as I ran forward something lay upon_the ground to_the left of me . it seemed to_me to_be something grey in colour, a coat of some sort, or a plaid perhaps . when I rose from my father I looked round for_it, but it_was gone .'

"' do_you_mean that_it disappeared before_you went for help ? '

"' yes, it_was gone .'

"' you cannot_say what it_was ? '

"' no, I had afeeling something was there .'

"' how far from_the body ? '

"'A dozen yards or so .'

"' and how far from_the edge of_the wood ? '

"' about_the same .'

"' then if_it_was removed it_was while you were within a dozen yards of it ? '

"' yes, but with my back towards it .'

" this concluded the examination of_the witness ."

" I_see," said I as I glanced down the column, " that_the coroner in_his concluding remarks was rather severe upon young McCarthy . he calls attention, and with reason, to_the discrepancy about his father having signalled to him before seeing him also to_his refusal to_give details of_his conversation with_his father, and_his singular account of_his father's dying words . they_are all, as he remarks, very_much against the son ."

Holmes laughed softly to himself and stretched himself out upon_the cushioned seat ." both you and_the coroner have_been at some pains," said he, " to single out the very strongest points in_the young man's favour .Don't you_see that you alternately give him credit for having too_much imagination and too little ? too little, if he_could_not invent a cause of quarrel which would give him the sympathy of_the jury; too_much, if he evolved from_his own inner consciousness anything so outre as adying reference to a rat, and_the incident of_the vanishing cloth . no, sir, I_shall approach this_case from_the point of view that what this young man says is true, and we_shall see whither that hypothesis will lead us . and now here_is my pocket Petrarch, and not another word shall I_say of this_case until we_are on_the scene of action . we lunch at Swindon, and I_see that we_shall_be there in twenty minutes ."

it_was nearly four o'clock when we at last, after passing through_the beautiful Stroud valley, and over the broad gleaming Severn, found ourselves at_the pretty little country- town of Ross .a lean, ferret- like man, furtive and sly- looking, was waiting for_us upon_the platform . in_spite of_the light brown dustcoat and leather- leggings which he wore in deference to_his rustic surroundings, I had no difficulty in recognising Lestrade, of Scotland yard . with_him we drove to_the Hereford Arms where a room had already been engaged for_us .

" I_have ordered a carriage," said Lestrade as_we sat over a cup of tea ." I_knew your energetic nature, and_that you_would_not_be happy until you had_been on_the scene of_the crime ."

" it_was very nice and complimentary of you," Holmes answered ." it_is entirely a question of barometric pressure ."

Lestrade looked startled ." I_do_not quite follow," he_said .

" how is_the glass ? Twenty-nine, I_see . no wind, and not a cloud in_the sky . I_have a case- full of cigarettes here which need smoking, and_the sofa is very_much superior to_the usual country hotel abomination . I_do_not_think that_it_is probable that I_shall use the carriage to- night ."

Lestrade laughed indulgently ." you_have, no_doubt, already formed your conclusions from_the newspapers," he_said ." the case is as plain as a pikestaff, and_the more one goes into_it the plainer it becomes . still, of_course, one can't refuse a lady, and such a very positive one, too . she has heard of you, and would_have your opinion, though I repeatedly told her that there_was nothing which you_could do which I had_not already done . why, bless my soul ! here_is her carriage at_the door ."

he had hardly spoken before there rushed into_the room one_of_the_most lovely young women that I_have ever seen in my life . her violet eyes shining, her lips parted, a pink flush upon her cheeks, all thought of her natural reserve lost in her overpowering excitement and concern .Josef Friedrich, 1906

"Oh, Mr Sherlock Holmes ! " she cried, glancing from one to_the other of us, and finally, with a woman's quick intuition, fastening upon my companion, " I_am so glad that you_have come . I_have driven down to_tell you so . I_know that James didn't do_it . I_know it, and i_want you to start upon your work knowing it, too . never let yourself doubt upon that point . we_have known each_other since we were little children, and I_know his faults as no one else does; but he_is too tender-hearted to hurt a fly . such a charge is absurd to anyone who really knows him ."

" I_hope we_may clear him, miss turner," said Sherlock Holmes ." you_may rely upon my doing all that I_can ."

" but you_have read the evidence . you_have formed some conclusion ? do_you not see some loophole, some flaw ? do_you not yourself think that he_is innocent ? "

" i_think that_it_is very probable ."

" there, now ! " she cried, throwing back her head and looking defiantly at Lestrade ." you hear ! he_gives me hopes ."

Lestrade shrugged his shoulders ." I_am afraid that my colleague has_been a little quick in forming his conclusions," he_said .

" but he_is right .Oh ! I_know that he_is right .James never did it . and about his quarrel with_his father, I_am_sure that_the reason why he_would_not speak about_it to_the coroner was because i_was concerned in_it ."

" in what way ? " asked Holmes .

" it_is no time for_me to hide anything .James and_his father had many disagreements about me .Mr McCarthy was very anxious that there should_be a marriage between_us .James and I_have always loved each_other as brother and sister; but of_course he_is young and has seen very little of life yet, and-- and-- well, he naturally did_not wish to_do anything like that yet . so there were quarrels, and this, I_am_sure, was one_of_them ."

" and your father ? " asked Holmes ." was he in favour of_such a Union ? "

" no, he_was averse to_it also . no one but Mr McCarthy was in favour of it ." a quick blush passed over her fresh young face as Holmes shot one of_his keen, questioning glances at her .

" thank_you_for this_information," said he ." may I_see your father if I call to- morrow ? "

" I_am afraid the doctor won't allow it ."

" the doctor ? "

" yes, have_you not heard ? poor father has never been strong for years back, but this has broken him down completely . he has taken to_his bed, and Dr .Willows says that he_is a wreck and_that his nervous system is shattered .Mr McCarthy was_the only man alive who had known dad in_the old days in Victoria ."

"Ha ! in Victoria ! that_is important ."

" yes, at_the mines ."

" quite so; at_the gold-mines, where, as I understand, Mr turner made his money ."

" yes, certainly ."

" thank_you, miss turner . you_have_been of material assistance to_me ."

" you_will tell me if_you_have any news to- morrow . no_doubt you_will go to_the prison to_see James .Oh, if_you_do, Mr Holmes, do tell him that I_know him to_be innocent ."

" i_will, miss turner ."

" I_must go home now, for dad is very ill, and he misses me so if I leave him . good-bye, and god help_you in your undertaking ." she hurried from_the room as impulsively as she had entered, and we heard the wheels of her carriage rattle off down the street .

" I_am ashamed of you, Holmes," said Lestrade with dignity after a few_minutes' silence ." why should you raise up hopes which you_are bound to disappoint ? I_am not over- tender of heart, but I call it cruel ."

" i_think that I_see my way to clearing James McCarthy," said Holmes ." have_you an order to_see him in prison ? "

" yes, but only for_you and me ."

" then I_shall reconsider my resolution about going out . we_have still time to_take a train to Hereford and_see him to- night ? "

" ample ."

" then let_us do_so .Watson, I_fear that you_will_find it very slow, but I_shall only be away a couple of hours ."

I walked down to_the station with_them, and then wandered through_the streets of_the little town, finally returning to_the hotel, where I lay upon_the sofa and tried to interest myself in a yellow-backed novel . the puny plot of_the story was so thin, however, when compared to_the deep mystery through which we were groping, and I_found my attention wander so continually from_the action to_the fact, that I at last flung it across the room and gave myself up entirely to a consideration of_the events of_the day .Supposing that_this unhappy young man's story were absolutely true, then what hellish thing, what absolutely unforeseen and extraordinary calamity could_have occurred between_the time when he parted from_his father, and_the moment when drawn back by his screams, he rushed into_the glade ? it_was something terrible and deadly . what could it be ? might_not the nature of_the injuries reveal something to my medical instincts ? I rang the bell and called for_the weekly county paper, which contained a verbatim account of_the inquest . in_the surgeon's deposition it_was stated that_the posterior third of_the left parietal bone and_the left half of_the occipital bone hail been shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt weapon .I marked the spot upon my own head . clearly such a blow must_have been struck from behind . that was to some extent in favour of_the accused, as when seen quarrelling he_was face_to_face with_his father . still, it did_not go for very_much, for_the older man might_have turned his back before_the blow fell . still, it might_be worth while to_call Holmes's attention to_it . then there_was the peculiar dying reference to a rat . what could that mean ? it could_not_be delirium .a man dying from a sudden blow does_not commonly become delirious . no, it_was more likely to_be an attempt to explain how he met his fate . but what could it indicate ? I cudgelled my brains to_find some possible explanation . and then the incident of_the grey cloth seen by young McCarthy . if_that were true the murderer must_have dropped some part of_his dress, presumably his overcoat, in_his flight, and must_have had the hardihood to return and to carry it away at_the instant when_the son was kneeling with_his back turned not a dozen paces off . what a tissue of mysteries and improbabilities the whole thing was ! I_did_not wonder at Lestrade's opinion, and yet I had so_much faith in Sherlock Holmes's insight that I_could_not lose hope as long as every fresh fact seemed to strengthen his conviction of young McCarthy's innocence .

it_was late before Sherlock Holmes returned . he_came back alone, for Lestrade was staying in lodgings in_the town .

" the glass still keeps very high," he remarked as he sat down ." it_is of importance that_it should_not rain before we_are able to_go over the ground . on_the other hand, a man should_be at his very best and keenest for such nice work as_that, and I_did_not wish to_do_it when fagged by a long

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