The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plan* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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actual official guardian of_the papers is_the famous government expert, sir James Walter, whose decorations and sub-titles fill two lines of a book of reference . he has grown gray in_the service, is a gentleman, afavoured guest in_the most exalted houses, and, above all, a man whose patriotism is beyond suspicion . he_is one of two who_have a key of_the safe . I_may add that_the papers were undoubtedly in_the office during working hours on Monday, and_that sir James left for London about three o'clock taking his key with_him . he_was at_the house of admiral Sinclair at Barclay square during the whole of_the evening when_this incident occurred ."

" has_the fact been verified ? "

" yes; his brother, colonel valentine Walter, has testified to_his departure from Woolwich, and admiral Sinclair to_his arrival in London; so sir James is no longer a direct factor in_the problem ."

" who was_the other man with a key ? "

" the senior clerk and draughtsman, Mr Sidney Johnson . he_is a man of forty, married, with five children . he_is a silent, morose man, but he has, on_the whole, an excellent record in_the public service . he_is unpopular with_his colleagues, but a hard worker .According to_his own account, corroborated only by_the word of_his wife, he_was at home the whole of Monday evening after office hours, and_his key has never left the watch- chain upon_which it hangs ."

" tell us about Cadogan west ."

" he has_been ten years in_the service and has_done good work . he has_the reputation of being hot- headed and impetuous, but a straight, honest man . we_have nothing against him . he_was next Sidney Johnson in_the office . his duties brought him into daily, personal contact with_the plans . no one else had the handling of_them ."

" who locked the plans up that night ? "

" Mr Sidney Johnson, the senior clerk ."

" well, it_is surely perfectly clear who took them away . they_are actually found upon_the person of_this junior clerk, Cadogan west . that seems final, does it not ? "

" it does, Sherlock, and yet it leaves so_much unexplained . in_the first place, why did he take them ? "

"I presume they were of value ? "

" he could_have got several thousands for_them very easily ."

" can_you suggest any possible motive for taking the papers to London except to_sell them ? "

" no, I_cannot ."

" then we_must take that as our working hypothesis . young west took the papers . now this could only be_done by having a false key-"

" several false keys . he had to open the building and_the room ."

" he had, then, several false keys . he_took the papers to London to_sell the secret, intending, no_doubt, to_have the plans themselves back in_the safe next morning before_they were missed . while in London on_this treasonable mission he met his end ."

" how ? "

" we_will suppose that he_was travelling back to Woolwich when he_was killed and thrown out_of_the compartment ."

"Aldgate, where the body was found, is considerably past the station for London bridge, which would_be his route to Woolwich ."

" many circumstances could_be imagined under which he_would pass London bridge . there_was someone in_the carriage, for example, with_whom he_was having an absorbing interview . this interview led to a violent scene in_which he_lost his life . possibly he tried to leave the carriage, fell out on_the line, and so met his end . the other closed the door . there_was a thick fog, and nothing could_be seen ."

" no better explanation can_be given with_our present knowledge; and yet consider, Sherlock, how_much you leave untouched . we_will suppose, for argument's sake, that young Cadogan west had determined to convey these papers to London . he_would naturally have_made an appointment with_the foreign agent and kept his evening clear . instead of_that he_took two tickets for_the theatre, escorted his fiance halfway there, and then suddenly disappeared ."

"A blind," said Lestrade, who had sat listening with some impatience to_the conversation .

"A very singular one . that_is objection no .1 . objection no .2 .: we_will suppose that he reaches London and sees the foreign agent . he_must bring back the papers before morning or the loss will_be discovered . he_took away ten . only seven were in_his pocket . what had become of_the other three ? he certainly would_not leave them of_his own free will . then, again, where is_the price of_his treason ? one would_have expected to_find a large sum of money in_his pocket ."

" it seems to_me perfectly clear," said Lestrade ." I_have no_doubt at all as_to what occurred . he_took the papers to_sell them . he_saw the agent . they_could_not agree as_to price . he started home again, but the agent went with_him . in_the train the agent murdered him, took the more essential papers, and threw his body from, the carriage . that_would account for everything, would it not ? "

" why had he no ticket ? "

" the ticket would_have shown which station was nearest the agent's house . therefore he_took it from_the murdered man's pocket ."

" good, Lestrade, very_good," said Holmes ." your theory holds together . but if_this_is true, then the case is at an end . on_the one hand, the traitor is dead . on_the other, the plans of_the Bruce-Partington submarine are presumably already on_the continent . what is_there for_us to_do ? "

" to act, Sherlock- to act ! " cried Mycroft, springing to_his feet ." all my instincts are against this explanation . use your powers ! go to_the scene of_the crime ! see the people concerned ! leave no stone unturned ! in all your career you_have never had so great a chance of serving your country ."

" well, well ! " said Holmes, shrugging his shoulders ." come, Watson ! and you, Lestrade, could you favour us with your company for an hour or two ? we_will begin our investigation by a visit to Aldgate station . good-bye, Mycroft . I_shall let you_have a report before evening, but I warn you in advance that you_have little to expect ."

an hour later Holmes, Lestrade and I stood upon_the underground railroad at_the point where it emerges from_the tunnel immediately before Aldgate station .a courteous red- faced old gentleman represented the railway company .

" this_is where the young man's body lay," said he, indicating a spot about three feet from_the metals ." it could_not have fallen from above, for_these, as you_see, are all blank walls . therefore, it could only have come from a train, and_that train, so_far as_we_can trace it, must_have passed about midnight on Monday ."

" have the carriages been examined for any sign of violence ? "

" there_are no such signs, and no ticket has_been found ."

" no record of a door being found open ? "

" none ."

" we_have_had some fresh evidence this_morning," said Lestrade ."A passenger who passed Aldgate in an ordinary metropolitan train about 11:40 on Monday night declares that he heard a heavy thud, as of a body striking the line, just before_the train reached the station . there_was dense fog, however, and nothing could_be seen . he_made no report of it at_the_time . why, whatever is_the matter with Mr Holmes ? "

my friend was standing with an expression of strained intensity upon his face, staring at_the railway metals where they curved out_of_the tunnel .Aldgate is a junction, and there_was a network of points . on_these his eager, questioning eyes were fixed, and I_saw on_his keen, alert face that tightening of_the lips, that quiver of_the nostrils, and concentration of_the heavy, tufted brows which I_knew so_well .

"Points," he muttered; " the points ."

" what of it ? what do_you_mean ? "

"I suppose there_are no great number of points on a system such as_this ? "

" no; there_are very few ."

" and a curve, too .Points, and a curve . by Jove ! if_it were only so ."

" what_is it, Mr Holmes ? have_you aclue ? "

" an idea- an indication, no more . but the case certainly grows in interest . unique, perfectly unique, and yet why_not ? I_do_not_see any indications of bleeding on_the line ."

" there were hardly any ."

" but I understand that there_was a considerable wound ."

" the bone was crushed, but there_was no great external injury ."

" and yet one would_have expected some bleeding . would it be possible for_me to inspect the train which contained the passenger who heard the thud of a fall in_the fog ? "

" I_fear not, Mr Holmes . the train has_been broken up before now, and_the carriages redistributed ."

" I_can assure you, Mr Holmes," said Lestrade, " that every carriage has_been carefully examined . I_saw to_it myself ."

it_was one of_my friend's most obvious weaknesses that he_was impatient with less alert intelligences than his own .

" very likely," said he, turning away ." as it happens, it_was not the carriages which I desired to examine .Watson, we_have_done all we_can here . we_need not trouble you any further, Mr Lestrade . i_think our investigations must now carry us to Woolwich ."

at London bridge, Holmes wrote a telegram to_his brother, which he handed to_me before dispatching it . it ran thus:

see some light in_the darkness, but it may possibly flicker out . meanwhile, please send by messenger, to await return at baker street, a complete list of all foreign spies or international agents known to_be in England, with full address .

SHERLOCK .

" that should_be helpful, Watson," he remarked as_we took our seats in_the Woolwich train ." we certainly owe brother Mycroft a debt for having introduced us to what promises to_be a really very remarkable case ."

his eager face still wore that expression of intense and high- strung energy, which showed me that some novel and suggestive circumstance had opened up a stimulating line of thought . see the foxhound with hanging cars and drooping tail as it lolls about_the kennels, and compare it with_the same hound as, with gleaming eyes and straining muscles, it runs upon a breast- high scent- such was_the change in Holmes since_the morning . he_was a different man from_the limp and lounging figure in_the mouse-coloured dressing- gown who had prowled so restlessly only a few hours before round the fog- girt room .

" there_is material here . there_is scope," said he ." I_am dull indeed not to_have understood its possibilities ."

" even now they_are dark to_me ."

" the end is dark to_me also, but I_have hold of one idea which_may lead us far . the man met his death elsewhere, and_his body was on_the roof of a carriage ."

" on_the roof ! "

" remarkable, is_it not ? but consider the facts . is_it a coincidence that_it_is found at_the very point where the train pitches and sways as it comes round on_the points ? is_not that_the place where an object upon_the roof might_be expected to_fall off ? the points would affect no object inside the train . either the body fell from_the roof, or a very curious coincidence has occurred . but now consider the question of_the blood . of_course, there_was no bleeding on_the line if_the body had bled elsewhere . each fact is suggestive in itself . together they_have a cumulative force ."

" and_the ticket, too ! " I cried .

" exactly . we_could_not explain the absence of a ticket . this_would explain it . everything fits together ."

" but suppose it were so, we_are still as far as ever from unravelling the mystery of_his death . indeed, it becomes not simpler but stranger ."

" perhaps," said Holmes thoughtfully, " perhaps ." he relapsed into a silent reverie, which lasted until the slow train drew up at last in Woolwich station . there he_called a cab and drew Mycroft's paper from_his pocket .

" we_have quite a little round of afternoon calls to_make," said he ." i_think that sir James Walter claims our first attention ."

the house of_the famous official was a fine villa with green lawns stretching down to_the Thames . as_we reached it the fog was lifting, and a thin, watery sunshine was breaking through .a butler answered our ring .

" sir James, sir ! " said he with solemn face ." sir James died this_morning ."

" good heavens ! " cried Holmes in amazement ." how did he die ? "

" perhaps you_would care to step in, sir, and_see his brother, colonel valentine ? "

" yes, we had best do_so ."

we were ushered into a dim-lit drawing- room, where an instant later we were joined by a very tall, handsome, light- bearded man of fifty, the younger brother of_the dead scientist . his wild eyes, stained cheeks, and unkempt hair all spoke of_the sudden blow which had fallen upon_the household . he_was hardly articulate as he spoke of it .

" it was_this horrible scandal," said he ." my brother, sir James, was a man of very sensitive honour, and he_could_not survive such an affair . it broke his heart . he_was always so proud of_the efficiency of_his department, and this_was acrushing blow ."

" we had hoped that he_might_have given us some indications which would_have helped us to clear the matter up ."

"I assure you that_it_was all a mystery to him as_it_is to_you and to all of us . he had already put all his knowledge at_the disposal of_the police . naturally he had no_doubt that Cadogan west was guilty . but all the rest was inconceivable ."

" you_cannot throw any new light upon_the affair ? "

" I_know nothing myself save what I_have read or heard . I_have no desire to_be discourteous, but you_can understand, Mr Holmes, that we_are much disturbed at present, and I_must ask_you to hasten this interview to an end ."

" this_is indeed an unexpected development," said my friend when we had regained the cab ."I wonder if_the death was natural, or whether the poor

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