No. 8 The Adventure of the Crooked Man by Arthur Conan Doyle
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going round the canteens after nightfall, and giving a little entertainment at each . he carries some creature about with_him in_that box; about_which the landlady seemed to_be in considerable trepidation, for she had never seen an animal like it . he uses it in some of_his tricks according to her account . so_much the woman was able to_tell me, and also that_it_was a wonder the man lived, seeing how twisted he_was, and_that he spoke in a strange tongue sometimes, and_that for_the_last two nights she had heard him groaning and weeping in_his bedroom . he_was all right, as far as money went, but in_his deposit he had given her what looked like a bad florin . she showed it to_me, Watson, and it_was an Indian rupee .

" so now, my dear fellow, you_see exactly how we stand and why it_is i_want you . it_is perfectly plain that after_the ladies parted from_this man he followed them at a distance, that he_saw the quarrel between husband and wife through_the window, that he rushed in, and_that the creature which he carried in_his box got loose . that_is all very certain . but he is_the only person in_this world who_can tell us exactly what happened in_that room ."

" and you intend to ask him ? "

" most certainly-- but in_the presence of a witness ."

" and I_am the witness ? "

" if_you_will_be so good . if he_can clear the matter up, well and good . if he refuses, we_have no alternative but to apply for a warrant ."

" but how do_you_know he'll be there when we return ? "

" you_may_be_sure that i_took some precautions . I_have one of_my baker street boys mounting guard over him who_would stick to him like a burr, go where he might . we_shall find him in Hudson street to- morrow, Watson, and meanwhile i_should_be the criminal myself if I kept you out of bed any longer ."

it_was midday when we_found ourselves at_the scene of_the tragedy, and, under my companion's guidance, we_made our way at once to Hudson street . in_spite of_his capacity for concealing his emotions, I_could easily see that Holmes was in a state of suppressed excitement, while i_was myself tingling with_that half-sporting, half- intellectual pleasure which I invariably experienced when I associated myself with_him in_his investigations .

" this_is_the street," said he, as_we turned into a short thoroughfare lined with plain tow- storied brick houses ."Ah, here_is Simpson to report ."

" he's in all right, Mr Holmes," cried a small street Arab, running up to_us .

" good, Simpson ! " said Holmes, patting him on_the head ." come along, Watson . this_is_the house ." he sent in_his card with a message that he had come on important business, and a moment later we were face_to_face with_the man whom we had come to_see . in_spite of_the warm weather he_was crouching over a fire, and_the little room was like an oven . the man sat all twisted and huddled in_his chair in a way which gave an indescribably impression of deformity; but the face which he turned towards us, though worn and swarthy, must at some_time have_been remarkable for its beauty . he looked suspiciously at us now out of yellow- shot, bilious eyes, and, without speaking or rising, he waved towards two chairs .

" Mr Henry wood, late of India, I believe," said Holmes, affably ."I've come over this little matter of colonel Barclay's death ."

" what should I_know about_that ? "

" that's what i_want to ascertain . you_know, I suppose, that unless the matter is cleared up, Mrs Barclay, who_is an old friend of yours, will in all probability be tried for murder ."

the man gave a violent start .

"I don't know who you_are," he cried, " nor how you come to_know what you_do know, but will_you swear that_this_is true that you tell me ? "

" why, they_are only waiting for her to_come to her senses to arrest her ."

" my god ! are_you in_the police yourself ? "

" no ."

" what business is_it of yours, then ? "

" it's every man's business to_see justice done ."

" you_can take my word that she_is innocent ."

" then you_are guilty ."

" no, I_am not ."

" who killed colonel James Barclay, then ? "

" it_was a just Providence that killed him . but, mind you this, that if I had knocked his brains out, as it_was in my heart to_do, he_would_have had no more than his due from my hands . if his own guilty conscience had_not struck him down it_is likely enough that I_might_have had his blood upon my soul . you_want me to_tell the story . well, I don't know why I shouldn't, for there's no cause for_me to_be ashamed of it .

" it_was in_this_way, sir . you_see me now with my back like a camel and by ribs all awry, but there_was a time when corporal Henry wood was_the smartest man in_the 117th foot . we were in India then, in cantonments, at a place we'll call Bhurtee .Barclay, who died the other day, was sergeant in_the same company as myself, and_the belle of_the regiment, ay, and_the finest girl that ever had the breath of life between her lips, was Nancy Devoy, the daughter of_the colour- sergeant . there were two men that loved her, and one that she loved, and you'll smile when_you look at_this poor thing huddled before_the fire, and hear me say that_it_was for_my good looks that she loved me .

" well, though I had her heart, her father was set upon her marrying Barclay . i_was aharum-scarum, reckless lad, and he had had an education, and was already marked for_the sword- belt . but the girl held true to_me, and it seemed that i_would_have had her when_the mutiny broke out, and all hell was loose in_the country .

" we were shut up in Bhurtee, the regiment of us with half a battery of artillery, a company of Sikhs, and alot of civilians and women- folk . there were ten thousand rebels round us, and_they were as keen as a set of terriers round a rat- cage . about_the second week of it our water gave out, and it_was a question whether we_could communicate with general Neill's column, which_was moving up country . it_was our only chance, for we_could_not hope to fight our way out with all the women and children, so I volunteered to_go out and to warn general Neill of_our danger . my offer was accepted, and i_talked it over with sergeant Barclay, who was supposed to_know the ground better than any_other man, and who drew up a route by_which I_might get through_the rebel lines . at ten o'clock the same night I started off upon my journey . there were a thousand lives to save, but it_was of only_one that i_was thinking when I dropped over the wall that night .

" my way ran down a dried- up watercourse, which we hoped would screen me from_the enemy's sentries; but as I crept round the corner of it I walked right into six of_them, who were crouching down in_the dark waiting for_me . in an instant i_was stunned with a blow and bound hand and foot . but the real blow was to my heart and not to my head, for as I_came to and listened to as_much as I_could understand of_their talk, I heard enough to_tell me that my comrade, the very man who had arranged the way that i_was to_take, had betrayed me by_means of a native servant into_the hands of_the enemy .

" well, there's no need for_me to dwell on_that part of it . you_know now what James Barclay was capable of .Bhurtee was relieved by Neill next_day, but the rebels took me away with_them in their retreat, and it_was many a long year before ever I_saw a white face again . i_was tortured and tried to_get away, and was captured and tortured again . you_can see for yourselves the state in_which i_was left . some_of_them that fled into Nepal took me with_them, and then afterwards i_was up past Darjeeling . the hill- folk up there murdered the rebels who had me, and I became their slave for a time until I escaped; but instead of going south I had to_go north, until I_found myself among_the Afghans . there I wandered about for many ayear, and at last came back to_the Punjaub, where I lived mostly among_the natives and picked up aliving by_the conjuring tricks that I had learned . what use was_it for_me, a wretched cripple, to_go back to England or to_make myself known to my old comrades ? even my wish for revenge would_not make me do_that .I had rather that Nancy and my old pals should think of Harry wood as having died with a straight back, than see him living and crawling with a stick like a chimpanzee . they never doubted that i_was dead, and I meant that_they never should .I heard that Barclay had married Nancy, and_that he_was rising rapidly in_the regiment, but even that did_not make me speak .

" but when one gets old one has alonging for home . for years I've been dreaming of_the bright green fields and_the hedges of England . at last I determined to_see them before I died .I saved enough to bring me across, and then I_came here where the soldiers are, for I_know their ways and how to amuse them and so earn enough to_keep me ."

" your narrative is most interesting," said Sherlock Holmes ." I_have already heard of your meeting with Mrs Barclay, and your mutual recognition . you then, as I understand, followed her home and saw through_the window an altercation between her husband and her, in_which she doubtless cast his conduct to_you in_his teeth . your own feelings overcame you, and you ran across the lawn and broke in upon them ."

" I_did, sir, and at_the sight of me he looked as I_have never seen a man look before, and over he went with_his head on_the fender . but he_was dead before he fell . I_read death on_his face as plain as I_can read that text over the fire . the bare sight of me was like a bullet through his guilty heart ."

" and then ? "

" then Nancy fainted, and I caught up the key of_the door from her hand, intending to unlock it and get help . but as i_was doing it it seemed to_me better to leave it alone and get away, for_the thing might look black against me, and any_way my secret would_be out if I were taken . in my haste I thrust the key into my pocket, and dropped my stick while i_was chasing Teddy, who had run up the curtain . when I got him into his box, from_which he had slipped, i_was off as fast as I_could run ."

" who's Teddy ? " asked Holmes .

the man leaned over and pulled up the front of a kind of hutch in_the corner . in an instant out there slipped a beautiful reddish- brown creature, thin and lithe, with_the legs of a stoat, a long, thin nose, and a pair of_the finest red eyes that ever I_saw in an animal's head .

" it's a mongoose," I cried .

" well, some call them that, and some call them ichneumon," said the man ." snake- catcher is what I call them, and Teddy is amazing quick on cobras . I_have one here without the fangs, and Teddy catches it every night to_please the folk in_the canteen .

" any_other point, sir ? "

" well, we_may_have to apply to_you again if Mrs Barclay should prove to_be in serious trouble ."

" in_that case, of_course, I'd come forward ."

" but if_not, there_is no object in raking up this scandal against a dead man, foully as he has acted . you_have at_least the satisfaction of knowing that for thirty years of_his life his conscience bitterly reproached him for_this wicked deed .Ah, there goes major Murphy on_the other side of_the street . good- by, wood . i_want to learn if anything has happened since yesterday ."

we were in_time to overtake the major before he reached the corner .

"Ah, Holmes," he_said: "I suppose you_have heard that all this fuss has_come to nothing ? "

" what then ? "

" the inquest is just over . the medical evidence showed conclusively that death was due to apoplexy . you_see it_was quite a simple case after all ."

"Oh, remarkably superficial," said Holmes, smiling ." come, Watson, I don't think we_shall_be wanted in Aldershot any more ."

" there's one_thing," said I, as_we walked down to_the station ." if_the husband's name was James, and_the other was Henry, what_was this talk about David ? "

" that one word, my dear Watson, should_have told me the whole story had I been the ideal reasoner which you_are so fond of depicting . it_was evidently a term of reproach ."

" of reproach ? " " yes; David strayed a little occasionally, you_know, and on one occasion in_the same direction as sergeant James Barclay . you remember the small affair of Uriah and Bathsheba ? my Biblical knowledge is a trifle rusty, I_fear, but you_will_find the story in_the first or second of Samuel ."

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