No. 9 The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb by Arthur Conan Doyle
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a sound which sent my heart into my mouth . it was_the clank of_the levers and_the swish of_the leaking cylinder . he had set the engine at work . the lamp still stood upon_the floor where I had placed it when examining the trough . by its light I_saw that_the black ceiling was coming down upon me, slowly, jerkily, but, as none knew better than myself, with a force which_must within a minute grind me to a shapeless pulp .I threw myself, screaming, against the door, and dragged with my nails at_the lock .I implored the colonel to let me out, but the remorseless clanking of_the levers drowned my cries . the ceiling was only a foot or two above my head, and with my hand upraised I_could feel its hard, rough surface . then it flashed through my mind that_the pain of_my death would depend very_much upon_the position in_which I met it . if I lay on my face the weight would come upon my spine, and I shuddered to_think of_that dreadful snap . easier the other way, perhaps; and yet, had I the nerve to lie and look up at_that deadly black shadow wavering down upon me ? already i_was unable to stand erect, when my eye caught something which brought a gush of hope back to my heart .

" I_have said that though the floor and ceiling were of iron, the walls were of wood . as I_gave a last hurried glance around, I_saw a thin line of yellow light between two of_the boards, which broadened and broadened as a small panel was pushed backward . for an instant I_could hardly believe that here was indeed a door which led away from death . the next instant I threw myself through, and lay half-fainting upon_the other side . the panel had closed again behind me, but the crash of_the lamp, and a few_moments afterwards the clang of_the two slabs of metal, told me how narrow had_been my escape .

" i_was recalled to myself by a frantic plucking at my wrist, and I_found myself lying upon_the stone floor of a narrow corridor, while a woman bent over me and tugged at me with her left_hand, while she held a candle in her right . it was_the same good friend whose warning I had so foolishly rejected .

"' come ! come ! ' she cried breathlessly .' they_will_be here in a moment . they_will see that you_are_not there .Oh, do_not waste the so- precious time, but come ! '

" this_time, at_least, I_did_not scorn her advice .I staggered to my feet and ran with her along the corridor and down awinding stair . the latter led to another broad passage, and just as_we reached it we heard the sound of running feet and_the shouting of two voices, one answering the other from_the floor on_which we were and from_the one beneath . my guide stopped and looked about her like one who_is at her wit's end . then she threw open a door which led into a bedroom, through_the window of_which the moon was shining brightly .

"' it_is your only chance,' said she .' it_is high, but it may_be that you_can jump it .'

" as she spoke a light sprang into view at_the further end of_the passage, and I_saw the lean figure of colonel Lysander stark rushing forward with a lantern in one hand and a weapon like a butcher's cleaver in_the other .I rushed across the bedroom, flung open the window, and looked out . how quiet and sweet and wholesome the garden looked in_the moonlight, and it could_not_be more than thirty feet down .I clambered out upon_the sill, but I hesitated to jump until i_should_have heard what passed between my saviour and_the ruffian who pursued me . if she were ill- used, then at any risks i_was determined to_go back to her assistance . the thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he_was at_the door, pushing his way past her; but she threw her arms round him and tried to hold him back .

"'Fritz ! Fritz ! ' she cried in English, ' remember your promise after_the last time . you said it should_not_be again . he_will_be silent ! Oh, he_will_be silent ! '

"' you_are mad, Elise ! ' he shouted, struggling to break away from her .' you_will_be the ruin of us . he has seen too_much . let me pass, I_say ! ' he dashed her to one side, and, rushing to_the window, cut at me with_his heavy weapon .I had let myself go, and was hanging by_the hands to_the sill, when his blow fell . i_was conscious of a dull pain, my grip loosened, and I fell into_the garden below .

" i_was shaken but not hurt by_the fall; so I picked myself up and rushed off among_the bushes as hard as I_could run, for I understood that i_was far from being out of danger yet . suddenly, however, as I ran, a deadly dizziness and sickness came over me .I glanced down at my hand, which_was throbbing painfully, and then, for_the first time, saw that my thumb had_been cut off and_that the blood was pouring from my wound .I endeavoured to tie my handkerchief round it, but there came a sudden buzzing in my ears, and next moment I fell in a dead faint among_the rose-bushes .

" how long I remained unconscious I_cannot tell . it must_have been a very long_time, for_the moon had sunk, and a bright morning was breaking when I_came to myself . my clothes were all sodden with dew, and my coat- sleeve was drenched with blood from my wounded thumb . the smarting of it recalled in an instant all the particulars of_my night's adventure, and I sprang to my feet with_the feeling that I_might hardly yet be safe from my pursuers . but to my astonishment, when I_came to look round me, neither house nor garden were to_be seen .I had_been lying in an angle of_the hedge close by_the highroad, and just a little lower down was a long building, which proved, upon my approaching it, to_be the very station at which I had arrived upon_the previous night . were it not for_the ugly wound upon my hand, all that had passed during those dreadful hours might_have_been an evil dream .

" half dazed, I went into_the station and asked about_the morning train . there would_be one to Reading in less_than an hour . the same porter was on duty, I_found, as had_been there when I arrived .I inquired of him whether he had ever heard of colonel Lysander stark . the name was strange to him . had he observed a carriage the night before waiting for_me ? no, he had_not . was there a police- station anywhere near ? there_was one about three miles off .

" it_was too far for_me to_go, weak and ill as i_was .I determined to wait until I got back to town before telling my story to_the police . it_was a little past six when I arrived, so I went first to_have my wound dressed, and then the doctor was kind enough to bring me along here .I put the case into your hands and shall do exactly what you advise ."

we both sat in silence for some little time after listening to_this extraordinary narrative . then Sherlock Holmes pulled down from_the shelf one_of_the ponderous commonplace books in_which he placed his cuttings .

" here_is an advertisement which will interest you," said he ." it appeared in all the papers about a year ago . listen to_this: ' lost, on_the 9th inst ., Mr Jeremiah Hayling, aged twenty-six, a hydraulic engineer . left his lodgings at ten o'clock at night, and has_not_been heard of since . was dressed in,' etc ., etc .Ha ! that represents the last time that_the colonel needed to_have his machine overhauled, I fancy ."

" good heavens ! " cried my patient ." then that explains what the girl said ."

" undoubtedly . it_is quite clear that_the colonel was a cool and desperate man, who was absolutely determined that nothing should stand in_the way of_his little game, like those out- and- out pirates who_will leave no survivor from a captured ship . well, every moment now is precious, so if_you feel equal to_it we_shall go down to Scotland yard at once as a preliminary to starting for Eyford ."

some three hours or so afterwards we were all in_the train together, bound from Reading to_the little Berkshire village . there were Sherlock Holmes, the hydraulic engineer, inspector Bradstreet, of Scotland yard, a plain- clothes man, and myself .Bradstreet had spread an ordnance map of_the county out upon_the seat and was busy with_his compasses drawing a circle with Eyford for its centre .

" there you_are," said he ." that circle is drawn at a radius of ten miles from_the village . the place we_want must_be somewhere near that line . you said ten miles, i_think, sir ."

" it_was an hour's good drive ."

" and you_think that_they brought you back all that way when_you were unconscious ? "

" they_must_have done so . I_have a confused memory, too, of having been lifted and conveyed somewhere ."

" what I_cannot understand," said I, " is why they should_have spared you when_they found you lying fainting in_the garden . perhaps the villain was softened by_the woman's entreaties ."

"I hardly think that likely .I never saw a more inexorable face in my life ."

"Oh, we_shall soon clear up all that," said Bradstreet ." well, I_have drawn my circle, and I only wish I_knew at what point upon it the folk that we_are in search of are to_be found ."

" i_think I_could lay my finger on_it," said Holmes quietly .

" really, now ! " cried the inspector, " you_have formed your opinion ! come, now, we_shall see who agrees with_you . I_say it_is south, for_the country is more deserted there ."

" and I_say east," said my patient .

" I_am for west," remarked the plain- clothes man ." there_are several quiet little villages up there ."

" and I_am for north," said I, " because there_are no hills there, and_our friend says that he_did_not notice the carriage go up any ."

" come," cried the inspector, laughing; " it's a very pretty diversity of opinion . we_have boxed the compass among us . who do_you give your casting vote to ? "

" you_are all wrong ."

" but we_can't all be ."

"Oh, yes, you_can . this_is my point ." he placed his finger in_the centre of_the circle ." this_is where we_shall find them ."

" but the twelve- mile drive ? " gasped Hatherley .

"Six out and six back . nothing simpler . you say yourself that_the horse was fresh and glossy when_you got in . how could it be that if_it had gone twelve miles over heavy roads ? "

" indeed, it_is a likely ruse enough," observed Bradstreet thoughtfully ." of_course there can_be no_doubt as_to_the nature of_this gang ."

" none at all," said Holmes ." they_are coiners on a large scale, and_have used the machine to_form the amalgam which_has taken the place of silver ."

" we_have known for some_time that a clever gang was at work," said the inspector ." they_have been turning out half-crowns by_the thousand . we even traced them as far as Reading, but could get no farther, for they had covered their traces in a way that showed that_they were very old hands . but now, thanks to_this lucky chance, i_think that we_have got them right enough ."

but the inspector was mistaken, for_those criminals were_not destined to_fall into_the hands of justice . as_we rolled into Eyford station we saw a gigantic column of smoke which streamed up from behind a small clump of trees in_the neighbourhood and hung like an immense ostrich feather over the landscape .

"A house on fire ? " asked Bradstreet as_the train steamed off again on its way .

" yes, sir ! " said the station- master .

" when did it break out ? "

"I hear that_it_was during the night, sir, but it has got worse, and_the whole place is in a blaze ."

" whose house is_it ? "

"Dr .Becher's ."

" tell me," broke in_the engineer, " is Dr .Becher a German, very thin, with a long, sharp nose ? "

the station- master laughed heartily ." no, sir, Dr .Becher is an Englishman, and there isn't a man in_the parish who has a better- lined waistcoat . but he has a gentleman staying with_him, a patient, as I understand, who_is a foreigner, and he looks as_if a little good Berkshire beef would do him no harm ."

the station- master had_not finished his speech before we were all hastening in_the direction of_the fire . the road topped a low hill, and there_was a great widespread whitewashed building in front of us, spouting fire at every chink and window, while in_the garden in front three fire-engines were vainly striving to_keep the flames under .

" that's it ! " cried Hatherley, in intense excitement ." there_is the gravel- drive, and there_are the rose-bushes where I lay . that second window is_the one that I jumped from ."

" well, at_least," said Holmes, " you_have_had your revenge upon them . there can_be no question that_it_was your oil- lamp which, when it_was crushed in_the press, set fire to_the wooden walls, though no_doubt they were too excited in_the chase after you to observe it at_the_time . now keep your eyes open in_this crowd for your friends of last night, though I very_much fear that_they_are a good hundred miles off by now ."

and Holmes's fears came to_be realised, for from_that day to_this no word has ever been heard either of_the beautiful woman, the sinister German, or the morose Englishman . early that morning a peasant had met a cart containing several people and some very bulky boxes driving rapidly in_the direction of Reading, but there all traces of_the fugitives disappeared, and even Holmes's ingenuity failed ever to discover the least clew as to_their whereabouts .

the firemen had_been much perturbed at_the strange arrangements which they had found within, and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb upon a window-sill of_the second floor . about sunset, however, their efforts were at last successful, and_they subdued the flames, but not before_the roof had fallen in, and_the whole place been reduced to such absolute ruin that, save some twisted cylinders and iron piping, not a trace remained of_the machinery which had cost our unfortunate acquaintance so dearly . large masses of nickel and of tin were discovered stored in an out- house, but no coins were to_be found, which_may have explained the presence of_those bulky boxes which_have been already referred to .

how our hydraulic engineer had_been conveyed from_the garden to_the spot where he recovered his senses might_have remained forever a mystery were it not for_the soft mould, which told us a very plain tale . he had evidently been carried down by two persons, one of whom had remarkably small feet and_the other unusually large ones . on_the whole, it_was most probable that_the silent Englishman, being less bold or less murderous than his companion, had assisted the woman to bear the unconscious man out_of_the way of danger .

" well," said our engineer ruefully as_we took our seats to return once more to London, " it_has_been a pretty business for_me ! I_have lost my thumb and I_have lost afifty- guinea fee, and what have I gained ? "

" experience," said Holmes, laughing ." indirectly it may_be of value, you_know; you_have only to_put it into words to gain the reputation of being excellent company for_the remainder of your existence ."

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