No. 5 The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the ' Gloria Scott'

by Arthur Conan Doyle

" I_have some papers here," said my friend Sherlock Holmes, as_we sat one winter's night on either side of_the fire, " which I really think, Watson, that_it would_be worth your while to glance over . these are the documents in_the extraordinary case of_the Gloria Scott, and this_is_the message which struck justice of_the peace Trevor dead with horror when he read it ."

he had picked from a drawer a little tarnished cylinder, and, undoing the tape, he handed me a short note scrawled upon a half- sheet of slate grey- paper .

" the supply of game for London is going steadily up," it ran ." head- keeper Hudson, we believe, had_been now told to receive all orders for fly- paper and for preservation of you hen- pheasant's life ."

as I glanced up from reading this enigmatic message, I_saw Holmes chuckling at_the expression upon my face .

" you look a little bewildered," said he .

"I cannot_see how such a message as_this could inspire horror . it seems to_me to_be rather grotesque than otherwise ."

" very likely . yet the fact remains that_the reader, who was a fine, robust old man, was knocked clean down by_it as_if it had_been the butt end of a pistol ."

" you arouse my curiosity," said I ." but why did you say just now that there were very particular reasons why i_should study this_case ? "

" because it was_the first in_which i_was ever engaged ."

I had often endeavoured to elicit from my companion what had first turned is mind in_the direction of criminal research, but had never caught him before in a communicative humour . now he sat forward in_this arm chair and spread out the documents upon his knees . then he lit his pipe and sat for some_time smoking and turning them over .

" you never heard me talk of victor Trevor ? " he asked ." he was_the only friend I_made during the two years i_was at college . i_was never a very sociable fellow, Watson, always rather fond of moping in my rooms and working out my own little methods of thought, so_that I never mixed much with_the men of_my year . bar fencing and boxing I had few athletic tastes, and then my line of study was quite distinct from_that of_the other fellows, so_that we had no pints of contact at all .Trevor was_the only man I_knew, and_that only through_the accident of_his bull terrier freezing on to my ankle one morning as I went down to chapel .

" it_was a prosaic way of forming a friendship, but it_was effective . i_was laid by_the heels for ten days, but Trevor used to_come in to inquire after me . at first it_was only a minute's chat, but soon his visits lengthened, and before_the end of_the term we were close friends . he_was a hearty, full- blooded fellow, full of spirits and energy, the very opposite to_me in most respects, but we had some subjects in common, and it_was a bond of Union when I_found that he_was as friendless as I . finally, he invited me down to_his father's place at Donnithorpe, in Norfolk, and I accepted his hospitality for a month of_the long vacation .

" old Trevor was evidently a man of some wealth and consideration, aJ .P ., and a landed proprietor .Donnithorpe is a little hamlet just to_the north of Langmere, in_the country of_the Broads . the house was and old- fashioned, wide- spread, oak- beamed brick building, with a fine lime- lined avenue leading up to_it . there_was excellent wild- duck shooting in_the fens, remarkably good fishing, a small but select library, taken over, as I understood, from a former occupant, and a tolerable cook, so_that he_would_be a fastidious man who_could_not put in a pleasant month there .

"Trevor senior was a widower, and my friend his only son .

" there had_been a daughter, I heard, but she had died of diphtheria while on a visit to Birmingham . the father interested me extremely . he_was a man of little culture, but with a considerable amount of rude strength, both physically and mentally . he_knew hardly any books, but he had travelled far, had seen much of_the world . and had remembered all that he had learned . in person he_was a thick- set, burly man with a shock of grizzled hair, a brown, weather- beaten face, and blue eyes which were keen to_the verge of fierceness . yet he had a reputation for kindness and charity on_the country- side, and was noted for_the leniency of_his sentences from_the bench .

" one evening, shortly after my arrival, we were sitting over a glass of port after dinner, when young Trevor began to_talk about_those habits of observation and inference which I had already formed into a system, although I had_not yet appreciated the part which they were to play in my life . the old man evidently thought that his son was exaggerating in_his description of one_or_two trivial feats which I had performed .

"' come, now, Mr Holmes,' said he, laughing good-houmoredly .'I'm an excellent subject, if_you_can deduce anything from me .'

"' I_fear there_is not very_much,' I answered; ' I_might suggest_that you have_gone about in fear of some personal attack with_the last twelvemonth .'

" the laugh faded from_his lips, and he stared at me in great surprise .

"' well, that's true enough,' said he .' you_know, victor,' turning to_his son, ' when we broke up that poaching gang they swore to knife us, and sir Edward holly has actually been attacked .I've always been on my guard since then, though I_have no idea how you_know it .'

"' you_have a very handsome stick,' I answered .' by_the inscription I observed that you had_not had it more than a year . but you_have taken some pains to bore the head of it and pour melted lead into_the hole so as to_make it a formidable weapon .I argued that you_would_not take such precautions unless you had some danger to fear .'

"' anything else ? ' he asked, smiling .

"' you_have boxed a good_deal in your youth .'

"' right again . how did you_know it ? is my nose knocked a little out_of_the straight ? ' "' no,' said I .' it_is your ears . they_have the peculiar flattening and thickening which marks the boxing man .'

"' anything else ? '

"' you have_done a good_deal of digging by your callosities .'

"' made all my money at_the gold fields .'

"' you_have_been in New_Zealand .'

"' right again .'

"' you_have visited Japan .'

"' quite true .'

"' and you_have_been most intimately associated with some one whose initials were J .a. , and whom you afterwards were eager to entirely forget .'

" Mr Trevor stood slowly up, fixed his large blue eyes upon me with a strange wild stare, and then pitched forward, with_his face among_the nutshells which strewed the cloth, in a dead faint .

" you_can imagine, Watson, how shocked both his son and I were . his attack did_not last long, however, for when we undid his collar, and sprinkled the water from one_of_the finger-glasses over his face, he_gave a gasp or two and sat up .

"'Ah, boys,' said he, forcing a smile, ' I_hope I haven't frightened you . strong as I look, there_is a weak place in my heart, and it does_not take much to knock me over .I don't know how you manage this, Mr Holmes, but it seems to_me that all the detectives of fact and of fancy would_be children in your hands . that's you line of life, sir, and you_may take_the word of a man who has seen something of_the world .'

" and_that recommendation, with_the exaggerated estimate of_my ability with_which he prefaced it, was, if_you_will believe me, Watson, the very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might_be made out of what had up_to that_time been the merest hobby . at_the moment, however, i_was too_much concerned at_the sudden illness of_my host to_think of anything else .

"' I_hope_that I_have said nothing to pain you ? ' said I .

"' well, you certainly touched upon rather a tender point . might I ask how you_know, and how_much you_know ? ' he spoke now in a half-jesting fashion, but a look of terror still lurked at_the back of_his eyes .

"' it_is simplicity itself,' said I .' when_you bared your arm to draw that fish into_the boat I_saw that J .a. had_been tattooed in_the bend of_the elbow . the letters were still legible, but it_was perfectly clear from their blurred appearance, and from_the staining of_the skin round them, that efforts had_been made to obliterate them . it_was obvious, then, that_those initials had once been very familiar to_you, and_that you had afterwards wished to forget them .'

" what an eye you_have ! " he cried, with a sigh of relief .' it_is just as_you say . but we won't talk of it . of all ghosts the ghosts of_our old lovers are the worst . come into_the billiard- room and_have a quiet cigar .'

" from_that day, amid all his cordiality, there_was always a touch of suspicion in Mr Trevor's manner towards me . even his son remarked it .' you've given the governor such a turn,' said he, ' that he'll never be_sure again of what you_know and what you don't know .' he_did_not mean to show it, I_am_sure, but it_was so strongly in_his mind that_it peeped out at every action . at last I became so convinced that i_was causing him uneasiness that I drew my visit to a close . on_the very day, however, before I left, and incident occurred which proved in_the sequel to_be of importance .

" we were sitting out upon_the lawn on garden chairs, the three of us, basking in_the sun and admiring the view across the Broads, when a maid came out to_say that there_was a man at_the door who wanted to_see Mr Trevor .

"' what_is his name ? ' asked my host .

"' he_would_not give any .'

"' what does he want, then ? '

"' he_says that you_know him, and_that he only wants a moment's conversation .'

"' show him round here .' an instant afterwards there appeared a little wizened fellow with acringing manner and ashambling style of walking . he wore an open jacket, with a splotch of tar on_the sleeve, a red- and- black check shirt, dungaree trousers, and heavy boots badly worn . his face was thin and brown and crafty, with a perpetual smile upon it, which showed an irregular line of yellow teeth, and_his crinkled hands were half closed in a way that_is distinctive of sailors . as he_came slouching across the lawn I heard Mr Trevor make a sort of hiccoughing noise in_his throat, and jumping out of_his chair, he ran into_the house . he_was back in a moment, and I smelt a strong reek of brandy as he passed me .

"' well, my man,' said he .' what can I_do for_you ? '

" the sailor stood looking at him with puckered eyes, and with_the same loose-lipped smile upon his face .

"' you don't know me ? ' he asked .

"' why, dear me, it_is surely Hudson,' said Mr Trevor in a tone of surprise .

"' Hudson it_is, sir,' said the seaman .' why, it's thirty year and more since I_saw you last . here you_are in your house, and me still picking my salt meat out_of_the harness cask .'

"'Tut, you_will_find that I_have_not forgotten old times,' cried Mr Trevor, and, walking towards the sailor, he_said something in a low voice .' go into_the kitchen,' he continued out loud, ' and you_will get food and drink . I_have no_doubt that I_shall find you a situation .'

"' thank_you, sir,' said the seaman, touching his fore- lock .'I'm just off a two-yearer in an eight- knot tramp, short- handed at_that, and I wants a rest . i_thought I'd get it either with Mr Beddoes or with_you .'

"'Ah ! ' cried Trevor .' you_know where Mr Beddoes is ? '

"' bless you, sir, I_know where all my old friends are,' said the fellow with a sinister smile, and he slouched off after_the maid to_the kitchen .Mr Trevor mumbled something to_us about having been shipmate with_the man when he_was going back to_the diggings, and then, leaving us on_the lawn, he went indoors . an hour later, when we entered the house, we_found him stretched dead drunk upon_the dining- room sofa . the whole incident left a most ugly impression upon my mind, and i_was not sorry next_day to leave Donnithorpe behind me, for I_felt that my presence must_be a source of embarrassment to my friend .

" all this occurred during the first month of_the long vacation .I went up_to my London rooms, where I spent seven weeks working out a few experiments in organic chemistry . on day, however, when_the autumn was far advanced and_the vacation drawing to a close, I received a telegram from my friend imploring me to return to Donnithorpe, and saying that he_was in great need of_my advice and assistance . of_course I dropped everything and set out for_the north once more .

" he met me with_the dog- cart at_the station, and I_saw at a glance that_the last two months had_been very trying ones for him . he had grown thin and careworn, and had lost the loud, cheery manner for_which he had_been remarkable .

"' the governor is dying,' were the first words he_said .

"' impossible ! ' I cried .' what_is the matter ? '

"' apoplexy . nervous shock, he's been on_the verge all day . I_doubt if we_shall find him alive .'

" i_was, as_you_may think, Watson, horrified at_this unexpected news .

"' what has caused it ? ' I asked .

"'Ah, that_is_the point . jump in and we_can talk it over while we drive . you remember that fellow who came upon_the evening before_you left us ? '

"' perfectly .'

"' do_you_know who it was_that we let into_the house that day ? '

"' I_have no idea .'

"' it was_the devil, Holmes,' he cried .

"I stared at him in astonishment .

"' yes, it was_the devil himself . we_have_not had a peaceful hour since-- not one . the governor has never held up his head from_that evening, and now the life has_been crushed out of him and_his heart broken, all through_this accursed Hudson .'

"' what power had he, then ? '

"'Ah, that_is what i_would give so_much to_know . the kindly, charitable, good old governor-- how could he have fallen into_the clutches of_such a ruffian ! but I_am so glad that you_have come, Holmes .I trust very_much to your judgement and discretion, and I_know that you_will advise me for_the best .'

" we were dashing along the smooth white country road, with_the long stretch of_the Broads in front of us glimmering in_the red light of_the setting sun .

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