No. 8 The Adventure of the Crooked Man by Arthur Conan Doyle
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]
. 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 atime 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, awretched 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 astraight back, than see him living and crawling with astick like achimpanzee .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 aman 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 abullet 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 akind of hutch in_the corner .In an instant out there slipped abeautiful reddish-brown creature, thin and lithe, with_the legs of astoat, along, thin nose, and apair of_the finest red eyes that ever I_saw in an animal's head .

"It's amongoose," 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 adead 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 asimple 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 aterm of reproach ."

"Of reproach ? " "Yes; David strayed alittle 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 atrifle rusty, I_fear, but you_will_find the story in_the first or second of Samuel ."

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]