the pursuit of the house-boat-第14章

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y　losing　time。〃

〃The　sequel　is　brief；　and　I　can　narrate　it　on　our　way　to　the　office　of　the　Navigation　Company；〃　observed　the　detective。　　〃When　the　bottle　came　I　invited　Mr。　Burgess　to　join　us；　which　he　did；　and　as　the　hour　was　late　when　we　came　to　separate；　I　offered　him　the　use　of　my　parlor　overnight。　　This　he　accepted；　and　we　retired。

〃The　next　morning　when　I　arose　to　dress；　the　mystery　was　cleared。〃

〃You　had　dreamed　its　solution？〃　asked　Raleigh。

〃No；〃　replied　Holmes。　　〃Burgess　had　disappeared　with　all　my　clothing；　my　false…beard；　my　suit…case；　and　my　watch。　　The　only　thing　he　had　left　me　was　the　bathing…suit　and　a　few　empty　small　bottles。〃

〃And　why；　may　I　ask；〃　put　in　Hamlet；　as　they　drew　near　to　Charon's　office〃why　does　that　case　remind　you　of　business　as　it　is　conducted　to…day？〃

〃In　this；　that　it　is　a　good　thing　to　stay　out　of　unless　you　know　it　all；〃　explained　Holmes。　　〃I　omitted　in　the　case　of　Burgess　to　observe　one　thing　about　him。　　Had　I　observed　that　his　nose　was　rectilinear；　incurved；　and　with　a　lifted　base；　and　that　his　auricular　temporal　angle　was　between　96　and　97　degrees；　I　should　have　known　at　once　that　he　was　an　impostor　Vide　Ottolenghui　on　'Ears　and　Noses　I　Have　Met；'　pp。　631…640。〃

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　can　tell　a　criminal　by　his　ears？〃　demanded　Hamlet。

〃If　he　has　anyyes；　but　I　did　not　know　that　at　the　time　of　the　Brighton　mystery。　　Therefore　I　should　have　stayed　out　of　the　case。　But　here　we　are。　　Good…morning；　Charon。〃

By　this　time　the　trio　had　entered　the　private　office　of　the　president　of　the　Styx　Navigation　Company；　and　in　a　few　moments　the　vessel　was　chartered　at　a　fabulous　price。

On　the　return　to　the　wharf；　Sir　Walter　somewhat　nervously　asked　Holmes　if　he　thought　the　plan　they　had　settled　upon　would　work。

〃Charon　is　a　very　shrewd　old　fellow；〃　said　he。　　〃He　may　outwit　us　yet。〃

〃The　chances　are　just　two　and　one…eighth　degrees　in　your　favor；〃　observed　Holmes；　quietly；　with　a　glance　at　Raleigh's　ears。　　〃The　temporal　angle　of　your　ears　is　93。125　degrees；　whereas　Charon's　stand　out　at　91；　by　my　otometer。　　To　that　extent　your　criminal　instincts　are　superior　to　his。　　If　criminology　is　an　exact　science；　reasoning　by　your　respective　ears；　you　ought　to　beat　him　out　by　a　perceptible　though　possibly　narrow　margin。〃

With　which　assurance　Raleigh　went　ahead　with　his　preparations；　and　within　twelve　hours　the　Gehenna　was　under　way；　carrying　a　full　complement　of　crew　and　officers；　with　every　state…room　on　board　occupied　by　some　spirit　of　the　more　illustrious　kind。

Even　Shylock　was　on　board；　though　no　one　knew　it；　for　in　the　dead　of　night　he　had　stolen　quietly　up　the　gang…plank　and　had　hidden　himself　in　an　empty　water…cask　in　the　forecastle。

〃'Tisn't　Venice；〃　he　said；　as　he　sat　down　and　breathed　heavily　through　the　bung　of　the　barrel；　〃but　it's　musty　and　damp　enough；　and；　considering　the　cost；　I　can't　complain。　　You　can't　get　something　for　nothing；　even　in　Hades。〃



CHAPTER　VIII：　　ON　BOARD　THE　〃GEHENNA〃



When　the　Gehenna　had　passed　down　the　Styx　and　out　through　the　beautiful　Cimmerian　Harbor　into　the　broad　waters　of　the　ocean；　and　everything　was　comparatively　safe　for　a　while　at　least；　Sherlock　Holmes　came　down　from　the　bridge；　where　he　had　taken　his　place　as　the　commander　of　the　expedition　at　the　moment　of　departure。　　His　brow　was　furrowed　with　anxiety；　and　through　his　massive　forehead　his　brain　could　be　seen　to　be　throbbing　violently；　and　the　corrugations　of　his　gray　matter　were　not　pleasant　to　witness　as　he　tried　vainly　to　squeeze　an　idea　out　of　them。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　Demosthenes；　anxiously。　　〃We　are　not　in　any　danger；　are　we？〃

〃No；〃　replied　Holmes。　　〃But　I　am　somewhat　puzzled　at　the　bubbles　on　the　surface　of　the　ocean；　and　the　ripples　which　we　passed　over　an　hour　or　two　ago；　barely　perceptible　through　the　most　powerful　microscope；　indicate　to　my　mind　that　for　some　reason　at　present　unknown　to　me　the　House…boat　has　changed　her　course。　　Take　that　bubble　floating　by。　　It　is　the　last　expiring　bit　of　aerial　agitation　of　the　House…boat's　wake。　　Observe　whence　it　comes。　　Not　from　the　Azores　quarter；　but　as　if　instead　of　steering　a　straight　course　thither　the　House…boat　had　taken　a　sharp　turn　to　the　north…east；　and　was　making　for　Havre；　or；　in　other　words；　Paris　instead　of　London　seems　to　have　become　their　destination。〃

Demosthenes　looked　at　Holmes　with　blank　amazement；　and；　to　keep　from　stammering　out　the　exclamation　of　wonder　that　rose　to　his　lips；　he　opened　his　bonbonniere　and　swallowed　a　pebble。

〃You　don't　happen　to　have　a　cocaine　tablet　in　your　box；　do　you？〃　queried　Holmes。

〃No；〃　returned　the　Greek。　　〃Cocaine　makes　me　flighty　and　nervous；　but　these　pebbles　sort　of　ballast　me　and　hold　me　down。　　How　on　earth　do　you　know　that　that　bubble　comes　from　the　wake　of　the　House…boat？〃

〃By　my　chemical　knowledge；　merely；〃　replied　Holmes。　　〃A　merely　worldly　vessel　leaves　a　phosphorescent　bubble　in　its　wake。　　That　one　we　have　just　discovered　is　not　so；　but　sulphurescent；　if　I　may　coin　a　word　which　it　seems　to　me　the　English　language　is　very　much　in　need　of。　　It　proves；　then；　that　the　bubble　is　a　portion　of　the　wake　of　a　Stygian　craft；　and　the　only　Stygian　craft　that　has　cleared　the　Cimmerian　Harbor　for　years　is　the　House…boatQ。　E。　D。〃

〃We　can　go　back　until　we　find　the　ripple　again；　and　follow　that；　I　presume；〃　sneered　Le　Coq；　who　did　not　take　much　stock　in　the　theories　of　his　great　rival；　largely　because　he　was　a　detective　by　intuition　rather　than　by　study　of　the　science。

〃You　can　if　you　want　to；　but　it　is　better　not　to；〃　rejoined　Holmes；　simply；　as　though　not　observing　the　sneer；　〃because　the　ripple　represents　the　outer　lines　of　the　angle　of　disturbance　in　the　water；　and　as　any　one　of　the　sides　to　an　angle　is　greater　than　the　perpendicular　from　the　hypothenuse　to　the　apex；　you'd　merely　be　going　the　long　way。　　This　is　especially　important　when　you　consider　the　formation　of　the　bow　of　the　House…boat；　which　is　rounded　like　the　stern　of　most　vessels；　and　comes　near　to　making　a　pair　of　ripples　at　an　angle　of　ninety　degrees。〃

〃Then；〃　observed　Sir　Walter；　with　a　sigh　of　disappointment；　〃we　must　change　our　course　and　sail　for　Paris？〃

〃I　am　afraid　so；〃　said　Holmes；　〃but　of　course　it's　by　no　means　certain　as　yet。　　I　think　if　Columbus　would　go　up　into　the　mizzentop　and　look　about　him；　he　might　discover　something　either　in　confirmation　or　refutation　of　the　theory。〃

〃He　couldn't　discover　anything；〃　put　in　Pinzon。　　〃He　never　did。〃

〃Well；　I　like　that！〃　retorted　Columbus。　　〃I'd　like　to　know　who　discovered　America。〃

〃So　should　I；〃　observed　Leif　Ericson；　with　a　wink　at　Vespucci。

〃Tut！〃　retorted　Columbus。　　〃I　did　it；　and　the　world　knows　it；　whether　you　claim　it　or　not。〃

〃Yes；　just　as　Noah　discovered　Ararat；〃　replied　Pinzon。　　〃You　sat　upon　the　deck　until　we　ran　plumb　into　an　island；　after　floating　about　for　three　months；　and　then　you　couldn't　tell　it　from　a　continent；　even　when　you　had　it　right　before　your　eyes。　　Noah　might　just　as　well　have　told　his　family　that　he　discovered　a　roof　garden　as　for　you　to　go　back　to　Spain　telling　'em　all　that　San　Salvador　was　the　United　States。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　care；〃　said　Columbus；　with　a　short　laugh。　　〃I'm　the　one　they　celebrate；　so　what's　the　odds？　　I'd　rather　stay　down　here　in　the　smoking…room　enjoying　a　small　game；　anyhow；　than　climb　up　that　mast　and　strain　my　eyes　for　ten　or　a　dozen　hours　looking　for　evidence　to　prove　or　disprove　the　correctness　of　another　man's　theory。　　I　wouldn't　know　evidence　when　I　saw　it；　anyhow。　　Send　Judge　Blackstone。〃

〃I　draw　the　line　at　the　mizzentop；〃　observed　Blackstone。　　〃The　dignity　of　the　bench　must　and　shall　be　preserved；　and　I'll　never　consent　to　climb　up　that　rigging；　getting　pitch　and　paint　on　my　ermine；　no　matter　who　asks　me　to　go。〃

〃Whomsoever　I　tell　to　go；　shall　go；〃　put　in　Holmes；　firmly。　　〃I　am　commander　of　this　ship。　　It　will　pay　you　to　remember　that；　Judge　Blackstone。〃

〃And　I　am　the　Court　of　Appeals；〃　retorted　Blackstone；　hotly。　　〃Bear　that　in　mind；　captain；　when　you　try　to　send　me　up。　　I'll　issue　a　writ　of　habeas　corpus　on　my　own　body；　and　commit　you　for　contempt。〃

〃There's　no　use　of　sending　the　Judge；　anyhow；〃　said　Raleigh；　fearing　by　the　glitter　that