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the adventure of wisteria lodge-第5章

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that they are not human。〃

  Holmes smiled and rubbed his hands。

  〃I must congratulate you; Inspector; on handling so distinctive

and instructive a case。 Your powers; if I may say so without

offence; seem superior to your opportunities。〃

  Inspector Baynes's small eyes twinkled with pleasure。

  〃You're right; Mr。 Holmes。 We stagnate in the provinces。 A case of

this sort gives a man a chance; and I hope that I shall take it。

What do you make of these bones?〃

  〃A lamb; I should say; or a kid。〃

  〃And the white cock?〃

  〃Curious; Mr。 Baynes; very curious。 I should say almost unique。〃

  〃Yes; sir; there must have been some very strange people with some

very strange ways in this house。 One of them is dead。 Did his

companions follow him and kill him? If they did we should have them;

for every port is watched。 But my own views are different。 Yes; sir;

my own views are very different。〃

  〃You have a theory then?〃

  〃And I'll work it myself; Mr。 Holmes。 It's only due to my own credit

to do so。 Your name is made; but I have still to make mine。 I should

be glad to be able to say afterwards that I had solved it without your

help。〃

  Holmes laughed good…humouredly。

  〃Well; well; Inspector;〃 said he。 〃Do you follow your path and I

will follow mine。 My results are always very much at your service if

you care to apply to me for them。 I think that I have seen all that

I wish in this house; and that my time may be more profitably employed

elsewhere。 Au revoir and good luck!〃

  I could tell by numerous subtle signs; which might have been lost

upon anyone but myself; that Holmes was on a hot scent。 As impassive

as ever to the casual observer; there were none the less a subdued

eagerness and suggestion of tension in his brightened eyes and brisker

manner which assured me that the game was a foot。 After his habit he

said nothing; and after mine I asked no questions。 Sufficient for me

to share the sport and lend my humble help to the capture without

distracting that intent brain with needless interruption。 All would

come round to me in due time。

  I waited; therefore… but to my ever…deepening disappointment I

waited in vain。 Day succeeded day; and my friend took no step forward。

One morning he spent in town; and I learned from a casual reference

that he had visited the British Museum。 Save for this one excursion;

he spent his days in long and often solitary walks; or in chatting

with a number of village gossips whose acquaintance he had cultivated。

  〃I'm sure; Watson; a week in the country will be invaluable to you;〃

he remarked。 〃It is very pleasant to see the first green shoots upon

the hedges and the catkins on the hazels once again。 With a spud; a

tin box; and an elementary book on botany; there are instructive

days to be spent。〃 He prowled about with this equipment himself; but

it was a poor show of plants which he would bring back of an evening。

  Occasionally in our rambles we came across Inspector Baynes。 His

fat; red face wreathed itself in smiles and his small eyes glittered

as he greeted my companion。 He said little about the case; but from

that little we gathered that he also was not dissatisfied at the

course of events。 I must admit; however; that I was somewhat surprised

when; some five days after the crime; I opened my morning paper to

find in large letters:



                    THE OXSHOTT MYSTERY

                         A SOLUTION

                ARREST OF SUPPOSED ASSASSIN



  Holmes sprang in his chair as if he had been stung when I read the

headlines。

  〃By Jove!〃 he cried。 〃You don't mean that Baynes has got him?〃

  〃Apparently;〃 said I as I read the following report:



  〃Great excitement was caused in Esher and the neighbouring

district when it was learned late last night that an arrest had been

effected in connection with the Oxshott murder。 It will be

remembered that Mr。 Garcia; of Wisteria Lodge; was found dead on

Oxshott Common; his body showing signs of extreme violence; and that

on the same night his servant and his cook fled; which appeared to

show participation in the crime。 It was suggested; but never proved;

that the gentleman may have had valuables in the house; and that their

abstraction was the motive of the crime。 Every effort was made by

Inspector Baynes; who has the case in hand; to ascertain the hiding

place of the fugatives; and he had good reason to believe that they

had not gone far but were lurking in some retreat which had been

already prepared。 It was certain from the first; however; that they

would eventually be detected; as the cook; from the evidence of one or

two trades…people who have caught a glimpse of him through the window;

was a man of most remarkable appearance… being a huge and hideous

mulatto; with yellowish features of a pronounced negroid type。 This

man has been seen since the crime; for he was detected and pursued

by Constable Walters on the same evening; when he had the audacity

to revisit Wisteria Lodge。 Inspector Baynes; considering that such a

visit must have some purpose in view and was likely; therefore; to

be repeated; abandoned the house but left an ambuscade in the

shrubbery。 The man walk into the trap and was captured last night

after a struggle in which Constable Downing was badly bitten by the

savage。 We understand that when the prisoner is brought before the

magistrates a remand will be applied for by the police; and that great

developments are hoped from his capture。〃



  〃Really we must see Baynes at once;〃 cried Holmes; picking up his

hat。 〃We will just catch him before he starts。〃 We hurried down the

village street and found; as we had expected; that the inspector was

just leaving his lodgings。

  〃You've seen the paper; Mr。 Holmes?〃 he asked; holding one out to

us。

  〃Yes; Baynes; I've seen it。 Pray don't think it a liberty if I

give you a word of friendly warning。

  〃Of warning。 Mr。 Holmes?〃

  〃I have looked into this case with some care; and I am not convinced

that you are on the right lines。 I don't want you to commit yourself

too far unless you are sure。〃

  〃You're very kind; Mr。 Holmes。〃

  〃I assure you I speak for your good。〃

  It seemed to me that something like a wink quivered for an instant

over one of Mr。 Baynes's tiny eyes。

  〃We agreed to work on our own lines; Mr。 Holmes。 That's what I am

doing。〃

  〃Oh; very good;〃 said Holmes。 〃Don't blame me。〃

  〃No; sir; I believe you mean well by me。 But we all have our own

systems; Mr。 Holmes。 You have yours; and maybe I have mine。〃

  〃Let us say no more about it。〃

  〃You're welcome always to my news。 This fellow is a perfect

savage; as strong as a cart…horse and as fierce as the devil。 He

chewed Downing's thumb nearly off before they could master him。 He

hardly speaks a word of English; and we can get nothing out of him but

grunts。〃

  〃And you think you have evidence that he murdered his late master?〃

  〃I didn't say so; Mr。 Holmes; I didn't say so。 We all have our

little ways。 You try yours and I will try mine。 That's the agreement。〃

  Holmes shrugged his shoulders as we walked away together。 〃I can't

make the man out。 He seems to be riding for a fall。 Well; as he

says; we must each try our own way and see what comes of it。 But

there's something in Inspector Baynes which I can't quite understand。〃

  〃Just sit down in that chair; Watson;〃 said Sherlock Holmes when

we had returned to our apartment at the Bull。 〃I want to put you in

touch with the situation; as I may need your help to…night。 Let me

show you the evolution of this case so far as I have been able to

follow it。 Simple as it has been in its leading features; it has

none the less presented surprising difficulties in the way of an

arrest。 There are gaps in that direction which we have still to fill。

  〃We will go back to the note which was handed in to Garcia upon

the evening of his death。 We may put aside this idea of Baynes's

that Garcia's servants were concerned in the matter。 The proof of this

lies in the fact that it was he who had arranged for the presence of

Scott Eccles; which could only 

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