the adventure of wisteria lodge-第8章

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humble　station；　all　three　fired　with　the　same　reasons　for　revenge。

He　could　do　little　during　the　day；　for　Murillo　took　every　precaution

and　never　went　out　save　with　his　satellite　Lucas；　or　Lopez　as　he　was

known　in　the　days　of　his　greatness。　At　night；　however；　he　slept　alone；

and　the　avenger　might　find　him。　On　a　certain　evening；　which　had　been

prearranged；　I　sent　my　friend　final　instructions；　for　the　man　was

forever　on　the　alert　and　continually　changed　his　room。　I　was　to　see

that　the　doors　were　open　and　the　signal　of　a　green　or　white　light　in　a

window　which　faced　the　drive　was　to　give　notice　if　all　was　safe　or

if　the　attempt　had　better　be　postponed。

　　〃But　everything　went　wrong　with　us。　In　some　way　I　had　excited　the

suspicion　of　Lopez；　the　secretary。　He　crept　up　behind　me　and　sprang

upon　me　just　as　I　had　finished　the　note。　He　and　his　master　dragged

me　to　my　room　and　held　judgment　upon　me　as　a　convicted　traitress。　Then

and　there　they　would　have　plunged　their　knives　into　me　could　they　have

seen　how　to　escape　the　consequences　of　the　deed。　Finally；　after　much

debate；　they　concluded　that　my　murder　was　too　dangerous。　But　they

determined　to　get　rid　forever　of　Garcia。　They　had　gagged　me；　and

Murillo　twisted　my　arm　round　until　I　gave　him　the　address。　I　swear

that　he　might　have　twisted　it　off　had　I　understood　what　it　would

mean　to　Garcia。　Lopez　addressed　the　note　which　I　had　written；　scaled

it　with　his　sleeve…link；　and　sent　it　by　the　hand　of　the　servant

Jose。　How　they　murdered　him　I　do　not　know；　save　that　it　was

Murillo's　hand　that　struck　him　down；　for　Lopez　had　remained　to　guard

me。　I　believe　he　must　have　awaited　among　the　gorse　bushes　through

which　the　path　winds　and　struck　him　down　as　he　passed。　At　first　they

were　of　a　mind　to　let　him　enter　the　house　and　kill　him　as　a　detected

burglar；　but　they　argued　that　if　they　were　mixed　up　in　an　inquiry

their　own　identity　would　at　once　be　publicly　disclosed　and　they

would　be　open　to　further　attacks。　With　the　death　of　Garcia；　the

pursuit　might　cease；　since　such　a　death　might　frighten　others　from　the

task。

　　〃All　would　now　have　been　well　for　them　had　it　not　been　for　my

knowledge　of　what　they　had　done。　I　have　no　doubt　that　there　were　times

when　my　life　hung　in　the　balance。　I　was　confined　to　my　room；

terrorized　by　the　most　horrible　threats；　cruelly　ill…used　to　break

my　spirit…　see　this　stab　on　my　shoulder　and　the　bruises　from　end　to

end　of　my　arms…　and　a　gag　was　thrust　into　my　mouth　on　the　one　occasion

when　I　tried　to　call　from　the　window。　For　five　days　this　cruel

imprisonment　continued；　with　hardly　enough　food　to　hold　body　and

soul　together。　This　afternoon　a　good　lunch　was　brought　me；　but　the

moment　after　I　took　it　I　knew　that　I　had　been　drugged。　In　a　sort　of

dream　I　remember　being　half…led；　half…carried　to　the　carriage；　in

the　same　state　I　was　conveyed　to　the　train。　Only　then；　when　the　wheels

were　almost　moving；　did　I　suddenly　realize　that　my　liberty　lay　in　my

own　hands。　I　sprang　out；　they　tried　to　drag　me　back；　and　had　it　not

been　for　the　help　of　this　good　man；　who　led　me　to　the　cab；　I　should

never　have　broken　away。　Now；　thank　God；　I　am　beyond　their　power

forever。〃

　　We　had　all　listened　intently　to　this　remarkable　statement。　It　was

Holmes　who　broke　the　silence。

　　〃Our　difficulties　are　not　over；〃　he　remarked；　shaking　his　head。　〃Our

police　work　ends；　but　our　legal　work　begins。〃

　　〃Exactly；〃　said　I。　〃A　plausible　lawyer　could　make　it　out　as　an　act

of　self…defence。　There　may　be　a　hundred　crimes　in　the　background；

but　it　is　only　on　this　one　that　they　can　be　tried。〃

　　〃Come；　come；〃　said　Baynes　cheerily；　〃I　think　better　of　the　law

than　that。　Self…defence　is　one　thing。　To　entice　a　man　in　cold　blood

with　the　object　of　murdering　him　is　another；　whatever　danger　you　may

fear　from　him。　No；　no；　we　shall　all　be　justified　when　we　see　the

tenants　of　High　Gable　at　the　next　Guildford　Assizes。〃



　　It　is　a　matter　of　history；　however；　that　a　little　time　was　still

to　elapse　before　the　Tiger　of　San　Pedro　should　meet　with　his

deserts。　Wily　and　bold；　he　and　his　companion　threw　their　pursuer　off

their　track　by　entering　a　lodging…house　in　Edmonton　Street　and　leaving

by　the　back…gate　into　Curzon　Square。　From　that　day　they　were　seen　no

more　in　England。　Some　six　months　afterwards　the　Marquess　of　Montalva

and　Signor　Rulli；　his　secretary；　were　both　murdered　in　their　rooms

at　the　Hotel　Escurial　at　Madrid。　The　crime　was　ascribed　to　Nihilism；

and　the　murderers　were　never　arrested。　Inspector　Baynes　visited　us

at　Baker　Street　with　a　printed　description　of　the　dark　face　of　the

secretary；　and　of　the　masterful　features；　the　magnetic　black　eyes；　and

the　tufted　brows　of　his　master。　We　could　not　doubt　that　justice；　if

belated；　had　come　at　last。

　　〃A　chaotic　case；　my　dear　Watson；〃　said　Holmes　over　an　evening

pipe。　〃It　will　not　be　possible　for　you　to　present　it　in　that　compact

form　which　is　dear　to　your　heart。　It　covers　two　continents；　concerns

two　groups　of　mysterious　persons；　and　is　further　complicated　by　the

highly　respectable　presence　of　our　friend；　Scott　Eccles；　whose

inclusion　shows　me　that　the　deceased　Garcia　had　a　scheming　mind　and

a　well…developed　instinct　of　self…preservation。　It　is　remarkable

only　for　the　fact　that　amid　a　perfect　jungle　of　possibilities　we；　with

our　worthy　collaborator；　the　inspector；　have　kept　our　close　hold　on

the　essentials　and　so　been　guided　along　the　crooked　and　winding

path。　Is　there　any　point　which　is　not　quite　clear　to　you？〃

　　〃The　object　of　the　mulatto　cook's　return？〃

　　〃I　think　that　the　strange　creature　in　the　kitchen　may　account　for

it。　The　man　was　a　primitive　savage　from　the　backwoods　of　San　Pedro；

and　this　was　his　fetish。　When　his　companion　and　he　had　fled　to　some

prearranged　retreat…　already　occupied；　no　doubt　by　a　confederate…

the　companion　had　persuaded　him　to　leave　so　compromising　an　article　of

furniture。　But　the　mulatto's　heart　was　with　it；　and　he　was　driven　back

to　it　next　day；　when；　on　reconnoitring　through　the　window；　he　found

policeman　Walters　in　possession。　He　waited　three　days　longer；　and　then

his　piety　or　his　superstition　drove　him　to　try　once　more。　Inspector

Baynes；　who；　with　his　usual　astuteness；　had　minimized　the　incident

before　me；　had　really　recognized　its　importance　and　had　left　a　trap

into　which　the　creature　walked。　Any　other　point；　Watson？〃

　　〃The　torn　bird；　the　pail　of　blood；　the　charred　bones；　all　the

mystery　of　that　weird　kitchen？〃

　　Holmes　smiled　as　he　turned　up　an　entry　in　his　notebook。

　　〃I　spent　a　morning　in　the　British　Museum　reading　up　on　that　and

other　points。　Here　is　a　quotation　from　Eckermann's　Voodooism　and　the

Negroid　Religions：



　　The　true　voodoo…worshipper　attempts　nothing　of　importance　without

certain　sacrifices　which　are　intended　to　propitiate　his　unclean

gods。　In　extreme　cases　these　rites　take　the　form　of　human　sacrifices

followed　by　cannibalism。　The　more　usual　victims　are　a　white　cock；

which　is　plucked　in　pieces　alive；　or　a　black　goat；　whose　throat　is　cut

and　body　burned。



　　〃So　you　see　our　savage　friend　was　very　orthodox　in　his　ritual。　It　is

grotesque；　Watson；〃　Holmes　added；　as　he　slowly　fastened　his

notebook；　〃but；　as　I　have　had　occasion　to　remark；　there　is　but　one

step　from　the　grotesque　to　the　horrible。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…THE　END…

。