DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 74

"So I see," the other answered with the utmost coolness. "I fancy
that my pal is all right, though I see you have got his coat-tails."

"There are three men waiting for him at the door," said Holmes.

"Oh, indeed! You seem to have done the thing very completely. I must
compliment you."

"And I you," Holmes answered. "Your red-headed idea was very new and
effective."

"You'll see your pal again presently," said Jones. "He's quicker at
climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out while I fix the
derbies."

"I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands," remarked
our prisoner as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists. "You may not
be aware that I have royal blood in my veins. Have the goodness,
also, when you address me always to say 'sir' and 'please.'"

"All right," said Jones with a stare and a snigger. "Well, would you
please, sir, march upstairs, where we can get a cab to carry your
Highness to the police-station?"

"That is better," said John Clay serenely. He made a sweeping bow to
the three of us and walked quietly off in the custody of the
detective.

"Really, Mr. Holmes," said Mr. Merryweather as we followed them from
the cellar, "I do not know how the bank can thank you or repay you.
There is no doubt that you have detected and defeated in the most
complete manner one of the most determined attempts at bank robbery
that have ever come within my experience."

"I have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with Mr.
John Clay," said Holmes. "I have been at some small expense over this
matter, which I shall expect the bank to refund, but beyond that I am
amply repaid by having had an experience which is in many ways
unique, and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of the
Red-headed League."

"You see, Watson," he explained in the early hours of the morning as
we sat over a glass of whisky and soda in Baker Street, "it was
perfectly obvious from the first that the only possible object of
this rather fantastic business of the advertisement of the League,
and the copying of the 'Encyclopaedia,' must be to get this not
over-bright pawnbroker out of the way for a number of hours every
day. It was a curious way of managing it, but, really, it would be
difficult to suggest a better. The method was no doubt suggested to
Clay's ingenious mind by the colour of his accomplice's hair. The £4
a week was a lure which must draw him, and what was it to them, who
were playing for thousands? They put in the advertisement, one rogue
has the temporary office, the other rogue incites the man to apply
for it, and together they manage to secure his absence every morning
in the week. From the time that I heard of the assistant having come
for half wages, it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive
for securing the situation."

"But how could you guess what the motive was?"

"Had there been women in the house, I should have suspected a mere
vulgar intrigue. That, however, was out of the question. The man's
business was a small one, and there was nothing in his house which
could account for such elaborate preparations, and such an
expenditure as they were at. It must, then, be something out of the
house. What could it be? I thought of the assistant's fondness for
photography, and his trick of vanishing into the cellar. The cellar!
There was the end of this tangled clue. Then I made inquiries as to
this mysterious assistant and found that I had to deal with one of
the coolest and most daring criminals in London. He was doing
something in the cellar--something which took many hours a day for
months on end. What could it be, once more? I could think of nothing
save that he was running a tunnel to some other building.

"So far I had got when we went to visit the scene of action. I
surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick. I was
ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. It
was not in front. Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the
assistant answered it. We have had some skirmishes, but we had never
set eyes upon each other before. I hardly looked at his face. His
knees were what I wished to see. You must yourself have remarked how
worn, wrinkled, and stained they were. They spoke of those hours of
burrowing. The only remaining point was what they were burrowing for.
I walked round the corner, saw the City and Suburban Bank abutted on
our friend's premises, and felt that I had solved my problem. When
you drove home after the concert I called upon Scotland Yard and upon
the chairman of the bank directors, with the result that you have
seen."

"And how could you tell that they would make their attempt to-night?"
I asked.

"Well, when they closed their League offices that was a sign that
they cared no longer about Mr. Jabez Wilson's presence--in other
words, that they had completed their tunnel. But it was essential
that they should use it soon, as it might be discovered, or the
bullion might be removed. Saturday would suit them better than any
other day, as it would give them two days for their escape. For all
these reasons I expected them to come to-night."

"So I see," the other answered with the utmost coolness. "I fancy

that my pal is all right, though I see you have got his coat-tails."

"There are three men waiting for him at the door," said Holmes.

"Oh, indeed! You seem to have done the thing very completely. I must

compliment you."

"And I you," Holmes answered. "Your red-headed idea was very new and

effective."

"You'll see your pal again presently," said Jones. "He's quicker at

climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out while I fix the

derbies."

"I beg that you will not touch me with your filthy hands," remarked

our prisoner as the handcuffs clattered upon his wrists. "You may not

be aware that I have royal blood in my veins. Have the goodness,

also, when you address me always to say 'sir' and 'please.'"

"All right," said Jones with a stare and a snigger. "Well, would you

please, sir, march upstairs, where we can get a cab to carry your

Highness to the police-station?"

"That is better," said John Clay serenely. He made a sweeping bow to

the three of us and walked quietly off in the custody of the

detective.

"Really, Mr. Holmes," said Mr. Merryweather as we followed them from

the cellar, "I do not know how the bank can thank you or repay you.

There is no doubt that you have detected and defeated in the most

complete manner one of the most determined attempts at bank robbery

that have ever come within my experience."

"I have had one or two little scores of my own to settle with Mr.

John Clay," said Holmes. "I have been at some small expense over this

matter, which I shall expect the bank to refund, but beyond that I am

amply repaid by having had an experience which is in many ways

unique, and by hearing the very remarkable narrative of the

Red-headed League."

"You see, Watson," he explained in the early hours of the morning as

we sat over a glass of whisky and soda in Baker Street, "it was

perfectly obvious from the first that the only possible object of

this rather fantastic business of the advertisement of the League,

and the copying of the 'Encyclopaedia,' must be to get this not

over-bright pawnbroker out of the way for a number of hours every

day. It was a curious way of managing it, but, really, it would be

difficult to suggest a better. The method was no doubt suggested to

Clay's ingenious mind by the colour of his accomplice's hair. The £4

a week was a lure which must draw him, and what was it to them, who

were playing for thousands? They put in the advertisement, one rogue

has the temporary office, the other rogue incites the man to apply

for it, and together they manage to secure his absence every morning

in the week. From the time that I heard of the assistant having come

for half wages, it was obvious to me that he had some strong motive

for securing the situation."

"But how could you guess what the motive was?"

"Had there been women in the house, I should have suspected a mere

vulgar intrigue. That, however, was out of the question. The man's

business was a small one, and there was nothing in his house which

could account for such elaborate preparations, and such an

expenditure as they were at. It must, then, be something out of the

house. What could it be? I thought of the assistant's fondness for

photography, and his trick of vanishing into the cellar. The cellar!

There was the end of this tangled clue. Then I made inquiries as to

this mysterious assistant and found that I had to deal with one of

the coolest and most daring criminals in London. He was doing

something in the cellar--something which took many hours a day for

months on end. What could it be, once more? I could think of nothing

save that he was running a tunnel to some other building.

"So far I had got when we went to visit the scene of action. I

surprised you by beating upon the pavement with my stick. I was

ascertaining whether the cellar stretched out in front or behind. It

was not in front. Then I rang the bell, and, as I hoped, the

assistant answered it. We have had some skirmishes, but we had never

set eyes upon each other before. I hardly looked at his face. His

knees were what I wished to see. You must yourself have remarked how

worn, wrinkled, and stained they were. They spoke of those hours of

burrowing. The only remaining point was what they were burrowing for.

I walked round the corner, saw the City and Suburban Bank abutted on

our friend's premises, and felt that I had solved my problem. When

you drove home after the concert I called upon Scotland Yard and upon

the chairman of the bank directors, with the result that you have

seen."

"And how could you tell that they would make their attempt to-night?"

I asked.

"Well, when they closed their League offices that was a sign that

they cared no longer about Mr. Jabez Wilson's presence--in other

words, that they had completed their tunnel. But it was essential

that they should use it soon, as it might be discovered, or the

bullion might be removed. Saturday would suit them better than any

other day, as it would give them two days for their escape. For all

these reasons I expected them to come to-night."