Datasets:
DarqueDante
/
test2

Dataset card Data Studio Files
xet
Community
1
text
stringlengths
0
74
"Quite so. That was the word the man uttered, and of which his son
only caught the last two syllables. He was trying to utter the name
of his murderer. So and so, of Ballarat."
"It is wonderful!" I exclaimed.
"It is obvious. And now, you see, I had narrowed the field down
considerably. The possession of a grey garment was a third point
which, granting the son's statement to be correct, was a certainty.
We have come now out of mere vagueness to the definite conception of
an Australian from Ballarat with a grey cloak."
"Certainly."
"And one who was at home in the district, for the pool can only be
approached by the farm or by the estate, where strangers could hardly
wander."
"Quite so."
"Then comes our expedition of to-day. By an examination of the ground
I gained the trifling details which I gave to that imbecile Lestrade,
as to the personality of the criminal."
"But how did you gain them?"
"You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles."
"His height I know that you might roughly judge from the length of
his stride. His boots, too, might be told from their traces."
"Yes, they were peculiar boots."
"But his lameness?"
"The impression of his right foot was always less distinct than his
left. He put less weight upon it. Why? Because he limped--he was
lame."
"But his left-handedness."
"You were yourself struck by the nature of the injury as recorded by
the surgeon at the inquest. The blow was struck from immediately
behind, and yet was upon the left side. Now, how can that be unless
it were by a left-handed man? He had stood behind that tree during
the interview between the father and son. He had even smoked there. I
found the ash of a cigar, which my special knowledge of tobacco ashes
enables me to pronounce as an Indian cigar. I have, as you know,
devoted some attention to this, and written a little monograph on the
ashes of 140 different varieties of pipe, cigar, and cigarette
tobacco. Having found the ash, I then looked round and discovered the
stump among the moss where he had tossed it. It was an Indian cigar,
of the variety which are rolled in Rotterdam."
"And the cigar-holder?"
"I could see that the end had not been in his mouth. Therefore he
used a holder. The tip had been cut off, not bitten off, but the cut
was not a clean one, so I deduced a blunt pen-knife."
"Holmes," I said, "you have drawn a net round this man from which he
cannot escape, and you have saved an innocent human life as truly as
if you had cut the cord which was hanging him. I see the direction in
which all this points. The culprit is--"
"Mr. John Turner," cried the hotel waiter, opening the door of our
sitting-room, and ushering in a visitor.
The man who entered was a strange and impressive figure. His slow,
limping step and bowed shoulders gave the appearance of decrepitude,
and yet his hard, deep-lined, craggy features, and his enormous limbs
showed that he was possessed of unusual strength of body and of
character. His tangled beard, grizzled hair, and outstanding,
drooping eyebrows combined to give an air of dignity and power to his
appearance, but his face was of an ashen white, while his lips and
the corners of his nostrils were tinged with a shade of blue. It was
clear to me at a glance that he was in the grip of some deadly and
chronic disease.
"Pray sit down on the sofa," said Holmes gently. "You had my note?"
"Yes, the lodge-keeper brought it up. You said that you wished to see
me here to avoid scandal."
"I thought people would talk if I went to the Hall."
"And why did you wish to see me?" He looked across at my companion
with despair in his weary eyes, as though his question was already
answered.
"Yes," said Holmes, answering the look rather than the words. "It is
so. I know all about McCarthy."
The old man sank his face in his hands. "God help me!" he cried. "But
I would not have let the young man come to harm. I give you my word
that I would have spoken out if it went against him at the Assizes."
"I am glad to hear you say so," said Holmes gravely.