The Sign of the Four Read online

  Chapter IX

  A Break in the Chain

  It was late in the afternoon before I woke, strengthened and refreshed.Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him, save that he hadlaid aside his violin and was deep in a book. He looked across at me,as I stirred, and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled.

  "You have slept soundly," he said. "I feared that our talk would wakeyou."

  "I heard nothing," I answered. "Have you had fresh news, then?"

  "Unfortunately, no. I confess that I am surprised and disappointed. Iexpected something definite by this time. Wiggins has just been up toreport. He says that no trace can be found of the launch. It is aprovoking check, for every hour is of importance."

  "Can I do anything? I am perfectly fresh now, and quite ready foranother night's outing."

  "No, we can do nothing. We can only wait. If we go ourselves, themessage might come in our absence, and delay be caused. You can dowhat you will, but I must remain on guard."

  "Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. CecilForrester. She asked me to, yesterday."

  "On Mrs. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes, with the twinkle of a smile inhis eyes.

  "Well, of course Miss Morstan too. They were anxious to hear whathappened."

  "I would not tell them too much," said Holmes. "Women are never to beentirely trusted,--not the best of them."

  I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment. "I shall beback in an hour or two," I remarked.

  "All right! Good luck! But, I say, if you are crossing the river youmay as well return Toby, for I don't think it is at all likely that weshall have any use for him now."

  I took our mongrel accordingly, and left him, together with ahalf-sovereign, at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane. At CamberwellI found Miss Morstan a little weary after her night's adventures, butvery eager to hear the news. Mrs. Forrester, too, was full ofcuriosity. I told them all that we had done, suppressing, however, themore dreadful parts of the tragedy. Thus, although I spoke of Mr.Sholto's death, I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it.With all my omissions, however, there was enough to startle and amazethem.

  "It is a romance!" cried Mrs. Forrester. "An injured lady, half amillion in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian.They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl."

  "And two knight-errants to the rescue," added Miss Morstan, with abright glance at me.

  "Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the issue of this search. I don'tthink that you are nearly excited enough. Just imagine what it must beto be so rich, and to have the world at your feet!"

  It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that she showed nosign of elation at the prospect. On the contrary, she gave a toss ofher proud head, as though the matter were one in which she took smallinterest.

  "It is for Mr. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious," she said. "Nothingelse is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved most kindlyand honorably throughout. It is our duty to clear him of this dreadfuland unfounded charge."

  It was evening before I left Camberwell, and quite dark by the time Ireached home. My companion's book and pipe lay by his chair, but hehad disappeared. I looked about in the hope of seeing a note, butthere was none.

  "I suppose that Mr. Sherlock Holmes has gone out," I said to Mrs.Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds.

  "No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do you know, sir," sinkingher voice into an impressive whisper, "I am afraid for his health?"

  "Why so, Mrs. Hudson?"

  "Well, he's that strange, sir. After you was gone he walked and hewalked, up and down, and up and down, until I was weary of the sound ofhis footstep. Then I heard him talking to himself and muttering, andevery time the bell rang out he came on the stairhead, with 'What isthat, Mrs. Hudson?' And now he has slammed off to his room, but I canhear him walking away the same as ever. I hope he's not going to beill, sir. I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine,but he turned on me, sir, with such a look that I don't know how ever Igot out of the room."

  "I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs. Hudson," Ianswered. "I have seen him like this before. He has some small matterupon his mind which makes him restless." I tried to speak lightly toour worthy landlady, but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through thelong night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread,and knew how his keen spirit was chafing against this involuntaryinaction.

  At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard, with a little fleck offeverish color upon either cheek.

  "You are knocking yourself up, old man," I remarked. "I heard youmarching about in the night."

  "No, I could not sleep," he answered. "This infernal problem isconsuming me. It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle,when all else had been overcome. I know the men, the launch,everything; and yet I can get no news. I have set other agencies atwork, and used every means at my disposal. The whole river has beensearched on either side, but there is no news, nor has Mrs. Smith heardof her husband. I shall come to the conclusion soon that they havescuttled the craft. But there are objections to that."

  "Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong scent."

  "No, I think that may be dismissed. I had inquiries made, and there isa launch of that description."

  "Could it have gone up the river?"

  "I have considered that possibility too, and there is a search-partywho will work up as far as Richmond. If no news comes to-day, I shallstart off myself to-morrow, and go for the men rather than the boat.But surely, surely, we shall hear something."

  We did not, however. Not a word came to us either from Wiggins or fromthe other agencies. There were articles in most of the papers upon theNorwood tragedy. They all appeared to be rather hostile to theunfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. No fresh details were to be found,however, in any of them, save that an inquest was to be held upon thefollowing day. I walked over to Camberwell in the evening to reportour ill success to the ladies, and on my return I found Holmes dejectedand somewhat morose. He would hardly reply to my questions, and busiedhimself all evening in an abstruse chemical analysis which involvedmuch heating of retorts and distilling of vapors, ending at last in asmell which fairly drove me out of the apartment. Up to the small hoursof the morning I could hear the clinking of his test-tubes which toldme that he was still engaged in his malodorous experiment.

  In the early dawn I woke with a start, and was surprised to find himstanding by my bedside, clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket,and a coarse red scarf round his neck.

  "I am off down the river, Watson," said he. "I have been turning itover in my mind, and I can see only one way out of it. It is worthtrying, at all events."

  "Surely I can come with you, then?" said I.

  "No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as myrepresentative. I am loath to go, for it is quite on the cards thatsome message may come during the day, though Wiggins was despondentabout it last night. I want you to open all notes and telegrams, and toact on your own judgment if any news should come. Can I rely upon you?"

  "Most certainly."

  "I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me, for I can hardlytell yet where I may find myself. If I am in luck, however, I may notbe gone so very long. I shall have news of some sort or other before Iget back."

  I had heard nothing of him by breakfast-time. On opening the Standard,however, I found that there was a fresh allusion to the business."With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy," it remarked, "we havereason to believe that the matter promises to be even more complex andmysterious than was originally supposed. Fresh evidence has shown thatit is quite impossible that Mr. Thaddeus Sholto could have been in anyway concerned in the matter. He and the housekeeper, Mrs. Bernstone,were both released yesterday evening. It is believed, however, thatthe police have a clue as to the real culprits, and that it is beingprosecuted by Mr
. Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard, with all hiswell-known energy and sagacity. Further arrests may be expected at anymoment."

  "That is satisfactory so far as it goes," thought I. "Friend Sholto issafe, at any rate. I wonder what the fresh clue may be; though itseems to be a stereotyped form whenever the police have made a blunder."

  I tossed the paper down upon the table, but at that moment my eyecaught an advertisement in the agony column. It ran in this way:

  "Lost.--Whereas Mordecai Smith, boatman, and his son, Jim, left Smith'sWharf at or about three o'clock last Tuesday morning in the steamlaunch Aurora, black with two red stripes, funnel black with a whiteband, the sum of five pounds will be paid to any one who can giveinformation to Mrs. Smith, at Smith's Wharf, or at 221b Baker Street,as to the whereabouts of the said Mordecai Smith and the launch Aurora."

  This was clearly Holmes's doing. The Baker Street address was enoughto prove that. It struck me as rather ingenious, because it might beread by the fugitives without their seeing in it more than the naturalanxiety of a wife for her missing husband.

  It was a long day. Every time that a knock came to the door, or asharp step passed in the street, I imagined that it was either Holmesreturning or an answer to his advertisement. I tried to read, but mythoughts would wander off to our strange quest and to the ill-assortedand villainous pair whom we were pursuing. Could there be, I wondered,some radical flaw in my companion's reasoning. Might he be sufferingfrom some huge self-deception? Was it not possible that his nimble andspeculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty premises? Ihad never known him to be wrong; and yet the keenest reasoner mayoccasionally be deceived. He was likely, I thought, to fall into errorthrough the over-refinement of his logic,--his preference for a subtleand bizarre explanation when a plainer and more commonplace one layready to his hand. Yet, on the other hand, I had myself seen theevidence, and I had heard the reasons for his deductions. When Ilooked back on the long chain of curious circumstances, many of themtrivial in themselves, but all tending in the same direction, I couldnot disguise from myself that even if Holmes's explanation wereincorrect the true theory must be equally outre and startling.

  At three o'clock in the afternoon there was a loud peal at the bell, anauthoritative voice in the hall, and, to my surprise, no less a personthan Mr. Athelney Jones was shown up to me. Very different was he,however, from the brusque and masterful professor of common sense whohad taken over the case so confidently at Upper Norwood. Hisexpression was downcast, and his bearing meek and even apologetic.

  "Good-day, sir; good-day," said he. "Mr. Sherlock Holmes is out, Iunderstand."

  "Yes, and I cannot be sure when he will be back. But perhaps you wouldcare to wait. Take that chair and try one of these cigars."

  "Thank you; I don't mind if I do," said he, mopping his face with a redbandanna handkerchief.

  "And a whiskey-and-soda?"

  "Well, half a glass. It is very hot for the time of year; and I havehad a good deal to worry and try me. You know my theory about thisNorwood case?"

  "I remember that you expressed one."

  "Well, I have been obliged to reconsider it. I had my net drawntightly round Mr. Sholto, sir, when pop he went through a hole in themiddle of it. He was able to prove an alibi which could not be shaken.From the time that he left his brother's room he was never out of sightof some one or other. So it could not be he who climbed over roofs andthrough trap-doors. It's a very dark case, and my professional creditis at stake. I should be very glad of a little assistance."

  "We all need help sometimes," said I.

  "Your friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful man, sir," said he, ina husky and confidential voice. "He's a man who is not to be beat. Ihave known that young man go into a good many cases, but I never sawthe case yet that he could not throw a light upon. He is irregular inhis methods, and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories, but, onthe whole, I think he would have made a most promising officer, and Idon't care who knows it. I have had a wire from him this morning, bywhich I understand that he has got some clue to this Sholto business.Here is the message."

  He took the telegram out of his pocket, and handed it to me. It wasdated from Poplar at twelve o'clock. "Go to Baker Street at once," itsaid. "If I have not returned, wait for me. I am close on the trackof the Sholto gang. You can come with us to-night if you want to be inat the finish."

  "This sounds well. He has evidently picked up the scent again," said I.

  "Ah, then he has been at fault too," exclaimed Jones, with evidentsatisfaction. "Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes. Ofcourse this may prove to be a false alarm; but it is my duty as anofficer of the law to allow no chance to slip. But there is some one atthe door. Perhaps this is he."

  A heavy step was heard ascending the stair, with a great wheezing andrattling as from a man who was sorely put to it for breath. Once ortwice he stopped, as though the climb were too much for him, but atlast he made his way to our door and entered. His appearancecorresponded to the sounds which we had heard. He was an aged man,clad in seafaring garb, with an old pea-jacket buttoned up to histhroat. His back was bowed, his knees were shaky, and his breathingwas painfully asthmatic. As he leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel hisshoulders heaved in the effort to draw the air into his lungs. He hada colored scarf round his chin, and I could see little of his face savea pair of keen dark eyes, overhung by bushy white brows, and long grayside-whiskers. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectablemaster mariner who had fallen into years and poverty.

  "What is it, my man?" I asked.

  He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age.

  "Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?" said he.

  "No; but I am acting for him. You can tell me any message you have forhim."

  "It was to him himself I was to tell it," said he.

  "But I tell you that I am acting for him. Was it about MordecaiSmith's boat?"

  "Yes. I knows well where it is. An' I knows where the men he is afterare. An' I knows where the treasure is. I knows all about it."

  "Then tell me, and I shall let him know."

  "It was to him I was to tell it," he repeated, with the petulantobstinacy of a very old man.

  "Well, you must wait for him."

  "No, no; I ain't goin' to lose a whole day to please no one. If Mr.Holmes ain't here, then Mr. Holmes must find it all out for himself. Idon't care about the look of either of you, and I won't tell a word."

  He shuffled towards the door, but Athelney Jones got in front of him.

  "Wait a bit, my friend," said he. "You have important information, andyou must not walk off. We shall keep you, whether you like or not,until our friend returns."

  The old man made a little run towards the door, but, as Athelney Jonesput his broad back up against it, he recognized the uselessness ofresistance.

  "Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried, stamping his stick. "I comehere to see a gentleman, and you two, who I never saw in my life, seizeme and treat me in this fashion!"

  "You will be none the worse," I said. "We shall recompense you for theloss of your time. Sit over here on the sofa, and you will not havelong to wait."

  He came across sullenly enough, and seated himself with his faceresting on his hands. Jones and I resumed our cigars and our talk.Suddenly, however, Holmes's voice broke in upon us.

  "I think that you might offer me a cigar too," he said.

  We both started in our chairs. There was Holmes sitting close to uswith an air of quiet amusement.

  "Holmes!" I exclaimed. "You here! But where is the old man?"

  "Here is the old man," said he, holding out a heap of white hair. "Herehe is,--wig, whiskers, eyebrows, and all. I thought my disguise waspretty good, but I hardly expected that it would stand that test."

  "Ah, You rogue!" cried Jones, highly delighted. "You would have madean actor, and a rare one. You had the proper workhouse cough, andthose weak le
gs of yours are worth ten pound a week. I thought I knewthe glint of your eye, though. You didn't get away from us so easily,You see."

  "I have been working in that get-up all day," said he, lighting hiscigar. "You see, a good many of the criminal classes begin to knowme,--especially since our friend here took to publishing some of mycases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simple disguiselike this. You got my wire?"

  "Yes; that was what brought me here."

  "How has your case prospered?"

  "It has all come to nothing. I have had to release two of myprisoners, and there is no evidence against the other two."

  "Never mind. We shall give you two others in the place of them. Butyou must put yourself under my orders. You are welcome to all theofficial credit, but you must act on the line that I point out. Isthat agreed?"

  "Entirely, if you will help me to the men."

  "Well, then, in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat--asteam launch--to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o'clock."

  "That is easily managed. There is always one about there; but I canstep across the road and telephone to make sure."

  "Then I shall want two stanch men, in case of resistance."

  "There will be two or three in the boat. What else?"

  "When we secure the men we shall get the treasure. I think that itwould be a pleasure to my friend here to take the box round to theyoung lady to whom half of it rightfully belongs. Let her be the firstto open it.--Eh, Watson?"

  "It would be a great pleasure to me."

  "Rather an irregular proceeding," said Jones, shaking his head."However, the whole thing is irregular, and I suppose we must wink atit. The treasure must afterwards be handed over to the authoritiesuntil after the official investigation."

  "Certainly. That is easily managed. One other point. I should muchlike to have a few details about this matter from the lips of JonathanSmall himself. You know I like to work the detail of my cases out.There is no objection to my having an unofficial interview with him,either here in my rooms or elsewhere, as long as he is efficientlyguarded?"

  "Well, you are master of the situation. I have had no proof yet of theexistence of this Jonathan Small. However, if you can catch him Idon't see how I can refuse you an interview with him."

  "That is understood, then?"

  "Perfectly. Is there anything else?"

  "Only that I insist upon your dining with us. It will be ready in halfan hour. I have oysters and a brace of grouse, with something a littlechoice in white wines.--Watson, you have never yet recognized my meritsas a housekeeper."