登陆注册
5212500000017

第17章 The Adventure of the Norwood Builder(8)

"Now we must see if we can find this witness for you, Lestrade.

Might I ask you all to join in the cry of `Fire!'? Now, then;one, two, three ---"

"Fire!" we all yelled.

"Thank you.I will trouble you once again.""Fire!"

"Just once more, gentlemen, and all together.""Fire!" The shout must have rung over Norwood.

It had hardly died away when an amazing thing happened.A door suddenly flew open out of what appeared to be solid wall at the end of the corridor, and a little, wizened man darted out of it, like a rabbit out of its burrow.

"Capital!" said Holmes, calmly."Watson, a bucket of water over the straw.That will do! Lestrade, allow me to present you with your principal missing witness, Mr.Jonas Oldacre."The detective stared at the new-comer with blank amazement.

The latter was blinking in the bright light of the corridor, and peering at us and at the smouldering fire.It was an odious face -- crafty, vicious, malignant, with shifty, light-grey eyes and white eyelashes.

"What's this, then?" said Lestrade at last."What have you been doing all this time, eh?"Oldacre gave an uneasy laugh, shrinking back from the furious red face of the angry detective.

"I have done no harm."

"No harm? You have done your best to get an innocent man hanged.

If it wasn't for this gentleman here, I am not sure that you would not have succeeded."The wretched creature began to whimper.

"I am sure, sir, it was only my practical joke.""Oh! a joke, was it? You won't find the laugh on your side, I promise you.Take him down and keep him in the sitting-room until I come.Mr.Holmes," he continued, when they had gone, "I could not speak before the constables, but I don't mind saying, in the presence of Dr.Watson, that this is the brightest thing that you have done yet, though it is a mystery to me how you did it.You have saved an innocent man's life, and you have prevented a very grave scandal, which would have ruined my reputation in the Force."Holmes smiled and clapped Lestrade upon the shoulder.

"Instead of being ruined, my good sir, you will find that your reputation has been enormously enhanced.Just make a few alterations in that report which you were writing, and they will understand how hard it is to throw dust in the eyes of Inspector Lestrade.""And you don't want your name to appear?""Not at all.The work is its own reward.Perhaps I shall get the credit also at some distant day when I permit my zealous historian to lay out his foolscap once more -- eh, Watson?

Well, now, let us see where this rat has been lurking."A lath-and-plaster partition had been run across the passage six feet from the end, with a door cunningly concealed in it.

It was lit within by slits under the eaves.A few articles of furniture and a supply of food and water were within, together with a number of books and papers.

"There's the advantage of being a builder," said Holmes, as we came out."He was able to fix up his own little hiding-place without any confederate -- save, of course, that precious housekeeper of his, whom I should lose no time in adding to your bag, Lestrade.""I'll take your advice.But how did you know of this place, Mr.Holmes?""I made up my mind that the fellow was in hiding in the house.

When I paced one corridor and found it six feet shorter than the corresponding one below, it was pretty clear where he was.

I thought he had not the nerve to lie quiet before an alarm of fire.We could, of course, have gone in and taken him, but it amused me to make him reveal himself; besides, I owed you a little mystification, Lestrade, for your chaff in the morning.""Well, sir, you certainly got equal with me on that.But how in the world did you know that he was in the house at all?""The thumb-mark, Lestrade.You said it was final; and so it was, in a very different sense.I knew it had not been there the day before.I pay a good deal of attention to matters of detail, as you may have observed, and I had examined the hall and was sure that the wall was clear.Therefore, it had been put on during the night.""But how?"

同类推荐
  • Glinda of Oz

    Glinda of Oz

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小儿吐泻门

    小儿吐泻门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说法律三昧经

    佛说法律三昧经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 订正太素脉秘诀

    订正太素脉秘诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 皇朝本记

    皇朝本记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 知识供应商

    知识供应商

    《快穿女神美翻天》已经发书,求大家收藏支持。 在一个偏僻幽深的小巷子里面,有一个紫云书院,很多人不远千里而来,只为给他们的脑袋充知识。这里的知识很奇特,是论斤卖的,不用看书,不用听讲,不用花费太多时间,你就能记住书中内容。“逸凡老师,来一斤《红楼梦》。”“兑换价十万八,扫码支付,自己去拿。”
  • 妖女无敌:师父你家缺徒儿不

    妖女无敌:师父你家缺徒儿不

    她在黑暗中流浪了将近六年,终于捡到了个大神师父。他绝圣弃智一千八百余年,怎就收了个逗比徒弟?!宿大仙表示,徒弟太闹,搞得他六根都不清净了。镜小妖表示,师父太弱,这点程度就消受不了了。某云念叨,愚蠢主人,你的节操又没了!某性别模糊人士哭,丫头,说好要赔我小娘子的呢?!秋风萧瑟,大山里传来某师兄的冷哼嫌弃……受伤的内心,却比那张面瘫脸要诚实很多——师父师妹,你们这么就忘了我,真的好么?!【本文有虐==但师父绝对无辜!师徒最后欢天喜地肯定是要满满的!笑声要盖没眼泪!莫要批斗亲亲师父~】【读者群号:83169458】
  • 露微凉,桃花香

    露微凉,桃花香

    一个隐蔽的山谷,一群隐世的人。因桃林而得名桃林谷。桃梦本以为自己会在这里平静的度过一生,却不曾想他会闯入她的世界。在人来人往的凡尘,她又将何去何从?
  • 银河之心Ⅱ·暗黑深渊

    银河之心Ⅱ·暗黑深渊

    在天垂星的日暮战役结束之时,李约素身负重任,乘坐高速飞船前往银河之心求援。他一路不断告知当地各人类文明星系,得到了许多响应,人类的舰队不断前往增援。来到银河之心后,李约素得到了科技极为先进的铁人的援助,拥有了大批最先进的飞船引擎,得以组建起庞大的舰队。但是在返回战区的路上,李约素先后意外遭遇神秘的镜子飞船和死星,从而得知了上古银河人类与异族“蜘蛛人”之间发生战争的来龙去脉。孰料,未等李约素赶到,人类的防线已经崩溃,李约素不得不冒险率领敢死队杀入敌人老巢,在这里,他意外地发现了引起这场战争的“上佳”号环形飞船……
  • 农女嫁错夫日常

    农女嫁错夫日常

    简介:特工出身的孟云舒遭遇上司暗算,一睁眼,发现自己回到了古代,成了一个人人厌烦的孟大妞……
  • 农女从商:王爷,请高冷!

    农女从商:王爷,请高冷!

    本文因情况特殊,弃坑,新文会补充这本我所以情节!千年传奇,只待一人。携手共进,只为眼眸深情!
  • 劝学篇

    劝学篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 东京热门

    东京热门

    现代女子赤凤凰魂回北宋,阴差阳错,与一流氓合体,悲天悯人,欲以己之力,挽救天下苍生,然冥冥中有注定。。。
  • 我的真实撞鬼经历

    我的真实撞鬼经历

    老人都说看病看病,却从不去医院。在我们村上了年纪的老人说是看病,却都是找一些神神叨叨的人号一下脉就称之为‘看病’而我的故事就是从一次鬼打墙跟丢魂儿开始……
  • 一棍碎天

    一棍碎天

    江湖闯荡,无畏艰难,庙堂驰骋,纵横捭阖闯荡修仙之路,掌控无尽山海,探求仙尊大道,傲视万千仙妖。欢迎新老读者入群交流:321906354