登陆注册
5212500000034

第34章 The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist(6)

The beasts have pulled him off and clubbed him.Let him lie;we can't do him any good, but we may save her from the worst fate that can befall a woman."We ran frantically down the path, which wound among the trees.

We had reached the shrubbery which surrounded the house when Holmes pulled up.

"They didn't go to the house.Here are their marks on the left -- here, beside the laurel bushes! Ah, I said so!"As he spoke a woman's shrill scream -- a scream which vibrated with a frenzy of horror -- burst from the thick green clump of bushes in front of us.It ended suddenly on its highest note with a choke and a gurgle.

"This way! This way! They are in the bowling alley," cried the stranger, darting through the bushes."Ah, the cowardly dogs!

Follow me, gentlemen! Too late! too late! by the living Jingo!"We had broken suddenly into a lovely glade of greensward surrounded by ancient trees.On the farther side of it, under the shadow of a mighty oak, there stood a singular group of three people.One was a woman, our client, drooping and faint, a handkerchief round her mouth.Opposite her stood a brutal, heavy-faced, red-moustached young man, his gaitered legs parted wide, one arm akimbo, the other waving a riding-crop, his whole attitude suggestive of triumphant bravado.Between them an elderly, grey-bearded man, wearing a short surplice over a light tweed suit, had evidently just completed the wedding service, for he pocketed his prayer-book as we appeared and slapped the sinister bridegroom upon the back in jovial congratulation.

"They're married!" I gasped.

"Come on!" cried our guide; "come on!" He rushed across the glade, Holmes and I at his heels.As we approached, the lady staggered against the trunk of the tree for support.

Williamson, the ex-clergyman, bowed to us with mock politeness, and the bully Woodley advanced with a shout of brutal and exultant laughter.

"You can take your beard off, Bob," said he."I know you right enough.Well, you and your pals have just come in time for me to be able to introduce you to Mrs.Woodley."Our guide's answer was a singular one.He snatched off the dark beard which had disguised him and threw it on the ground, disclosing a long, sallow, clean-shaven face below it.

Then he raised his revolver and covered the young ruffian, who was advancing upon him with his dangerous riding-crop swinging in his hand.

"Yes," said our ally, "I AM Bob Carruthers, and I'll see this woman righted if I have to swing for it.I told you what I'd do if you molested her, and, by the Lord, I'll be as good as my word!""You're too late.She's my wife!"

"No, she's your widow."

His revolver cracked, and I saw the blood spurt from the front of Woodley's waistcoat.He spun round with a scream and fell upon his back, his hideous red face turning suddenly to a dreadful mottled pallor.The old man, still clad in his surplice, burst into such a string of foul oaths as I have never heard, and pulled out a revolver of his own, but before he could raise it he was looking down the barrel of Holmes's weapon.

"Enough of this," said my friend, coldly."Drop that pistol!

Watson, pick it up! Hold it to his head! Thank you.You, Carruthers, give me that revolver.We'll have no more violence.

Come, hand it over!"

"Who are you, then?"

"My name is Sherlock Holmes."

"Good Lord!"

"You have heard of me, I see.I will represent the official police until their arrival.Here, you!" he shouted to a frightened groom who had appeared at the edge of the glade.

"Come here.Take this note as hard as you can ride to Farnham."He scribbled a few words upon a leaf from his note-book."Give it to the superintendent at the police-station.Until he comes I must detain you all under my personal custody."The strong, masterful personality of Holmes dominated the tragic scene, and all were equally puppets in his hands.Williamson and Carruthers found themselves carrying the wounded Woodley into the house, and I gave my arm to the frightened girl.

The injured man was laid on his bed, and at Holmes's request Iexamined him.I carried my report to where he sat in the old tapestry-hung dining-room with his two prisoners before him.

"He will live," said I.

"What!" cried Carruthers, springing out of his chair."I'll go upstairs and finish him first.Do you tell me that that girl, that angel, is to be tied to Roaring Jack Woodley for life?""You need not concern yourself about that," said Holmes.

"There are two very good reasons why she should under no circumstances be his wife.In the first place, we are very safe in questioning Mr.Williamson's right to solemnize a marriage.""I have been ordained," cried the old rascal.

"And also unfrocked."

"Once a clergyman, always a clergyman."

"I think not.How about the license?"

"We had a license for the marriage.I have it here in my pocket.""Then you got it by a trick.But in any case a forced marriage is no marriage, but it is a very serious felony, as you will discover before you have finished.You'll have time to think the point out during the next ten years or so, unless I am mistaken.As to you, Carruthers, you would have done better to keep your pistol in your pocket.""I begin to think so, Mr.Holmes; but when I thought of all the precaution I had taken to shield this girl -- for I loved her, Mr.Holmes, and it is the only time that ever I knew what love was -- it fairly drove me mad to think that she was in the power of the greatest brute and bully in South Africa, a man whose name is a holy terror from Kimberley to Johannesburg.Why, Mr.

Holmes, you'll hardly believe it, but ever since that girl has been in my employment I never once let her go past this house, where I knew these rascals were lurking, without following her on my bicycle just to see that she came to no harm.I kept my distance from her, and I wore a beard so that she should not recognise me, for she is a good and high-spirited girl, and she wouldn't have stayed in my employment long if she had thought that I was following her about the country roads.""Why didn't you tell her of her danger?"

同类推荐
  • 金刚经疏

    金刚经疏

    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。
  • 北东园笔录

    北东园笔录

    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。
  • Of the Conduct of the Understanding

    Of the Conduct of the Understanding

    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。
  • Measure for Measure

    Measure for Measure

    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。
  • 圣多罗菩萨梵赞

    圣多罗菩萨梵赞

    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
  • 拐个皇帝去种田

    拐个皇帝去种田

    新书《田园盛宠:世子殿下,别太撩!》一朝穿越,叶芷穿越成被亲舅舅踢死的农家大姐身上。亲戚不良。叶芷冷笑,哼,今天的我你爱理不理,明天的我,你高攀不起。
  • 苍穹神变

    苍穹神变

    无尽玄域,浩渺空间,无数位面交汇,强者如林,高手如云。南宫家族遗子南宫炎为报族仇,浴血修炼,身具神罚,天地威严,谁人能挡?神罚出,天地威严,四方风云异动。神罚降,万恶俱灭,八方妖邪诛灭。谁是谁生命中的过客?谁是谁生命的转轮?前世的尘,今世的风,无穷无尽哀伤的精魂,掩藏不住那心灵深处的沧桑。待你白发苍苍,我会依然如此,执子之手,倾世温柔……
  • 名家教子书:母亲的榜样(外国篇)

    名家教子书:母亲的榜样(外国篇)

    本书让您迅速了解大师教育智慧的核心内容,从而能够轻而易举地亲近和理解世界教育大师的智慧,感受世界经典教育方法的巨大魅力。对于那些渴望获得成功的教子经验的中国父亲和母亲来说,本书是一部有很大参考价值的家庭教育读本,甚至可以说是一套权威而完善的教育宝典。汲取榜样母亲科学的教育理念,成就优秀孩子辉煌的发展轨迹。本书介绍了近现代中外36位成功母亲的教子经验,这些“榜样母亲”的教子经验包含了丰富而深刻的教育哲理,在中外家庭教育的历史上有着广泛的影响,意义深远,而且她们的教育智慧在今天的实践中依然不断地被运用。
  • 加缪文集2:堕落·流放与王国

    加缪文集2:堕落·流放与王国

    《堕落·流放与王国》为郭宏安译加缪文集第二卷,包含中篇《堕落》和短篇小说集《流放与王国》,重点表现了作家对于社会现实的深刻反思。阿贝尔·加缪(Albert Camus,1913—1960),法国小说家和戏剧家,存在主义的代表作家之一,1957年获得诺贝尔文学奖。加缪在50年代以前,一直被看作是存在主义者,尽管他自己多次否认。1951年加缪发表了哲学论文《反抗者》之后,引起一场与萨特等人长达一年之久的论战,最后与萨特决裂,这时人们才发现,加缪是荒诞哲学及其文学的代表人物。
  • 废女成凰:修罗女帝战天下

    废女成凰:修罗女帝战天下

    她是21世纪黑道女王,一场精心策划的谋杀,一朝时空交错。本该命归地府的她,醒来却发现自己正身处蛇窟。一代王者穿越成人人可欺的废材嫡女,受尽欺凌还以莫须有的罪名丢进蛇窟喂蛇?很好。蛇窟归来,废材嫡女灵魂易主,霸气重生。降上古灵兽收万年菩提,欺我者:杀。毁我容?让你的脸变成车祸现场。草包?废物?瞎了你们的24K钛合金狗眼,天才算什么?她斗元全系双修兼炼丹师,那是天纵奇才,天才对上只有被碾死的份。异世大陆,她一步一步走出自己的强者之路,风华绝代冠天下。沉寂千年的爱恨情仇慢慢浮出水面,一袭素白归来,上古神兽伴之左右,闻者动容:她竟是、竟是......
  • 时代风流

    时代风流

    那年他十七岁,上高中。他们学校是本省名校,听说是中国第一批西式学校之一,光绪三十一年创办的中学堂。又听说,他们学校的毕业生,有几位学部委员,还有几位在北京工作,有的还经常出入中南海,甚至陪同毛主席周总理接见过外宾。有一次,一位校友回母校视察,街上还站了岗。他们学校的教学水平是没的说的,老师都是百里挑一的名师。比如他们的语文老师,原来在南京大学,知道吗,南京大学解放前叫中央大学,1957年出了一点事情,下放到一所山区小学,他们校长费了好些周折,才把他弄到学校来。
  • 最佳恶毒女配

    最佳恶毒女配

    挺着大肚子的枕溪被丈夫的情人从楼梯上推下,血溅当场,一尸两命。再醒来,枕溪回到了十二岁的年纪。薄情偏心的亲生父亲,心怀鬼胎的继母,暴虐狠戾的哥哥,一肚子坏水的妹妹,枕溪在这个家步履维艰,活得生不如死。善人的包容是畜生的乐园。这一世,枕溪必要活出自己的名堂来,上辈子受过的苦难和折磨,枕溪发誓定要全部奉还回去。
  • 我有一颗龙珠

    我有一颗龙珠

    真龙------乃宇宙至尊。他是真龙降世,但上天嫉妒、天生雷劈。待他王者归来,已吞噬龙珠,化身真龙,执掌雷电,无敌世间。武道强者只手碾压,修法术士一剑斩杀,超能强者、仙界诸仙通通灭杀,能炼药、会画符、治病救人更是不在话下。碾压诸天万界,以无敌之姿登临诸天。“吾有一龙身,可搬山、倒海、摘星、降妖、镇魔、吞天、噬地、灭万物……”-------龙辰、真龙!!!
  • 答乐天戏赠

    答乐天戏赠

    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。
  • 力量代价

    力量代价

    未来世界,上天给人类开了玩笑,让人类突然有了一股神秘力量,这更像是更高的进化。虽然力量无罪,但这取决于在什么样的人使用!我们的主角卢瑟将会在他的成长之路上,会见识到人类得到力量后,将会呈现的样子!