the adventure of the dancing men-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


asking　for　Mrs。　Hilton　Cubitt；　no　information　should　be　given　as　to

her　condition；　but　he　was　to　be　shown　at　once　into　the　drawing…room。

He　impressed　these　points　upon　them　with　the　utmost　earnestness。

Finally　he　led　the　way　into　the　drawing…room；　with　the　remark　that　the

business　was　now　out　of　our　hands；　and　that　we　must　while　away　the

time　as　best　we　might　until　we　could　see　what　was　in　store　for　us。　The

doctor　had　departed　to　his　patients；　and　only　the　inspector　and　myself

remained。

　　〃I　think　that　I　can　help　you　to　pass　an　hour　in　an　interesting　and

profitable　manner；〃　said　Holmes；　drawing　his　chair　up　to　the　table；

and　spreading　out　in　front　of　him　the　various　papers　upon　which　were

recorded　the　antics　of　the　dancing　men。　〃As　to　you；　friend　Watson；　I

owe　you　every　atonement　for　having　allowed　your　natural　curiosity　to

remain　so　long　unsatisfied。　To　you；　Inspector；　the　whole　incident

may　appeal　as　a　remarkable　professional　study。　I　must　tell　you；

first　of　all；　the　interesting　circumstances　connected　with　the

previous　consultations　which　Mr。　Hilton　Cubitt　has　had　with　me　in

Baker　Street。〃　He　then　shortly　recapitulated　the　facts　which　have

already　been　recorded。　〃I　have　here　in　front　of　me　these　singular

productions；　at　which　one　might　smile；　had　they　not　proved

themselves　to　be　the　forerunners　of　so　terrible　a　tragedy。　I　am　fairly

familiar　with　all　forms　of　secret　writings；　and　am　myself　the　author

of　a　trifling　monograph　upon　the　subject；　in　which　I　analyze　one

hundred　and　sixty　separate　ciphers；　but　I　confess　that　this　is

entirely　new　to　me。　The　object　of　those　who　invented　the　system　has

apparently　been　to　conceal　that　these　characters　convey　a　message；　and

to　give　the　idea　that　they　are　the　mere　random　sketches　of　children。

　　〃Having　once　recognized；　however；　that　the　symbols　stood　for

letters；　and　having　applied　the　rules　which　guide　us　in　all　forms　of

secret　writings；　the　solution　was　easy　enough。　The　first　message

submitted　to　me　was　so　short　that　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　do

more　than　to　say；　with　some　confidence；　that　the　symbol　＇of　the　stickman

with　both　arms　extended　up　in　the　air＇





stood　for　E。　As　you　are　aware；　E　is　the　most　common　letter　in　the

English　alphabet；　and　it　predominates　to　so　marked　an　extent　that　even

in　a　short　sentence　one　would　expect　to　find　it　most　often。　Out　of

fifteen　symbols　in　the　first　message；　four　were　the　same；　so　it　was

reasonable　to　set　this　down　as　E。　It　is　true　that　in　some　cases　the

figure　was　bearing　a　flag；　and　in　some　cases　not　but　it　was

probable；　from　the　way　in　which　the　flags　were　distributed；　that

they　were　used　to　break　the　sentence　up　into　words。　I　accepted　this　as

a　hypothesis；　and　noted　that　E　was　represented　by　＇the　stickman　with

both　arms　extended　up　in　the　air＇

　　〃But　now　came　the　real　difficulty　of　the　inquiry。　The　order　of　the

English　letters　after　E　is　by　no　means　well　marked；　and　any

preponderance　which　may　be　shown　in　an　average　of　a　printed　sheet

may　be　reversed　in　a　single　short　sentence。　Speaking　roughly；　T；　A；　O；

I；　N；　S；　H；　R；　D；　and　L　are　the　numerical　order　in　which　letters

occur；　but　T；　A；　O；　and　I　are　very　nearly　abreast　of　each　other；　and

it　would　be　an　endless　task　to　try　each　combination　until　a　meaning





was　arrived　at　I　therefore　waited　for　fresh　material。　In　my　second

interview　with　Mr。　Hilton　Cubitt　he　was　able　to　give　me　two　other

short　sentences　and　one　message；　which　appeared…　since　there　was　no

flag…　to　be　a　single　word。　Here　are　the　symbols。　Now；　in　the　single

word　I　have　already　got　the　two　E's　coming　second　and　fourth　in　a　word

of　five　letters。　It　might　be　‘sever；'　or　‘lever；'　or　‘never。'　There

can　be　no　question　that　the　latter　as　a　reply　to　an　appeal　is　far

the　most　probable；　and　the　circumstances　pointed　to　its　being　a

reply　written　by　the　lady。　Accepting　it　as　correct；　we　are　now　able　to

say　that　the　symbols　＇of　the　stickman　with　right　hand　on　his　hip；　left

arm　raised　and　knees　bent；　stickman　with　leg　extended　to　the　left；　and

stickman　with　both　arms　raised　in　the　air　and　left　leg　extended。＇

stand　respectively　for　N；　V；　and　R。

　　〃Even　now　I　was　in　considerable　difficulty；　but　a　happy　thought

put　me　in　possession　of　several　other　letters。　It　occurred　to　me

that　if　these　appeals　came；　as　I　expected；　from　someone　who　had　been

intimate　with　the　lady　in　her　early　life；　a　combination　which

contained　two　E's　with　three　letters　between　might　very　well　stand　for



the　name　‘ELSIE。'　On　examination　I　found　that　such　a　combination

formed　the　termination　of　the　message　which　was　three　times

repeated。　It　was　certainly　some　appeal　to　‘Elsie。'　In　this　way　I　had

got　my　L；　S；　and　I。　But　what　appeal　could　it　be？　There　were　only

four　letters　in　the　word　which　preceded　‘Elsie；'　and　it　ended　in　E。

Surely　the　word　must　be　‘COME。'　I　tried　all　other　four　letters

ending　in　E；　but　could　find　none　to　fit　the　case。　So　now　I　was　in

possession　of　C；　O；　and　M；　and　I　was　in　a　position　to　attack　the　first

message　once　more；　dividing　it　into　words　and　putting　dots　for　each

symbol　which　was　still　unknown。　So　treated；　it　worked　out　in　this

fashion：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。　M　。　ERE　。。　E　SL　。　NE。



　　〃Now　the　first　letter　can　only　be　A；　which　is　a　most　useful

discovery；　since　it　occurs　no　fewer　than　three　times　in　this　short

sentence；　and　the　H　is　also　apparent　in　the　second　word。　Now　it

becomes：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AM　HERE　A　。　E　SLANE。



Or；　filling　in　the　obvious　vacancies　in　the　name：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AM　HERE　ABE　SLANEY。



I　had　so　many　letters　now　that　I　could　proceed　with　considerable

confidence　to　the　second　message；　which　worked　out　in　this　fashion：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　。　ELRI　。　ES。



Here　I　could　only　make　sense　by　putting　T　and　G　for　the　missing

letters；　and　supposing　that　the　name　was　that　of　some　house　or　inn

at　which　the　writer　was　staying。〃

　　Inspector　Martin　and　I　had　listened　with　the　utmost　interest　to

the　full　and　clear　account　of　how　my　friend　had　produced　results　which

had　led　to　so　complete　a　command　over　our　difficulties。

　　〃What　did　you　do　then；　sir？〃　asked　the　inspector。

　　〃I　had　every　reason　to　suppose　that　this　Abe　Slaney　was　an　American；

since　Abe　is　an　American　contraction；　and　since　a　letter　from

America　had　been　the　starting…point　of　all　the　trouble。　I　had　also

every　cause　to　think　that　there　was　some　criminal　secret　in　the

matter。　The　lady's　allusions　to　her　past；　and　her　refusal　to　take

her　husband　into　her　confidence；　both　pointed　in　that　direction。　I

therefore　cabled　to　my　friend；　Wilson　Hargreave；　of　the　New　York

Police　Bureau；　who　has　more　than　once　made　use　of　my　knowledge　of

London　crime。　I　asked　him　whether　the　name　of　Abe　Slaney　was　known

to　him。　Here　is　his　reply：　‘The　most　dangerous　crook　in　Chicago。'　On

the　very　evening　upon　which　I　had　his　answer；　Hilton　Cubitt　sent　me

the　last　message　from　Slaney。　Working　with　known　letters；　it　took　this

form：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ELSIE　。　RE　。　ARE　TO　MEET　THY　GO。



The　addition　of　a　P　and　a　D　completed　a　message　which　showed　me　that

the　rascal　was　proceeding　from　persuasion　to　threats；　and　my　knowledge

of　the　crooks　of　Chicago　prepared　me　to　find　that　he　might　very

rapidly　put　his　words　into　action。　I　at　once　came　to　Norfolk　with　my

friend　and　colleague；　Dr。　Watson；　but；　unhappily；　only　in　time　to　find

that　the　worst　had　already　occurred。〃

　　〃It　is　a　privilege　to　be　associated　with　you　in　the　handling　of　a

case；〃　said　the　inspector；　warmly。　〃You　will　excuse　me；　however；　if

I　speak　frankly　to　you。　You　are　only　answerable　to　yourself；　but　I

have　to　answer　to　my　superiors。　If　this　Abe　Slaney；　living　at

Elrige's；　is　indeed　the　murderer；　and　if　he　has　made　his　escape

while　I　am　seated　here；　I　should　certainly　get　into　serious　trouble。〃

　　〃You　need　not　be　uneasy。　He　will　not　try　to　escape。〃

　　〃How　do　you　know？〃

　　〃To　fly　would　be　a　confession　of　guilt。〃

　　〃Then　let　us　go　arrest　him。〃

　　〃I　expect　him　here　every　instant。〃

　　〃But　why　should　he　come。〃

　　〃Because　I　have　written　and　asked　him。〃

　　〃But　this　is　incredible；　Mr。　Holmes！　Why　should　he　come　because

you　have　asked　him？　Would　not　such　a　request　rather　rouse　his

suspicions　and　cause　him　to　fly？〃

　　〃I　think　I　have　known　how　to　frame　the　letter；〃　said　Sherlock

Holmes。　〃In　fact；　if　I　am　not　very　much　mistaken；　here　is　the

gentleman　himself　coming　up　the　drive。〃

　　A　man　striding　up　the　path　which　led　to　the　door。　He　was　a　tall；

handsome；　swarthy　fellow；　clad　in　a　suit　of　flannel；　with　a　Panama

hat；　a　bristling　black　beard；　and　a　great；　aggressive　hooked　nose；　and

flourishing　a　cane　as　he　walked。　He　swaggered　up　a　path　as　if　as　if

the　place　belonged　to　him；　and　we　heard　his　loud；　confident　peal　at

the　bell。

　　〃I　think；　gentlemen；〃　said　Holmes；　quietly；　〃that　we　had　best　take

up　our　position　behind　the　door。　Every　precaution　is　necessary　when

dealing　with　such　a　fellow。　You　will　need　your　handcuffs；　Inspector。

You　can　leave　the　talking　to　me。〃

　　We　waited　in　silence　for　a　minute…　one　of　those　minutes　which　one

can　never　forget。　Then　t