Воспоминания Шерлока Холмса
The Musgrave Ritual
’
"Thiswasexcellentnews,Watson,foritshowedmethatIwasontherightroad.Ilookedupatthesun.Itwaslowintheheavens,andIcalculatedthatinlessthananhouritwouldliejustabovethetopmostbranchesoftheoldoak.OneconditionmentionedintheRitualwouldthenbefulfilled.Andtheshadowoftheelmmustmeanthefartherendoftheshadow,otherwisethetrunkwouldhavebeenchosenastheguide.Ihad,then,tofindwherethefarendoftheshadowwouldfallwhenthesunwasjustclearoftheoak."
"Thatmusthavebeendifficult,Holmes,whentheelmwasnolongerthere."
"Well,atleastIknewthatifBruntoncoulddoit,Icouldalso.Besides,therewasnorealdifficulty.IwentwithMusgravetohisstudyandwhittledmyselfthispeg,towhichItiedthislongstringwithaknotateachyard.ThenItooktwolengthsofafishing-rod,whichcametojustsixfeet,andIwentbackwithmyclienttowheretheelmhadbeen.Thesunwasjustgrazingthetopoftheoak.Ifastenedtherodonend,markedoutthedirectionoftheshadow,andmeasuredit.Itwasninefeetinlength.
"Ofcoursethecalculationnowwasasimpleone.Ifarodofsixfeetthrewashadowofnine,atreeofsixty-fourfeetwouldthrowoneofninety-six,andthelineoftheonewouldofcoursebethelineoftheother.Imeasuredoutthedistance,whichbroughtmealmosttothewallofthehouse,andIthrustapegintothespot.
