Возвращение Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Priory School
Andtheflightwasaswiftone,sinceittookfivemilesbeforeanexpertcyclistcouldovertakethem.Yetwesurveythegroundroundthesceneofthetragedy.Whatdowefind?Afewcattle-tracks,nothingmore.Itookawidesweepround,andthereisnopathwithinfiftyyards.Anothercyclistcouldhavehadnothingtodowiththeactualmurder,norwerethereanyhumanfoot-marks.”
“Holmes,”Icried,“thisisimpossible.”
“Admirable!”hesaid.“Amostilluminatingremark.ItisimpossibleasIstateit,andthereforeImustinsomerespecthavestateditwrong.Yetyousawforyourself.Canyousuggestanyfallacy?”
“Hecouldnothavefracturedhisskullinafall?”
“Inamorass,Watson?”
“Iamatmywits’end.”
“Tut,tut,wehavesolvedsomeworseproblems.Atleastwehaveplentyofmaterial,ifwecanonlyuseit.Come,then,and,havingexhaustedthePalmer,letusseewhattheDunlopwiththepatchedcoverhastoofferus.”
Wepickedupthetrackandfolloweditonwardforsomedistance,butsoonthemoorroseintoalong,heather-tuftedcurve,andweleftthewatercoursebehindus.Nofurtherhelpfromtrackscouldbehopedfor.AtthespotwherewesawthelastoftheDunloptireitmightequallyhaveledtoHoldernesseHall,thestatelytowersofwhichrosesomemilestoourleft,ortoalow,greyvillagewhichlayinfrontofusandmarkedthepositionoftheChesterfieldhighroad.
Asweapproachedtheforbiddingandsqualidinn,withthesignofagame-cockabovethedoor,Holmesgaveasuddengroan,andclutchedmebytheshouldertosavehimselffromfalling.
