Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
"‘SomelittletimeagoIboughtasmallplace—averysmallplace—withintenmilesofReading. Iwasfortunateenoughtodiscoverthattherewasadepositoffuller’s-earthinoneofmyfields. Onexaminingit,however,Ifoundthatthisdepositwasacomparativelysmallone,andthatitformedalinkbetweentwoverymuchlargeronesupontherightandleft—bothofthem,however,inthegroundsofmyneighbours. Thesegoodpeoplewereabsolutelyignorantthattheirlandcontainedthatwhichwasquiteasvaluableasagold-mine. Naturally,itwastomyinteresttobuytheirlandbeforetheydiscovereditstruevalue,butunfortunatelyIhadnocapitalbywhichIcoulddothis. Itookafewofmyfriendsintothesecret,however,andtheysuggestedthatweshouldquietlyandsecretlyworkourownlittledepositandthatinthiswayweshouldearnthemoneywhichwouldenableustobuytheneighbouringfields. Thiswehavenowbeendoingforsometime,andinordertohelpusinouroperationsweerectedahydraulicpress. Thispress,asIhavealreadyexplained,hasgotoutoforder,andwewishyouradviceuponthesubject. Weguardoursecretveryjealously,however,andifitoncebecameknownthatwehadhydraulicengineerscomingtoourlittlehouse,itwouldsoonrouseinquiry,andthen,ifthefactscameout,itwouldbegood-byetoanychanceofgettingthesefieldsandcarryingoutourplans. ThatiswhyIhavemadeyoupromisemethatyouwillnottellahumanbeingthatyouaregoingtoEyfordto-night. IhopethatImakeitallplain?’
"‘Iquitefollowyou,’saidI. ‘TheonlypointwhichIcouldnotquiteunderstandwaswhatuseyoucouldmakeofahydraulicpressinexcavatingfuller’s-earth,which,asIunderstand,isdugoutlikegravelfromapit.’
"‘Ah!’saidhecarelessly,‘wehaveourownprocess. Wecompresstheearthintobricks,soastoremovethemwithoutrevealingwhattheyare. Butthatisameredetail.
