Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
"‘Wearenow,’saidhe,‘actuallywithinthehydraulicpress,anditwouldbeaparticularlyunpleasantthingforusifanyoneweretoturniton. Theceilingofthissmallchamberisreallytheendofthedescendingpiston,anditcomesdownwiththeforceofmanytonsuponthismetalfloor. Therearesmalllateralcolumnsofwateroutsidewhichreceivetheforce,andwhichtransmitandmultiplyitinthemannerwhichisfamiliartoyou. Themachinegoesreadilyenough,butthereissomestiffnessintheworkingofit,andithaslostalittleofitsforce. Perhapsyouwillhavethegoodnesstolookitoverandtoshowushowwecansetitright.’
"Itookthelampfromhim,andIexaminedthemachineverythoroughly. Itwasindeedagiganticone,andcapableofexercisingenormouspressure. WhenIpassedoutside,however,andpresseddowntheleverswhichcontrolledit,Iknewatoncebythewhishingsoundthattherewasaslightleakage,whichallowedaregurgitationofwaterthroughoneofthesidecylinders. Anexaminationshowedthatoneoftheindia-rubberbandswhichwasroundtheheadofadriving-rodhadshrunksoasnotquitetofillthesocketalongwhichitworked. Thiswasclearlythecauseofthelossofpower,andIpointeditouttomycompanions,whofollowedmyremarksverycarefullyandaskedseveralpracticalquestionsastohowtheyshouldproceedtosetitright. WhenIhadmadeitcleartothem,Ireturnedtothemainchamberofthemachineandtookagoodlookatittosatisfymyowncuriosity. Itwasobviousataglancethatthestoryofthefuller’s-earthwasthemerestfabrication,foritwouldbeabsurdtosupposethatsopowerfulanenginecouldbedesignedforsoinadequateapurpose. Thewallswereofwood,butthefloorconsistedofalargeirontrough,andwhenIcametoexamineitIcouldseeacrustofmetallicdepositalloverit. IhadstoopedandwasscrapingatthistoseeexactlywhatitwaswhenIheardamutteredexclamationinGermanandsawthecadaverousfaceofthecolonellookingdownatme.
