Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
"‘Whatareyoudoingthere?’heasked.
"Ifeltangryathavingbeentrickedbysoelaborateastoryasthatwhichhehadtoldme. ‘Iwasadmiringyourfuller’s-earth,’saidI; ‘IthinkthatIshouldbebetterabletoadviseyouastoyourmachineifIknewwhattheexactpurposewasforwhichitwasused.’
"TheinstantthatIutteredthewordsIregrettedtherashnessofmyspeech. Hisfacesethard,andabalefullightsprangupinhisgrayeyes.
"‘Verywell,’saidhe,‘youshallknowallaboutthemachine.’ Hetookastepbackward,slammedthelittledoor,andturnedthekeyinthelock. Irushedtowardsitandpulledatthehandle,butitwasquitesecure,anddidnotgiveintheleasttomykicksandshoves. ‘Hello!’Iyelled.‘Hello!Colonel!Letmeout!’
"AndthensuddenlyinthesilenceIheardasoundwhichsentmyheartintomymouth. Itwastheclankoftheleversandtheswishoftheleakingcylinder. Hehadsettheengineatwork. ThelampstillstooduponthefloorwhereIhadplaceditwhenexaminingthetrough. ByitslightIsawthattheblackceilingwascomingdownuponme,slowly,jerkily,but,asnoneknewbetterthanmyself,withaforcewhichmustwithinaminutegrindmetoashapelesspulp. Ithrewmyself,screaming,againstthedoor,anddraggedwithmynailsatthelock. Iimploredthecoloneltoletmeout,buttheremorselessclankingoftheleversdrownedmycries. Theceilingwasonlyafootortwoabovemyhead,andwithmyhandupraisedIcouldfeelitshard,roughsurface. ThenitflashedthroughmymindthatthepainofmydeathwoulddependverymuchuponthepositioninwhichImetit. IfIlayonmyfacetheweightwouldcomeuponmyspine,andIshudderedtothinkofthatdreadfulsnap.
