Знак четырех
VII. The Episode of the Barrel
Thecreatureinstantlybrokeintoasuccessionofhigh,tremulousyelps,and,withhisnoseontheground,andhistailintheair,patteredoffuponthetrailatapacewhichstrainedhisleashandkeptusatthetopofourspeed.
Theeasthadbeengraduallywhitening,andwecouldnowseesomedistanceinthecoldgreylight.Thesquare,massivehouse,withitsblack,emptywindowsandhigh,barewalls,toweredup,sadandforlorn,behindus.Ourcourseledrightacrossthegrounds,inandoutamongthetrenchesandpitswithwhichtheywerescarredandintersected.Thewholeplace,withitsscattereddirt-heapsandill-grownshrubs,hadablighted,ill-omenedlookwhichharmonizedwiththeblacktragedywhichhungoverit.
OnreachingtheboundarywallTobyranalong,whiningeagerly,underneathitsshadow,andstoppedfinallyinacornerscreenedbyayoungbeech.Wherethetwowallsjoined,severalbrickshadbeenloosened,andthecrevicesleftwereworndownandroundeduponthelowerside,asthoughtheyhadfrequentlybeenusedasaladder.Holmesclamberedup,and,takingthedogfromme,hedroppeditoverupontheotherside.
“There’stheprintofwooden-leg’shand,”heremarked,asImountedupbesidehim.“Youseetheslightsmudgeofblooduponthewhiteplaster.Whataluckythingitisthatwehavehadnoveryheavyrainsinceyesterday!Thescentwilllieupontheroadinspiteoftheireight-and-twentyhours’start.”
IconfessthatIhadmydoubtsmyselfwhenIreflecteduponthegreattrafficwhichhadpassedalongtheLondonroadintheinterval.Myfearsweresoonappeased,however.
