Знак четырех

VIII. The Baker Street Irregulars

           “Theycangoeverywhere,seeeverything,overheareveryone.Iexpecttohearbeforeeveningthattheyhavespottedher.Inthemeanwhile,wecandonothingbutawaitresults.WecannotpickupthebrokentrailuntilwefindeithertheAuroraorMr.MordecaiSmith.”

           “Tobycouldeatthesescraps,Idaresay.Areyougoingtobed,Holmes?”

           “No;Iamnottired.Ihaveacuriousconstitution.Ineverrememberfeelingtiredbywork,thoughidlenessexhaustsmecompletely.Iamgoingtosmokeandtothinkoverthisqueerbusinesstowhichmyfairclienthasintroducedus.Ifevermanhadaneasytask,thisofoursoughttobe.Wooden-leggedmenarenotsocommon,buttheothermanmust,Ishouldthink,beabsolutelyunique.”

           “Thatothermanagain!”

           “Ihavenowishtomakeamysteryofhim,—toyou,anyway.Butyoumusthaveformedyourownopinion.Now,doconsiderthedata.Diminutivefootmarks,toesneverfetteredbyboots,nakedfeet,stone-headedwoodenmace,greatagility,smallpoisoneddarts.Whatdoyoumakeofallthis?”

           “Asavage!”Iexclaimed.“PerhapsoneofthoseIndianswhoweretheassociatesofJonathanSmall.”

           “Hardlythat,”saidhe.“WhenfirstIsawsignsofstrangeweaponsIwasinclinedtothinkso;buttheremarkablecharacterofthefootmarkscausedmetoreconsidermyviews.SomeoftheinhabitantsoftheIndianPeninsulaaresmallmen,butnonecouldhaveleftsuchmarksasthat.TheHindooproperhaslongandthinfeet.Thesandal-wearingMohammedanhasthegreattoewellseparatedfromtheothers,becausethethongiscommonlypassedbetween.

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