Спогади Шерлока Холмса
The “Gloria Scott”
Afewsecondslateraroarlikethunderburstuponourears,andasthesmokethinnedawaytherewasnosignleftoftheGloriaScott.Inaninstantweswepttheboat’sheadroundagainandpulledwithallourstrengthfortheplacewherethehazestilltrailingoverthewatermarkedthesceneofthiscatastrophe.
"‘Itwasalonghourbeforewereachedit,andatfirstwefearedthatwehadcometoolatetosaveanyone.Asplinteredboatandanumberofcratesandfragmentsofsparsrisingandfallingonthewavesshoweduswherethevesselhadfoundered;buttherewasnosignoflife,andwehadturnedawayindespair,whenweheardacryforhelpandsawatsomedistanceapieceofwreckagewithamanlyingstretchedacrossit.WhenwepulledhimaboardtheboatheprovedtobeayoungseamanofthenameofHudson,whowassoburnedandexhaustedthathecouldgiveusnoaccountofwhathadhappeneduntilthefollowingmorning.
"‘Itseemedthatafterwehadleft,Prendergastandhisganghadproceededtoputtodeaththefiveremainingprisoners.Thetwowardershadbeenshotandthrownoverboard,andsoalsohadthethirdmate.Prendergastthendescendedintothe‘tweendecksandwithhisownhandscutthethroatoftheunfortunatesurgeon.Thereonlyremainedthefirstmate,whowasaboldandactiveman.Whenhesawtheconvictapproachinghimwiththebloodyknifeinhishandhekickedoffhisbonds,whichhehadsomehowcontrivedtoloosen,andrushingdownthedeckheplungedintotheafter-hold.
