Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of Black Peter
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“Whatpartofthetable?”
“Itlayinthemiddle.Itwasofcoarsesealskin—thestraight-hairedskin,withaleatherthongtobindit.Insidewas‘P.C.’ontheflap.Therewashalfanounceofstrongship’stobaccoinit.”
“Excellent!Whatmore?”
StanleyHopkinsdrewfromhispocketadrab-coverednotebook.Theoutsidewasroughandworn,theleavesdiscoloured.Onthefirstpagewerewrittentheinitials“J.H.N.”andthedate“1883.”Holmeslaiditonthetableandexamineditinhisminuteway,whileHopkinsandIgazedovereachshoulder.Onthesecondpageweretheprintedletters“C.P.R.,”andthencameseveralsheetsofnumbers.Anotherheadingwas“Argentine,”another“CostaRica,”andanother“SanPaulo,”eachwithpagesofsignsandfiguresafterit.
“Whatdoyoumakeofthese?”askedHolmes.
“TheyappeartobelistsofStockExchangesecurities.Ithoughtthat‘J.H.N.’weretheinitialsofabroker,andthat‘C.P.R.’mayhavebeenhisclient.”
“TryCanadianPacificRailway,”saidHolmes.
StanleyHopkinssworebetweenhisteeth,andstruckhisthighwithhisclenchedhand.
“WhatafoolIhavebeen!”hecried.“Ofcourse,itisasyousay.Then‘J.H.N.’aretheonlyinitialswehavetosolve.IhavealreadyexaminedtheoldStockExchangelists,andIcanfindnoonein1883,eitherinthehouseoramongtheoutsidebrokers,whoseinitialscorrespondwiththese.YetIfeelthattheclueisthemostimportantonethatIhold.Youwilladmit,Mr.
