Повернення Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of Black Peter
Then,horrifiedbywhathehaddone,hefledoutofthehut,droppingthenotebookwhichhehadbroughtwithhiminordertoquestionPeterCareyaboutthesedifferentsecurities.Youmayhaveobservedthatsomeofthemweremarkedwithticks,andtheothers—thegreatmajority—werenot.ThosewhicharetickedhavebeentracedontheLondonmarket,buttheothers,presumably,werestillinthepossessionofCarey,andyoungNeligan,accordingtohisownaccount,wasanxioustorecovertheminordertodotherightthingbyhisfather’screditors.Afterhisflighthedidnotdaretoapproachthehutagainforsometime,butatlastheforcedhimselftodosoinordertoobtaintheinformationwhichheneeded.Surelythatisallsimpleandobvious?”
Holmessmiledandshookhishead.
“Itseemstometohaveonlyonedrawback,Hopkins,andthatisthatitisintrinsicallyimpossible.Haveyoutriedtodriveaharpoonthroughabody?No?Tut,tutmydearsir,youmustreallypayattentiontothesedetails.MyfriendWatsoncouldtellyouthatIspentawholemorninginthatexercise.Itisnoeasymatter,andrequiresastrongandpractisedarm.Butthisblowwasdeliveredwithsuchviolencethattheheadoftheweaponsankdeepintothewall.Doyouimaginethatthisanæmicyouthwascapableofsofrightfulanassault?IshethemanwhohobnobbedinrumandwaterwithBlackPeterinthedeadofthenight?Wasithisprofilethatwasseenontheblindtwonightsbefore?No,no,Hopkins,itisanotherandmoreformidablepersonforwhomwemustseek.
