Пригоди Шерлока Холмса
The Five Orange Pips
"TheLoneStarhadarrivedherelastweek. IwentdowntotheAlbertDockandfoundthatshehadbeentakendowntheriverbytheearlytidethismorning,homewardboundtoSavannah. IwiredtoGravesendandlearnedthatshehadpassedsometimeago,andasthewindiseasterlyIhavenodoubtthatsheisnowpasttheGoodwinsandnotveryfarfromtheIsleofWight."
"Whatwillyoudo,then?"
"Oh,Ihavemyhanduponhim. Heandthetwomates,areasIlearn,theonlynative-bornAmericansintheship. TheothersareFinnsandGermans. Iknow,also,thattheywereallthreeawayfromtheshiplastnight. Ihaditfromthestevedorewhohasbeenloadingtheircargo. Bythetimethattheirsailing-shipreachesSavannahthemail-boatwillhavecarriedthisletter,andthecablewillhaveinformedthepoliceofSavannahthatthesethreegentlemenarebadlywantedhereuponachargeofmurder."
Thereiseveraflaw,however,inthebestlaidofhumanplans,andthemurderersofJohnOpenshawwerenevertoreceivetheorangepipswhichwouldshowthemthatanother,ascunningandasresoluteasthemselves,wasupontheirtrack. Verylongandverysevereweretheequinoctialgalesthatyear. WewaitedlongfornewsoftheLoneStarofSavannah,butnoneeverreachedus. WedidatlasthearthatsomewherefaroutintheAtlanticashatteredstern-postoftheboatwasseenswinginginthetroughofawave,withtheletters"L.S."carveduponit,andthatisallwhichweshalleverknowofthefateoftheLoneStar.
