Знак чотирьох
XII. The Strange Story of Jonathan Small
TheyaresuspiciousfolkintheEast,however:sowhatdoesthisrajahdobuttakeasecondevenmoretrustyservantandsethimtoplaythespyuponthefirst?ThissecondmanwasorderednevertoletAchmetoutofhissight,andhefollowedhimlikehisshadow.Hewentafterhimthatnightandsawhimpassthroughthedoorway.Ofcoursehethoughthehadtakenrefugeinthefort,andappliedforadmissiontherehimselfnextday,butcouldfindnotraceofAchmet.Thisseemedtohimsostrangethathespokeaboutittoasergeantofguides,whobroughtittotheearsofthecommandant.Athoroughsearchwasquicklymade,andthebodywasdiscovered.Thusattheverymomentthatwethoughtthatallwassafewewereallfourseizedandbroughttotrialonachargeofmurder,—threeofusbecausewehadheldthegatethatnight,andthefourthbecausehewasknowntohavebeeninthecompanyofthemurderedman.Notawordaboutthejewelscameoutatthetrial,fortherajahhadbeendeposedanddrivenoutofIndia:sonoonehadanyparticularinterestinthem.Themurder,however,wasclearlymadeout,anditwascertainthatwemustallhavebeenconcernedinit.ThethreeSikhsgotpenalservitudeforlife,andIwascondemnedtodeath,thoughmysentencewasafterwardscommutedintothesameastheothers.
“Itwasratheraqueerpositionthatwefoundourselvesinthen.Therewewereallfourtiedbythelegandwithpreciouslittlechanceofevergettingoutagain,whileweeachheldasecretwhichmighthaveputeachofusinapalaceifwecouldonlyhavemadeuseofit.
