Знак чотирьох
VIII. The Baker Street Irregulars
“Theycangoeverywhere,seeeverything,overheareveryone.Iexpecttohearbeforeeveningthattheyhavespottedher.Inthemeanwhile,wecandonothingbutawaitresults.WecannotpickupthebrokentrailuntilwefindeithertheAuroraorMr.MordecaiSmith.”
“Tobycouldeatthesescraps,Idaresay.Areyougoingtobed,Holmes?”
“No;Iamnottired.Ihaveacuriousconstitution.Ineverrememberfeelingtiredbywork,thoughidlenessexhaustsmecompletely.Iamgoingtosmokeandtothinkoverthisqueerbusinesstowhichmyfairclienthasintroducedus.Ifevermanhadaneasytask,thisofoursoughttobe.Wooden-leggedmenarenotsocommon,buttheothermanmust,Ishouldthink,beabsolutelyunique.”
“Thatothermanagain!”
“Ihavenowishtomakeamysteryofhim,—toyou,anyway.Butyoumusthaveformedyourownopinion.Now,doconsiderthedata.Diminutivefootmarks,toesneverfetteredbyboots,nakedfeet,stone-headedwoodenmace,greatagility,smallpoisoneddarts.Whatdoyoumakeofallthis?”
“Asavage!”Iexclaimed.“PerhapsoneofthoseIndianswhoweretheassociatesofJonathanSmall.”
“Hardlythat,”saidhe.“WhenfirstIsawsignsofstrangeweaponsIwasinclinedtothinkso;buttheremarkablecharacterofthefootmarkscausedmetoreconsidermyviews.SomeoftheinhabitantsoftheIndianPeninsulaaresmallmen,butnonecouldhaveleftsuchmarksasthat.TheHindooproperhaslongandthinfeet.Thesandal-wearingMohammedanhasthegreattoewellseparatedfromtheothers,becausethethongiscommonlypassedbetween.
