Sherlock Holmes complete collection by sir arthur conan doyle

ASIS Part 2: Chapter 6. A CONTINUATION OF THE REMINISCENCES OF JOHNWATSON,M.D.

OUR prisoner's furious resistance did not apparently indicate any ferocityin his disposition towards ourselves, for on finding himself powerless, hesmiled in an affable manner, and expressed his hopes that he had not hurtany of us in the scuffle. "I guess you're going to take me to the policestation," he remarked to Sherlock Holmes. "My cab's at the door. Ifyou'll loose my legs I'll walk down to it. I'm not so light to lift as I usedto be."Gregson and Lestrade exchanged glances, as if they thought thisproposition rather a bold one; but Holmes at once took the prisoner at hisword, and loosened the towel which we had bound round his ankles. Herose and stretched his legs, as though to assure himself that they were freeonce more. I remember that I thought to myself, as I eyed him, that I hadseldom seen a more powerfully built man; and his dark, sunburned facebore an expression of determination and energy which was as formidableas his personal strength."If there's a vacant place for a chief of the police, I reckon you are theman for [77] it," he said, gazing with undisguised admiration at my fellowlodger. "The way you kept on my trail was a caution.""You had better come with me," said Holmes to the two detectives."I can drive you," said Lestrade."Good! and Gregson can come inside with me. You too, Doctor. Youhave taken an interest in the case, and may as well stick to us."I assented gladly, and we all descended together. Our prisoner made noattempt at escape, but stepped calmly into the cab which had been his, andwe followed him. Lestrade mounted the box, whipped up the horse, andbrought us in a very short time to our destination. We were ushered into asmall chamber, where a police inspector noted down our prisoner's nameand the names of the men with whose murder he had been charged. Theofficial was a white-faced, unemotional man, who went through his dutiesin a dull, mechanical way. "The prisoner will be put before themagistrates in the course of the week," he said; "in the meantime, Mr.Jefferson Hope, have you anything that you wish to say? I must warn youthat your words will be taken down, and may be used against you.""I've got a good deal to say," our prisoner said slowly. "I want to tellyou gentlemen all about it.""Hadn't you better reserve that for your trial?" asked the inspector."I may never be tried," he answered. "You needn't look startled. It isn'tsuicide I am thinking of. Are you a doctor?" He turned his fierce darkeyes upon me as he asked this last question."Yes, I am," I answered."Then put your hand here," he said, with a smile, motioning with hismanacled wrists towards his chest.I did so; and became at once conscious of an extraordinary throbbingand commotion which was going on inside. The walls of his chest seemedto thrill and quiver as a frail building would do inside when somepowerful engine was at work. In the silence of the room I could hear adull humming and buzzing noise which proceeded from the same source."Why," I cried, "you have an aortic aneurism!""That's what they call it," he said, placidly. "I went to a doctor lastweek about it, and he told me that it is bound to burst before many dayspassed. It has been getting worse for years. I got it from overexposure andunder-feeding among the Salt Lake Mountains. I've done my work now,and I don't care how soon I go, but I should like to leave some account ofthe business behind me. I don't want to be remembered as a common cutthroat."The inspector and the two detectives had a hurried discussion as to theadvisability of allowing him to tell his story. "Do you consider, Doctor, that there is immediate danger?" the formerasked."Most certainly there is," I answered."In that case it is clearly our duty, in the interests of justice, to take hisstatement," said the inspector. "You are at liberty, sir, to give youraccount, which I again warn you will be taken down.""I'll sit down, with your leave," the prisoner said, suiting the action tothe word. "This aneurism of mine makes me easily tired, and the tusslewe had half an hour ago has not mended matters. I'm on the brink of thegrave, and I am not likely [78] to lie to you. Every word I say is theabsolute truth, and how you use it is a matter of no consequence to me."With these words, Jefferson Hope leaned back in his chair and beganthe following remarkable statement. He spoke in a calm and methodicalmanner, as though the events which he narrated were commonplaceenough. I can vouch for the accuracy of the subjoined account, for I havehad access to Lestrade's notebook, in which the prisoner's words weretaken down exactly as they were uttered."It don't much matter to you why I hated these men," he said; "it'senough that they were guilty of the death of two human beings-a fatherand daughter-and that they had, therefore, forfeited their own lives. Afterthe lapse of time that has passed since their crime, it was impossible forme to secure a conviction against them in any court. I knew of their guiltthough, and I determined that I should be judge, jury, and executioner allrolled into one. You'd have done the same, if you have any manhood inyou, if you had been in my place."That girl that I spoke of was to have married me twenty years ago. Shewas forced into marrying that same Drebber, and broke her heart over it. Itook the marriage ring from her dead finger, and I vowed that his dyingeyes should rest upon that very ring, and that his last thoughts should beof the crime for which he was punished. I have carried it about with me,and have followed him and his accomplice over two continents until Icaught them. They thought to tire me out, but they could not do it. If I dieto-morrow, as is likely enough, I die knowing that my work in this worldis done, and well done. They have perished, and by my hand. There isnothing left for me to hope for, or to desire."They were rich and I was poor, so that it was no easy matter for me tofollow them. When I got to London my pocket was about empty, and Ifound that I must turn my hand to something for my living. Driving andriding are as natural to me as walking, so I applied at a cab-owner'soffice, and soon got employment. I was to bring a certain sum a week tothe owner, and whatever was over that I might keep for myself. There wasseldom much over, but I managed to scrape along somehow. The hardestjob was to learn my way about, for I reckon that of all the mazes that everwere contrived, this city is the most confusing. I had a map beside me,though, and when once I had spotted the principal hotels and stations, Igot on pretty well."It was some time before I found out where my two gentlemen wereliving; but I inquired and inquired until at last I dropped across them.They were at a boarding-house at Camberwell, over on the other side of the river. When once I found them out, I knew that I had them at mymercy. I had grown my beard, and there was no chance of theirrecognizing me. I would dog them and follow them until I saw myopportunity. I was determined that they should not escape me again."They were very near doing it for all that. Go where they would aboutLondon, I was always at their heels. Sometimes I followed them on mycab, and sometimes on foot, but the former was the best, for then theycould not get away from me. It was only early in the morning or late atnight that I could earn anything, so that I began to get behindhand withmy employer. I did not mind that, however, as long as I could lay myhand upon the men I wanted."They were very cunning, though. They must have thought that therewas some chance of their being followed, for they would never go outalone, and never after nightfall. During two weeks I drove behind themevery day, and never once [79] saw them separate. Drebber himself wasdrunk half the time, but Stangerson was not to be caught napping. Iwatched them late and early, but never saw the ghost of a chance; but Iwas not discouraged, for something told me that the hour had almostcome. My only fear was that this thing in my chest might burst a little toosoon and leave my work undone."At last, one evening I was driving up and down Torquay Terrace, asthe street was called in which they boarded, when I saw a cab drive up totheir door. Presently some luggage was brought out and after a timeDrebber and Stangerson followed it, and drove off. I whipped up myhorse and kept within sight of them, feeling very ill at ease, for I fearedthat they were going to shift their quarters. At Euston Station they got out,and I left a boy to hold my horse and followed them on to the platform. Iheard them ask for the Liverpool train, and the guard answer that one hadjust gone, and there would not be another for some hours. Stangersonseemed to be put out at that, but Drebber was rather pleased thanotherwise. I got so close to them in the bustle that I could hear every wordthat passed between them. Drebber said that he had a little business of hisown to do, and that if the other would wait for him he would soon rejoinhim. His companion remonstrated with him, and reminded him that theyhad resolved to stick together. Drebber answered that the matter was adelicate one, and that he must go alone. I could not catch what Stangersonsaid to that, but the other burst out swearing, and reminded him that hewas nothing more than his paid servant, and that he must not presume todictate to him. On that the secretary gave it up as a bad job, and simplybargained with him that if he missed the last train he should rejoin him atHalliday's Private Hotel; to which Drebber answered that he would beback on the platform before eleven, and made his way out of the station."The moment for which I had waited so long had at last come. I had myenemies within my power. Together they could protect each other, butsingly they were at my mercy. I did not act, however, with undueprecipitation. My plans were already formed. There is no satisfaction invengeance unless the offender has time to realize who it is that strikeshim, and why retribution has come upon him. I had my plans arranged bywhich I should have the opportunity of making the man who had wronged me understand that his old sin had found him out. It chanced that somedays before a gentleman who had been engaged in looking over somehouses in the Brixton Road had dropped the key of one of them in mycarriage. It was claimed that same evening, and returned; but in theinterval I had taken a moulding of it, and had a duplicate constructed. Bymeans of this I had access to at least one spot in this great city where Icould rely upon being free from interruption. How to get Drebber to thathouse was the difficult problem which I had now to solve."He walked down the road and went into one or two liquor shops,staying for nearly half an hour in the last of them. When he came out, hestaggered in his walk, and was evidently pretty well on. There was ahansom just in front of me, and he hailed it. I followed it so close that thenose of my horse was within a yard of his driver the whole way. Werattled across Waterloo Bridge and through miles of streets, until, to myastonishment, we found ourselves back in the terrace in which he hadboarded. I could not imagine what his intention was in returning there; butI went on and pulled up my cab a hundred yards or so from the house. Heentered it, and his hansom drove away. Give me a glass of water, if youplease. My mouth gets dry with the talking."[80] I handed him the glass, and he drank it down."That's better," he said. "Well, I waited for a quarter of an hour, ormore, when suddenly there came a noise like people struggling inside thehouse. Next moment the door was flung open and two men appeared, oneof whom was Drebber, and the other was a young chap whom I had neverseen before. This fellow had Drebber by the collar, and when they cameto the head of the steps he gave him a shove and a kick which sent himhalf across the road. 'You hound!' he cried, shaking his stick at him; 'I'llteach you to insult an honest girl!' He was so hot that I think he wouldhave thrashed Drebber with his cudgel, only that the cur staggered awaydown the road as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran as far as thecorner, and then seeing my cab, he hailed me and jumped in. 'Drive me toHalliday's Private Hotel,' said he."When I had him fairly inside my cab, my heart jumped so with joythat I feared lest at this last moment my aneurism might go wrong. I drovealong slowly, weighing in my own mind what it was best to do. I mighttake him right out into the country, and there in some deserted lane havemy last interview with him. I had almost decided upon this, when hesolved the problem for me. The craze for drink had seized him again, andhe ordered me to pull up outside a gin palace. He went in, leaving wordthat I should wait for him. There he remained until closing time, andwhen he came out he was so far gone that I knew the game was in myown hands."Don't imagine that I intended to kill him in cold blood. It would onlyhave been rigid justice if I had done so, but I could not bring myself to doit. I had long determined that he should have a show for his life if hechose to take advantage of it. Among the many billets which I have filledin America during my wandering life, I was once janitor and sweeper-outof the laboratory at York College. One day the professor was lecturing onpoisons, and he showed his students some alkaloid, as he called it, which he had extracted from some South American arrow poison, and whichwas so powerful that the least grain meant instant death. I spotted thebottle in which this preparation was kept, and when they were all gone, Ihelped myself to a little of it. I was a fairly good dispenser, so I workedthis alkaloid into small, soluble pills, and each pill I put in a box with asimilar pill made without the poison. I determined at the time that when Ihad my chance my gentlemen should each have a draw out of one of theseboxes, while I ate the pill that remained. It would be quite as deadly and agood deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief. From that day Ihad always my pill boxes about with me, and the time had now comewhen I was to use them."It was nearer one than twelve, and a wild, bleak night, blowing hardand raining in torrents. Dismal as it was outside, I was glad within-soglad that I could have shouted out from pure exultation. If any of yougentlemen have ever pined for a thing, and longed for it during twentylong years, and then suddenly found it within your reach, you wouldunderstand my feelings. I lit a cigar, and puffed at it to steady my nerves,but my hands were trembling and my temples throbbing with excitement.As I drove, I could see old John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking at me outof the darkness and smiling at me, just as plain as I see you all in thisroom. All the way they were ahead of me, one on each side of the horseuntil I pulled up at the house in the Brixton Road."There was not a soul to be seen, nor a sound to be heard, except thedripping of the rain. When I looked in at the window, I found Drebber allhuddled [81] together in a drunken sleep. I shook him by the arm, 'It'stime to get out,' I said."'All right, cabby,' said he."I suppose he thought we had come to the hotel that he had mentioned,for he got out without another word, and followed me down the garden. Ihad to walk beside him to keep him steady, for he was still a little topheavy. When we came to the door, I opened it and led him into the frontroom. I give you my word that all the way, the father and the daughterwere walking in front of us."'It's infernally dark,' said he, stamping about."'We'll soon have a light,' I said, striking a match and putting it to awax candle which I had brought with me. 'Now, Enoch Drebber,' Icontinued, turning to him, and holding the light to my own face, 'who amI?'"He gazed at me with bleared, drunken eyes for a moment, and then Isaw a horror spring up in them, and convulse his whole features, whichshowed me that he knew me. He staggered back with a livid face, and Isaw the perspiration break out upon his brow, while his teeth chattered inhis head. At the sight I leaned my back against the door and laughed loudand long. I had always known that vengeance would be sweet, but I hadnever hoped for the contentment of soul which now possessed me."'You dog!' I said; 'I have hunted you from Salt Lake City to St.Petersburg, and you have always escaped me. Now, at last yourwanderings have come to an end, for either you or I shall never see tomorrow's sun rise.' He shrunk still farther away as I spoke, and I couldsee on his face that he thought I was mad. So I was for the time. Thepulses in my temples beat like sledge-hammers, and I believe I wouldhave had a fit of some sort if the blood had not gushed from my nose andrelieved me."'What do you think of Lucy Ferrier now?' I cried, locking the door,and shaking the key in his face. 'Punishment has been slow in coming,but it has overtaken you at last.' I saw his coward lips tremble as I spoke.He would have begged for his life, but he knew well that it was useless."'Would you murder me?' he stammered."'There is no murder,' I answered. 'Who talks of murdering a maddog? What mercy had you upon my poor darling, when you dragged herfrom her slaughtered father, and bore her away to your accursed andshameless harem?'"'It was not I who killed her father,' he cried."'But it was you who broke her innocent heart,' I shrieked, thrustingthe box before him. 'Let the high God judge between us. Choose and eat.There is death in one and life in the other. I shall take what you leave. Let us see if there is justice upon the earth, or if we are ruled by chance.'"He cowered away with wild cries and prayers for mercy, but I drewmy knife and held it to his throat until he had obeyed me. Then Iswallowed the other, and we stood facing one another in silence for aminute or more, waiting to see which was to live and which was to die.Shall I ever forget the look which came over his face when the firstwarning pangs told him that the poison was in his system? I laughed as Isaw it, and held Lucy's marriage ring in front of his eyes. It was but for amoment, for the action of the alkaloid is rapid. A spasm of pain contortedhis features; he threw his hands out in front of him, staggered, and then,with a hoarse cry, fell heavily upon the floor. I turned him over with myfoot, and placed my hand upon his heart. There was no movement. Hewas dead!"The blood had been streaming from my nose, but I had taken no noticeof it. [82] I don't know what it was that put it into my head to write uponthe wall with it. Perhaps it was some mischievous idea of setting thepolice upon a wrong track, for I felt light-hearted and cheerful. Iremember a German being found in New York with RACHE written upabove him, and it was argued at the time in the newspapers that the secretsocieties must have done it. I guessed that what puzzled the New Yorkerswould puzzle the Londoners, so I dipped my finger in my own blood andprinted it on a convenient place on the wall. Then I walked down to mycab and found that there was nobody about, and that the night was stillvery wild. I had driven some distance, when I put my hand into the pocketin which I usually kept Lucy's ring, and found that it was not there. I wasthunderstruck at this, for it was the only memento that I had of her.Thinking that I might have dropped it when I stooped over Drebber'sbody, I drove back, and leaving my cab in a side street, I went boldly upto the house-for I was ready to dare anything rather than lose the ring.When I arrived there, I walked right into the arms of a police-officer whowas coming out, and only managed to disarm his suspicions bypretending to be hopelessly drunk."That was how Enoch Drebber came to his end. All I had to do thenwas to do as much for Stangerson, and so pay off John Ferrier's debt. Iknew that he was staying at Halliday's Private Hotel, and I hung about allday, but he never came out. I fancy that he suspected something whenDrebber failed to put in an appearance. He was cunning, was Stangerson,and always on his guard. If he thought he could keep me off by stayingindoors he was very much mistaken. I soon found out which was thewindow of his bedroom, and early next morning I took advantage of someladders which were lying in the lane behind the hotel, and so made myway into his room in the gray of the dawn. I woke him up and told himthat the hour had come when he was to answer for the life he had taken solong before. I described Drebber's death to him, and I gave him the samechoice of the poisoned pills. Instead of grasping at the chance of safetywhich that offered him, he sprang from his bed and flew at my throat. Inself-defence I stabbed him to the heart. It would have been the same inany case, for Providence would never have allowed his guilty hand topick out anything but the poison. "I have little more to say, and it's as well, for I am about done up. Iwent on cabbing it for a day or so, intending to keep at it until I couldsave enough to take me back to America. I was standing in the yard whena ragged youngster asked if there was a cabby there called JeffersonHope, and said that his cab was wanted by a gentleman at 221B, BakerStreet. I went round suspecting no harm, and the next thing I knew, thisyoung man here had the bracelets on my wrists, and as neatly shackled asever I saw in my life. That's the whole of my story, gentlemen. You mayconsider me to be a murderer; but I hold that I am just as much an officerof justice as you are."So thrilling had the man's narrative been and his manner was soimpressive that we had sat silent and absorbed. Even the professionaldetectives, blase as they were in every detail of crime, appeared to bekeenly interested in the man's story. When he finished, we sat for someminutes in a stillness which was only broken by the scratching ofLestrade's pencil as he gave the finishing touches to his shorthandaccount."There is only one point on which I should like a little moreinformation," Sherlock Holmes said at last. "Who was your accomplicewho came for the ring which I advertised?"[83] The prisoner winked at my friend jocosely. "I can tell my ownsecrets," he said, "but I don't get other people into trouble. I saw youradvertisement, and I thought it might be a plant, or it might be the ringwhich I wanted. My friend volunteered to go and see. I think you'll ownhe did it smartly.""Not a doubt of that," said Holmes, heartily."Now, gentlemen," the inspector remarked gravely, "the forms of thelaw must be complied with. On Thursday the prisoner will be broughtbefore the magistrates, and your attendance will be required. Until then Iwill be responsible for him." He rang the bell as he spoke, and JeffersonHope was led off by a couple of warders, while my friend and I made ourway out of the station and took a cab back to Baker Street.