Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes回忆录.docx

Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes回忆录.docx

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MemoirsofSherlockHolmes回忆录

MemoirsofSherlockHolmes回憶錄

MemoirsofSherlockHolmes

by

ArthurConanDoyle

AdventureI

SilverBlaze

"Iamafraid,Watson,thatIshallhavetogo,"said

Holmes,aswesatdowntogethertoourbreakfastone

morning.

"Go!

Whereto?

"

"ToDartmoor;toKing‘sPyland."

Iwasnotsurprised.Indeed,myonlywonderwasthat

hehadnotalreadybeenmixeduponthisextraordinary

case,whichwastheonetopicofconversationthrough

thelengthandbreadthofEngland.Forawholedaymy

companionhadrambledabouttheroomwithhischin

uponhischestandhisbrowsknitted,chargingand

recharginghispipewiththestrongestblacktobacco,

andabsolutelydeaftoanyofmyquestionsorremarks.

Fresheditionsofeverypaperhadbeensentupbyour

newsagent,onlytobeglancedoverandtosseddown

intoacorner.Yet,silentashewas,Iknew

perfectlywellwhatitwasoverwhichhewasbrooding.

Therewasbutoneproblembeforethepublicwhich

couldchallengehispowersofanalysis,andthatwas

thesingulardisappearanceofthefavoriteforthe

WessexCup,andthetragicmurderofitstrainer.

When,therefore,hesuddenlyannouncedhisintention

ofsettingoutforthesceneofthedramaitwasonly

whatIhadbothexpectedandhopedfor.

"IshouldbemosthappytogodownwithyouifI

shouldnotbeintheway,"saidI.

"MydearWatson,youwouldconferagreatfavorupon

mebycoming.AndIthinkthatyourtimewillnotbe

misspent,fortherearepointsaboutthecasewhich

promisetomakeitanabsolutelyuniqueone.Wehave,

Ithink,justtimetocatchourtrainatPaddington,

andIwillgofurtherintothematteruponour

journey.Youwouldobligemebybringingwithyou

yourveryexcellentfield-glass."

AndsoithappenedthatanhourorsolaterIfound

myselfinthecornerofafirst-classcarriageflying

alongenrouteforExeter,whileSherlockHolmes,with

hissharp,eagerfaceframedinhisear-flapped

travelling-cap,dippedrapidlyintothebundleof

freshpaperswhichhehadprocuredatPaddington.We

hadleftReadingfarbehindusbeforehethrustthe

lastoneofthemundertheseat,andofferedmehis

cigar-case.

"Wearegoingwell,"saidhe,lookingoutthewindow

andglancingathiswatch."Ourrateatpresentis

fifty-threeandahalfmilesanhour."

"Ihavenotobservedthequarter-mileposts,"saidI.

"NorhaveI.Butthetelegraphpostsuponthisline

aresixtyyardsapart,andthecalculationisasimple

one.Ipresumethatyouhavelookedintothismatter

ofthemurderofJohnStrakerandthedisappearanceof

SilverBlaze?

"

"IhaveseenwhattheTelegraphandtheChroniclehave

tosay."

"Itisoneofthosecaseswheretheartofthe

reasonershouldbeusedratherforthesiftingof

detailsthanfortheacquiringoffreshevidence.The

tragedyhasbeensouncommon,socompleteandofsuch

personalimportancetosomanypeople,thatweare

sufferingfromaplethoraofsurmise,conjecture,and

hypothesis.Thedifficultyistodetachtheframework

offact--ofabsoluteundeniablefact--fromthe

embellishmentsoftheoristsandreporters.Then,

havingestablishedourselvesuponthissoundbasis,it

isourdutytoseewhatinferencesmaybedrawnand

whatarethespecialpointsuponwhichthewhole

mysteryturns.OnTuesdayeveningIreceived

telegramsfrombothColonelRoss,theownerofthe

horse,andfromInspectorGregory,whoislooking

afterthecase,invitingmycooperation.

"Tuesdayevening!

"Iexclaimed."AndthisisThursday

morning.Whydidn‘tyougodownyesterday?

"

"BecauseImadeablunder,mydearWatson--whichis,I

amafraid,amorecommonoccurrencethananyonewould

thinkwhoonlyknewmethroughyourmemoirs.Thefact

isthatIcouldnotbelieveispossiblethatthemost

remarkablehorseinEnglandcouldlongremain

concealed,especiallyinsosparselyinhabitedaplace

asthenorthofDartmoor.Fromhourtohouryesterday

Iexpectedtohearthathehadbeenfound,andthat

hisabductorwasthemurdererofJohnStraker.When,

however,anothermorninghadcome,andIfoundthat

beyondthearrestofyoungFitzroySimpsonnothinghad

beendone,Ifeltthatitwastimeformetotake

action.YetinsomewaysIfeelthatyesterdayhas

notbeenwasted."

"Youhaveformedatheory,then?

"

"AtleastIhavegotagripoftheessentialfactsof

thecase.Ishallenumeratethemtoyou,fornothing

clearsupacasesomuchasstatingittoanother

person,andIcanhardlyexpectyourco-operationifI

donotshowyouthepositionfromwhichwestart."

Ilaybackagainstthecushions,puffingatmycigar,

whileHolmes,leaningforward,withhislong,thin

forefingercheckingoffthepointsuponthepalmof

hislefthand,gavemeasketchoftheeventswhich

hadledtoourjourney.

"SilverBlaze,"saidhe,"isfromtheSomomystock,

andholdsasbrilliantarecordashisfamous

ancestor.Heisnowinhisfifthyear,andhas

broughtinturneachoftheprizesoftheturfto

ColonelRoss,hisfortunateowner.Uptothetimeof

thecatastrophehewasthefirstfavoriteforthe

WessexCup,thebettingbeingthreetooneonhim.He

hasalways,however,beenaprimefavoritewiththe

racingpublic,andhasneveryetdisappointedthem,so

thatevenatthoseoddsenormoussumsofmoneyhave

beenlaiduponhim.Itisobvious,therefore,that

thereweremanypeoplewhohadthestrongestinterest

inpreventingSilverBlazefrombeingthereatthe

falloftheflagnextTuesday.

"Thefactwas,ofcourse,appreciatedatKing‘s

Pyland,wheretheColonel‘straining-stableis

situated.Everyprecautionwastakentoguardthe

favorite.Thetrainer,JohnStraker,isaretired

jockeywhorodeinColonelRoss‘scolorsbeforehe

becametooheavyfortheweighing-chair.Hehas

servedtheColonelforfiveyearsasjockeyandfor

sevenastrainer,andhasalwaysshownhimselftobea

zealousandhonestservant.Underhimwerethree

lads;fortheestablishmentwasasmallone,

containingonlyfourhorsesinall.Oneoftheselads

satupeachnightinthestable,whiletheothers

sleptintheloft.Allthreeboreexcellent

characters.JohnStraker,whoisamarriedman,lived

inasmallvillaabouttowhundredyardsfromthe

stables.Hehasnochildren,keepsonemaid-servant,

andiscomfortablyoff.Thecountryroundisvery

lonely,butabouthalfamiletothenorththereisa

smallclusterofvillaswhichhavebeenbuiltbya

Tavistockcontractorfortheuseofinvalidsand

otherswhomaywishtoenjoythepureDartmoorair.

Tavistockitselfliestwomilestothewest,while

acrossthemoor,alsoabouttwomilesdistant,isthe

largertrainingestablishmentofMapleton,which

belongstoLordBackwater,andismanagedbySilas

Brown.Ineveryotherdirectionthemoorisa

completewilderness,inhabitedonlybeafewroaming

gypsies.SuchwasthegeneralsituationlastMonday

nightwhenthecatastropheoccurred.

"Onthateveningthehorseshadbeenexercisedand

wateredasusual,andthestableswerelockedupat

nineo‘clock.Twooftheladswalkeduptothe

trainer‘shouse,wheretheyhadsupperinthekitchen,

whilethethird,NedHunter,remainedonguard.Ata

fewminutesafterninethemaid,EdithBaxter,carried

downtothestableshissupper,whichconsistedofa

dishofcurriedmutton.Shetooknoliquid,asthere

wasawater-tapinthestables,anditwastherule

thattheladondutyshoulddrinknothingelse.The

maidcarriedalanternwithher,asitwasverydark

andthepathranacrosstheopenmoor.

"EdithBaxterwaswithinthirtyyardsofthestables,

whenamanappearedoutofthedarknessandcalledto

hertostop.Ashesteppedintothecircleofyellow

lightthrownbythelanternshesawthathewasa

personofgentlemanlybearing,dressedinagraysuit

oftweeds,withaclothcap.Heworegaiters,and

carriedaheavystickwithaknobtoit.Shewasmost

impressed,however,bytheextremepallorofhisface

andbythenervousnessofhismanner.Hisage,she

thought,wouldberatheroverthirtythanunderit.

"‘CanyoutellmewhereIam?

‘heasked.‘Ihadalmost

madeupmymindtosleeponthemoor,whenIsawthe

lightofyourlantern.‘

"‘YouareclosetotheKing‘sPyland

training-stables,‘saidshe.

"‘Oh,indeed!

Whatastrokeofluck!

‘hecried.‘I

understandthatastable-boysleepstherealoneevery

night.Perhapsthatishissupperwhichyouare

carryingtohim.NowIamsurethatyouwouldnotbe

tooproudtoearnthepriceofanewdress,would

you?

‘Hetookapieceofwhitepaperfoldedupoutof

hiswaistcoatpocket.‘Seethattheboyhasthis

to-night,andyoushallhavetheprettiestfrockthat

moneycanbuy.‘

"Shewasfrightenedbytheearnestnessofhismanner,

andranpasthimtothewindowthroughwhichshewas

accustomedtohandthemeals.Itwasalreadyopened,

andHunterwasseatedatthesmalltableinside.She

hadbeguntotellhimofwhathadhappened,whenthe

strangercameupagain.

"‘Good-evening,‘saidhe,lookingthroughthewindow.

‘Iwantedtohaveawordwithyou.‘Thegirlhas

swornthatashespokeshenoticedthecornerofthe

littlepaperpacketprotrudingfromhisclosedhand.

"‘Whatbusinesshaveyouhere?

‘askedthelad.

"‘It‘sbusinessthatmayputsomethingintoyour

pocket,‘saidtheother.‘You‘vetwohorsesinfor

theWessexCup--SilverBlazeandBayard.Letmehave

thestraighttipandyouwon‘tbealoser.Isita

factthatattheweightsBayardcouldgivetheothera

hundredyardsinfivefurlongs,andthatthestable

haveputtheirmoneyonhim?

‘

"‘So,you‘reoneofthosedamnedtouts!

‘criedthe

lad.‘I‘llshowyouhowweservetheminKing‘s

Pyland.‘Hesprangupandrushedacrossthestableto

unloosethedo