The Valley of Fear (Sherlock Holmes 7)

"Quite so."

"And why no arrest? It's past two now. I take it for granted that sincedawn every constable within forty miles has been looking out for a wetstranger?"

"That is so, Mr. Holmes."

"Well, unless he has a burrow close by or a change of clothes ready,they can hardly miss him. And yet they have missed him up to now!"Holmes had gone to the window and was examining with his lens the bloodmark on the sill. "It is clearly the tread of a shoe. It is remarkablybroad; a splay-foot, one would say. Curious, because, so far as one cantrace any footmark in this mud-stained corner, one would say it was amore shapely sole. However, they are certainly very indistinct. What'sthis under the side table?"

"Mr. Douglas's dumb-bells," said Ames.

"Dumb-bell--there's only one. Where's the other?"

"I don't know, Mr. Holmes. There may have been only one. I have notnoticed them for months."

"One dumb-bell--" Holmes said seriously; but his remarks wereinterrupted by a sharp knock at the door.

A tall, sunburned, capable-looking, clean-shaved man looked in at us. Ihad no difficulty in guessing that it was the Cecil Barker of whom Ihad heard. His masterful eyes travelled quickly with a questioningglance from face to face.

"Sorry to interrupt your consultation," said he, "but you should hearthe latest news."

"An arrest?"

"No such luck. But they've found his bicycle. The fellow left hisbicycle behind him. Come and have a look. It is within a hundred yardsof the hall door."

We found three or four grooms and idlers standing in the driveinspecting a bicycle which had been drawn out from a clump ofevergreens in which it had been concealed. It was a well usedRudge-Whitworth, splashed as from a considerable journey. There was asaddlebag with spanner and oilcan, but no clue as to the owner.

"It would be a grand help to the police," said the inspector, "if thesethings were numbered and registered. But we must be thankful for whatwe've got. If we can't find where he went to, at least we are likely toget where he came from. But what in the name of all that is wonderfulmade the fellow leave it behind? And how in the world has he got awaywithout it? We don't seem to get a gleam of light in the case, Mr.Holmes."

"Don't we?" my friend answered thoughtfully. "I wonder!"

Chapter 5

The People Of the Drama

"Have you seen all you want of the study?" asked White Mason as wereentered the house.

"For the time," said the inspector, and Holmes nodded.

"Then perhaps you would now like to hear the evidence of some of thepeople in the house. We could use the dining-room, Ames. Please comeyourself first and tell us what you know."

The butler's account was a simple and a clear one, and he gave aconvincing impression of sincerity. He had been engaged five yearsbefore, when Douglas first came to Birlstone. He understood that Mr.Douglas was a rich gentleman who had made his money in America. He hadbeen a kind and considerate employer--not quite what Ames was used to,perhaps; but one can't have everything. He never saw any signs ofapprehension in Mr. Douglas: on the contrary, he was the most fearlessman he had ever known. He ordered the drawbridge to be pulled up everynight because it was the ancient custom of the old house, and he likedto keep the old ways up.

Mr. Douglas seldom went to London or left the village; but on the daybefore the crime he had been shopping at Tunbridge Wells. He (Ames) hadobserved some restlessness and excitement on the part of Mr. Douglasthat day; for he had seemed impatient and irritable, which was unusualwith him. He had not gone to bed that night; but was in the pantry atthe back of the house, putting away the silver, when he heard the bellring violently. He heard no shot; but it was hardly possible he would,as the pantry and kitchens were at the very back of the house and therewere several closed doors and a long passage between. The housekeeperhad come out of her room, attracted by the violent ringing of the bell.They had gone to the front of the house together.

As they reached the bottom of the stair he had seen Mrs. Douglas comingdown it. No, she was not hurrying; it did not seem to him that she wasparticularly agitated. Just as she reached the bottom of the stair Mr.Barker had rushed out of the study. He had stopped Mrs. Douglas andbegged her to go back.

"For God's sake, go back to your room!" he cried. "Poor Jack is dead!You can do nothing. For God's sake, go back!"

After some persuasion upon the stairs Mrs. Douglas had gone back. Shedid not scream. She made no outcry whatever. Mrs. Allen, thehousekeeper, had taken her upstairs and stayed with her in the bedroom.Ames and Mr. Barker had then returned to the study, where they hadfound everything exactly as the police had seen it. The candle was notlit at that time; but the lamp was burning. They had looked out of thewindow; but the night was very dark and nothing could be seen or heard.They had then rushed out into the hall, where Ames had turned thewindlass which lowered the drawbridge. Mr. Barker had then hurried offto get the police.

Such, in its essentials, was the evidence of the butler.

The account of Mrs. Allen, the housekeeper, was, so far as it went, acorroboration of that of her fellow servant. The housekeeper's room wasrather nearer to the front of the house than the pantry in which Ameshad been working. She was preparing to go to bed when the loud ringingof the bell had attracted her attention. She was a little hard ofhearing. Perhaps that was why she had not heard the shot; but in anycase the study was a long way off. She remembered hearing some soundwhich she imagined to be the slamming of a door. That was a good dealearlier--half an hour at least before the ringing of the bell. When Mr.Ames ran to the front she went with him. She saw Mr. Barker, very paleand excited, come out of the study. He intercepted Mrs. Douglas, whowas coming down the stairs. He entreated her to go back, and sheanswered him, but what she said could not be heard.

"Take her up! Stay with her!" he had said to Mrs. Allen.

She had therefore taken her to the bedroom, and endeavoured to sootheher. She was greatly excited, trembling all over, but made no otherattempt to go downstairs. She just sat in her dressing gown by herbedroom fire, with her head sunk in her hands. Mrs. Allen stayed withher most of the night. As to the other servants, they had all gone tobed, and the alarm did not reach them until just before the policearrived. They slept at the extreme back of the house, and could notpossibly have heard anything.

So far the housekeeper could add nothing on cross-examination savelamentations and expressions of amazement.