The Valley of Fear (Sherlock Holmes 7)

; "Tut, tut! My dear sir, please do what I ask you."

"Well, go on."

"--in the hope that we may find something which may bear upon our investigation. I have made arrangements, and the workmen will be at work early to-morrow morning diverting the stream--"

"Impossible!"

"--diverting the stream; so I thought it best to explain matters beforehand.

"Now sign that, and send it by hand about four o'clock. At that hour weshall meet again in this room. Until then we may each do what we like;for I can assure you that this inquiry has come to a definite pause."

Evening was drawing in when we reassembled. Holmes was very serious inhis manner, myself curious, and the detectives obviously critical andannoyed.

"Well, gentlemen," said my friend gravely, "I am asking you now to puteverything to the test with me, and you will judge for yourselveswhether the observations I have made justify the conclusions to which Ihave come. It is a chill evening, and I do not know how long ourexpedition may last; so I beg that you will wear your warmest coats. Itis of the first importance that we should be in our places before itgrows dark; so with your permission we shall get started at once."

We passed along the outer bounds of the Manor House park until we cameto a place where there was a gap in the rails which fenced it. Throughthis we slipped, and then in the gathering gloom we followed Holmesuntil we had reached a shrubbery which lies nearly opposite to the maindoor and the drawbridge. The latter had not been raised. Holmescrouched down behind the screen of laurels, and we all three followedhis example.

"Well, what are we to do now?" asked MacDonald with some gruffness.

"Possess our souls in patience and make as little noise as possible,"Holmes answered.

"What are we here for at all? I really think that you might treat uswith more frankness."

Holmes laughed. "Watson insists that I am the dramatist in real life,"said he. "Some touch of the artist wells up within me, and callsinsistently for a well-staged performance. Surely our profession, Mr.Mac, would be a drab and sordid one if we did not sometimes set thescene so as to glorify our results. The blunt accusation, the brutaltap upon the shoulder--what can one make of such a denouement? But thequick inference, the subtle trap, the clever forecast of coming events,the triumphant vindication of bold theories--are these not the prideand the justification of our life's work? At the present moment youthrill with the glamour of the situation and the anticipation of thehunt. Where would be that thrill if I had been as definite as atimetable? I only ask a little patience, Mr. Mac, and all will be clearto you."

"Well, I hope the pride and justification and the rest of it will comebefore we all get our death of cold," said the London detective withcomic resignation.

We all had good reason to join in the aspiration; for our vigil was along and bitter one. Slowly the shadows darkened over the long, sombreface of the old house. A cold, damp reek from the moat chilled us tothe bones and set our teeth chattering. There was a single lamp overthe gateway and a steady globe of light in the fatal study. Everythingelse was dark and still.

"How long is this to last?" asked the inspector finally. "And what isit we are watching for?"

"I have no more notion than you how long it is to last," Holmesanswered with some asperity. "If criminals would always schedule theirmovements like railway trains, it would certainly be more convenientfor all of us. As to what it is we--Well, that's what we are watchingfor!"

As he spoke the bright, yellow light in the study was obscured bysomebody passing to and fro before it. The laurels among which we laywere immediately opposite the window and not more than a hundred feetfrom it. Presently it was thrown open with a whining of hinges, and wecould dimly see the dark outline of a man's head and shoulders lookingout into the gloom. For some minutes he peered forth in furtive,stealthy fashion, as one who wishes to be assured that he isunobserved. Then he leaned forward, and in the intense silence we wereaware of the soft lapping of agitated water. He seemed to be stirringup the moat with something which he held in his hand. Then suddenly hehauled something in as a fisherman lands a fish--some large, roundobject which obscured the light as it was dragged through the opencasement.

"Now!" cried Holmes. "Now!"

We were all upon our feet, staggering after him with our stiffenedlimbs, while he ran swiftly across the bridge and rang violently at thebell. There was the rasping of bolts from the other side, and theamazed Ames stood in the entrance. Holmes brushed him aside without aword and, followed by all of us, rushed into the room which had beenoccupied by the man whom we had been watching.

The oil lamp on the table represented the glow which we had seen fromoutside. It was now in the hand of Cecil Barker, who held it towards usas we entered. Its light shone upon his strong, resolute, clean-shavedface and his menacing eyes.

"What the devil is the meaning of all this?" he cried. "What are youafter, anyhow?"

Holmes took a swift glance round, and then pounced upon a sodden bundletied together with cord which lay where it had been thrust under thewriting table.

"This is what we are after, Mr. Barker--this bundle, weighted with adumb-bell, which you have just raised from the bottom of the moat."

Barker stared at Holmes with amazement in his face. "How in thundercame you to know anything about it?" he asked.

"Simply that I put it there."

"You put it there! You!"

"Perhaps I should have said 'replaced it there,'" said Holmes. "Youwill remember, Inspector MacDonald, that I was somewhat struck by theabsence of a dumb-bell. I drew your attention to it; but with thepressure of other events you had hardly the time to give it theconsideration which would have enabled you to draw deductions from it.When water is near and a weight is missing it is not a very far-fetchedsupposition that something has been sunk in the water. The idea was atleast worth testing; so with the help of Ames, who admitted me to theroom, and the crook of Dr. Watson's umbrella, I was able last night tofish up and inspect this bundle.

"It was of the first importance, however, that we should be able toprove who placed it there. This we accomplished by the very obviousdevice of announcing that the moat would be dried to-morrow, which had,of course, the effect that whoever had hidden the bundle would mostcertainly withdraw it the moment that darkness enabled him to do so. Wehave no less than four witnesses as to who it was who took advantage ofthe opportunity, and so, Mr. Barker, I think the word lies now withyou."

Sherlock Holmes put the sopping bundle upon the table beside the lampand undid the cord which bound it. From within he extracted adumb-bell, which he tossed down to its fellow in the corner. Next hedrew forth a pair of boots. "American, as you perceive," he remarked,pointing to the toes. Then he laid upon the table a long, deadly,sheathed knife. Finally he unravelled a bundle of clothing, comprisinga complete set of underclothes, socks, a gray tweed suit, and a shortyellow overcoat.