The Sign of Four – Part 12
Watch on KineScope
CHAPTER 12
The Hunt Begins
Toby pulled at his lead and ran quickly through the grass. He ran so quickly that it was difficult to follow him.
The sky was beginning to get light now. Toby ran along the paths in the garden under the trees and bushes. Then he reached the garden wall and ran along beside it. Finally, he stopped at a place in the wall where the bricks were loose.
‘This is the place where they got into the garden,’ said Holmes. ‘It is easy to climb up and down here. Look. Do you see this mark? It is the print of a man’s hand.’
He pointed at a flat stone. I saw a dirty hand print on the stone.
Holmes picked up the dog and climbed over the wall. I followed. Toby soon found the trail again.
Toby did not look to the right or the left. He ran straight ahead with his nose to the ground. He loved the smell of creosote. Nothing could stop him from following it.
As we hurried along, I thought about the wooden-legged man and the pygmy. I wondered what would happen when we found them. I knew that they were dangerous. I wished that I had brought my gun with me.
Toby was still following the trail. Now we were passing through small narrow streets. The people were just beginning to wake up. The men were going on their way to work. The women were opening the windows and cleaning their houses.
Suddenly, Toby ran down a path. This path led straight down towards the River Thames. Soon the river appeared in front of us. Toby ran faster and faster.
The path went down to the water’s edge. It ended at a small wooden jetty. Toby stopped. He ran backwards and forwards trying to find the smell. He looked up at us sadly with his large eyes. He did not know what to do.
‘They have got into a boat here,’ said Holmes.
There was a small house beside the jetty. A notice was hanging from one of the windows. On it was written in large letters:
MORDECAI SMITH: Boats and steam launch for hire.
There was no one on the jetty. Several small boats were near the jetty on the bank of the river. Holmes looked at these boats.
‘I wonder where the steam launch is,’ he said. ‘I think we must ask a few questions.’
He knocked loudly at the door of the house. A large woman with a red face opened it. A child was crying somewhere inside the house. I saw that the woman was very upset about something. She had been crying.
‘Good morning,’ said Holmes politely. ‘Are you Mordecai Smith’s wife?’
‘Yes,’ replied the woman. ‘What do you want?’
‘Could I speak to your husband, please?’ asked Holmes.
‘No, you can’t. He isn’t here. I haven’t seen him since yesterday morning.’
‘Oh,’ said Holmes, ‘I wanted to hire a boat.’
‘Well, perhaps I can help you,’ said Mrs Smith. ‘Which boat do you want?’
‘I wanted to hire the steam launch. I have heard it is a very good boat. Let me see. What’s the name? The…’
‘The Aurora, sir,’ said Mrs Smith.
‘Oh, yes, that’s right. I remember now. But where is the Aurora?.’ said Holmes, looking around. ‘I don’t see a steam launch anywhere.’
‘Oh, sir. My husband has gone in the Aurora,’ Mrs Smith replied and burst into tears. ‘I’m very worried about him. I don’t trust that wooden-legged man.’
‘What wooden-legged man, Mrs Smith?’ asked Holmes in a surprised voice.
‘I don’t know who he is, sir. But my husband went with a wooden-legged man in the Aurora yesterday morning and hasn’t come back!’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Mastery on the River
‘I’m very sorry to hear that, Mrs Smith,’ said Holmes. ‘Tell me, was this wooden-legged man alone?’
‘I don’t know, sir. I didn’t see anyone else. But it was very dark – it was three o’clock in the morning. I could not be sure.’
‘What does the Aurora look like?’ asked Holmes.
‘The Aurora is black, sir, with two red stripes down each side. It has a black funnel with a white stripe. The Aurora is the fastest boat on the river,’ answered Mrs Smith.
Holmes looked worried.
‘That’s very interesting,’ he said. ‘Try not to worry about your husband, Mrs Smith. I am going up the river myself. If I see Mr Smith, I will tell him that I have seen you. Goodbye.’
‘Goodbye and thank you,’ said Mordecai Smith’s wife. She had stopped crying. She went inside her house and closed the door.
‘Watson, we must find Mordecai Smith and the Aurora as soon as possible,’ said Holmes. ‘Mordecai Smith and the wooden-legged man are working together. Smith has taken the two murderers in his steam launch. They are all hiding somewhere on the river.’
‘It will be easy to find them,’ I said. ‘You must tell the police at once.’
Holmes shook his head.
‘No. I don’t want these criminals to know that anyone is looking for them. They will try to escape again.
‘I have a better idea,’ Holmes went on. ‘I have many agents everywhere up and down the river. These agents are clever. I pay them to bring me information. They always know what is happening on the river. I will ask my agents to look for Mordecai
Smith and the Aurora. But you look tired, Watson. Let’s go home and have breakfast.’
It was now nearly eight o’clock in the morning. I did feel very tired. I was glad to go home to Baker Street.
When I had had a bath and changed my clothes, I came downstairs to breakfast. Holmes was drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. ‘Look, Watson,’ he said. ‘Here is a report about the murder of Bartholomew Sholto at Pondicherry Lodge. And about the arrest of Thaddeus Sholto by Inspector Jones last night.’
I took the paper and read the report. I felt sorry for Thaddeus Sholto. Inspector Jones had made a stupid mistake by arresting him. I knew that Sholto was not guilty of the murder of his brother. I hoped that we would be able to help Thaddeus. But would we be able to find the murderers?
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. A few minutes later, twelve children ran into the room.
Their clothes were dirty and ragged. They had no shoes on their feet. Their hair was untidy and their faces had not been washed for a very long time. But they seemed happy and cheerful.
‘Good morning, Mr Holmes,’ said the children together.
‘Who are these children, Holmes?’ I asked in astonishment.
Holmes laughed.
‘These are my agents,’ he said. ‘I sent a message for them to come. Look at them. They can go anywhere, see everything, hear everything. Nobody is afraid of children.’
Holmes gave each of the children some money. Then he told them what he wanted them to do.
‘You must find a steam launch called the Aurora,’ he said.
‘It is on the river somewhere and belongs to Mordecai Smith. The Aurora is black with two red stripes down each side. It has a black funnel with a white stripe. You must find it. Now go!’
The children ran out of the room, all talking together. They went down the stairs and out into the street.
‘My agents will find Mordecai Smith and the Aurora,’ said Holmes. ‘Now we must wait.’