Book 2 chapter 6 of a study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle. This LibriVox recording is in
the public domain. Book 2 chapter 6, a continuation
of the reminiscences of John Watson MD, Our prisoners.
Furious resistance, did not apparently.
Indicate any ferocity in his disposition towards ourselves
for on finding himself powerless.
He smiled in an affable Manner and expressed his hopes that he
had not heard any of us in the scuffle.
I guess you're going to take me to the police station.
He remarked to Sherlock Holmes, my cabs at the door.
If you lose my legs, I'll walk down to it.
I'm not so like to lift as I used to be.
Gregson and lestrade exchanged glances as if they thought this
proposition rather a bold one. But Homes at once, took the
prisoner at his word and loosened the towel, which we had
bound, round his ankles. He rose and stretched.
His legs as though to assure himself that they were free once
more. I remember that.
I thought to myself as I eyed him that had seldom seen a more
powerfully built man and his dark sunburned, face wore an
expression of determination and energy.
She, which was as formidable as his personal strengths.
If there's a vacant place for a chief of the police, I reckon
you're the man for it. He said gazing with undisguised
admiration at my fellow lodger, 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, you have taken an interest in the case and may as
well stick to us. I assented gladly and we all
descended together. Our prisoner made no attempt at
Escape but stepped calmly, into the cab which had been his.
And we followed him lestrade mounted the Box, whipped up the
horse and brought us in a very short time to our We were
ushered into a small chamber where a Police Inspector noted
down our prisoners name and the names of the men with whose
murder. He had been charged.
The official was a White Faced. An emotional man who went
through his duties in a dull mechanical way.
The Prisoner will be put before the magistrates 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 you that your words will be taken down and may be
used against you. I've got a good deal to say
prisoner said slowly. I want to tell you gentlemen and
all about it. And you better reserve that for
your trial asked, the inspector. I may never be tried.
He answered. You.
Needn't look, startled. It isn't suicide.
I'm thinking of are you a doctor?
He turned his Fierce dark eyes upon me as he ask this last
question. Yes.
I am. I answered then put your hand
here. He said with a smile motioning
with his manacled wrist towards his chest.
I did so, and it became at once conscious of an extraordinary
throbbing and commotion, which was going on inside the walls of
his chest. Seem to Thrill and quiver.
As a frail building would do inside when some powerful engine
was at work in the Silence of the room.
I could hear a dull humming and buzzing noise, which proceeded
from the same source. Why I cried you have an aortic
aneurysm. That's what they call it.
He said placidly, I went to a doctor last week about it and he
told me that it is bound to burst before many days past.
It's been getting worse for years.
I got it from overexposure and underfeeding 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 of the business behind me.
I don't want to be remembered. It is a common Cut Throat.
Inspector and the two detectives Had A hurried discussion as to
the advisability of allowing him to tell his story.
Do you consider doctor that there is immediate danger?
The former asked, most certainly there is, I answered in that
case. It is clearly our duty in the
interest of Justice to take his statement.
So the inspector you are Liberty, sir to give your
account which I again, warned you will be taken down.
I'll sit down with your leave. The prisoner said, suiting the
action to the word. This aneurysm of mine makes me
easily tired, and the tussle we had half an hour ago, has not
mended matters. I'm on the brink of the grave
and I'm not likely to lie to you.
Every word I say is the absolute 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 began the following remarkable statement.
He spoke in a calm and methodical manner.
As though the events, which he narrated were commonplace
enough. I can vouch for the accuracy of
the subjoined accounts. For I have had access to
lestrade notebook in which the prisoners words were taken down
exactly as they were uttered. It don't much matter to you why
I hated these men. He said it's enough that they
were guilty of the death of two human beings.
A father and a daughter and that they had therefore forfeited
their lives after the lapse of time that has passed since their
crime. It was impossible for me to
secure a conviction against them in any Court.
I knew of their guilt though, and I determined that I should
be judge jury and executioner. All rolled into one.
You'd have done the same. If you have any manhood in you
if you had been in my place that girl that I spoke of was to have
married me. 20 years ago. She was forced into marrying
that same drebber and broke her heart over it.
I took the marriage ring from her dead finger and I vowed that
his dying eyes should rest upon that very ring.
And that is last thought should be of the crime for which he was
punished. I have carried about with me,
and I've followed him and his, accomplice over two continents
until I caught them. They thought to time me out, but
they could not do it. If I die tomorrow, as is likely
enough. I die knowing that my work in
this world is done and Well done, they have perished.
And by my hand, there is nothing left for me to hope for order
desire. They were rich and I was poor.
So there was no easy matter for me to follow them when I got to
London. My pocket was about empty and I
found that I must turn my hand to something for my living
driving and riding are as natural to me is walking.
So I applied at a cabin as office and soon got employment.
I was to bring a certain summer week to the owner and whatever
was over that I might keep for myself.
There was seldom much over, but I managed to scrape along
somehow. The hardest job was to learn my
way about for. I reckon that have all the mazes
that ever were 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 I got on pretty well.
It was some time before I found out where my two gentlemen will
live in, but I enquired and inquired until at last I had
dropped across them. They were a boarding house at
camberwell over on the other side.
The river. When once I found out, I knew
that I had them at my Mercy. I had grown my beard.
And there was no chance of they're recognizing me.
I would dog them and follow them.
Until I saw my opportunity. I was determined that they
should not Escape me again. They were very near doing it for
all that go, where they would about London.
I was always at their heels. Sometimes I followed them on my
cab and sometimes on foot. But the former was the best for
then they could not get away from me.
He was only early in the morning or late at night that I could
earn anything so that I began to get behind hand with my
employer. I did not mind that.
However, as long as I could lay my hand upon the man I wanted,
they were canning though. They must have thought that
there was some chance of there being followed for.
They would never go out alone and never after Nightfall.
During two weeks. I drove behind them every day
and never, once saw them separate drebber and self was
drunk half the time. But stangerson was not to be
caught napping. Watch them late and early, but
never saw the ghost of a chance, but I was not discouraged for
something told me that the hour had almost come.
My only fear was that this thing in my chest, might burst a
little too soon and leave my work undone.
At last one, evening hours, driving up and down.
Torquay Terrace as a street was called in which they bought it.
When I saw a cab drive up to their door, presently.
Some luggage was brought out and after a time drebber and
stangerson followed it and drove off.
I whipped up my horse and kept with inside of them feeling very
ill at ease. For I feared that they were
going to be shift in their quarters are used in station.
They got out, and I've left a boy to hold my Horse and follow
them onto the platform. I heard the mask for the
Liverpool train and the God answer that, that one had just
gone and not be another for some hours stangerson seem to be put
out at that but drebber was rather pleased and otherwise I
got so close to them in the bustle, but I could hear every
word that passed between them driver said that he had a little
business of his own to do and that if the other would wait for
him, he would soon rejoin him. In His companion remonstrated
with him and reminded him that they had resolved to stick
together. Draba answered.
The matter was a delicate one and he must go alone.
I couldn't catch what's tanks and said to that but the other
burst out swearing and reminded him that he was nothing more
than his paid servant and he must not presume to dictate to
him. On that, the secretary gave it
up as a bad job and simply bargain with him.
That if he missed the last train, he should rejoin him at
halliday's private hotel to which drebber answered that, he
would be back on the platform before 11:00 and made his way
out of the station. The moment for, which had
waited. So long had a last come.
I had my enemies within my power together.
They could protect each other, but singly they were at my
Mercy. I did not act.
However, with undue precipitation.
My plans were already formed. There is no satisfaction in
Vengeance. Unless the offender has time to
realize who it is that strikes him and why retribution has come
upon him. My plans arranged by which I
should have the opportunity of making the man who had wronged
me, understand that his old sin, and found him out.
It chanced, that some days before, a gentleman who had been
engaged in, looking over some houses in the Brixton Road had
dropped, the key of one of them, in my Carriage.
It was claimed that same evening and returned, but in the
interval, I had taken a molding of it and had a duplicate
constructed by means of this. I had access to at least one
spot in this great City where I could rely upon being free from
Interruption how to get drebber to that house.
Was the difficult problem, which I now had to solve.
He walked down the road and went into one or two, liquor shops
staying for nearly half an hour. And the last of them, when he
came out, he staggered in his walk and was evidently pretty
well on. There was a handsome just in
front of me and he hailed it. I followed it.
So close that, the nose of my horse was within a yard of his
driver. The whole way.
We rattled across Waterloo Bridge and through miles of
streets, until to my astonishment.
Ain't we found ourselves back in the Terrace in which he had
bought it? I could not imagine what his
intention was in returning there, but I went on and pulled
up my cab a hundred yards or so from the house.
He entered it and his handsome drove away.
Give me a glass of water if you please.
My mouth gets dry with the talking.
I handed him the glass and he drank it down.
That's better. He said.
Well, I waited for a quarter of an hour or more, when suddenly
there came a noise like people struggling, inside the house.
Next moment. The door was flung open and two
men appeared. One of them was drebber and the
other was a young chap whom I had never seen before this
fellow had drebber by the collar and when they came to the head
of the steps, he gave him a shove and a kick, which sent him
half across the road. You hound, he cried shaking his
stick at him. I'll teach you to insult an
honest girl. He was so hot that I think he
should have thrashed driver with his cudgel only that the curse
staggered away down the road as fast as his legs could carry
him. He ran as far as the corner and
then seeing my cab. He hailed me and jumped in.
Drive me to holidays private Hotel said he when I had him
fairly inside my cab, my heart jumps.
So with joy, that I feared less at this last moment.
My aneurysm might go wrong. I drove along slowly weighing in
my own mind, what it was best to do.
I might take him right out into the country and they're in some
deserted Lane, have my last interview with him.
I had almost decided upon this when he solved the problem for
me, the craze for drink at seized him again.
And he ordered me to pull up outside a gin Palace.
He went in leaving word that I should wait for him there.
He remained until closing time and when he came out, he was so
far gone that I knew the game was in my own hands.
Don't imagine that I intended to kill him in Cold Blood.
It would only have been rigid Justice if I had done so, but I
could not bring myself to do it. I had long determined that he
should have a show of his life if he chose to take advantage of
it, among the many bullets, which I have filled in America
during my wandering life. I was once janitor and sweeper
out of the laboratory York College, one day, the professor
was lecturing on poisons. Showed his students some
alkaloid as he called it which had extracted from some South
American arrow poison and which was so powerful that the least
grain meant instant death. I spotted the bottle in which
this preparation was kept and when they were all gone, I
helped myself to a little of it. I was a fairly good dispenser.
So I worked this alkaloid into small soluble.
Pills at each pill I put in a box with a similar pill made
without the poison. And I determined at the time
that when I had my chance, my gentleman should each have a
draw out of one of these boxes while I ate the pill that
remained. It will be quite as deadly and a
good deal less noisy than firing across a handkerchief from that
day at. Always.
My pillbox is about with me, and the time had now come, when I
was to use them. It was near a one than 12 and a
wild Bleak night. Hard and raining and Torrance
dismal, as it was outside. I was glad within so glad that I
could have shouted out from Pure exultation.
If any of you gentlemen have ever pined for thing a long for
it during 20 long years and then suddenly found it within your
reach. You would understand 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 out of
the darkness and smiling at me. Just as plain as I see you all
in this room. All the way there were ahead of
me one on each side of the horse, until I pulled up at the
house in the Brixton Road. There was not a soul to be seen
Nora sound to be heard accepted. Bring on the rain.
When I looked in at the window, I found Rebel all huddle
together in a drunken sleep. I shook him by the arm.
It's time to get out. I said, all right, cabbie said,
he, I suppose, he thought would come to the hotel that he had
mentioned before. He got out without another word,
and followed me down the garden. I had to walk beside him to keep
him steady, for he was still a little top-heavy.
When we came to the door, I opened it.
And let him into the front room. I give you my word that all the
way the father and the daughter were walking in front of us.
It's infernally. Dark said, he stamping about
will soon have a light. I said, striking a match and
putting it to a wax candle, which I brought with me now,
Enoch drebber. I continued turning to him and
holding the light to my own face.
Who am I? He gazed at me, was bleared,
drunken eyes for a moment. And then I saw a horror
springing up in them and convulse his whole features,
which show me that he knew me. He staggered back with a livid
face and I saw the perspiration breakout upon his brow.
While his teeth chattered in his head at the side lean, my back
against the door and laughed loud and long.
I had always known that Vengeance will be sweet, but I
never hope for the contentment of Soul, which now possess me.
You dog. I said, I have hunted, you from
Salt Lake City to st. Petersburg.
And you've always Escape me now last year wonderings of come to
an end for either you or I shall never see tomorrow's sunrise.
He shrunk still further away as I spoke and I could see on his
face that he thought I was mad. So I was for the time the pulses
in my temples beat like sledgehammers, and I believe I
would have had a fit of some sort, if the blood had not gush
from my nose and relieve 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.
Well, would you murder me? He stammered?
There is no murder. I answered who talks of
murdering a Mad Dog. What Mercy had you upon my poor
darling? When you dragged her from her
slaughtered father and bore her away to your accursed and
Shameless harem. It was not I who killed her
father, he cried, but it was you who broke her innocent heart.
I shrieked thrusting, the door 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
drew my knife and held it to his throat until he had obeyed me.
Then. I swallowed the other and we
stood facing one another in silence for a minute 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 first warning pangs told him that the poison was in
his system. I laughed as I saw it and held
Lucy's marriage ring in front of his eyes.
It was. But for a moment for the action
of the alkaloid is rapid a spasm of pain contorted his features.
He threw his hands out in front of him staggered and then with a
hoarse cry fell heavily upon the floor.
I turned them over with my foot and placed my hand upon his
heart. There was no movement.
He was dead. The blood have been streaming
for my nose, but had taken. No, notice of it.
I don't know what it was that put it into my head to ride upon
the wall with it. Perhaps it was some mischievous
idea of setting, the police upon a wrong track for.
I felt light hearted and cheerful.
I remembered a German being found in New York with Rocca
written up above him and it was argued at the time in the
newspapers that the secret societies must have done it.
I guessed the what puzzled and New Yorkers would puzzle the
London's so I dip my finger in my own blood and printed it on a
convenient place on the wall. Then I walk down to my cabin,
found that there was nobody about and that the night was
still very wild. I driven some distance when I
put my hand into the pocket in which I usually kept Lucy's ring
and found that it was not there. I was Thunderstruck at this for
it was the only Memento that I had of her thinking that I might
have dropped it. When I stooped, over drivers
body. I drove back and leaving my cab
in a side street. I went boldly up to the house
for hours, ready to DARE anything, rather than lose the
ring. When I arrived there.
I walked right into the arms of a police officer who was coming
out and only managed to disarm his suspicions by pretending to
be hopelessly drunk. That was how Enoch drebber came
to his end. All I had to do then was to do
as much for stangerson. And so pay off.
John Ferry is dead. I knew that he was staying at
halliday's private hotel, and I hung about all day, but he never
came out. I fancy that he suspected
something. When Trevor failed to put in an
appearance. He was cunning with stangerson
and always on his guard if he thought he could keep me off by
staying indoors. He was very much mistaken as
soon found out which was the window is bedroom and early.
Next morning. I took advantage of some ladders
which were lying in the lane behind the hotel and so made my
way into his room in the gray of the Dawn.
I woke him up and told him that the hour had come when he was to
answer for the life, he had. Taking so long before.
A describe Trevor's Death to him and I gave him the same choice
of the poison pills. Instead of grasping at the
chance of safety, which that offered him.
He sprang from his bed and flew at my throat in self-defense.
I stabbed into the hard. It would have been the same in
any case for Providence would never have allowed his guilty
hand to pick out anything. But the poison I have little
more to say and it's as well for I'm about done up.
I went on cabinet for a day or so intending to keep at it until
I could Enough to take me back to America.
I was standing in the yard when a ragged youngster asked, if
there was a cabbie, they're called Jefferson.
Hope and said that his cab was wanted by gentleman at 221B
Baker Street. I went round suspecting no harm
and the next thing I knew this young man, he had the bracelets
on my wrists and as neatly snack old as ever, I saw in my life.
That's the whole of my story gentlemen.
You may consider me to be a murderer, but I hold that.
I'm just as much an officer of justice as you are.
So thrilling at the man's narrative bin.
And his manner was so impressive, that we had sat
silent and absorbed even the professional detectives blase as
they were in every detail of crime appeared to be keenly
interested in the man's story. When he finished, we sat for
some minutes in a Stillness, which was only broken by the
scratching of list rods pencil as he gave the finishing touches
to his shorthand account. There is only one point on which
I should like a little more information Sherlock Holmes said
it last, who was your, accomplice who came for the
ring, which I advertised, The Prisoner winked at my friend Joe
Cosley. I can tell my own Secrets he
said, but I don't get other people into trouble.
I saw your advertisement and I thought it might be a plant or
it might be the ring, which I wanted my friend volunteered to
go and see. I think you'll only did it
smartly. Not a doubt of that said, Holmes
heartily now gentlemen, the inspector remarked Gravely, the
forms of the law, must be complied with on Thursday.
The prisoner will be brought before the magistrates and your
attendance will be required. Until then.
I'll be responsible for him. He rang the bell as he spoke and
Jefferson Hope was led off by a couple of waters.
While my friend, and I made our way out of the station and took
a cab back to Baker Street. End of part.
Two chapter six.