Colonel Emsworth was not in his room, but he came quicklyenough on receipt of Ralph’s message. We heard his quick, heavystep in the passage. The door was flung open and he rushed inwith bristling beard and twisted features, as terrible an old man asever I have seen. He held our cards in his hand, and he tore themup and stamped on the fragments.
“Have I not told you, you infernal busybody, that you arewarned off the premises? Never dare to show your damned facehere again. If you enter again without my leave I shall be withinmy rights if I use violence. I’ll shoot you, sir! By God, I will! As toyou, sir,” turning upon me, “I extend the same warning to you. Iam familiar with your ignoble profession, but you must take yourreputed talents to some other field. There is no opening for themhere.”
“I cannot leave here,” said my client firmly, “until I hear fromGodfrey’s own lips that he is under no restraint.”
Our involuntary host rang the bell.
“Ralph,” he said, “telephone down to the county police andask the inspector to send up two constables. Tell him there areburglars in the house.”
“One moment,” said I. “You must be aware, Mr. Dodd, thatColonel Emsworth is within his rights and that we have no legalstatus within his house. On the other hand, he should recognizethat your action is prompted entirely by solicitude for his son.
venture to hope that if I were allowed to have five minutes’
conversation with Colonel Emsworth I could certainly alter hisview of the matter.”
“I am not so easily altered,” said the old soldier. “Ralph, do whathave told you. What the devil are you waiting for? Ring up thepolice!”
“Nothing of the sort,” I said, putting my back to the door. “Anypolice interference would bring about the very catastrophe whichyou dread.” I took out my notebook and scribbled one word uponThe Case Book of Sherlock Holmes 1267
a loose sheet. “That,” said I as I handed it to Colonel Emsworth, “iswhat has brought us here.”
He stared at the writing with a face from which every expressionsave amazement had vanished.
“How do you know?” he gasped, sitting down heavily in hischair.
“It is my business to know things. That is my trade.”
He sat in deep thought, his gaunt hand tugging at his stragglingbeard. Then he made a gesture of resignation.
“Well, if you wish to see Godfrey, you shall. It is no doing ofmine, but you have forced my hand. Ralph, tell Mr. Godfrey andMr. Kent that in five minutes we shall be with them.”
At the end of that time we passed down the garden path andfound ourselves in front of the mystery house at the end. Asmall bearded man stood at the door with a look of considerableastonishment upon his face.
“This is very sudden, Colonel Emsworth,” said he. “This willdisarrange all our plans.”
“I can’t help it, Mr. Kent. Our hands have been forced. Can Mr.
Godfrey see us?”
“Yes, he is waiting inside.” He turned and led us into a largeplainly furnished front room. A man was standing with his backto the fire, and at the sight of him my client sprang forward withoutstretched hand.
“Why, Godfrey, old man, this is fine!”
But the other waved him back.
“Don’t touch me, Jimmie. Keep your distance. Yes, you may wellstare! I don’t quite look the smart Lance-Corporal Emsworth, of BSquadron, do I?”
His appearance was certainly extraordinary. One could seethat he had indeed been a handsome man with clear-cut featuressunburned by an African sun, but mottled in patches over thisdarker surface were curious whitish patches which had bleachedhis skin.
“That’s why I don’t court visitors,” said he. “I don’t mind you,Jimmie, but I could have done without your friend. I suppose thereis some good reason for it, but you have me at a disadvantage.”
“I wanted to be sure that all was well with you, Godfrey. I sawyou that night when you looked into my window, and I could notlet the matter rest till I had cleared things up.”
“Old Ralph told me you were there, and I couldn’t help takinga peep at you. I hoped you would not have seen me, and I had torun to my burrow when I heard the window go up.”
“But what in heaven’s name is the matter?”
1268 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
“Well, it’s not a long story to tell,” said he, lighting a cigarette.
You remember that morning fight at Buffelsspruit, outsidePretoria, on the Eastern railway line? You heard I was hit?”
“Yes, I heard that but I never got particulars.”
“Three of us got separated from the others. It was very brokencountry, you may remember. There was Simpson—the fellow wecalled Baldy Simpson—and Anderson, and I. We were clearingbrother Boer, but he lay low and got the three of us. The othertwo were killed. I got an elephant bullet through my shoulder.
stuck on to my horse, however, and he galloped several milesbefore I fainted and rolled off the saddle.
“When I came to myself it was nightfall, and I raised myselfup, feeling very weak and ill. To my surprise there was a houseclose beside me, a fairly large house with a broad stoep and manywindows. It was deadly cold. You remember the kind of numb coldwhich used to come at evening, a deadly, sickening sort of cold,very different from a crisp healthy frost. Well, I was chilled to thebone, and my only hope seemed to lie in reaching that house. Istaggered to my feet and dragged myself along, hardly consciousof what I did. I have a dim memory of slowly ascending the steps,entering a wide-opened door, passing into a large room whichcontained several beds, and throwing myself down with a gasp ofsatisfaction upon one of them. It was unmade, but that troubledme not at all. I drew the clothes over my shivering body and in amoment I was in a deep sleep.
