Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Five Orange Pips
"GoodGod!"Icried."Whatcanitmean,thisrelentlesspersecution?"
"ThepaperswhichOpenshawcarriedareobviouslyofvitalimportancetothepersonorpersonsinthesailing-ship. Ithinkthatitisquiteclearthattheremustbemorethanoneofthem. Asinglemancouldnothavecarriedouttwodeathsinsuchawayastodeceiveacoroner’sjury. Theremusthavebeenseveralinit,andtheymusthavebeenmenofresourceanddetermination. Theirpaperstheymeantohave,betheholderofthemwhoitmay. InthiswayyouseeK.K.K.ceasestobetheinitialsofanindividualandbecomesthebadgeofasociety."
"Butofwhatsociety?"
"Haveyounever—"saidSherlockHolmes,bendingforwardandsinkinghisvoice—"haveyouneverheardoftheKuKluxKlan?"
"Ineverhave."
Holmesturnedovertheleavesofthebookuponhisknee. "Hereitis,"saidhepresently:
"KuKluxKlan.Anamederivedfromthefancifulresemblancetothesoundproducedbycockingarifle. Thisterriblesecretsocietywasformedbysomeex-ConfederatesoldiersintheSouthernstatesaftertheCivilWar,anditrapidlyformedlocalbranchesindifferentpartsofthecountry,notablyinTennessee,Louisiana,theCarolinas,Georgia,andFlorida. Itspowerwasusedforpoliticalpurposes,principallyfortheterrorizingofthenegrovotersandthemurderinganddrivingfromthecountryofthosewhowereopposedtoitsviews. Itsoutrageswereusuallyprecededbyawarningsenttothemarkedmaninsomefantasticbutgenerallyrecognizedshape—asprigofoak-leavesinsomeparts,melonseedsororangepipsinothers.
