Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Speckled Band
"Itisaswampadder!"criedHolmes;"thedeadliestsnakeinIndia. Hehasdiedwithintensecondsofbeingbitten. Violencedoes,intruth,recoilupontheviolent,andtheschemerfallsintothepitwhichhedigsforanother. Letusthrustthiscreaturebackintoitsden,andwecanthenremoveMissStonertosomeplaceofshelterandletthecountypoliceknowwhathashappened."
Ashespokehedrewthedog-whipswiftlyfromthedeadman’slap,andthrowingthenooseroundthereptile’sneckhedrewitfromitshorridperchand,carryingitatarm’slength,threwitintotheironsafe,whichhecloseduponit.
SucharethetruefactsofthedeathofDr.GrimesbyRoylott,ofStokeMoran. ItisnotnecessarythatIshouldprolonganarrativewhichhasalreadyruntotoogreatalengthbytellinghowwebrokethesadnewstotheterrifiedgirl,howweconveyedherbythemorningtraintothecareofhergoodauntatHarrow,ofhowtheslowprocessofofficialinquirycametotheconclusionthatthedoctormethisfatewhileindiscreetlyplayingwithadangerouspet. ThelittlewhichIhadyettolearnofthecasewastoldmebySherlockHolmesaswetravelledbacknextday.
"Ihad,"saidhe,"cometoanentirelyerroneousconclusionwhichshows,mydearWatson,howdangerousitalwaysistoreasonfrominsufficientdata. Thepresenceofthegypsies,andtheuseoftheword‘band,’whichwasusedbythepoorgirl,nodoubttoexplaintheappearancewhichshehadcaughtahurriedglimpseofbythelightofhermatch,weresufficienttoputmeuponanentirelywrongscent. IcanonlyclaimthemeritthatIinstantlyreconsideredmypositionwhen,however,itbecamecleartomethatwhateverdangerthreatenedanoccupantoftheroomcouldnotcomeeitherfromthewindoworthedoor.
