Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
Easiertheotherway,perhaps;andyet,hadIthenervetolieandlookupatthatdeadlyblackshadowwaveringdownuponme? AlreadyIwasunabletostanderect,whenmyeyecaughtsomethingwhichbroughtagushofhopebacktomyheart.
"Ihavesaidthatthoughthefloorandceilingwereofiron,thewallswereofwood. AsIgavealasthurriedglancearound,Isawathinlineofyellowlightbetweentwooftheboards,whichbroadenedandbroadenedasasmallpanelwaspushedbackward. ForaninstantIcouldhardlybelievethatherewasindeedadoorwhichledawayfromdeath. ThenextinstantIthrewmyselfthrough,andlayhalf-faintingupontheotherside. Thepanelhadclosedagainbehindme,butthecrashofthelamp,andafewmomentsafterwardstheclangofthetwoslabsofmetal,toldmehownarrowhadbeenmyescape.
"Iwasrecalledtomyselfbyafranticpluckingatmywrist,andIfoundmyselflyinguponthestonefloorofanarrowcorridor,whileawomanbentovermeandtuggedatmewithherlefthand,whilesheheldacandleinherright. ItwasthesamegoodfriendwhosewarningIhadsofoolishlyrejected.
"‘Come!come!’shecriedbreathlessly. ‘Theywillbehereinamoment. Theywillseethatyouarenotthere. Oh,donotwastetheso-precioustime,butcome!’
"Thistime,atleast,Ididnotscornheradvice. Istaggeredtomyfeetandranwithheralongthecorridoranddownawindingstair. Thelatterledtoanotherbroadpassage,andjustaswereacheditweheardthesoundofrunningfeetandtheshoutingoftwovoices,oneansweringtheotherfromtheflooronwhichwewereandfromtheonebeneath.
