Suddenly, however, Holmes's voice broke in upon us.
"I think that you might offer me a cigar too," he said.
We both started in our chairs. There was Holmes sitting close to us
with an air of quiet amusement.
"Holmes!" I exclaimed. "You here! But where is the old man?"
"Here is the old man," said he, holding out a heap of white hair.
"Here he is,--wig, whiskers, eyebrows, and all. I thought my disguise
was pretty good, but I hardly expected that it would stand that
test."
"Ah, you rogue!" cried Jones, highly delighted. "You would have made
an actor, and a rare one. You had the proper workhouse cough, and
those weak legs of yours are worth ten pound a week. I thought I knew
the glint of your eye, though. You didn't get away from us so easily,
you see."
"I have been working in that get-up all day," said he, lighting his
cigar. "You see, a good many of the criminal classes begin to know
me,--especially since our friend here took to publishing some of my
cases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simple disguise
like this. You got my wire?"
"Yes; that was what brought me here."
"How has your case prospered?"
"It has all come to nothing. I have had to release two of my
prisoners, and there is no evidence against the other two."
"Never mind. We shall give you two others in the place of them. But
you must put yourself under my orders. You are welcome to all the
official credit, but you must act on the line that I point out. Is
that agreed?"
"Entirely, if you will help me to the men."
"Well, then, in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat--a
steam launch--to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o'clock."
"That is easily managed. There is always one about there; but I can
step across the road and telephone to make sure."
"Then I shall want two stanch men, in case of resistance."
"There will be two or three in the boat. What else?"
"When we secure the men we shall get the treasure. I think that it
would be a pleasure to my friend here to take the box round to the
young lady to whom half of it rightfully belongs. Let her be the
first to open it.--Eh, Watson?"
"It would be a great pleasure to me."
"Rather an irregular proceeding," said Jones, shaking his head.
"However, the whole thing is irregular, and I suppose we must wink at
it. The treasure must afterwards be handed over to the authorities
until after the official investigation."
"Certainly. That is easily managed. One other point. I should much
like to have a few details about this matter from the lips of
Jonathan Small himself. You know I like to work the detail of my
cases out. There is no objection to my having an unofficial interview
with him, either here in my rooms or elsewhere, as long as he is
efficiently guarded?"
"Well, you are master of the situation. I have had no proof yet of
the existence of this Jonathan Small. However, if you can catch him I
don't see how I can refuse you an interview with him."
"That is understood, then?"
"Perfectly. Is there anything else?"
"Only that I insist upon your dining with us. It will be ready in
half an hour. I have oysters and a brace of grouse, with something a
little choice in white wines.--Watson, you have never yet recognized
my merits as a housekeeper."
CHAPTER X
The End of the Islander
Our meal was a merry one. Holmes coud talk exceedingly well when he
chose, and that night he did choose. He appeared to be in a state of
nervous exaltation. I have never known him so brilliant. He spoke on
a quick succession of subjects,--on miracle-plays, on medieval
pottery, on Stradivarius violins, on the Buddhism of Ceylon, and on
the war-ships of the future,--handling each as though he had made a
special study of it. His bright humor marked the reaction from his
black depression of the preceding days. Athelney Jones proved to be a
sociable soul in his hours of relaxation, and face his dinner with
the air of a bon vivant. For myself, I felt elated at the thought
that we were nearing the end of our task, and I caught something of
Holmes's gaiety. None of us alluded during dinner to the cause which
had brought us together.
When the cloth was cleared, Holmes glanced at this watch, and filled
up three glasses with port. "One bumper," said he, "to the success of
our little expedition. And now it is high time we were off. Have you
a pistol, Watson?"
"I have my old service-revolver in my desk."
"You had best take it, then. It is well to be prepared. I see that
the cab is at the door. I ordered it for half-past six."
It was a little past seven before we reached the Westminster wharf,
and found our launch awaiting us. Holmes eyed it critically.
"Is there anything to mark it as a police-boat?"
"Yes,--that green lamp at the side."
"Then take it off."
The small change was made, we stepped on board, and the ropes were
cast off. Jones, Holmes, and I sat in the stern. There was one man at
the rudder, one to tend the engines, and two burly police-inspectors
forward.
"Where to?" asked Jones.
"To the Tower. Tell them to stop opposite Jacobson's Yard."
Our craft was evidently a very fast one. We shot past the long lines
of loaded barges as though they were stationary. Holmes smiled with
satisfaction as we overhauled a river steamer and left her behind us.
"We ought to be able to catch anything on the river," he said.
"Well, hardly that. But there are not many launches to beat us."
"We shall have to catch the Aurora, and she has a name for being a
clipper. I will tell you how the land lies, Watson. You recollect how
annoyed I was at being balked by so small a thing?"
"Yes."
"Well, I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical
analysis. One of our greatest statesmen has said that a change of
work is the best rest. So it is. When I had succeeded in dissolving
the hydrocarbon which I was at work at, I came back to our problem of
the Sholtos, and thought the whole matter out again. My boys had been
up the river and down the river without result. The launch was not at
any landing-stage or wharf, nor had it returned. Yet it could hardly
have been scuttled to hide their traces,--though that always remained
as a possible hypothesis if all else failed. I knew this man Small
had a certain degree of low cunning, but I did not think him capable
of anything in the nature of delicate finesse. That is usually a
product of higher education. I then reflected that since he had
certainly been in London some time--as we had evidence that he
maintained a continual watch over Pondicherry Lodge--he could hardly
leave at a moment's notice, but would need some little time, if it
were only a day, to arrange his affairs. That was the balance of
probability, at any rate."
"It seems to me to be a little weak," said I. "It is more probable
that he had arranged his affairs before ever he set out upon his
expedition."
"No, I hardly think so. This lair of his would be too valuable a
retreat in case of need for him to give it up until he was sure that
he could do without it. But a second consideration struck me.
Jonathan Small must have felt that the peculiar appearance of his
companion, however much he may have top-coated him, would give rise
to gossip, and possibly be associated with this Norwood tragedy. He
was quite sharp enough to see that. They had started from their
head-quarters under cover of darkness, and he would wish to get back
before it was broad light. Now, it was past three o'clock, according
to Mrs. Smith, when they got the boat. It would be quite bright, and
people would be about in an hour or so. Therefore, I argued, they did
not go very far. They paid Smith well to hold his tongue, reserved
his launch for the final escape, and hurried to their lodgings with
the treasure-box. In a couple of nights, when they had time to see
what view the papers took, and whether there was any suspicion, they
would make their way under cover of darkness to some ship at
Gravesend or in the Downs, where no doubt they had already arranged
for passages to America or the Colonies."
"But the launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings."
"Quite so. I argued that the launch must be no great way off, in
spite of its invisibility. I then put myself in the place of Small,
and looked at it as a man of his capacity would. He would probably
consider that to send back the launch or to keep it at a wharf would
make pursuit easy if the police did happen to get on his track. How,
then, could he conceal the launch and yet have her at hand when
wanted? I wondered what I should do myself if I were in his shoes. I
could only think of one way of doing it. I might land the launch over
to some boat-builder or repairer, with directions to make a trifling
change in her. She would then be removed to his shed or hard, and so
be effectually concealed, while at the same time I could have her at
a few hours' notice."
"That seems simple enough."
"It is just these very simple things which are extremely liable to be
overlooked. However, I determined to act on the idea. I started at
once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down
the river. I drew blank at fifteen, but at the
sixteenth--Jacobson's--I learned that the Aurora had been handed over
to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial
directions as to her rudder. 'There ain't naught amiss with her
rudder,' said the foreman. 'There she lies, with the red streaks.' At
that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith, the missing
owner? He was rather the worse for liquor. I should not, of course,
have known him, but he bellowed out his name and the name of his
launch. 'I want her to-night at eight o'clock,' said he,--'eight
o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept
waiting.' They had evidently paid him well, for he was very flush of
money, chucking shillings about to the men. I followed him some
distance, but he subsided into an ale-house: so I went back to the
yard, and, happening to pick up one of my boys on the way, I
stationed him as a sentry over the launch. He is to stand at water's
edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start. We shall be
lying off in the stream, and it will be a strange thing if we do not
take men, treasure, and all."
"You have planned it all very neatly, whether they are the right men
or not," said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should
have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard, and arrested them when
they came down."
"Which would have been never. This man Small is a pretty shrewd
fellow. He would send a scout on ahead, and if anything made him
suspicious lie snug for another week."
"But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith, and so been led to their
hiding-place," said I.
"In that case I should have wasted my day. I think that it is a
hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live. As long as he
has liquor and good pay, why should he ask questions? They send him
messages what to do. No, I thought over every possible course, and
this is the best."
While this conversation had been proceeding, we had been shooting the
long series of bridges which span the Thames. As we passed the City
the last rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the summit of
St. Paul's. It was twilight before we reached the Tower.
"That is Jacobson's Yard," said Holmes, pointing to a bristle of
masts and rigging on the Surrey side. "Cruise gently up and down here
under cover of this string of lighters." He took a pair of
night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. "I
see my sentry at his post," he remarked, "but no sign of a
handkerchief."
"Suppose we go down-stream a short way and lie in wait for them,"
said Jones, eagerly. We were all eager by this time, even the
policemen and stokers, who had a very vague idea of what was going
forward.
"We have no right to take anything for granted," Holmes answered. "It
is certainly ten to one that they go down-stream, but we cannot be
certain. From this point we can see the entrance of the yard, and
they can hardly see us. It will be a clear night and plenty of light.
We must stay where we are. See how the folk swarm over yonder in the
gaslight."
"They are coming from work in the yard."
"Dirty-looking rascals, but I suppose every one has some little
immortal spark concealed about him. You would not think it, to look
