银色马 14（在线收听）

As we emerged from the sitting-room a woman, who had been waiting in the passage, took a step forward and laid her hand upon the inspector’s sleeve. Her face was haggard and thin and eager, stamped with the print of a recent horror.

“Have you got them? Have you found them?” she panted.

“No, Mrs. Straker. But Mr. Holmes here has come from London to help us, and we shall do all that is possible.”

“Surely I met you in Plymouth at a garden-party some little time ago, Mrs. Straker?” said Holmes.

“No, sir; you are mistaken.”

“Dear me! Why, I could have sworn to it. You wore a costume of dove-coloured silk with ostrich-feather trimming.”

“I never had such a dress, sir,” answered the lady.

“Ah, that quite settles it,” said Holmes. And with an apology he followed the inspector outside. A short walk across the moor took us to the hollow in which the body had been found. At the brink of it was the furze-bush upon which the coat had been hung.

“There was no wind that night, I understand,” said Holmes.

“None, but very heavy rain.”

“In that case the overcoat was not blown against the furze-bush, but placed there.”

“Yes, it was laid across the bush.”

“You fill me with interest. I perceive that the ground has been trampled up a good deal. No doubt many feet have been here since Monday night.”

“A piece of matting has been laid here at the side, and we have all stood upon that.”

“Excellent.”

“In this bag I have one of the boots which Straker wore, one of Fitzroy Simpson’s shoes, and a cast horseshoe of Silver Blaze.”

“My dear Inspector, you surpass yourself!” Holmes took the bag, and, descending into the hollow, he pushed the matting into a more central position. Then stretching himself upon his face and leaning his chin upon his hands, he made a careful study of the trampled mud in front of him. “Hullo!” said he suddenly. “What’s this?” It was a wax vesta, half burned, which was so coated with mud that it looked at first like a little chip of wood.

   我们走出起居室，一个女人正在过道等着，她走上前来，用手拉了拉警长的衣袖。这个女人面容憔悴，瘦削，显出近日来颇受惊吓。

    “你抓到他们了吗？你找到他们了吗？”她气喘吁吁地说道。

    “没有，斯特雷克太太。不过福尔摩斯先生已经从伦敦到这里来帮助我们，我们一定尽全力去破案。”

    “不久以前我肯定在普利茅斯一座公园里见过你，斯特雷克太太，”福尔摩斯说道。

    “不，先生，你弄错了。”

    “哎呀！我可以发誓。你那时穿着一件淡灰色镶舵鸟毛的外套。”

    “我从来没有一件这样的衣服，先生，”这个女人答道。

    “啊，这就完全清楚了，”福尔摩斯说道，道了一下歉，就随着警长走出来了。走不多远，便穿过荒原来到发现死尸的地点，坑边就是曾经挂着大衣的金雀花丛。

    “我听说，那晚并没有风，”福尔摩斯说道。

    “没有，但是雨下得很大。”

    “既然是这样，那么大衣决不是被风吹到金雀花丛上，而是有人放到这里的。”

    “对，是有人挂到金雀花丛上的。”

    “这倒很值得注意。我发觉这里有许多足迹。不用说，从星期一夜晚起，有好多人到过这里。”

    “在尸体旁边曾经放了一张草席，我们大家都站在席子上。”

    “太好了。”

    “这袋子里有斯特雷克穿的一只长统靴，菲茨罗伊-辛普森的一只皮鞋和银色白额马的一块蹄铁。”

    “我亲爱的警长，你真高明！”福尔摩斯接过布袋，走到低洼处，把草席拉到中间，然后伸长脖子伏身席上，双手托着下巴，仔细查看面前被践踏的泥土。”哈！这是什么？”福尔摩斯突然喊道。这是一根烧了一半的蜡火柴，这根蜡火柴上面裹着泥，猛然一看，好象是一根小小的木棍。