银色马 21（在线收听）

I was thunderstruck by my friend’s words. We had only been a few hours in Devonshire, and that he should give up an investigation which he had begun so brilliantly was quite incomprehensible to me. Not a word more could I draw from him until we were back at the trainer’s house. The colonel and the inspector were awaiting us in the parlour.

“My friend and I return to town by the night-express,” said Holmes. “We have had a charming little breath of your beautiful Dartmoor air.”

The inspector opened his eyes, and the colonel’s lip curled in a sneer.

“So you despair of arresting the murderer of poor Straker,” said he.

Holmes shrugged his shoulders. “There are certainly grave difficulties in the way,” said he. “I have every hope, however, that your horse will start upon Tuesday, and I beg that you will have your jockey in readiness. Might I ask for a photograph of Mr. John Straker?”

The inspector took one from an envelope and handed it to him.

“My dear Gregory, you anticipate all my wants. If I might ask you to wait here for an instant, I have a question which I should like to put to the maid.”

“I must say that I am rather disappointed in our London consultant,” said Colonel Ross bluntly as my friend left the room. “I do not see that we are any further than when he came.”

“At least you have his assurance that your horse will run,” said I.

“Yes, I have his assurance,” said the colonel with a shrug of his shoulders. “I should prefer to have the horse.”

I was about to make some reply in defence of my friend when he entered the room again.

“Now, gentlemen,” said he, “I am quite ready for Tavistock.”

    我朋友的话完全出乎我的意料之外。我们到德文郡才几个小时，而一开始调查研究就干得这么漂亮，现在他竟然要撒手回去，这可使我百思不解了。在我们返回驯马师寓所的途中，不论我怎样追问，他都绝口不谈此事。上校和警长早已在客厅等着我们。

    “我和我的朋友打算乘夜车返回城里，”福尔摩斯说道，”已经呼吸过你们达特穆尔的新鲜空气了，可真令人心旷神怡啊。”

    警长目瞪口呆，上校轻蔑地撇撇嘴。

    “这么说来你是对拿获杀害可怜的斯特雷克的凶手丧失信心了，”上校说道。

    福尔摩斯耸了耸双肩。

    “这有很大困难，”福尔摩斯说道，“可是我完全相信，你的马可以参加星期二的比赛，请你准备好赛马骑师吧。我可以要一张约翰-斯特雷克的照片吗？”

    警长从一个信封中抽出一张照片递给福尔摩斯。

    “亲爱的格雷戈里，你把我需要的东西事先都准备齐全了。请你在这里稍等片刻，我想向女仆问一个问题。”

    “我应该承认，对我们这位从伦敦来的顾问我颇为失望，”我的朋友刚一走出去，罗斯上校便直截了当地说道，“我看不出他来这儿以后有什么进展。”

    “至少他已向你保证，你的马一定能参加比赛，”我说道。

    “是的，他向我保证了，”上校耸了耸双肩说道，“但愿他找到了我那骑马，证明他不是瞎说。”

    为了维护我的朋友，我正准备驳斥他，可是福尔摩斯又走进屋来。

    “先生们，”福尔摩斯说道，“现在我已经完全准备好到塔维斯托克镇去了。”