"Subtle enough and horrible enough. When a doctor does go wronghe is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge.Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession.This man strikes even deeper, but I think, Watson, that we shallbe able to strike deeper still. But we shall have horrors enoughbefore the night is over; for goodness' sake let us have a quietpipe and turn our minds for a few hours to something morecheerful."
About nine o'clock the light among the trees was extinguished,and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House. Two hourspassed slowly away, and then, suddenly, just at the stroke ofeleven, a single bright light shone out right in front of us.
"That is our signal," said Holmes, springing to his feet; "itcomes from the middle window."
As we passed out he exchanged a few words with the landlord,explaining that we were going on a late visit to an acquaintance,and that it was possible that we might spend the night there. Amoment later we were out on the dark road, a chill wind blowingin our faces, and one yellow light twinkling in front of usthrough the gloom to guide us on our sombre errand.
There was little difficulty in entering the grounds, forunrepaired breaches gaped in the old park wall. Making our wayamong the trees, we reached the lawn, crossed it, and were aboutto enter through the window when out from a clump of laurelbushes there darted what seemed to be a hideous and distortedchild, who threw itself upon the grass with writhing limbs andthen ran swiftly across the lawn into the darkness.
"My God!" I whispered; "did you see it?"
Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed likea vice upon my wrist in his agitation. Then he broke into a lowlaugh and put his lips to my ear.
"It is a nice household," he murmured. "That is the baboon."
I had forgotten the strange pets which the doctor affected. Therewas a cheetah, too; perhaps we might find it upon our shouldersat any moment. I confess that I felt easier in my mind when,after following Holmes' example and slipping off my shoes, Ifound myself inside the bedroom. My companion noiselessly closedthe shutters, moved the lamp onto the table, and cast his eyesround the room. All was as we had seen it in the daytime. Thencreeping up to me and making a trumpet of his hand, he whisperedinto my ear again so gently that it was all that I could do todistinguish the words:
"The least sound would be fatal to our plans."
I nodded to show that I had heard.
"We must sit without light. He would see it through theventilator."
I nodded again.
"Do not go asleep; your very life may depend upon it. Have yourpistol ready in case we should need it. I will sit on the side ofthe bed, and you in that chair."
I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table.
Holmes had brought up a long thin cane, and this he placed uponthe bed beside him. By it he laid the box of matches and thestump of a candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we were leftin darkness.
How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil? I could not hear asound, not even the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that mycompanion sat open-eyed, within a few feet of me, in the samestate of nervous tension in which I was myself. The shutters cutoff the least ray of light, and we waited in absolute darkness.
From outside came the occasional cry of a night-bird, and once atour very window a long drawn catlike whine, which told us thatthe cheetah was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear thedeep tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter ofan hour. How long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, andone and two and three, and still we sat waiting silently forwhatever might befall.
Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in thedirection of the ventilator, which vanished immediately, but wassucceeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal.Someone in the next room had lit a dark-lantern. I heard a gentlesound of movement, and then all was silent once more, though thesmell grew stronger. For half an hour I sat with straining ears.Then suddenly another sound became audible--a very gentle,soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escapingcontinually from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmessprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously withhis cane at the bell-pull.
"You see it, Watson?" he yelled. "You see it?"
But I saw nothing. At the moment when Holmes struck the light Iheard a low, clear whistle, but the sudden glare flashing into myweary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what it was at whichmy friend lashed so savagely. I could, however, see that his facewas deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing. He hadceased to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator whensuddenly there broke from the silence of the night the mosthorrible cry to which I have ever listened. It swelled up louderand louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingledin the one dreadful shriek. They say that away down in thevillage, and even in the distant parsonage, that cry raised thesleepers from their beds. It struck cold to our hearts, and Istood gazing at Holmes, and he at me, until the last echoes of ithad died away into the silence from which it rose.
"What can it mean?" I gasped.
"It means that it is all over," Holmes answered. "And perhaps,after all, it is for the best. Take your pistol, and we willenter Dr. Roylott's room."
With a grave face he lit the lamp and led the way down thecorridor. Twice he struck at the chamber door without any replyfrom within. Then he turned the handle and entered, I at hisheels, with the cocked pistol in my hand.
It was a singular sight which met our eyes. On the table stood adark-lantern with the shutter half open, throwing a brilliantbeam of light upon the iron safe, the door of which was ajar.Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roylottclad in a long grey dressing-gown, his bare ankles protrudingbeneath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers.Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which wehad noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and hiseyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of theceiling. Round his brow he had a peculiar yellow band, withbrownish speckles, which seemed to be bound tightly round hishead. As we entered he made neither sound nor motion.
"The band! the speckled band!" whispered Holmes.
I took a step forward. In an instant his strange headgear beganto move, and there reared itself from among his hair the squatdiamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent.
"It is a swamp adder!" cried Holmes; "the deadliest snake inIndia. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violencedoes, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer fallsinto the pit which he digs for another. Let us thrust thiscreature back into its den, and we can then remove Miss Stoner tosome place of shelter and let the county police know what hashappened."
As he spoke he drew the dog-whip swiftly from the dead man's lap,and throwing the noose round the reptile's neck he drew it fromits horrid perch and, carrying it at arm's length, threw it intothe iron safe, which he closed upon it.
Such are the true facts of the death of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, ofStoke Moran. It is not necessary that I should prolong anarrative which has already run to too great a length by tellinghow we broke the sad news to the terrified girl, how we conveyedher by the morning train to the care of her good aunt at Harrow,of how the slow process of official inquiry came to theconclusion that the doctor met his fate while indiscreetlyplaying with a dangerous pet. The little which I had yet to learnof the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes as we travelled backnext day.