"You are just the man I want," said he. "Here's the agreement on theside-table. If you sign it the whole matter will be settled."
The seaman lurched across the room and took up the pen.
"Shall I sign here?" he asked, stooping over the table.
Holmes leaned over his shoulder and passed both hands over his neck.
"This will do," said he.
I heard a click of steel and a bellow like an enraged bull. The nextinstant Holmes and the seaman were rolling on the ground together. Hewas a man of such gigantic strength that, even with the handcuffswhich Holmes had so deftly fastened upon his wrists, he would havevery quickly overpowered my friend had Hopkins and I not rushed tohis rescue. Only when I pressed the cold muzzle of the revolver to histemple did he at last understand that resistance was vain. We lashed hisankles with cord and rose breathless from the struggle.
"I must really apologize, Hopkins," said Sherlock Holmes; "I fear thatthe scrambled eggs are cold. However, you will enjoy the rest of yourbreakfast all the better, will you not, for the thought that you havebrought your case to a triumphant conclusion."
Stanley Hopkins was speechless with amazement.
"I don't know what to say, Mr. Holmes," he blurted out at last, with avery red face. "It seems to me that I have been making a fool ofmyself from the beginning. I understand now, what I should never haveforgotten, that I am the pupil and you are the master. Even now Isee what you have done, but I don't know how you did it, or what itsignifies."
"Well, well," said Holmes, good-humouredly. "We all learn by experience,and your lesson this time is that you should never lose sight of thealternative. You were so absorbed in young Neligan that you could notspare a thought to Patrick Cairns, the true murderer of Peter Carey."
The hoarse voice of the seaman broke in on our conversation.
"See here, mister," said he, "I make no complaint of being man-handledin this fashion, but I would have you call things by their right names.You say I murdered Peter Carey; I say I KILLED Peter Carey, and there'sall the difference. Maybe you don't believe what I say. Maybe you thinkI am just slinging you a yarn."
"Not at all," said Holmes. "Let us hear what you have to say."
"It's soon told, and, by the Lord, every word of it is truth. I knewBlack Peter, and when he pulled out his knife I whipped a harpoonthrough him sharp, for I knew that it was him or me. That's how he died.You can call it murder. Anyhow, I'd as soon die with a rope round myneck as with Black Peter's knife in my heart."
"How came you there?" asked Holmes.
"I'll tell it you from the beginning. Just sit me up a little so as Ican speak easy. It was in '83 that it happened--August of that year.Peter Carey was master of the SEA UNICORN, and I was spare harpooner. Wewere coming out of the ice-pack on our way home, with head winds and aweek's southerly gale, when we picked up a little craft that had beenblown north. There was one man on her--a landsman. The crew had thoughtshe would founder, and had made for the Norwegian coast in the dinghy.I guess they were all drowned. Well, we took him on board, this man, andhe and the skipper had some long talks in the cabin. All the baggage wetook off with him was one tin box. So far as I know, the man's name wasnever mentioned, and on the second night he disappeared as if he hadnever been. It was given out that he had either thrown himself overboardor fallen overboard in the heavy weather that we were having. Only oneman knew what had happened to him, and that was me, for with my owneyes I saw the skipper tip up his heels and put him over the rail in themiddle watch of a dark night, two days before we sighted the Shetlandlights.
"Well, I kept my knowledge to myself and waited to see what would comeof it. When we got back to Scotland it was easily hushed up, and nobodyasked any questions. A stranger died by an accident, and it was nobody'sbusiness to inquire. Shortly after Peter Carey gave up the sea, and itwas long years before I could find where he was. I guessed that he haddone the deed for the sake of what was in that tin box, and that hecould afford now to pay me well for keeping my mouth shut.
"I found out where he was through a sailor man that had met himin London, and down I went to squeeze him. The first night he wasreasonable enough, and was ready to give me what would make me free ofthe sea for life. We were to fix it all two nights later. When I cameI found him three parts drunk and in a vile temper. We sat down and wedrank and we yarned about old times, but the more he drank the less Iliked the look on his face. I spotted that harpoon upon the wall, and Ithought I might need it before I was through. Then at last he brokeout at me, spitting and cursing, with murder in his eyes and a greatclasp-knife in his hand. He had not time to get it from the sheathbefore I had the harpoon through him. Heavens! what a yell he gave; andhis face gets between me and my sleep! I stood there, with his bloodsplashing round me, and I waited for a bit; but all was quiet, so I tookheart once more. I looked round, and there was the tin box on a shelf. Ihad as much right to it as Peter Carey, anyhow, so I took it with me andleft the hut. Like a fool I left my baccy-pouch upon the table.
"Now I'll tell you the queerest part of the whole story. I had hardlygot outside the hut when I heard someone coming, and I hid among thebushes. A man came slinking along, went into the hut, gave a cry as ifhe had seen a ghost, and legged it as hard as he could run until he wasout of sight. Who he was or what he wanted is more than I can tell.For my part I walked ten miles, got a train at Tunbridge Wells, and soreached London, and no one the wiser.
"Well, when I came to examine the box I found there was no money in it,and nothing but papers that I would not dare to sell. I had lost my holdon Black Peter, and was stranded in London without a shilling. There wasonly my trade left. I saw these advertisements about harpooners and highwages, so I went to the shipping agents, and they sent me here. That'sall I know, and I say again that if I killed Black Peter the law shouldgive me thanks, for I saved them the price of a hempen rope."
"A very clear statement," said Holmes, rising and lighting his pipe. "Ithink, Hopkins, that you should lose no time in conveying your prisonerto a place of safety. This room is not well adapted for a cell, and Mr.Patrick Cairns occupies too large a proportion of our carpet."
"Mr. Holmes," said Hopkins, "I do not know how to express my gratitude.Even now I do not understand how you attained this result."
"Simply by having the good fortune to get the right clue from thebeginning. It is very possible if I had known about this note-bookit might have led away my thoughts, as it did yours. But all I heardpointed in the one direction. The amazing strength, the skill
in the useof the harpoon, the rum and water, the seal-skin tobacco-pouch, with thecoarse tobacco--all these pointed to a seaman, and one who had been awhaler. I was convinced that the initials 'P.C.' upon the pouch were acoincidence, and not those of Peter Carey, since he seldom smoked, andno pipe was found in his cabin. You remember that I asked whether whiskyand brandy were in the cabin. You said they were. How many landsmen arethere who would drink rum when they could get these other spirits? Yes,I was certain it was a seaman."
"And how did you find him?"
"My dear sir, the problem had become a very simple one. If it werea seaman, it could only be a seaman who had been with him on the SEAUNICORN. So far as I could learn he had sailed in no other ship. Ispent three days in wiring to Dundee, and at the end of that time I hadascertained the names of the crew of the SEA UNICORN in 1883. When Ifound Patrick Cairns among the harpooners my research was nearing itsend. I argued that the man was probably in London, and that he woulddesire to leave the country for a time. I therefore spent some days inthe East-end, devised an Arctic expedition, put forth tempting terms forharpooners who would serve under Captain Basil--and behold the result!"
"Wonderful!" cried Hopkins. "Wonderful!"
"You must obtain the release of young Neligan as soon as possible," saidHolmes. "I confess that I think you owe him some apology. The tin boxmust be returned to him, but, of course, the securities which PeterCarey has sold are lost for ever. There's the cab, Hopkins, and you canremove your man. If you want me for the trial, my address and that ofWatson will be somewhere in Norway--I'll send particulars later."
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THE STRAND MAGAZINE Vol. 27 APRIL, 1904 THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. By ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.