THE ENGINEER'S THUMB.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 44, 19 August 1892, Page 27

THE ENGINEER'S THUMB.

(By A. Co nan Doyle.) Op all the problems which have been submitted to my friend Mr Sherlock Holmes for solution during the years of our intimacy, there were only two which I was the means of introducing to bis notice, that of Mr Hatherly's thumb and that of Colonel Warburton's madness. Of these the latter may have afforded a finer field for an acute and original observer, but the other was so strange in its inception and so dramatic in its details that it may be the more worthy of being placed upon record, even if it gave my friend fewer openings for those deductive methods of reasoning by which he achieved such remarkable results. The story has, I believe, been told more than once in newspapers, but, like all such narratives, its effect is much less striking when set forth en bloc in a single half column of print than when the facts slowly evolve before your own eyes and the mystery clears gradually away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads on to the complete truth. At tne time the circumstances made a deep impression upon me, and the lapse of two years has hardly served to weaken the effect. It was the summer of '89, not long after my marriage, that the events occarred which I am now about to summarise. I had returned to civil practice, and had finally abandoned Holmes in his Baker street rooms, although I continually visited him, and occasionally even persuaded him to forego his Bohemian habits to come and visit us. My practice had steadily increased, and as I happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington station, I got a few patients from among the officials. One of these whom I had cured of a painful and lingering disease was never weary of advertising my virtues, and of endeavouring to Bend me on every sufferer over whom he might have any influence. One morning, at a little bsfore 7 o'clock, I was awakened by the maid tapping at the door to announce that two men had come from Paddineton and were waiting in the consulting room. I dressed hurriedly, for I knew by experience that railway caB2B were seldom trivia!, and hastened downstairs. As I descended, my own ally, the guard, came out of the room, and closed the door tightly behind him " I've got him hero," he whispered, jerkiDg his thumb over his shoulder ; " he'd all right." " What is it, then ?" I asked, for his manner suggested that it was some strange creature which he had caged up in my room . " Tt's a new patient," he whispered. " I thought I'd bring him round myself ; then he couldn't slip away. There he ie, all safe and sound. I must go now, doctor. I have my dooties, just the same as you." And off he went, this trusty tout, without even giving me time to thank him. I enierad my consulting room, and found a gentleman seated by the table. He was quiatly dress? l in a suit cf heather tweed, with a soft cloth cap, which hi; had laid down up >n my books. Bound one of bis hands he had a hankerchief wrapped, which was mottled all over with blood stain'!. He was young, not more than five-and-twenty, I should say, with a s rong masculine face ; but he wag exceedingly pale, and gave me the impression of a man who was suffering from some strong agitation, which it took all his strength of mind to control. '• I am sorry to knock ytu up so early, doctor," said he, "but I hive had a very serious accident during the nighfr. 1 came in by train this morning, and oa iaquiri ig at Paddington as to where I might find a doctor, a worthy fellow very kindly escorted me here. I gave the rnaia n card, but i see that she has left it upon the side table." I took it up and glanced at it. "Mr Victor Hatherly, hydraulic eigineor, IGa Victoria street (3rd floor)." That was the name, style, abode of my morning visitor. " I legret th it I have kept you waiting," s.iid I, sitting down in my library chair. " You are fresh from a night journey, I understand, which is in itself a monotonous occupation." "Ob, my night could not be called monotonous," said he, and laughed. He laughed very heartily, with a high ringing note, leaning back in hie chair, and shading bia sides. All my medical inßtiucts rose up agaiobt that laugh. "Stop it!" I cried. " Pull yourself together 1" and I poured out some: wafer from a caraffe. It was useless, however. He was off in one of those hysterics outbursts which come upon a strong nature when some great crisis is over and gooe. Presently be cam;: to himself once more, very weary and blushing hotly. " I have been making a fool of myself," he gasped.

" Not at all. Drink this 1" I dashed some brandy into the water, and the colour began to come back to his bloodless cheek?. M •• That's better !" said he. " And now, doctor, perhaps you would Kindly attend to my thumb, or rather to the place where my thumb used to be." He unwound the handkerchief: and held out his hand. It gave even my hardened nerves a shock to look at it. There were four protruding fingers and a horrid red spongy surface where tho thumb should hare been. It had been hacked or torn right out from the roots. i' Great heavens 1" I cried, " this h a terrible injury. It must have bled considerably." •' Yes, it did. I fainted when it was done ; and I think I must have been senseless for a long lime. When I came to I found that it was still bleeding, so I tied one end of my handkerchief very tightly round the wrist, and braced it up with a twig. " Excellent 1 You should have been a surgeon." " It is a question of hydraulics, you see, and came within my own province." 11 This has been done," said I, examining the wound, " by a very heavy and sharp instrument." " A thing like a cleaver," baid he. " An accident, I presume?" " By no means." " What, a murderous attack." " Tery murderous, indeed.' 1 "You horrify me." I sponged the wound, cleaned it, dressed it, and fiaally covered it over with cotton wadding and carbolised bandages, lie lay back without wincing, though he bit his lip from time to time. "How is that?" I asked when I had finished. " Capital ! Between your brandy and your bandage, 1 feel a new man. I was very weak, but I have had a good deal to go through." " Perhaps you had better not speak of the matter. It is evidently trying to your Derves." •• Oh, no ; not now. I shall have to tell my taie to the police ; but, between ourselves, if it were not for the convincing evidence of this wound of mine, I should be surprioed if they believed my statement, for it is a very extraordinary one, and I have not much in the way of proof with which to back it up. And, even if (hey balieve me, the views whic'i I can give them are so vagua that it is a question whether justice will be done." "Ha II 11I 1 I criel, "ifit is anything in the nature of a problem which you deaira to see solved, I shoald strongly reoamoai you to come my friend, Mr Saerlock H ilrn a, beforo you go to the officul police." " Oq, I have heard of that fellow," answered my visitor, " and I 6hould be very glad if he would take the matter up, though, of course, I must see the tfficial police as well. Would you give me an intioduction to him ?" " I'll do bettor. I take you round to him myself." " 1 sbouid be imineriß ly obliged to you-" " We'll ca 1 a cub, an igo t^geth.-r. We shall just be in time to have a little breakf ut with him. Do you feel equal to it ?" " Yes, I hhall n t feel ea&y until I have told my btory." "Then my servant will call a cib, and I bhall be w.th you in an instant." I rushei upstairs, explained me matter shortly to my wife, and in five minutes was inside a hansom, driving with my new acquaintance to Baker strc. t. Sherlock Holmes was, as I expend, lounging about Lis sittingroom in h s dresstng-gown re'idiug ihi agojy columu of the limes, and smoking his beiore-breakfast pipe, which was composed of all the plugs and dottels left fiom hn smoke 3 tne day before, all car. fully dried and collected oa the comer ot the mantlepiece. H~i nctived us in his quietly genial fashion, ordered fresh eggs, and j jined lib m a hearty meal. When it was concluded be sewled our new acquiiutauce upou the sofa, placed a pillow beneath his h^ad, and laid v glass of brandy and water withm his reach. " It is easy to see that your experience ha^ been no common one Mr Hatbeiley," said he. " Pray lie down there, and make yourself absolutely at home. Tell us what you can but stop whin you are tired, and keep up your stiength with a littld stimulant." "Thank you," said my patient, "but I have felt another mm since the doctor bindaged me, and I think that your bre kfast has completed the cure. I diall take up as little of your valuable time as possible, so I shall start at on^d upon my peculiar experiences." Holmes sat in his bg armchair with the weary, heavy-lidded t-^presston whicn veiled hi; k^en „nd eager nature, while I si.t oppo.-iie tW^lm, and we listened iv silence to the strange story whicn our visitor detailed to us. " You must know," he eai'l, " that 1 am an orphan and a bacV.or, residing alone in loJgin^ i. L union. By profession I urn a hydraulic engineer, and I have ha-1 coobider^bla experience of my work during tho seven yenrs that I w s npp:ent:ced to Venuer and M.itbLvm, the well-knowo firm, of Greenwich. Two yeaisago, baring ber^d my time, and having also come into v fair sum ot money through my

poor father's death, I determined to start in business for myself, and took professional chambers in Victoria street. " I suppose that everyone finds hiß first independent start in bnsiness a dreary experience. To me it has been exceptionally so. During two years I hive had three consultations and one small job, that is absolutely all that my profession has brought me. My gross earnings amount to £27 10a. Every day, from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, I waited in my little den, until at last my heart began to sink, and I cameio believe that I should never have any practice at all. "Yesterday, however, just as I was thinking of leaving the office, my clerk entered to s*y there was a gentleman waiting who wished to see me upon business. He brought up a card, too, with the name of 'Colonel Lystander Stark' engraved upon it. Close at his heels came the Colonel himself, a man rather over the middle size, but of an exceeding thinness. Ido not think that I have ever seen so thin a man. His whole face sharpened away into nose and chin, and the skin of his cheeks was drawn quite tense over his outstanding bones. Yet this emaciation seemed to be his natural habit, and due to no disease, for his eye was bright, hi 3 step brisk, aod his bearing assured . He was plainly bat neatly dressed, and his age, I should judge, would be nearer forty than thirty. " • Mr Hatberley,' said he, with something of a German accent. < You have been recommended to me, Mr Hatherley, as being a man who is not only proficient in his profession, but ia also discreet and capable of preserving a secret,' " I bowed, feeling as flattered as any young man would at such an address. • May I ask who it was who gave ms so good a character ?' I asked. " ' Well, perhaps it is better that I should not tell you that just at this moment. I have it from the same sourc < that you are both an orphan and a bachelor, and are residing alone in London.' '• ' That is quite correct,' I answered, • but you will excuse me if I say that I cannot see how oil this bears upon my professional qualifications. I understood that it was on a professional matter that you wished to speak tome?' " ' Undoubtedly so. But you ,vill find that all I say is really to the point. I have a profesoional commission far you, but absolute secrecy is quite essential — absolute secrecy, you understand, and of c urse we may expect that more from a man who is alone than from one who lives in the bosom of his family. 1 "'lf I promise to keep a secret,' said I, 'you may absolutely depend upon my do.ng so.' " He looked very haid at me aa I spoke and it seemed to me that I had never seen so suspicious and questioning an eye. '• • You do piomiee, then ?' said he, at last. '• ' Yes, I promise. " * Absolute and complete silenc?, before, duiing and after ? No reference to the matter at all, either in wjrd or wiitirg V " ' I have already given you my word.' "'Very good.' He suddenly spraug up, and darting like lightning across the room he flung open ihe door. The pissage outaide was empty. 11 ' Ttiat's all right,' said he, coming back. ' I know that clerks are sjmeiimes curious as to their master's affairs. Now, we can talk in sifety.' He drew up his chair very cbse to mine, and began to s^are a* me again with t!.e sirne questioning and thoughtful look. {To be continued.')