“Go to Baker Street at once,” it said. “If I have not returned, waitfor me. I am close on the track of the Sholto gang. You can comewith us to-night if you want to be in at the finish.”
“This sounds well. He has evidently picked up the scent again,”
“Ah, then he has been at fault too,” exclaimed Jones with evidentsatisfaction. “Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes. Ofcourse this may prove to be a false alarm but it is my duty as anofficer of the law to allow no chance to slip. But there is someoneat the door. Perhaps this is he.”
A heavy step was heard ascending the stair, with a greatwheezing and rattling as from a man who was sorely put to itfor breath. Once or twice he stopped, as though the climb weretoo much for him, but at last he made his way to our door andentered. His appearance corresponded to the sounds which wehad heard. He was an aged man, clad in seafaring garb, with anold pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat. His back was bowed, hisknees were shaky, and his breathing was painfully asthmatic. Ashe leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel his shoulders heaved in theeffort to draw the air into his lungs. He had a colored scarf roundhis chin, and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen darkeyes, overhung by bushy white brows and long gray side-whiskers.
Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable mastermariner who had fallen into years and poverty.
“What is it, my man?” I asked.
He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age.
“Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?” said he.
“No; but I am acting for him. You can tell me any message youhave for him.”
“It was to him himself I was to tell it,” said he.
“But I tell you that I am acting for him. Was it about MordecaiSmith’s boat?”
“Yes. I knows well where it is. An’ I knows where the men he isafter are. An’ I knows where the treasure is. I knows all about it.”
“Then tell me, and I shall let him know.”
“It was to him I was to tell it,” he repeated, with the petulantobstinacy of a very old man.
“Well, you must wait for him.”
“No, no; I ain’t goin’ to lose a whole day to please no one. IfMr. Holmes ain’t here, then Mr. Holmes must find it all out forhimself. I don’t care about the look of either of you, and I won’ttell a word.”
He shuffled towards the door, but Athelney Jones got in front ofhim.
“Wait a bit, my friend,” said he. “You have important information,and you must not walk off. We shall keep you, whether you like ornot, until our friend returns.”
The old man made a little run towards the door, but, asAthelney Jones put his broad back up against it, he recognized theuselessness of resistance.
“Pretty sort o’ treatment this!” he cried, stamping his stick. “Icome here to see a gentleman, and you two, who I never saw in mylife, seize me and treat me in this fashion!”
“You will be none the worse, I said. “We shall recompense youfor the loss of your time. Sit over here on the sofa, and you willnot have long to wait.”
He came across sullenly enough and seated himself with his faceresting on his hands. Jones and I resumed our cigars and our talk.
Suddenly, however, Holmes’s voice broke in upon us.
“I think that you might offer me a cigar too,” he said.
We both started in our chairs. There was Holmes sitting closeto us with an air of quiet amusement.
“Holmes!” I exclaimed. “You here! But where is the old man?”
“Here is the old man,” said he, holding out a heap of whitehair. “Here he is—wig, whiskers, eyebrows, and all. I thought mydisguise was pretty good, but I hardly expected that it would standthat test.”
“Ah, You rogue!” cried Jones, highly delighted. “You would havemade an actor and a rare one. You had the proper workhousecough, and those weak legs of yours are worth ten pound a week. Ithought I knew the glint of your eye, though. You didn’t get awayfrom us so easily, You see.”
“I have been working in that get-up all day,” said he, lighting hiscigar. “You see, a good many of the criminal classes begin to knowme—especially since our friend here took to publishing some ofmy cases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simpledisguise like this. You got my wire?”
“Yes; that was what brought me here.”
“How has your case prospered?”
“It has all come to nothing. I have had to release two of myprisoners, and there is no evidence against the other two.”
“Never mind. We shall give you two others in the place of them.
But you must put yourself under my orders. You are welcome to allthe official credit, but you must act on the line that I point out. Isthat agreed?”
“Entirely, if you will help me to the men.”
“Well, then, in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat—asteam launch—to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o’clock.”
“That is easily managed. There is always one about there, but Ican step across the road and telephone to make sure.”
“Then I shall want two stanch men in case of resistance.”
“There will be two or three in the boat. What else?”
“When we secure the men we shall get the treasure. I think thatit would be a pleasure to my friend here to take the box round tothe young lady to whom half of it rightfully belongs. Let her bethe first to open it. Eh, Watson?”
“It would be a great pleasure to me.”
“Rather an irregular proceeding,” said Jones, shaking his head.
“However, the whole thing is irregular, and I suppose we mustwink at it. The treasure must afterwards be handed over to theauthorities until after the official investigation.”
“Certainly. That is easily managed. One other point. I shouldmuch like to have a few details about this matter from the lipsof Jonathan Small himself. You know I like to work the detail ofmy cases out. There is no objection to my having an unofficialinterview with him, either here in my rooms or elsewhere, as longas he is efficiently guarded?”
“Well, you are master of the situation. I have had no proof yetof the existence of this Jonathan Small. However, if you can catchhim, I don’t see how I can refuse you an interview with him.”
“That is understood, then?”
“Perfectly. Is there anything else?”