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IX. THE ADVENTURE OF THE ENGINEER'S THUMB `
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Of all the problems which have been submitted to my friend, Mr. `
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Sherlock Holmes, for solution during the years of our intimacy, `
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there were only two which I was the means of introducing to his `
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notice--that of Mr. Hatherley's thumb, and that of Colonel `
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Warburton's madness. Of these the latter may have afforded a `
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finer field for an acute and original observer, but the other was `
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so strange in its inception and so dramatic in its details that `
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it may be the more worthy of being placed upon record, even if it `
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gave my friend fewer openings for those deductive methods of `
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reasoning by which he achieved such remarkable results. The story `
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has, I believe, been told more than once in the newspapers, but, `
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like all such narratives, its effect is much less striking when `
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set forth en bloc in a single half-column of print than when the `
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facts slowly evolve before your own eyes, and the mystery clears `
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gradually away as each new discovery furnishes a step which leads `
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on to the complete truth. At the time the circumstances made a `
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deep impression upon me, and the lapse of two years has hardly `
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served to weaken the effect. `
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It was in the summer of '89, not long after my marriage, that the `
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events occurred which I am now about to summarise. I had returned `
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to civil practice and had finally abandoned Holmes in his Baker `
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Street rooms, although I continually visited him and occasionally `
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even persuaded him to forgo his Bohemian habits so far as to come `
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and visit us. My practice had steadily increased, and as I `
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happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington `
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Station, I got a few patients from among the officials. One of `
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these, whom I had cured of a painful and lingering disease, was `
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never weary of advertising my virtues and of endeavouring to send `
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me on every sufferer over whom he might have any influence. `
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One morning, at a little before seven o'clock, I was awakened by `
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the maid tapping at the door to announce that two men had come `
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from Paddington and were waiting in the consulting-room. I `
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dressed hurriedly, for I knew by experience that railway cases `
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were seldom trivial, and hastened downstairs. As I descended, my `
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old ally, the guard, came out of the room and closed the door `
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tightly behind him. `
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"I've got him here," he whispered, jerking his thumb over his `
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shoulder; "he's all right." `
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"What is it, then?" I asked, for his manner suggested that it was `
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some strange creature which he had caged up in my room. `
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"It's a new patient," he whispered. "I thought I'd bring him `
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round myself; then he couldn't slip away. There he is, all safe `
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and sound. I must go now, Doctor; I have my dooties, just the `
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same as you." And off he went, this trusty tout, without even `
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giving me time to thank him. `
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I entered my consulting-room and found a gentleman seated by the `
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table. He was quietly dressed in a suit of heather tweed with a `
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soft cloth cap which he had laid down upon my books. Round one of `
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his hands he had a handkerchief wrapped, which was mottled all `
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over with bloodstains. He was young, not more than `
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five-and-twenty, I should say, with a strong, masculine face; but `
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he was exceedingly pale and gave me the impression of a man who `
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was suffering from some strong agitation, which it took all his `
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strength of mind to control. `
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"I am sorry to knock you up so early, Doctor," said he, "but I `
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have had a very serious accident during the night. I came in by `
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train this morning, and on inquiring at Paddington as to where I `
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might find a doctor, a worthy fellow very kindly escorted me `
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here. I gave the maid a card, but I see that she has left it upon `
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the side-table." `
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I took it up and glanced at it. "Mr. Victor Hatherley, hydraulic `
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engineer, 16A, Victoria Street (3rd floor)." That was the name, `
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style, and abode of my morning visitor. "I regret that I have `
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kept you waiting," said I, sitting down in my library-chair. "You `
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are fresh from a night journey, I understand, which is in itself `
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a monotonous occupation." `
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"Oh, my night could not be called monotonous," said he, and `
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laughed. He laughed very heartily, with a high, ringing note, `
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leaning back in his chair and shaking his sides. All my medical `
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instincts rose up against that laugh. `
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"Stop it!" I cried; "pull yourself together!" and I poured out `
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some water from a caraffe. `
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It was useless, however. He was off in one of those hysterical `
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outbursts which come upon a strong nature when some great crisis `
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is over and gone. Presently he came to himself once more, very `
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weary and pale-looking. `
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"I have been making a fool of myself," he gasped. `
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"Not at all. Drink this." I dashed some brandy into the water, `
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and the colour began to come back to his bloodless cheeks. `
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"That's better!" said he. "And now, Doctor, perhaps you would `
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kindly attend to my thumb, or rather to the place where my thumb `
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used to be." `
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He unwound the handkerchief and held out his hand. It gave even `
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my hardened nerves a shudder to look at it. There were four `
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protruding fingers and a horrid red, spongy surface where the `
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thumb should have been. It had been hacked or torn right out from `
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the roots. `
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"Good heavens!" I cried, "this is a terrible injury. It must have `
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bled considerably." `
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"Yes, it did. I fainted when it was done, and I think that I must `
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have been senseless for a long time. When I came to I found that `
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it was still bleeding, so I tied one end of my handkerchief very `
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tightly round the wrist and braced it up with a twig." `
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"Excellent! You should have been a surgeon." `
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"It is a question of hydraulics, you see, and came within my own `
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province." `
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"This has been done," said I, examining the wound, "by a very `
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heavy and sharp instrument." `
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"A thing like a cleaver," said he. `
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"An accident, I presume?" `
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"By no means." `
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"What! a murderous attack?" `
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"Very murderous indeed." `
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"You horrify me." `
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I sponged the wound, cleaned it, dressed it, and finally covered `
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it over with cotton wadding and carbolised bandages. He lay back `
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without wincing, though he bit his lip from time to time. `
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"How is that?" I asked when I had finished. `
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"Capital! Between your brandy and your bandage, I feel a new man. `
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I was very weak, but I have had a good deal to go through." `
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"Perhaps you had better not speak of the matter. It is evidently `
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trying to your nerves." `
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"Oh, no, not now. I shall have to tell my tale to the police; `
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but, between ourselves, if it were not for the convincing `
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evidence of this wound of mine, I should be surprised if they `
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believed my statement, for it is a very extraordinary one, and I `
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have not much in the way of proof with which to back it up; and, `
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even if they believe me, the clues which I can give them are so `
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vague that it is a question whether justice will be done." `
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"Ha!" cried I, "if it is anything in the nature of a problem `
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which you desire to see solved, I should strongly recommend you `
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to come to my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, before you go to the `
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official police." `
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"Oh, I have heard of that fellow," answered my visitor, "and I `
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should be very glad if he would take the matter up, though of `
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course I must use the official police as well. Would you give me `
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an introduction to him?" `
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"I'll do better. I'll take you round to him myself." `
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"I should be immensely obliged to you." `
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"We'll call a cab and go together. We shall just be in time to `
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have a little breakfast with him. Do you feel equal to it?" `
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"Yes; I shall not feel easy until I have told my story." `
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"Then my servant will call a cab, and I shall be with you in an `
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instant." I rushed upstairs, explained the matter shortly to my `
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wife, and in five minutes was inside a hansom, driving with my `
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new acquaintance to Baker Street. `
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Sherlock Holmes was, as I expected, lounging about his `
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sitting-room in his dressing-gown, reading the agony column of The `
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Times and smoking his before-breakfast pipe, which was composed `
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of all the plugs and dottles left from his smokes of the day `
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before, all carefully dried and collected on the corner of the `
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mantelpiece. He received us in his quietly genial fashion, `
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ordered fresh rashers and eggs, and joined us in a hearty meal. `
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When it was concluded he settled our new acquaintance upon the `
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sofa, placed a pillow beneath his head, and laid a glass of `
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brandy and water within his reach. `
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"It is easy to see that your experience has been no common one, `
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Mr. Hatherley," said he. "Pray, lie down there and make yourself `
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absolutely at home. Tell us what you can, but stop when you are `
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tired and keep up your strength with a little stimulant." `
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"Thank you," said my patient. "but I have felt another man since `
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the doctor bandaged me, and I think that your breakfast has `
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completed the cure. I shall take up as little of your valuable `
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time as possible, so I shall start at once upon my peculiar `
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experiences." `
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Holmes sat in his big armchair with the weary, heavy-lidded `
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expression which veiled his keen and eager nature, while I sat `
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