我们对这个建议欣然答应，因为早已厌恶这种血腥的勾当，我们明白这次杀人之后，还会有更残酷的事发生。
　　于是，他发给我们每人一套水手服，一桶淡水，一小桶腌牛肉，一小桶饼干和一个指南针。普伦德加斯特扔给我们一张航海图，告诉我们要说我们是一艘失事船只的水手，船是在北纬十五度，西经二十五度沉没的。然后他割断缆索，听凭我们漂流而去。
　　“‘我亲爱的儿子，现在我要讲到这个故事最惊人的情节了。在骚乱的时候，水手们曾经落帆逆风行驶，但在我们离开之后，他们又扬起风帆，乘东北风离开我们缓缓驶去。我们的小艇便随平稳起伏的波涛前进。这伙人里，只有我和伊文斯受教育最多。我俩坐下来查看海图，确定我们所在的地点，计划向何处海岸行驶。这是一个需要慎重对待的问题，因为向北约五百英里是佛得角群岛，向东约七百英里是非洲海岸。由于风向转北，我们基本上确认向塞拉利昂行驶比较好，于是便掉转船首向此方向驶去。这时从小艇向后方看，三桅帆船已不见船身，只见船桅。我们正在向它眺望，突然看到一股浓密的黑烟直升而起，象一棵怪树悬在天际。几秒钟以后，一声雷鸣般巨响震人耳鼓，等到烟消雾散，“格洛里亚斯科特”号帆船已渺无踪影。我们立即掉转船首，全力向该处驶去，那依然缭绕的海面烟尘反映了该船遇难的惨状。
　　“‘我们用了很长时间才到达那里，开始我们怕来得太晚，救不出什么人了。只见一条支离破碎的小船和一些断桅残板随波起伏，这显示出帆船的沉没地点，但未见活人踪影。在我们失望地掉转船头时，忽听有人呼救，这才看到不远处有一个人直挺挺地横躺在一块残板上。我们把他拖到船上一看，原来是一个叫赫德森的年轻水手，他被烧伤，筋疲力尽，口不能言，直到第二天清早，才把事情经过告诉我们。
　　“‘原来，在我们离开以后，普伦德加斯特和他那一伙人就动手杀害那剩下来的五个被囚禁的人。他把两个狱卒枪毙后扔进海里，对三副也如法炮制。普伦德加斯特下到中舱亲手割断了可怜的医生的喉咙。这时只剩下勇敢机智的大副本人。他见普伦德加斯特手持血淋淋的屠刀向他走来，便挣开事先设法弄松了的绑索，跑上甲板，一头钻进尾舱。有十二个罪犯手持手枪向他冲来，只见他手里拿着一盒火柴坐在火药桶边，这桶火药已经打开，船上共载着一百桶火药。大副发誓说，谁要是动他一下，他就叫全船人同归于尽。话犹未了就发生了爆炸。赫德森认为这是一个罪犯开枪误中了火药桶，而不是大副用火柴点着的。但不管原因何在，反正“格洛里亚斯科特”号帆船和那些劫船暴徒就此完结。
　　“‘我亲爱的孩子，简单说来，涉及到我的可怕事件的过程就是这样。第二天，一艘开往澳大利亚的双桅船“霍特斯泼”号搭救了我们。该船船长轻易地相信了我们是遇难客船的幸存者。海军部将“格洛里亚斯科特”号运输船作为海上失事记录在案，而它的真实命运却一点也没泄露出去。经过一段顺利航程之后，“霍特斯泼”号让我们在悉尼上岸，伊文斯和我更名改姓前去采矿，在各国人麇集之中，我们毫不费力地隐瞒了过去的身份。其余的事我也不必细说了。后来我们发迹了，周游一番，以富有的殖民地居民身份返回英国，购置了产业。二十多年来，我们安居乐业，生活美满，希望把过去的事永远埋葬。后来，这个水手来找我们，我一眼就认出他就是我们从沉船残骸上救上来的那个人，当时我的感觉就可想而知了。他不知怎样追踪到此，欺我们畏惧之心，对我们进行敲诈勒索。你现在该明白，我为什么极力对他和好了，你也该多少同情我内心充满的恐惧了。他虽然离开我到另一个受欺者那里去了，可是还在对我进行虚声恫吓。’
　　“下面的字写时手已颤栗不止，几乎难以辨认，‘贝多斯写来密信说，赫德森已全部检举。上帝啊，可怜可怜我们吧！’
　　“这就是那天晚上我读给小特雷佛听的故事。华生，这种情况可算是富有戏剧性的案子了。我的好友经过这场风波，肝肠寸断，便迁往特拉伊去种茶树，我听说他在那里混得不错。至于那个水手和贝多斯，自从写了那封告警信以后，便音信全无，无影无踪了。没有人向警局提出检举，所以贝多斯是错把赫德森的威胁当做事实。有人看到赫德森潜伏在附近，警局认为他杀害贝多斯以后逃跑了。而我确信事实恰恰相反。八成是贝多斯陷入绝境，认为赫德森告发了自己，便报仇雪恨杀死赫德森，携带手头所有现款逃出国去。这就是这件案子的情况，医生，如果它们对你采集资料有所助益，我很乐意供你选用。”






The naval treaty





　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Conan Doyle

　　The July which immediately succeeded my marriage was made memorable by threecases of interest in which I had the privilege of being associated with SherlockHolmes, and of studying his methods. I find them recorded in my notes under theheadings of 'the adventure of the Second stain', 'the adventure of the naval treaty',and 'the adventure of the tired captain'. The first of these, however, deals withinterests of such importance, and implicates so many of the first families in thekingdom, that for many years it will be impossible to make it public. No case,however, in which Holmes was ever engaged has illustrated the value of his analyticalmethods so clearly or has impressed those who were associated with him so deeply. Istill retain an almost verbatim report of the interview in which he demonstrated thetrue facts of the case to Monsieur Dubuque, of the Paris police, and fritz vonWaldbaum, the well-known specialist of Dantzig, both of whom had wasted theirenergies upon what proved to be side-issues. The new century will have come,however, before the story can be safely told. Meanwhile, I pass on to the second uponmy list, which promised also, at one time, to be of national importance, and wasmarked by several incidents which give it a quite unique character.During my school-days I had been intimately associated with a lad named PercyPhelps, who was of much the same age as myself, though he was two classes ahead ofme. He was a very brilliant boy, and carried away every prize which the school had tooffer, finishing his exploits by winning a scholarship, which sent him on to continuehis triumphant career at Cambridge. He was, I remember, extremely well connectedand ever when we were all little boys together, we knew that his mother's brother wasLord Holdhurst, the great Conservative politician. This gaudy relationship did himlittle good at school; on the contrary, it seemed rather a piquant thing to us to chevyhim about the playground and hit him over the shins with a wicket. But it was anotherthing when he came out into the world. I heard vaguely that his abilities and theinfluence which he commanded had won him a good position at the Foreign Office,and then he passed completely out of my mind until the following letter recalled hisexistence:

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'BRIARBRAE, WOKING
　　'MY DEAR WATSON, ----- I have no doubt that you can remember "tadpole" Phelps,who was in the fifth form when you were in the third. It is possible even that you mayhave heard that, through my uncle's influence, I obtained a good appointment at theForeign Office, and that I was in situation of trust and honour until a horriblemisfortune came suddenly to blast my career.
　　'There is no use writing the details of that dreadful event. In the event of youracceding to my request, it is probable that I shall have narrated them to you. I haveonly just recovered from nine weeks of brain fever, and am still exceedingly weak. Doyou think that you could bring your friend, Mr. Holmes, down to see me? I should liketo have his opinion of the case, though the authorities assure me that nothing more canbe dong. Do try to bring him down, and as soon as possible. Every minute seems anhour while I live in this horrible suspense. Assure him that, if I have not asked hisadvice sooner, it was not because I did not appreciate his talents, but because I havebeen off my head ver since the blow fell. Now I am clear again, though I dare notthink of it too much for fear of a relapse. I am still so weak that I have to write, as yousee, by dictating. Do try and bring him.'Your old schoolfellow,PERCY PHELPS
　　There was something that touched me as I read this letter, something pitiable in thereiterated appeals to bring Holmes. So moved was I that, even if it had been a difficultmatter, I should have tried it; but, of course, I knew well that Holmes loved his art so,that he was ever as ready to bring his aid as his client could be to receive it. My wifeagreed with me that not a moment should be lost in laying the matter before him, andso, within an hour of breakfast-time, I found myself back once more in the old roomsin Baker Street.
　　Holmes was seated at his side-table clad in his dressing-gown and working hardover a chemical investigation. A large curved retort was boiling furiously in the bluishflame of a Bunsen burner, and the distilled drops were condensing into a two-litremeasure.