福尔摩斯探案集第5季 福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第12章Part5

福尔摩斯探案经典:《恐怖谷》第12章Part5  

"Because I fell into talk with him. I thought little of it at the time
nor would have given it a second thought but for this letter; but now I'm sure it's the man. I met him on the cars when I went down the line on Wednesday--a hard case if ever there was one. He said he was a reporter. I believed it for the moment. Wanted to know all he could about the Scowrers and what he called 'the outrages' for a New York paper. Asked me every kind of question so as to get something. You bet I was giving nothing away. 'I'd pay for it and pay well
' said he
'if I could get some stuff that would suit my editor.' I said what I thought would please him best
and he handed me a enty-dollar bill for my information. 'There's ten times that for you
' said he
'if you can find me all that I want.'"
"What did you tell him
then?"
"Any stuff I could make up."
"How do you know he wasn't a newspaper man?"
"I'll tell you. He got out at Hobson's Patch
and so did I. I chanced into the telegraph bureau
and he was leaving it.
"'See here
' said the operator after he'd gone out
'I guess we should charge double rates for this.'--'I guess you should
' said I. He had filled the form with stuff that might have been Chinese
for all we could make of it. 'He fires a sheet of this off every day
' said the clerk. 'Yes
' said I; 'it's special news for his paper
and he's scared that the others should tap it.' That was what the operator thought and what I thought at the time; but I think differently now."
"By Gar! I believe you are right
" said McGinty. "But what do you allow that we should do about it?"
"Why not go right down now and fix him?" someone suggested.
"Ay
the sooner the better."
"I'd start this next minute if I knew where we could find him
" said McMurdo. "He's in Hobson's Patch; but I don't know the house. I've got a plan
though
if you'll only take my advice."
"Well
what is it?"
"I'll go to the Patch to-morrow morning. I'll find him through the operator. He can locate him
I guess. Well
then I'll tell him that I'm a Freeman myself. I'll offer him all the secrets of the lodge for a price. You bet he'll tumble to it. I'll tell him the papers are at my house
and that it's as much as my life would be worth to let him e while folk were about. He'll see that that's horse sense. Let him e at ten o'clock at night
and he shall see everything. That will fetch him sure."
"Well?"
"You can plan the rest for yourselves. Widow MacNamara's is a lonely house. She's as true as steel and as deaf as a post. There's only Scanlan and me in the house. If I get his promise--and I'll let you know if I do--I'd have the whole seven of you e to me by nine o'clock. We'll get him in. If ever he gets out alive--well
he can talk of Birdy Edwards's luck for the rest of his days!"
"There's going to be a vacancy at Pinkerton's or I'm mistaken. Leave it at that
McMurdo. At nine to-morrow we'll be with you. You once get the door shut behind him
and you can leave the rest with us."