‘I’ll repeat what I said in the carriage with Lestrade a fortnight ago, Watson: it could be some strange animal not yet known by civilized man. I think that possible. Certainly, we now know, by a multitude of means, that it is an animal – no puppet or optical trick as we suspected upon hearing Sampson’s tale. Mr Farthway, judging from the diameter of these prints, and from the depth of the impression, how much would you guess this animal weighs?’
‘Between five and six hundred pounds at least.’
‘And I, no novice on the subject of footprints, would concur. With a beast like that at his heels, we can see why young Compson was so anxious to climb this rock.’
The journey back to the house was swift. Farthway sat in the driver’s box whilst Holmes and I sat in the landau’s rear seat, smoking and talking quietly. I made it plain to Holmes early on that I viewed Farthway with some suspicion, and related his background, along with other recent events which had formed this unsavoury opinion in my mind.
‘And I might as well add, Holmes, that I didn’t like the look of that signalling lamp he has in his cottage. They can be seen for miles, can they not?’
‘Really, Watson,’ said Holmes impatiently as smoke burst from between his lips in short puffs, ‘you’re acting like the town gossip –’
‘But he also knew you were arriving this morning – yet I’d not so much as mentioned your name, nor had Lord Allistair for that matter – how came he to this knowledge?’
Holmes visibly started at this revelation. He fixed his eyes on the back of the gamekeeper, only a few feet from us, who blithely minded the reins without the slightest show of suspicion or concern. Obviously, he could not hear a word we said, for we were talking sotto voce and the clatter of the horse and coach obliterated every trace of our conversation.
‘Well, that is interesting. I shall remember to have a private talk with Mr Farthway directly we reach the house.’
‘Come to think of it, there’s something else I remember too,’ said I, as I leaned forward and asked, in a loud voice, ‘I say, Farthway, who of the household staff informed you of our journey to Henry’s Hollow yesterday?’
I had evidently caught him off guard. The question seemed to both puzzle and annoy him.
‘I, ah, cannot recall exactly, sir.’
‘You cannot recall?’ I persisted, ‘that is strange, considering it was only yesterday. When you recall, will you let me know?’
I sat back in the carriage and chuckled to myself.
‘Neither Lord Allistair nor I breathed a word of our ride to Henry’s Hollow to anyone,’ I said. ‘This fellow has a lot of information he has no business having. I say – oh, well here’s the house behind those trees. See the chimney stack? I suppose the two of us and Lord Allistair should have a lengthy, private chat.’
‘Capital, Watson. Let’s begin after dinner.’
And so we did. Lord Allistair had Brundage build the fire up and, as we sat before it with our brandy, he closed the door and bolted it.
‘Doctor Watson is correct, Mr Holmes. Neither of us mentioned our little expedition. How came Farthway to know of it, and your arrival here as well? I must confess this makes me uneasy. We are in violation of the instructions. Considering the manner in which they’ve been known to deal with those that cross them – I’m thinking of this poor Compson fellow – I am beginning to fear the worst.’
‘While I fully understand your concern, Lord Allistair, I am afraid we’re bound to our present course of action. If I were to depart now it would raise as many suspicions as my arrival. Furthermore, to dismiss Farthway, as you and Watson seem intent upon doing, would only rouse his anger if he is one of the confederates, or diminish our friends if indeed he is loyal.’
This point impressed us both. Based on my long association with him, my inclination was to follow Holmes’ judgement. We decided to wait it out.
‘And now, let me hear more about this place called Henry’s Hollow.’
We described the place at length, and I mentioned the traces of woodsmoke I had smelted there. Holmes plied us with many questions – how large was the hollow? What of the hillside caverns, how many were there, and how large? Did we see any other traces of recent habitation in the strange place? Would it be possible to conceal horses there, or possibly a cart? Lord Allistair answered all of these as best he could, and we concluded our session after he drew a rough sketch of the place for Holmes to keep. It showed the relation of the Hollow to Strathcombe with regard to distance, direction, and forest paths, and indicated points of interest in the Hollow as well.
‘If you don’t mind my saying so, Holmes,’ I remarked as we went upstairs for the night several hours later, ‘you seem to have lost some of your old zeal.’
‘Really?’ he replied with irritation, ‘what makes you say that?’
‘Did you have that private conference with Farthway?’
‘Yes, right after our meeting in His Lordship’s study. While the two of you played billiards, I visited his cottage again. We had a lengthy discussion. Here Watson, come into my room for a minute.’
I followed him into a room similar to the one I occupied. This one, however, looked out directly over Farthway’s cottage. Holmes seated himself and relighted his pipe.
‘It’s not like you, Holmes, to cast puzzles aside as you did the coded message. Furthermore my observations of Farthway seem to have been quite accurate, even valuable, yet you seem to take his proximity to, nay, involvement in, this business almost casually –’
‘Do I? Really, I hadn’t thought so. It is just that I am more careful, less emotionally charged than others of my acquaintance.’
Sensing this barb was aimed at me, I rose from my chair and began pacing up and down the room before the window. Through its ancient glass I could see that twilight was fading.
‘Did you observe the Allistairs at supper tonight? I’ve never seen two gloomier people. Obviously, our presence here is reassuring to a certain degree, but deeply troubling to them in another. Holmes, we must do something!’
He rose also and placed a steadying hand on my shoulder.
‘Good old Watson, always the man of action! Always drawn at full-bow to spring forth to render assistance. But we must wait till the ransom demand is delivered. To do anything else at this juncture would be imprudent, even disastrous. No doubt the tension is telling on you, as it is on all of us. Has it really been just ten days since we found Jenard’s body? It seems like an age...’
‘What have you learned of Farthway?’
‘Ah! First, he was informed of your visit to the Hollow by poor Betsy, who overheard you discussing the jaunt shortly before she entered Lord Allistair’s study.’
‘That could be true,’ I admitted at last, ‘or it could be otherwise.’
‘Still, we must accept it for now. To stir things up here, with regard to Farthway or anyone else, could have dire consequences. We must play the waiting game, Watson. Our success in the case, and the welfare of Alice Allistair, depends on it. But wait, I can perhaps set your mind at ease a bit – is the door bolted?’
I went over and bolted it, then returned to my chair. Holmes drew his close to mine.
‘As you know, it is often my custom not to reveal all I know about certain cases until my theories can be borne out by events. Now in this case, I have for some time suspected a link between the kidnapping of Alice Allistair and the bloody events connected with the Matilda Briggs. The reasons for this are many, but suffice it to say that, so far, my suspicions have proved correct.’
He went over to the window.
‘As for what will soon transpire out in that wilderness, I have my theories too. But it is a deadly business, and if we are to have a prayer of success, you – and Lord Allistair as well – must follow the kidnapper’s instructions exactly and without question. Will you do this?’
‘You know very well my faith in you, Holmes. Yes, I give you my assurance that Lord Allistair will comply as well.’
&nbs
p; ‘Excellent. Then get to bed. I’m sure that tomorrow we’ll need all the strength we can muster. Goodnight.’
It would be incontrovertibly demonstrated the following day how true his warning would be. As I left his quarters, I heard a clap of thunder overhead.
I retired soon afterwards, pausing beforehand at my window to sweep my eyes over the dark landscape. A light rain had followed the thunder – the type of drizzling shower that may last for days on end. Drawing the covers about me, I listened to the rain upon the windows, and soon drifted off.
I awoke in the dead of night. A sound in the hallway – perhaps a stealthy tread – had set me bolt upright. The sound was ever so faint, but I had not been sleeping soundly, and so was sensitive to the slightest disturbance. After drawing on my trousers, I went to the dresser. I opened the face of my watch and felt the hands. It was shortly after three. Without a sound, I entered the hallway and cocked my ears. All was quiet. I stood motionless in the dark for several minutes, but could hear nothing. Assuming it was only my nervous imagination, I turned to re-enter my room. But as a last-minute thought, I decided to look in on Holmes. A very light sleeper himself, perhaps he had also heard the noise.
I rapped softly on his door and waited. Hearing no reply, I opened his door and approached the bed. Imagine my surprise and distress at finding him gone! Moreover, his bed had not been slept in. Had Holmes himself been kidnapped, or lured away on a false errand? I let out a low curse. Was there no relief from this anxiety? How ironic, thought I, that just as Holmes arrives and things seem on an even keel at last, he disappears at the hour of greatest need!
But I reconsidered a moment. Reflecting on my friend’s unique constitution and strange regimen, I decided it was quite possible he’d gone for a midnight walk. I succeeded in fooling myself in this way for a few minutes. Then two things shook me back to reality. One was Holmes’ earlier urging of the need for plenty of sleep. The second thing was an event which sent me reeling with apprehension. Standing near the window I chanced to be glancing out over the grounds. Suddenly the curtains in the cottage window beneath flew open; a dull glow fanned out from the window on to the ground. In the dim light, I could see a pair of hands upon the brass signalling lamp I had seen earlier. In the next instant, there shot forth from the cottage a beam of incredible brilliance. As bright as the headlight on a locomotive engine, it cut through the night like a white knife as far as the eye could see. The next instant, all was black again, and my eyes were seeing streaks and spots in the beam’s absence. Thrice more it flashed, then there was a long pause.
As soundlessly as possible, I threw up the sash, thrust out my head, and peered in the direction the beam had pointed. Winking in the distance, at the very edge of the great forest, was another light – far less brilliant, but plainly visible. When it had finished its message, the light below me shot forth again. I noticed it was made even more visible by the drizzle that caught itself in the glare. After several flashes in quick succession, the lamp ceased; the curtains were redrawn. As I turned to dash from the bedroom, I heard the slamming of the cottage door and the rush of feet on the gravel drive.
Then this explained Holmes’ absence! He’d obviously seen the flashing signal from his bedroom and left the house to investigate. Disappointed that he’d left without me, I paused only long enough to snatch up my revolver before plunging down the staircase.
I left by the front door. Barefoot, I slipped silently down the terrace steps and round the drive to Farthway’s cottage. The door was unlocked, and the cottage was empty. The gamekeeper’s bed too, was undisturbed. Then Holmes had heeded my suspicions; he had stayed up waiting for Farthway to signal his confederates.
The odour of hot metal sent me over to the window. I flicked the lamp’s lever, but it had been extinguished. A thought struck me: should I relight the lamp and set it flashing? A false signal might foil their plans. On the other hand, any misleading on my part might endanger Lord Allistair’s daughter, so I left the cottage, closing the door behind me.
Ambling down the drive in the dead of night, I felt as dejected as an orphan. Obviously, Holmes had left in pursuit of Farthway – no doubt it was his tread I’d heard in the hallway. But why had he gone alone? Why, after all the adventures we had shared, had he chosen to complete this one without me? Did he fear for my safety? Did he think me unfit? I was disappointed, and more than a little hurt, by his actions.
Since sleep was out of the question, I continued to walk the grounds. The old timbered lodge, scarcely visible, loomed up ominously through the trees. I stopped at the stables; they were silent save for the drunken snoring of Wiscomb. I entered, and walking past the stalls, heard the swish of horsetails and thumping of hooves. The animals snorted at me, but became calm when I spoke to them. There seemed to be no horses missing. So the chase, wherever it was occurring, was on foot.
I returned to the terrace where I sat on the balustrade for almost an hour. But nothing happened. There were no sounds except the usual night-time ones: the sighing of the great trees overhead, the hooting of owls and din of crickets. The rain continued to mist downwards. With a chill, I realized I was clad in nothing except my trousers and nightshirt, and longed for the warmth of bed. I made my way wearily back to my room and, after a lengthy bout of conjecture and worry, fell asleep.
I awakened with a start. A shadowy figure was kneeling at my bedside.
‘Hsssst! Watson! Up man, up!’
It was Holmes, dressed in a dripping waterproof. His face bore the keen look I have long associated with impending action.
‘Holmes, thank God you’re safe! But where the devil were you last night, and why didn’t you rouse me?’
My voice must have shown irritation, for he gripped my shoulder earnestly.
‘Steady, old fellow. There’s no time to explain it now. Take my word that what was done was done in your best interest –’
‘Did you catch Farthway? Where –’
‘There, there!’ he interjected sternly. ‘Now you mustn’t ask, really you mustn’t! Farthway is gone and I’ve returned safe. Now there’s the end of it. We must concentrate on the matter at hand: the demand has arrived. The money is to be carried by you and Lord Allistair –’
‘By me?’ I said, getting groggily out of bed. ‘Surely there is some mistake. No one in these parts knows of me.’
‘You aren’t mentioned by name – but come! Everyone’s downstairs waiting.’
With that, he departed, and it was only after several minutes that the full import of his words struck me. I must confess I had not planned on being the actual courier of the money. A confidant, yes, but an actual participant in the exchange! That I hadn’t counted on. Furthermore, the choice of Lord Allistair as courier also puzzled me. I could of course understand the villains wanting his wealth, but requesting his personal delivery of it was nonsensical. Upon reflection, I realize that I should have been suspicious at the outset, as events were later to prove. My heart thumping madly in anticipation, I went downstairs into the great hallway.
It was a tense scene that greeted me there. Lord Allistair, a non-smoker, was pacing wildly to and fro in the hallway puffing frantically on one of Holmes’ cigarettes. His wife was seated on the leather bench, still as a wax figurine save for her hands, which trembled in her lap as she wrung them. Brundage stood with the tea tray near the door. The breakfast upon it was untouched, even unnoticed. Holmes, exuding torrents of smoke, muttered to himself as he peered through the lattice windows. For the first time I noticed his appearance. His trouser legs were torn and muddy, especially about the knees. His face was lined with tiny cuts and scratches. Obviously, his night-time chase had taken him through the woods and thickets. The fine rain beat on the windows with scarcely a sound. The silence was broken only by the hall clock, which struck the hour of seven.
Holmes approached solemnly and thrust a note into my hand. Like the first note from the kidnappers, this one was composed of letters pasted upon a notesheet. It read:<
br />
LORD ALLISTAIR – You shall carry the required sum to the oak ring. You shall be accompanied by the man who rode there with you earlier and no one else. You shall come unarmed. My manservant holds a knife to your daughter’s throat. You imperil her life if you fail.
The last portion of the note was particularly ominous – made even more so by the absence of any written message from Alice.
‘So there you have it,’ said Holmes dryly.
Lord Allistair, called from his intense reverie by the sound of Holmes’ voice, came forward to greet me.
‘How are you this morning, Doctor? Eh? Well, I’m a bit shaken too, I’ll admit. The note seems clear enough; we’re to return to Henry’s Hollow. It’s strange, though, that they should have included you –’
‘They’ve seen us together no doubt. I shall be happy to go with you and shall try to be a stabilizing influence.’
‘I can’t help thinking... perhaps the coded message was meant for you after all...’
‘We haven’t the time now to puzzle over it.’
‘You must remember this, Doctor: you’re not bound to go. If you’d rather not –’
‘Nonsense, Lord Allistair! I am bound to go, and in more ways than one, not the least of which is my affection for you and your family. Let us be off then. You have the money I presume...’
He pointed to a pair of leather saddle pouches into which the notes had been transferred. These I slung over my shoulders after donning my heavy coat. Upon seeing us make ready, Lady Allistair sprang from her bench and clung to Lord Allistair in a fit of worry.
‘Oh dear God!’ she cried. ‘What if I’m to lose you both?’
We comforted her as best we could. Then Holmes and I left them alone for a few minutes while we talked on the terrace outside. How different Strathcombe looked early on that drizzly morning compared to the peaceful, sun-washed retreat of two evenings earlier! The terrace stones were slick and shiny with rain. The wind stung our cheeks and ears. It was dark.
The Giant Rat of Sumatra Page 16