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Page 31
"Where's Boswell? He ought to get that anecdote," said Johnson.
"I've locked him up in the library," said Holmes. "He's in charge of the
log, and as I have a pretty good general idea as to what is about to
happen, I have mapped out a skeleton of the plot and set him to work
writing it up." Here the detective gave a sudden start, placed his hand to
his ear, listened intently for an instant, and, taking out his watch and
glancing at it, added, quietly, "In three minutes Shem will be in here to
announce a discovery, and one of great importance, I judge, from the
squeak."
The assemblage gazed earnestly at Holmes for a moment.
"The squeak?" queried Raleigh.
"Precisely," said Holmes. "The squeak is what I said, and as I always say
what I mean, it follows logically that I meant what I said."
"I heard no squeak," observed Dr. Johnson; "and, furthermore, I fail to
see how a squeak, if I had heard it, would have portended a discovery of
importance."
"It would not--to you," said Holmes; "but with me it is different. My
hearing is unusually acute. I can hear the dropping of a pin through a
stone wall ten feet thick; any sound within a mile of my eardrum vibrates
thereon with an intensity which would surprise you, and it is by the use
of cocaine that I have acquired this wonderfully acute sense. A property
which dulls the senses of most people renders mine doubly apprehensive;
therefore, gentlemen, while to you there was no auricular disturbance, to
me there was. I heard Shem sliding down the mast a minute since. The fact
that he slid down the mast instead of climbing down the rigging showed
that he was in great haste, therefore he must have something to
communicate of great importance."
"Why isn't he here already, then? It wouldn't take him two minutes to get
from the deck here," asked the ever-suspicious Le Coq.
"It is simple," returned Holmes, calmly. "If you will go yourself and
slide down that mast you will see. Shem has stopped for a little
witch-hazel to soothe his burns. It is no cool matter sliding down a mast
two hundred feet in height."
As Sherlock Holmes spoke the door burst open and Shem rushed in.
"A signal of distress, captain!" he cried.
"From what quarter--to larboard?" asked Holmes.
"No," returned Shem, breathless.
"Then it must be dead ahead," said Holmes.
"Why not to starboard?" asked Le Coq, dryly.
"Because," answered Holmes, confidently, "it never happens so. If you had
ever read a truly exciting sea-tale, my dear Le Coq, you would have known
that interesting things, and particularly signals of distress, are never
seen except to larboard or dead ahead."
A murmur of applause greeted this retort, and Le Coq subsided.
"The nature of the signal?" demanded Holmes.
"A black flag, skull and cross-bones down, at half-mast!" cried Shem, "and
on a rock-bound coast!"
"They're marooned, by heavens!" shouted Holmes, springing to his feet and
rushing to the deck, where he was joined immediately by Sir Walter, Dr.
Johnson, Bonaparte, and the others.
"Isn't he a daisy?" whispered Demosthenes to Diogenes as they climbed the
stairs.
"He is more than that; he's a blooming orchid," said Diogenes, with
intense enthusiasm. "I think I'll get my X-ray lantern and see if he's
honest."
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