“Ihavesomepapershere,”saidmyfriendSherlockHolmes,aswesatonewinter’snightoneithersideofthefire,“whichIreallythink,Watson,thatitwouldbeworthyourwhiletoglanceover.ThesearethedocumentsintheextraordinarycaseoftheGloriaScott,andthisisthemessagewhichstruckJusticeofthePeaceTrevordeadwithhorrorwhenhereadit.”
Hehadpickedfromadraweralittletarnishedcylinder,and,undoingthetape,hehandedmeashortnotescrawleduponahalf-sheetofslate-greypaper.
“ThesupplyofgameforLondonisgoingsteadilyup,”itran.“Head-keeperHudson,webelieve,hasbeennowtoldtoreceiveallordersforfly-paperandforpreservationofyourhen-pheasant’slife.”
AsIglancedupfromreadingthisenigmaticalmessage,IsawHolmeschucklingattheexpressionuponmyface.
“Youlookalittlebewildered,”saidhe.
“Icannotseehowsuchamessageasthiscouldinspirehorror.Itseemstometoberathergrotesquethanotherwise.”
“Verylikely.Yetthefactremainsthatthereader,whowasafine,robustoldman,wasknockedcleandownbyitasifithadbeenthebuttendofapistol.”
“Youarousemycuriosity,”saidI.“ButwhydidyousayjustnowthattherewereveryparticularreasonswhyIshouldstudythiscase?”
“BecauseitwasthefirstinwhichIwaseverengaged.”
Ihadoftenendeavouredtoelicitfrommycompanionwhathadfirstturnedhismindinthedirectionofcriminalresearch,buthadnevercaughthimbeforeinacommunicativehumour.Nowhesatforwardinthisarmchairandspreadoutthedocumentsuponhisknees.Thenhelithispipeandsatforsometimesmokingandturningthemover.
“YouneverheardmetalkofVictorTrevor?”heasked.“HewastheonlyfriendImadeduringthetwoyearsIwasatcollege.Iwasneveraverysociablefellow,Watson,alwaysratherfondofmopinginmyroomsandworkingoutmyownlittlemethodsofthought,sothatInevermixedmuchwiththemenofmyyear.BarfencingandboxingIhadfewathletictastes,andthenmylineofstudywasquitedistinctfromthatoftheotherfellows,sothatwehadnopointsofcontactatall.TrevorwastheonlymanIknew,andthatonlythroughtheaccidentofhisbullterrierfreezingontomyankleonemorningasIwentdowntochapel.
“Itwasaprosaicwayofformingafriendship,butitwaseffective.Iwaslaidbytheheelsfortendays,butTrevorusedtocomeintoinquireafterme.Atfirstitwasonlyaminute’schat,butsoonhisvisitslengthened,andbeforetheendofthetermwewereclosefriends.Hewasahearty,full-bloodedfellow,fullofspiritsandenergy,theveryoppositetomeinmostrespects,butwehadsomesubjectsincommon,anditwasabondofunionwhenIfoundthathewasasfriendlessasI.Finally,heinvitedmedowntohisfather’splaceatDonnithorpe,inNorfolk,andIacceptedhishospitalityforamonthofthelongvacation.
“OldTrevorwasevidentlyamanofsomewealthandconsideration,aJ.P.andalandedproprietor.DonnithorpeisalittlehamletjusttothenorthofLangmere,inthecountryoftheBroads.Thehousewasanold-fashioned,wide-spread,oak-beamedbrickbuilding,withafinelime-linedavenueleadinguptoit.Therewasexcellentwild-duckshootinginthefens,remarkablygoodfishing,asmallbutselectlibrary,takenover,asIunderstood,fromaformeroccupant,andatolerablecook,sothathewouldbeafastidiousmanwhocouldnotputinapleasantmonththere.
“Trevorseniorwasawidower,andmyfriendhisonlyson.
“Therehadbeenadaughter,Iheard,butshehaddiedofdiphtheriawhileonavisittoBirmingham.Thefatherinterestedmeextremely.Hewasamanoflittleculture,butwithaconsiderableamountofrudestrength,bothphysicallyandmentally.Heknewhardlyanybooks,buthehadtravelledfar,hadseenmuchoftheworld.Andhadrememberedallthathehadlearned.Inpersonhewasathick-set,burlymanwithashockofgrizzledhair,abrown,weather-beatenface,andblueeyeswhichwerekeentothevergeoffierceness.Y