AdventureIV
The”GloriaScott”
Ihavesomepapershere，”saidmyfriendSherlockHolmes，aswesatonewinter’snightoneithersideofthefire，”whichIreallythink，Watson，thatitwouldbeworthyourwhiletoglanceover。ThesearethedocumentsintheextraordinarycaseoftheGloriaScott，andthisisthemessagewhichstruckJusticeofthePeaceTrevordeadwithhorrorwhenhereadit。”
Hehadpickedfromadraweralittletarnishedcylinder，and，undoingthetape，hehandedmeashortnotescrawleduponahalf-sheetofslategray-paper。”ThesupplyofgameforLondonisgoingsteadilyup，”
itran。”Head-keeperHudson，webelieve，hadbeennowtoldtoreceiveallordersforfly-paperandforpreservationofyouhen-pheasant’slife。”
AsIglancedupfromreadingthisenigmaticalmessage，IsawHolmeschucklingattheexpressionuponmyface。”Youlookalittlebewildered，”saidhe。”Icannotseehowsuchamessageasthiscouldinspirehorror。Itseemstometoberathergrotesquethanotherwise。””Verylikely。Yetthefactremainsthatthereader，whowasafine，robustoldman，wasknockedcleandownbyitasifithadbeenthebuttendofapistol。””Youarousemycuriosity，”saidI。”ButwhydidyousayjustnowthattherewereveryparticularreasonswhyIshouldstudythiscase?””BecauseitwasthefirstinwhichIwaseverengaged。”
Ihadoftenendeavoredtoelicitfrommycompanionwhathadfirstturnedismindinthedirectionofcriminalresearch，buthadnevercaughthimbeforeinacommunicativehumor。Nowhesatforwardinthisarmchairandspreadoutthedocumentsuponhisknees。
Thenhelithispipeandsatforsometimesmokingandturningthemover。”YouneverheardmetalkofVictorTrevor?”heasked。”HewastheonlyfriendImadeduringthetwoyearsI
wasatcollege。Iwasneveraverysociablefellow，Watson，alwaysratherfondofmopinginmyroomsandworkingoutmyownlittlemethodsofthought，sothatInevermixedmuchwiththemenofmyyear。BarfencingandboxingIhadfewathletictastes，andthenmylineofstudywasquitedistinctfromthatoftheotherfellows，sothatwehadnopintsofcontactatall。TrevorwastheonlymanIknew，andthatonlythroughtheaccidentofhisbullterrierfreezingontomyankleonemorningasIwentdowntochapel。”Itwasaprosaicwayofformingafriendship，butitwaseffective。Iwaslaidbytheheelsfortendays，butTrevorusedtocomeintoinquireafterme。Atfirstitwasonlyaminute’schat，butsoonhisvisitslengthened，andbeforetheendofthetermwewereclosefriends。Hewasahearty，full-bloodedfellow，fullofspiritsandenergy，theveryoppositetomeinmostrespects，butwehadsomesubjectsincommon，anditwasabondofunionwhenIfoundthathewasasfriendlessasI。Finally，heinvitedmedowntohisfather’splaceatDonnithorpe，inNorfolk，andI
acceptedhishospitalityforamonthofthelongvacation。”OldTrevorwasevidentlyamanofsomewealthandconsideration，aJ。P。，andalandedproprietor。
DonnithorpeisalittlehamletjusttothenorthofLangmere，inthecountryoftheBroads。Thehousewasandold-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，buthehadtraveledfar，hadseenmuchoftheworld。Andhadrememberedallthathehadlearned。Inpersonhewasathick-set，burlymanwithashockofgrizzledhair，abrown，weather-beatenface，andblueeyeswhichwerekeentothevergeoffierceness。Yethehadareputationforkindnessandcharityonthecountry-side，andwasnotedfortheleniencyofhissentencesfromthebench。”Oneevening，shortlyaftermyarrival，weweresittingoveraglassofportafterdinner，whenyoungTrevorbegantotalkaboutthosehabitsofobservationandinferencewhichIhadalreadyformedintoasystem，althoughIhadnotyetappreciatedthepartwhichtheyweretoplayinmylife。TheoldmanevidentlythoughtthathissonwasexaggeratinginhisdescriptionofoneortwotrivialfeatswhichIhadperformed。”’Come，now，Mr。Holmes，’saidhe，laughinggood-humoredly。’I’manexcellentsubject，ifyoucandeduceanythingfromme。’”’Ifearthereisnotverymuch，’Ianswered；’Imightsuggestthatyouhavegoneaboutinfearofsomepersonalattackwiththelasttwelvemonth。’”Thelaughfadedfromhislips，andhestaredatmeingreatsurprise。”’Well，that’strueenough，’saidhe。’Youknow，Victor，’turningtohisson，’whenwebrokeupthatpoachinggangtheysworetoknifeus，andSirEdwardHollyhasactuallybeenattacked。I’vealwaysbeenonmyguardsincethen，thoughIhavenoideahowyouknowit。’”’Youhaveaveryhandsomestick，’Ianswered。’BytheinscriptionIobservedthatyouhadnothaditmorethanayear。Butyouhavetakensomepainstoboretheheadofitandpourmeltedleadintotheholesoastomakeitaformidableweapon。Iarguedthatyouwouldnottakesuchprecautionsunlessyouhadsomedangertofear。’”’Anythingelse?’heasked，smiling。”’Youhaveboxedagooddealinyouryouth。’”’Rightagain。Howdidyouknowit?Ismynoseknockedalittleoutofthestraight?’”’No，’saidI。’Itisyourears。Theyhavethepeculiarflatteningandthickeningwhichmarkstheboxingman。’”’Anythingelse?’”’Youhavedoneagooddealofdiggingbyyourcallosities。’”’Madeallmymoneyatthegoldfields。’”’YouhavebeeninNewZealand。’”’Rightagain。’”’YouhavevisitedJapan。’”’Quitetrue。’”’AndyouhavebeenmostintimatelyassociatedwithsomeonewhoseinitialswereJ。A。，andwhomyouafterwardswereeagertoentirelyforget。’”Mr。Trevorstoodslowlyup，fixedhislargeblueeyesuponmewithastrangewildstare，andthenpitchedforward，withhisfaceamongthenutshellswhichstrewedthecloth，inadeadfaint。”Youcanimagine，Watson，howshockedbothhissonandIwere。Hisattackdidnotlastlong，however，forwhenweundidhiscollar，andsprinkledthewaterfromoneofthefinger-glassesoverhisface，hegaveagasportwoandsatup。”’Ah，boys，’saidhe，forcingasmile，’IhopeI
haven’tfrightenedyou。StrongasIlook，thereisaweakplaceinmyheart，anditdoesnottakemuchtoknockmeover。Idon’tknowhowyoumanagethis，Mr。
Holmes，butitseemstomethatallthedetectivesoffactandoffancywouldbechildreninyourhands。
That’syoulineoflife，sir，andyoumaytakethewordofamanwhohasseensomethingoftheworld。’”Andthatrecommendation，withtheexaggeratedestimateofmyabilitywithwhichheprefacedit，was，ifyouwillbelieveme，Watson，theveryfirstthingwhichevermademefeelthataprofessionmightbemadeoutofwhathaduptothattimebeenthemeresthobby。Atthemoment，however，Iwastoomuchconcernedatthesuddenillnessofmyhosttothinkofanythingelse。”’IhopethatIhavesaidnothingtopainyou?’saidI。”’Well，youcertainlytoucheduponratheratenderpoint。MightIaskhowyouknow，andhowmuchyouknow?’Hespokenowinahalf-jestingfashion，butalookofterrorstilllurkedatthebackofhiseyes。”’Itissimplicityitself，’saidI。’WhenyoubaredyourarmtodrawthatfishintotheboatIsawthatJ。
A。Hadbeentattooedinthebendoftheelbow。Theletterswerestilllegible，butitwasperfectlyclearfromtheirblurredappearance，andfromthestainingoftheskinroundthem，thateffortshadbeenmadetoobliteratethem。Itwasobvious，then，thatthoseinitialshadoncebeenveryfamiliartoyou，andthatyouhadafterwardswishedtoforgetthem。’”Whataneyeyouhave！”hecried，withasighofrelief。’Itisjustasyousay。Butwewon’ttalkofit。Ofallghoststheghostsofouroldloversaretheworst。Comeintothebilliard-roomandhaveaquietcigar。’”Fromthatday，amidallhiscordiality，therewasalwaysatouchofsuspicioninMr。Trevor’smannertowardsme。Evenhissonremarkedit。’You’vegiventhegovernorsuchaturn，’saidhe，’thathe’llneverbesureagainofwhatyouknowandwhatyoudon’tknow。’Hedidnotmeantoshowit，Iamsure，butitwassostronglyinhismindthatitpeepedoutateveryaction。AtlastIbecamesoconvincedthatI
wascausinghimuneasinessthatIdrewmyvisittoaclose。Ontheveryday，however，beforeIleft，andincidentoccurredwhichprovedinthesequeltobeofimportance。”Weweresittingoutuponthelawnongardenchairs，thethreeofus，baskinginthesunandadmiringtheviewacrosstheBroads，whenamaidcameouttosaythattherewasamanatthedoorwhowantedtoseeMr。
Trevor。”’Whatishisname?’askedmyhost。”’Hewouldnotgiveany。’”’Whatdoeshewant，then?’”’Hesaysthatyouknowhim，andthatheonlywantsamoment’sconversation。’”’Showhimroundhere。’Aninstantafterwardsthereappearedalittlewizenedfellowwithacringingmannerandashamblingstyleofwalking。Heworeanopenjacket，withasplotchoftaronthesleeve，ared-and-blackcheckshirt，dungareetrousers，andheavybootsbadlyworn。Hisfacewasthinandbrownandcrafty，withaperpetualsmileuponit，whichshowedanirregularlineofyellowteeth，andhiscrinkledhandswerehalfclosedinawaythatisdistinctiveofsailors。AshecameslouchingacrossthelawnIheardMr。Trevormakeasortofhiccoughingnoiseinhisthroat，andjumpingoutofhischair，heranintothehouse。Hewasbackinamoment，andI
smeltastrongreekofbrandyashepassedme。”’Well，myman，’saidhe。’WhatcanIdoforyou?’