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1"And then suddenly in the silence I heard a sound which sent my heart into my mouth. It was the clank of the levers and
2the swish of the leaking cylinder. He had set the engine at work. The lamp still stood upon the floor where I had placed
3it when examining the trough. By its light I saw that the black ceiling was coming down upon me, slowly, jerkily, but,
4as none knew better than myself, with a force which must within a minute grind me to a shapeless pulp. I threw myself,
5screaming, against the door, and dragged with my nails at the lock. I implored the colonel to let me out, but the
6remorseless clanking of the levers drowned my cries. The ceiling was only a foot or two above my head, and with my hand
7upraised I could feel its hard, rough surface. Then it flashed through my mind that the pain of my death would depend
8very much upon the position in which I met it. If I lay on my face the weight would come upon my spine, and I shuddered
9to think of that dreadful snap. Easier the other way, perhaps; and yet, had I the nerve to lie and look up at that
10deadly black shadow wavering down upon me? Already I was unable to stand erect, when my eye caught something which
11brought a gush of hope back to my heart. "I have said that though the floor and ceiling were of iron, the walls were of
12wood. As I gave a last hurried glance around, I saw a thin line of yellow light between two of the boards, which
13broadened and broadened as a small panel was pushed backward. For an instant I could hardly believe that here was indeed
14a door which led away from death. The next instant I threw myself through, and lay half-fainting upon the other side.
15The panel had closed again behind me, but the crash of the lamp, and a few moments afterwards the clang of the two slabs
16of metal, told me how narrow had been my escape. "I was recalled to myself by a frantic plucking at my wrist, and I
17found myself lying upon the stone floor of a narrow corridor, while a woman bent over me and tugged at me with her left
18hand, while she held a candle in her right. It was the same good friend whose warning I had so foolishly rejected.
19"'Come! come!' she cried breathlessly. 'They will be here in a moment. They will see that you are not there. Oh, do not
20waste the so-precious time, but come!' "This time, at least, I did not scorn her advice. I staggered to my feet and ran
21with her along the corridor and down a winding stair. The latter led to another broad passage, and just as we reached it
22we heard the sound of running feet and the shouting of two voices, one answering the other from the floor on which we
23were and from the one beneath. My guide stopped and looked about her like one who is at her wit's end. Then she threw
24open a door which led into a bedroom, through the window of which the moon was shining brightly. "'It is your only
25chance,' said she. 'It is high, but it may be that you can jump it.' "As she spoke a light sprang into view at the
26further end of the passage, and I saw the lean figure of Colonel Lysander Stark rushing forward with a lantern in one
27hand and a weapon like a butcher's cleaver in the other. I rushed across the bedroom, flung open the window, and looked
28out. How quiet and sweet and wholesome the garden looked in the moonlight, and it could not be more than thirty feet
29down. I clambered out upon the sill, but I hesitated to jump until I should have heard what passed between my saviour
30and the ruffian who pursued me. If she were ill-used, then at any risks I was determined to go back to her assistance.
31The thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he was at the door, pushing his way past her; but she threw her
32arms round him and tried to hold him back. "'Fritz! Fritz!' she cried in English, 'remember your promise after the last
33time. You said it should not be again. He will be silent! Oh, he will be silent!' "'You are mad, Elise!' he shouted,
34struggling to break away from her. 'You will be the ruin of us. He has seen too much. Let me pass, I say!' He dashed her
35to one side, and, rushing to the window, cut at me with his heavy weapon. I had let myself go, and was hanging by the
36hands to the sill, when his blow fell. I was conscious of a dull pain, my grip loosened, and I fell into the garden
37below. "I was shaken but not hurt by the fall; so I picked myself up and rushed off among the bushes as hard as I could
38run, for I understood that I was far from being out of danger yet. Suddenly, however, as I ran, a deadly dizziness and
39sickness came over me. I glanced down at my hand, which was throbbing painfully, and then, for the first time, saw that
40my thumb had been cut off and that the blood was pouring from my wound. I endeavoured to tie my handkerchief round it,
41but there came a sudden buzzing in my ears, and next moment I fell in a dead faint among the rose-bushes. "How long I
42remained unconscious I cannot tell. It must have been a very long time, for the moon had sunk, and a bright morning was
43breaking when I came to myself. My clothes were all sodden with dew, and my coat-sleeve was drenched with blood from my
44wounded thumb. The smarting of it recalled in an instant all the particulars of my night's adventure, and I sprang to my
45feet with the feeling that I might hardly yet be safe from my pursuers. But to my astonishment, when I came to look
46round me, neither house nor garden were to be seen. I had been lying in an angle of the hedge close by the high road,
47and just a little lower down was a long building, which proved, upon my approaching it, to be the very station at which
48I had arrived upon the previous night. Were it not for the ugly wound upon my hand, all that had passed during those
49dreadful hours might have been an evil dream. "Half dazed, I went into the station and asked about the morning train.
50There would be one to Reading in less than an hour. The same porter was on duty, I found, as had been there when I
51arrived. I inquired of him whether he had ever heard of Colonel Lysander Stark. The name was strange to him. Had he
52observed a carriage the night before waiting for me? No, he had not. Was there a police-station anywhere near? There was
53one about three miles off. "It was too far for me to go, weak and ill as I was. I determined to wait until I got back to
54town before telling my story to the police. It was a little past six when I arrived, so I went first to have my wound
55dressed, and then the doctor was kind enough to bring me along here. I put the case into your hands and shall do exactly
56what you advise." We both sat in silence for some little time after listening to this extraordinary narrative. Then
57Sherlock Holmes pulled down from the shelf one of the ponderous commonplace books in which he placed his cuttings. "Here
58is an advertisement which will interest you," said he. "It appeared in all the papers about a year ago. Listen to this:
59'Lost, on the 9th inst., Mr. Jeremiah Hayling, aged twenty-six, a hydraulic engineer. Left his lodgings at ten o'clock
60at night, and has not been heard of since. Was dressed in,' etc., etc. Ha! That represents the last time that the
61colonel needed to have his machine overhauled, I fancy." "Good heavens!" cried my patient. "Then that explains what the
62girl said." "Undoubtedly. It is quite clear that the colonel was a cool and desperate man, who was absolutely determined
63that nothing should stand in the way of his little game, like those out-and-out pirates who will leave no survivor from
64a captured ship. Well, every moment now is precious, so if you feel equal to it we shall go down to Scotland Yard at
65once as a preliminary to starting for Eyford."
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