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So it provides enough interesting content to

2:02

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2:04

then your mind lets you drift off. Find

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Can't Sleep for more snoozy content. Hey,

3:06

my name's Otis Gray, and you're

3:08

listening to Sleepy. A podcast

3:16

where I read old books to help you get to sleep.

3:24

I have a really lovely, brand

3:27

new Sherlock Holmes story

3:29

for you tonight that I think

3:31

you're going to love going to sleep to. Before

3:35

we get to the bedtime reading, I

3:38

just want to thank all of our

3:40

brand new patrons on patreon.com, which

3:43

is a website where you can go and pledge

3:45

a couple bucks for an ad-free version of the show.

3:50

So, this week's wonderful new

3:52

patrons, Lindsay

3:54

Meyer, Susan Maugham, And

3:57

Madeline Sull. Thank

4:01

you so so much for donating all

4:03

three of you! They really really mean

4:05

to live. And

4:07

for anyone who doesn't know ah, the

4:09

three names that I just read our

4:12

brand new supporters a Sleepy Unpatriotic which

4:14

is a website that allows you to

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directly support the people who make the

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stuff that you like. So.

4:21

If you like sleeping in, consider

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becoming a part of making the

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show but going to Pay Tree

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on.com/sleepy Radio and donating even a

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dollar a month because a really

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long way. Had two

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dollars like I said in an ad free

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the dollar I will read your name in

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you do. So

4:46

if you to would like to be a part

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of making a show. And a

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patriot Doc Fi sleepy radio.

4:53

Thank. You. And

4:56

as always the music you're hearing is

4:58

by my good friend James Locale Ski

5:00

and the cover of For Sleeping is

5:02

by Gracie Janna. What's.

5:10

Tonight's i'm I'm gonna

5:13

be reading from. A

5:15

Sherlock Holmes store. And

5:19

says on. A. Really classic

5:21

one that I've actually I

5:24

didn't read before tonight's but

5:26

it is called the Boscombe

5:28

Valley Mystery. And

5:30

it definitely has all

5:33

the classic. Arthur Conan

5:35

Doyle on this a of it

5:37

so reason why all this on

5:39

literature hero as age so so

5:42

well and why he was such

5:44

a huge part of the genre.

5:47

And making mystery and

5:49

detective novels and media

5:51

what they are today.

5:54

and yeah this is really

5:56

really fun the rain and

5:58

like all our Conan Doyle

6:00

stories, I think it's

6:03

gonna be great for you to fall asleep to. So

6:08

tonight, here is the

6:10

first half of the Boscone

6:12

Valley Mystery by Arthur

6:14

Conan Doyle. And

6:18

now is the time for you to fluff up your

6:20

pillow just how you like it. Feel

6:24

yourself melt into your bed, get

6:27

real comfortable, close

6:30

your eyes, and

6:32

let me read to you. The

6:47

Boscone Valley Mystery We

6:53

receded at breakfast one morning, my wife

6:55

and I, when the maid brought

6:57

in a telegram. It

7:00

was from Sherlock Holmes and ran this

7:02

way. Have

7:04

you a couple of days to spare?

7:07

I've just been wired from the far

7:09

west of England in connection with Boscone

7:11

Valley tragedy. Shall be glad if

7:13

you will come with me. Air

7:15

and scenery perfect. Leave Paddington

7:17

by the 1115. What

7:21

do you say, dear? said my wife, looking across

7:23

at me. Will you go? I really

7:28

don't know what to say. I have a

7:30

fairly long list at present. Oh,

7:34

Ann Struther would do your work for you. You've

7:36

been looking a little pale lately. I think

7:39

that the change would do you good and

7:41

you are always so interested in Mr.

7:44

Sherlock Holmes's cases. I

7:48

should be ungrateful if I were not seeing

7:50

what I gained through one of them, I answer.

7:53

But if I am to go, I must pack at once,

7:56

for I have only half an hour. My

8:00

experience of camp life in Afghanistan had at

8:03

least had the effect of making me a

8:05

prompt and ready traveler. My

8:08

wants were few and simple, so

8:10

that in less than the time stated I was

8:13

in a cab with my valice rattling

8:15

away to Paddington Station. Sherlock

8:20

Holmes was pacing up and down the platform,

8:23

his tall gaunt figure made even

8:25

gaunter and taller by his long

8:27

gray traveling coat and close-fitting cloth

8:29

cap. It

8:32

is really very good of you to come, Watson, said

8:34

he. It makes a considerable

8:36

difference to me, having someone with

8:38

me on whom I can thoroughly rely. Local

8:43

aid is always either worthless or else

8:45

biased. If you will

8:47

keep the two corner seats, I shall get

8:49

the tickets. We

8:53

had the carriage to ourselves, save for

8:55

an immense litter of papers which Holmes had brought

8:58

with him. Among

9:00

these he rummaged and read, with

9:02

intervals of note-taking and of

9:04

meditation, until we were past

9:06

reading. Then

9:09

he suddenly rolled them all into a

9:11

gigantic ball and tossed them up

9:13

onto the rack. Have

9:17

you heard anything of the case? he asked. Not

9:21

a word, I have not seen a paper for

9:23

some days. The

9:27

London Press has not had very full accounts.

9:30

I have just been looking through all the recent

9:32

papers in order to master the particulars. It

9:36

seems, from what I gather, to be one

9:38

of those simple cases which are so extremely

9:40

difficult. That

9:43

sounds a little paradoxical. But

9:47

it is profoundly true. The

9:53

more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the

9:55

more difficult it is to bring it home.

9:59

In this case, however. They have established

10:01

a very serious case against the son of

10:03

the murdered man. It

10:06

is a murder then. Well,

10:09

it is conjectured to be so. I

10:12

shall take nothing for granted until I have

10:14

the opportunity of looking personally into it. I

10:17

have explained the state of things to you, as

10:20

far as I have been able to understand it in

10:22

very few words. Boscombe

10:26

Valley is on a country

10:28

district not very far from Ross and

10:30

Hertfordshire. The

10:32

largest landed proprietor in that part is

10:34

a Mr. John Turner who

10:37

made his money in Australia and returned some years

10:39

ago to the old country. One

10:43

of the farms which he held that

10:45

of Hathorley was led to Mr. Charles

10:47

McCarthy, who was also an

10:49

ex-Australian. Some

10:51

men had known each other in the colonies, so

10:53

that it was not unnatural that when they came

10:56

to settle down they should do so as

10:58

near each other as possible. Turner

11:01

was apparently the richer man, so McCarthy

11:04

became his tenant, but still

11:06

remained, it seems, upon terms of

11:08

perfect equality, as they

11:10

were frequently together. McCarthy

11:14

had one son, a lad of eighteen,

11:17

and Turner had only one daughter of the

11:19

same age, and neither of them

11:21

had wives living. They

11:24

appear to have avoided the society of

11:27

the neighboring English families and have led

11:29

retired lives, though both the McCarthy's

11:31

were fond of sport and were

11:33

frequently seen at race meetings of the neighborhood.

11:39

McCarthy kept two servants, a

11:41

man and a girl. Turner

11:43

had a considerable hustle, some half

11:45

dozen at least. That

11:48

is as much as I have been able to gather about the

11:50

families. Now for the facts.

11:56

On June 3rd, that is, on

11:58

Monday last, McCarthy left his

12:01

house at Hatherley about three in the

12:03

afternoon and walked down to the

12:05

Boscombe Pool, which is a small

12:07

lake formed by the spreading out of the

12:09

stream which runs down the Boscombe Valley. He

12:13

had been out with his serving man in the morning at

12:15

Ross and he had told the man that he

12:17

must hurry, as he had an appointment

12:20

of importance to keep at three. From

12:23

that appointment, he never came back

12:25

alive. From

12:28

Hatherley Farmhouse to the Boscombe Pool, there

12:31

was a quarter of a mile and two

12:33

people saw him as he passed over this ground.

12:38

One was an old woman, whose name is

12:40

not mentioned, and the other was

12:42

William Crowder, a gamekeeper in

12:44

the employ of Mr. Turner. Both

12:49

these witnesses deposed that Mr. McCarthy

12:51

was walking alone. The

12:53

gamekeeper adds that within a few minutes of

12:56

his seeing Mr. McCarthy pass, he

12:58

had seen his son, Mr. James

13:00

McCarthy, going the same way with a

13:02

gun under his arm. To

13:06

the best of his belief, the father was

13:08

actually inside at the time and

13:10

the son was following him. He

13:13

thought no more of the matter until he heard in

13:16

the evening of the tragedy that had occurred. The

13:21

two McCarthys were seen after the time when William

13:23

Crowder, the gamekeeper, lost sight of them. The Boscombe

13:25

Pool is thickly wooded round, but

13:28

just a fringe of grass and of reeds

13:31

around the edge. A girl of

13:34

fourteen, Patience Moran, who is the

13:36

daughter of the lodgekeeper of

13:38

the Boscombe Valley estate, was in one

13:40

of the woods picking flowers. She

13:44

states that while she was there,

13:47

she saw that the border of the wood enclosed by

13:49

the lake, Mr. McCarthy and his son, and that they

13:51

appeared to be having a violent quarrel. Mr.

14:00

McCarthy, the elder, using very strong

14:02

language to his son, and she

14:05

saw the latter rise up his hand as if to

14:07

strike his father. She

14:10

was so frightened by their violence that she

14:12

ran away and told her mother when she

14:14

reached home that she had left the two

14:16

McCarthys quarreling near Bosco and Poole and that

14:18

she was afraid they were going to fight. She

14:24

had hardly said the words when young Mr. McCarthy

14:26

came running up to the lodge to say that

14:28

he had found his father dead in the wood

14:31

and to ask for the help of the lodgekeeper. He

14:35

was much excited, without either

14:37

his gun or his hat, and

14:40

his right hand and his sleeve were observed

14:42

to be stained with fresh blood. When

14:46

following him, they found the dead

14:48

body stretched down upon the grass beside the

14:50

pool. The

14:53

head had been beaten in by repeated blows of

14:55

some heavy and blunt weapon. The

14:59

injuries were such as might very well have

15:01

been inflicted by the butt-end of his son's

15:03

gun, which was found lying on

15:05

the grass within a few paces of the body. Under

15:10

these circumstances, the young man

15:12

was instantly arrested and

15:14

a verdict of willful murder having been

15:16

returned at the inquest on Tuesday. He

15:19

was on Wednesday brought before the magistrates

15:21

at Ross, who had referred the

15:24

case to the next to Cesar's. Those

15:27

were the main facts of the case as they

15:29

came out before the coroner of the police corps.

15:35

I could hardly imagine a more damning case,

15:37

I remark. If ever

15:39

circumstantial evidence pointed to a criminal,

15:42

it does so here. Extinctual

15:46

evidence is a very tricky thing, answered

15:49

Holmes thoughtfully. It may

15:51

seem to point very straight to one thing, but

15:53

if you shift your own point of view a little, you

15:56

may find it pointing in an equally

15:58

uncompromising manner to something. entirely different.

16:03

It must be confessed, however, that

16:05

the case looks exceedingly grave against the young

16:07

man, and it is very

16:09

possible that he is indeed the culprit. There

16:14

are several people in the neighborhood,

16:16

however, and among them is Turner,

16:19

the daughter of the neighboring landowner, who

16:21

believe in his innocence and who have

16:23

retained Lestrade, whom you may

16:26

recollect in connection with the study in Scarlet

16:28

to work out the case in his interest. Lestrade,

16:33

being rather puzzled, has referred the case

16:35

to me, and hence

16:37

it is, that two middle-aged gentlemen are

16:39

flying westward at fifty miles an hour

16:41

instead of quietly digesting their breakfast at

16:43

home. I

16:48

am afraid, said I, that the facts are so

16:50

obvious that you will find little credit to be

16:52

gained out of his case. There

16:56

is nothing more deceptive than an obvious

16:58

fact, he answered, laughing. Besides,

17:02

we may have a chance to head upon some

17:04

other obvious facts which may have been by no

17:06

means obvious to Mr. Lestrade. You

17:09

know me too well to think that I am boasting

17:12

when I say that I shall either confirm or

17:14

destroy his theory by means which he is

17:16

quite incapable of employing, or

17:18

even of understanding. To

17:22

take the first example to hand, I

17:24

very clearly perceive that in your bedroom

17:26

the window is upon the right-hand side,

17:29

and yet I question whether Mr. Lestrade

17:31

would have noted even so self-evident a

17:33

thing as that. How

17:37

on earth? My

17:40

dear fellow, I know you very well. I

17:43

know the military neatness which characterizes

17:45

you. You shave every

17:47

morning, and in this season you shave

17:50

by the sunlight, and since your

17:52

shaving is less and less complete as we get

17:54

farther back on the left side, until

17:57

it becomes positively slovenly as we get

17:59

round the angle of the jaw. It

18:02

is surely very clear that that side is

18:04

less illuminated than the other. I

18:07

cannot imagine a man of your habits

18:09

looking at himself in an equal life

18:11

and being satisfied with such a result.

18:14

I only call this as a

18:17

trivial example of observation and inference.

18:20

Therein lies by Métiers. It

18:24

is possible that it may be of some

18:26

service in the investigation which lies before us.

18:31

There are one or two minor points which were

18:33

brought out in the inquest and which

18:35

are worth considering. What

18:39

are they? It

18:41

appears that his arrest did not take place at

18:43

once, but after the return

18:45

to Hatherley Farm. On

18:48

the inspector of Constabulary informing him

18:50

that he was a prisoner, he

18:53

remarked that he was not surprised to hear it and

18:56

that it was no more than his desserts. This

18:59

observation of his had the

19:01

natural effect of removing any traces of

19:03

doubt which might have remained in the

19:05

minds of the coroner's jury. It

19:10

was a confession, I ejaculated. No,

19:14

for it was followed by a protestation of

19:16

innocence. Coming

19:20

on the top of such a damning series of

19:22

events, it was at least a

19:24

most suspicious remark. On

19:27

the contrary, said Holmes, it is

19:29

the brightest rift which I can at present see in

19:31

the clouds. However

19:34

innocent he might be, he cannot

19:36

be such an absolute imbecile as not

19:38

to see the circumstances were very black

19:41

against him. Had

19:44

he appeared surprised at his own arrest

19:46

or feigned indignation at it, I

19:49

should have looked upon it as highly suspicious,

19:52

because such surprise or anger would not

19:54

be natural under the circumstances and

19:57

yet might appear to be the best policy to a

19:59

scheming man. His

20:03

frank acceptance of the situation marks him

20:05

as either an innocent man or else

20:08

as a man of considerable self-restraint and

20:10

firmness. As

20:12

to his remark about his desserts, it

20:15

was also not unnatural if you consider

20:17

that he stood beside the dead body

20:19

of his father, and that there is no doubt

20:22

that he had that day so far

20:24

forgotten his filial duty as to bandy

20:26

words with him, and

20:28

even, according to the little girl whose evidence

20:30

is so important to raise his hands

20:33

as if to strike him. The

20:37

self-reproach and contrition which are displayed in

20:39

his remark appear to me to be

20:41

the signs of a healthy mind rather

20:43

than of a guilty one. I

20:48

shook my head. Many

20:51

men have been hanged on a far

20:53

slighter evidence, I remarked. So

20:56

they have, and many men have

20:58

been wrongfully hanged. What

21:02

is the young man's own account of the matter? It

21:06

is, I am afraid, not very encouraging to

21:09

his supporters, though there are

21:11

one or two points in it which are suggestive. You

21:15

will find it here, and you may read it for

21:17

yourself. He

21:20

picked out from his bundle a copy of

21:22

the local Herefordshire paper, and

21:24

having turned down the sheet, he pointed

21:26

out the paragraph in which the unfortunate young

21:28

man had given his own statement of what

21:30

had occurred. I

21:33

settled myself down in the corner of the

21:35

carriage and read it very carefully. They

21:38

ran this way. Mr.

21:42

James McCarthy, the only son

21:44

of the deceased, was then called and

21:46

gave evidence as follows. I

21:50

had been away from home for three days at Bristol,

21:53

and had only just returned upon the morning of

21:55

last Monday the 3rd. My

21:58

father was absent from home at the time. of

22:00

my arrival, and I was informed

22:02

by the maid that he had driven over

22:04

to Ross with John Cobb the groom. Shortly

22:09

after my return I heard the wheels

22:11

of his trap in the yard, and

22:13

looking out of my window I saw

22:15

him get out and walk rapidly out the yard, though

22:19

I was not aware in which direction he was going. I

22:23

then took my gun and strolled out in

22:26

the direction of the Boscombe pool with

22:28

the intention of visiting the rabbit warren which

22:30

is upon the other side. On

22:34

my way I saw William Crowder

22:36

the gamekeeper as he

22:38

had stated in his evidence, but

22:42

he is mistaken in thinking that I was following

22:44

my father. I had no

22:46

idea that he was in front of me. Went

22:49

about a hundred yards from the pool I heard

22:52

a cry of, Coo-wee, which

22:55

was a usual sign between my father and myself.

23:00

I then hurried forward and found him standing by

23:02

the pool. He

23:04

appeared to be much surprised at seeing me and

23:07

asked me rather roughly what I was doing there.

23:11

The conversation ensued which led to high

23:13

words and almost a blows, for my

23:15

father was a man of a very

23:17

violent temper. Seeing

23:22

that his passion was becoming ungovernable I left

23:25

him and returned towards Hadley Farm.

23:29

I had not gone more than one hundred

23:31

fifty yards, however, when I heard a hideous

23:33

outcry behind me which caused me

23:36

to run back again. I

23:39

found my father expiring upon the ground with

23:41

his head terribly injured. I

23:44

dropped my gun and held him in my arms,

23:47

but he almost instantly expired. I

23:51

knelt beside him for some minutes and

23:53

then made my way to Mr. Turner's lodge

23:55

keeper, his house being

23:57

the nearest to ask for assistance. I

24:01

saw no one near my father when I returned

24:04

and I have no idea how he came by his

24:06

injuries. He

24:08

was not a popular man, being

24:10

somewhat cold and forbidding in his manners, but

24:14

he had, as far as I know, no active

24:16

enemies. I

24:18

know nothing further of the matter. The

24:22

corner. Did your father

24:24

make any statement to you before he died?

24:30

He mumbled a few words, but I could

24:32

only catch some allusion to a rat. The

24:36

corner. What did you understand by

24:38

that? Witness.

24:42

It conveyed no meaning to me. I

24:44

thought he was delirious. The

24:48

corner. What was

24:50

the point upon which you and your father had this

24:52

final quarrel? Witness. I

24:56

should prefer not to answer. The

25:00

corner. I am afraid that

25:02

I must press it. Witness.

25:05

It is really

25:07

impossible for me to tell you. I

25:10

can assure you that it has nothing to do

25:12

with the sad tragedy which followed. The

25:16

corner. That is for the

25:18

court to decide. I need

25:20

not point out that your

25:22

refusal to answer will prejudice your case

25:24

considerably in any future proceedings which may

25:26

arise. Witness. I

25:31

must still refuse. The

25:35

corner. I understand

25:37

that the cry of kui was a

25:39

common signal between you and your father.

25:43

Witness. It was. The

25:47

corner. How was

25:50

it then that he uttered it before he saw

25:52

you and before he even knew

25:54

that you had returned from Bristol? Witness.

26:00

with considerable confusion. I do

26:02

not know. Adheringman,

26:06

did you see nothing which aroused your suspicions

26:08

when you returned on hearing the cry and

26:11

found your father fatally injured? Witness,

26:16

nothing definite. The

26:20

coroner, what do you mean? Witness,

26:25

I was so disturbed and excited as I

26:27

rushed out into the open that

26:29

I could think of nothing except

26:31

my father. Yet I have a vague impression

26:33

that as I ran forward something lay upon the ground

26:36

to the left of me. It

26:38

seemed to be something gray in color, a coat

26:40

of some sorts, or plaid

26:42

perhaps. When I

26:44

rose from my father, I looked around for him, but

26:47

it was gone. Do

26:50

you mean that it disappeared before you went for help? Yes,

26:54

it was gone. You

26:57

cannot say what it was. No.

27:02

I had a feeling something was there. How

27:05

far from the body? A

27:08

dozen yards or so. And

27:10

how far from the edge of the wood? About

27:12

the same. Then

27:16

if it was removed, it was while you were within a

27:18

dozen yards of it. Yes,

27:21

but with my back towards it. This

27:25

concluded the examination of the witness. I

27:30

see, said I as I glanced down the column, that

27:33

the coroner in his concluding

27:35

remarks was rather severe upon

27:37

young McCarthy. He calls attention and

27:40

with reason to the discrepancy about his

27:42

father having signaled to him before seeing

27:44

him, also to

27:46

his refusal to give details to

27:48

his conversation with his father on

27:50

the singular account of his father's dying

27:53

words. They

27:56

are all, as he remarks, very

27:58

much against the sun. Holmes

28:04

laughed softly to himself and stretched

28:06

himself out upon the cushioned sea.

28:10

Both you and the coroner have been at some

28:12

pain, said he, to single out the very strongest

28:14

point in the young man's favor. Don't

28:18

you see that you alternately give him credit

28:20

for having too much imagination and too little?

28:24

Too little, if you cannot invent

28:26

a cause of quarrel which would give him

28:28

sympathy of the jury. Too

28:31

much, if he evolved from his own

28:33

inner consciousness anything so outtray as a

28:36

dying reference to a rat and the incident

28:38

of the vanishing claw. No,

28:41

sir, I shall approach this

28:44

case from the point of view that what

28:46

this young man says is true, and

28:48

we shall see whither that hypothesis will lead

28:50

us. And now

28:52

here is my pocket betrayer, and

28:55

not another word shall I say of this case

28:57

until we are on the scene of action. We

29:01

lunche at Swindon, and I see

29:04

that we shall be there in twenty minutes. It

29:09

was nearly four o'clock when we

29:11

at last, after passing through

29:13

the beautiful Stroud Valley and over

29:15

the broad gleaming Severn, found ourselves

29:17

at the pretty little countrytown of

29:19

Ross. A lean,

29:21

fair-like man, Fertivans-ly looking, was

29:23

waiting for us on the platform. In

29:28

spite of the light brown dusco and

29:30

leather leggings which he wore in deference

29:32

to his rustic surroundings, I

29:35

had no difficulty in recognizing Lestrade of

29:37

Scotland Yard. With

29:40

him we drove to the Hereford Arms,

29:42

where a room had already been engaged for us.

29:47

I have ordered a carriage, said Lestrade, as we

29:49

sat over a cup of tea. I

29:52

knew your energetic nature, and that

29:54

you would not be happy until you had been on the scene

29:56

of the crime. very

30:00

nice and complimentary of you, Holmes answered.

30:03

It is entirely a question of

30:05

barometric pressure." Lestrade

30:09

looked startled. I

30:11

do not quite follow, he said. How

30:14

is the glass? Twenty-nine, I see.

30:16

No wind and not

30:18

a cloud in the sky. I

30:22

have a case full of cigarettes here which need

30:24

smoking, and the sofa is

30:26

very much superior to the usual country

30:28

hotel abomination. I do

30:31

not think that it is probable that I shall

30:33

use the carriage tonight. Lestrade

30:39

laughed indulgently. You

30:41

have, no doubt, already formed your

30:44

conclusions from the newspapers, he said.

30:46

The case is as plain as a pike's

30:48

die, and the more one

30:50

goes into it, the plainer it

30:52

becomes. Still

30:55

of course, one can't refuse a

30:57

lady, and such a very positive

30:59

one too. She

31:02

has heard of you, and would have your

31:04

opinion, though I repeatedly told

31:06

her that there was nothing which you could do

31:08

which I had not already done. Why

31:12

bless my soul, here is her

31:14

carriage at the door. He

31:18

had hardly spoken before there rushed into the room

31:20

one of the most lovely young women that I

31:22

have ever seen in my life. Her

31:25

violet eyes shining, her lips parted, a

31:28

pink flush upon her cheeks, all

31:31

thought of her natural reserve lost in

31:33

her overpowering excitement and concern. Oh,

31:38

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, she cried, glancing

31:40

from one to the other of us, and

31:43

finally with a woman's quick intuition

31:46

fastening upon my companion. I

31:50

am so glad that you have gone. I have

31:52

driven down to tell you so. I

31:55

know that James didn't do it. I

31:58

know it too, and I want you to start with me. upon

32:00

your work knowing it too. Never

32:03

let yourself doubt upon that boy. We

32:06

have known each other since we were little children, and

32:09

I know his fault as no one else does. But

32:13

he is too tender-hearted to her to fly. Such

32:16

a charge is absurd to anyone who really knows

32:18

him. I

32:22

hope we may clear him, Miss Turner, such a

32:24

lock-homes. You may rely upon

32:26

my doing all that I can. But

32:30

you have read the evidence. You have

32:33

formed some conclusion. Do you

32:35

not see some loophole, some flaw? Do

32:38

you not yourself think that he is innocent? I

32:43

think that it is very probable. There

32:47

now, she cried, throwing back

32:50

her head and looking defiantly at

32:52

Lestrade. You

32:54

hear? He gives me hopes. Lestrade

32:59

shrugged his shoulders. I

33:02

am afraid that my colleague has been a

33:04

little quick in forming his conclusions, he said.

33:08

But he is right. Oh, I

33:10

know that he is right. James never

33:13

did it. And about

33:15

his quarrel with his father, I am

33:17

sure that the reason why he would not speak about

33:19

it to the coroner was because I

33:22

concerned him. In

33:26

what way, asked Holmes. It

33:29

is no time for me to hide anything. James

33:32

and his father had many disagreements about me.

33:36

Mr. McCarthy was very anxious that there would

33:38

be a marriage between us. James

33:41

and I have always loved each other as

33:43

brother and sister. But, of course, he

33:45

is young and has seen very little of

33:47

life yet. And,

33:51

well, he naturally did not wish to do anything

33:53

like that yet. So,

33:55

there were quarrels. And this,

33:57

I am sure, was one of them. And

34:02

your father as tones. Those

34:04

he in favor of so to union. Know.

34:09

He was averse to it also. Know

34:12

under Mr. Mccarthy was in favour of. A

34:16

quick blush passed over her fresh young

34:18

face as home shot one of his

34:20

keen, questioning glances at her. Thank.

34:24

You for this information said he. May.

34:27

I see your father if I call tomorrow. I'm

34:32

afraid. The Doctor One Lauer. A

34:35

doctor. Yes,

34:38

have you not? Our. Forefathers.

34:40

Never been strong for years back. But

34:43

it has broken down completely. He

34:46

has taken do is ben. And. Doctor

34:48

well as a day is a rare and that

34:50

is nervous system is saturn. Mr.

34:54

Mccarthy was the only man alive who had

34:56

known Dad and the old days and Victoria.

35:00

Ah, In Victoria. That.

35:03

Isn't boring? Yeah.

35:07

Said the mines. Quite.

35:09

So. At the gold mines. Were.

35:12

As I understand, Mister Turner made his

35:15

money. Yes,

35:18

Certainly. Thank

35:21

you Mr. Know. You have been

35:23

a material assistance to me. He.

35:27

Will tell me if you have any news tomorrow. No.

35:30

Doubt you'll go to the present to see James.

35:33

Oh if you do, Mister Holmes. Do

35:35

town that I know him to be innocent. I

35:39

will Miss Turner. I

35:44

must go home now. For. Dad is

35:46

very young and he misses me so if I

35:49

leave him. Goodbye.

35:51

And God help you and your undertaking. She.

35:55

Hurried from the room and impulsively as you

35:58

enter, And we are the wheels. of her

36:00

carriage rattle off down the street. I

36:04

am so ashamed of you, Holmes, sad

36:06

Lestrade with dignity after a few minutes'

36:08

silence. Why should you

36:10

raise up hopes which you are bound to disappoint?

36:14

I am not over-tender of heart, but

36:16

I call it cruel. I

36:20

think that I see my way of clearing

36:22

James McCarthy, said Holmes. Have

36:24

you in order to see him in prison? Yes,

36:28

but only for you and me. Then

36:32

I shall reconsider my resolution about going

36:34

out. We have

36:36

still time to take a train to Hereford and

36:38

see him tonight. Ample.

36:44

Then let us do so. Watson,

36:47

I fear that you will find it very slow, but

36:50

I shall only be away for a couple of hours. I

36:55

walked down to the station with them and

36:58

then wandered through the streets of the

37:00

little town, finally returning to the hotel

37:02

where I lay upon the sofa and

37:04

tried to interest myself in a yellow-backed

37:06

novel. The

37:08

puny plot of the story was so

37:11

thin, however, when compared to the deep

37:13

mystery through which we were groping, and

37:15

I found my attention wander so continually

37:17

from the action to the fact that

37:20

I at last flung it across the room

37:22

and gave myself up entirely to a consideration

37:24

of the events of the day. Supposing

37:29

this unhappy young man's story

37:31

were absolutely true, then

37:34

what a hellish thing. What

37:36

absolutely unforeseen and extraordinary calamity could

37:38

have occurred between the time when

37:40

he parted from his father and

37:43

the moment when, drawn back by

37:45

his screens, he rushed into the glade.

37:49

It was something terrible and deadly. What

37:52

could it be? Might

37:54

not the nature of the interies reveal something

37:56

to my medical instincts? I

38:00

rang the bell and called for the weekly

38:03

county paper, which contained a

38:05

verbatim account of the inquest. In

38:10

the surgeon's deposition, it was

38:12

stated that the posterior third of

38:14

the left parietal bone and

38:16

the left half of the occipital bone had

38:19

been shattered by a heavy blow from a blunt

38:21

weapon. I

38:24

marked the spot upon my own head. Only

38:27

such a blow must have been struck from behind. That

38:30

was to some extent in favor of the

38:33

accused, as when quarreling he

38:35

was face to face with his father. Still,

38:42

it did not go for very much, for

38:44

the older man might have turned his back before

38:46

the blow fell. Still,

38:49

it might be worthwhile to call Holmes'

38:52

attention to it. Then

38:55

there was the peculiar dying reference to a wrath.

38:58

What could that mean? It

39:00

cannot be delirium. A

39:03

man dying from a sudden blow does

39:05

not commonly become delirious. No,

39:08

it was more likely to be an

39:10

attempt to explain how he met his fate.

39:15

But what could it indicate? I

39:18

cudgled my brains to find some possible

39:20

explanation. And

39:22

then the incident of the gray claw seen

39:25

by young McCarthy. If

39:27

that were true, the murderer must have

39:29

dropped some part of his dress. Presumably

39:32

his overcoat and his flight, they

39:34

must have had the hardyhood to return and to

39:36

carry it away at the instant when the sun

39:39

was kneeling with his back turned out a dozen

39:41

paces off. What

39:43

a tissue of mysteries and improbabilities the

39:45

whole thing was. I

39:48

did not wonder, I Lestrade's opinion, and

39:51

yet I had so much faith in

39:53

Sherlock Holmes' insight that I could

39:55

not lose hope as long as every fresh fact

39:58

seemed to strengthen his conviction of young McCarthy. young

40:00

McCarthy's innocence. It

40:05

was late before Sherlock Holmes returned. He

40:08

came back alone, for Lestrade was

40:10

staying in lodgings in the town. The

40:14

glass still keeps very high, he remarked as

40:16

he sat down. It

40:19

is of importance that it should not rain before

40:21

we are able to go over the ground. On

40:26

the other hand, a man should be

40:28

at his very best and keenest for such

40:30

nice work as that, and I

40:32

did not wish to do it when haggled

40:34

by a long journey. I

40:37

have seen young McCarthy. And

40:40

what did you learn from him? Nothing.

40:44

Could he throw no light? None

40:47

at all. I was

40:49

inclined to think at one time that he knew

40:51

who had done it and was screening him or

40:54

her, but I am convinced now

40:56

that he is as puzzled as everyone else. He

41:00

is not a very quick-witted you, though

41:02

comely to look at him, and I should think,

41:05

sound at heart. I

41:08

cannot admire his taste, I remarked. If

41:11

it is indeed a fact that he was averse

41:13

to a marriage with so charming a young lady

41:15

as is Miss Turner. Ah,

41:19

thereby hangs a rather painful tale.

41:23

This fellow is madly, insanely in love

41:25

with her. But

41:27

some two years ago, when he was

41:29

only a lad, and before he really knew her,

41:31

for she had been away five

41:33

years at a boarding school, what

41:36

does the idiot do but get into the

41:38

clutches of the barmaid in Bristol and

41:40

marry her at her registry office? No

41:47

one knows a word of the matter, but

41:49

you can imagine how maddening it must

41:51

be to him to be up-rated for

41:53

not doing what he would give his very eyes to

41:56

do, or what he

41:58

knows to be absolutely impossible. It

42:02

was sheer frenzy of this sore which made

42:04

him throw his hands up into the air

42:06

when his father, at their last interview, was

42:09

goading him on to propose to Miss Turner.

42:13

On the other hand, he had no means of

42:15

supporting himself and his father,

42:18

who was by all accounts a very hard man,

42:20

would have thrown him over utterly had he known

42:22

the truth. It

42:26

was with his barmaid wife that he

42:28

had spent the last three days in Bristol, and

42:31

his father did not know where he was. Mark

42:35

that point. It is of

42:37

importance. Good has come

42:39

out of evil, however, for the barmaid, finding

42:42

from papers that he is in serious

42:44

trouble and likely to be hanged, has

42:48

thrown him over utterly and has written

42:50

to him to say that she has a husband

42:52

already in the Bermuda Dockyard, so

42:54

that there really is no tie between them.

42:58

I think that bit of news has consoled

43:00

young McCarthy for all that he has suffered.

43:05

But if he is innocent, who is

43:07

done? Ah,

43:09

who? We call

43:12

your attention very particularly to two points.

43:15

One is that the murdered man had an

43:18

appointment with someone at the pool, and that

43:20

the someone could not have been his son, for

43:23

his son was away, and he did

43:25

not know when he would return. The

43:28

second is that the murdered man was

43:30

heard to cry, cooey, before he knew

43:32

that his son had returned. Those

43:35

are the crucial points upon which the case

43:38

depends. And

43:40

now let us talk about George Meredith, if you

43:42

please, and we shall leave

43:44

all minor matters until tomorrow. There

43:48

was no rain, as Holmes had

43:51

foretold, and the morning broke bright and

43:53

cloudless. At

43:55

nine o'clock the Strahd called for

43:57

us with the carriage, and we set off.

44:00

for the Hatherley Farm and

44:02

the Boscombe Pool. Thank

44:13

you for listening to Sleepy. Good

44:16

night. you

45:00

you