Read Online Secret Archives of Sherlock Holmes, The, The by June Thomson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: June Thomson
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sir?’
Thurston cocked an interrogative eyebrow in my direction and, when I shook my head, he thanked the man before dismissing him.
‘It is such a pity he has changed his arrangements,’ Thurston remarked when the waiter had left.
‘Indeed it is,’ I agreed with genuine disappointment. I had hoped to quiz Carruthers the next time we met over luncheon and, by so doing, to learn more not only about the man himself but also about my own confused feelings about him. I also felt that I would be letting Holmes down if I failed to carry through my inquiries.
Unaware of these private feelings of mine, Thurston picked up the thread of our earlier conversation.
‘Yes, a very interesting man. Before you arrived on that Wednesday, he talked at some length about his armyexperiences,’ he remarked and, as he did so, it suddenly occurred to me that Thurston could serve as a secret conduit to Carruthers and that all was not yet lost.
‘What did he have to say?’ I asked, trying hard not to sound too keenly interested. ‘Did he mention Afghanistan?’
‘Oh, at some length. He was clearly much taken with the country and its culture, in particular its fighting men for whom he had a great deal of admiration, despite its tendency to unseemly behaviour at times.’
I nodded solemnly, trying not to look too aghast at Thurston’s inappropriate use of language. The gruesome habit of dismembering any enemy soldiers left lying on the battlefield, whether alive or dead, with the aid of their womenfolk, struck me not so much as ‘unseemly’ as downright barbaric. It was only through the swift action of my orderly, Murray, who threw me over the back of a packhorse when I was wounded at Maiwand and led me to safety at Kandahar, 11 that my life was saved. As a desk-wallah in Calcutta at the time of the battle, Thurston had a reason for not being fully aware of the facts, but I could think of no excuse for Carruthers’ ignorance.
‘Indeed they are brave to the point of fanaticism,’ I replied. ‘Did he mention the siege of Kandahar?’
‘Several times. It must have been an appalling experience that you, too, of course, had to endure. Thirtydays with no food and very little water! The suffering you had to go through! You must have been so thankful when Carruthers arrived with the relieving army.’
‘Indeed we were! Very relieved in both senses of the word, although for my part I was still recovering from my wound and at times was not really aware of what was going on. Did Carruthers by any chance mention when he was wounded?’
‘No, I don’t think he did. Is it important?’
‘Not at all, Thurston, not at all,’ I said dismissively, at the same time inwardly rejoicing that Thurston had unwittingly placed in my hands the information I needed to prove I was right. As I had suspected, Carruthers was certainly not pukkah! Indeed, so great was my jubilation that afterwards I beat Thurston at billiards by two frames to one.
Something of my delight must have shown in my expression, for when I returned to Baker Street later that afternoon, the first remark Holmes made when I entered our sitting-room was, ‘I see from your face that you have won a victory. I assume you beat Thurston today at billiards.’
‘Not only that, Holmes, but I now know without a shadow of a doubt that Carruthers is a wrong ’un!’
‘Really? That is good news! Draw a chair up to the fire, my dear fellow, and tell me how you came to this conclusion. Was it something he said at the Kandahar this afternoon?’
‘No; he was not there and I have the feeling that he absented himself on purpose to avoid meeting me again. On the contrary, it was something Thurston said. A fortnight ago before I arrived at the club, he was having a conversation with Carruthers. Apparently, Carruthers spoke in some detail about his experiences in Afghanistan, in particular about the siege of Kandahar.’
‘Do go on,’ Holmes urged as I paused for a moment to draw
Thurston cocked an interrogative eyebrow in my direction and, when I shook my head, he thanked the man before dismissing him.
‘It is such a pity he has changed his arrangements,’ Thurston remarked when the waiter had left.
‘Indeed it is,’ I agreed with genuine disappointment. I had hoped to quiz Carruthers the next time we met over luncheon and, by so doing, to learn more not only about the man himself but also about my own confused feelings about him. I also felt that I would be letting Holmes down if I failed to carry through my inquiries.
Unaware of these private feelings of mine, Thurston picked up the thread of our earlier conversation.
‘Yes, a very interesting man. Before you arrived on that Wednesday, he talked at some length about his armyexperiences,’ he remarked and, as he did so, it suddenly occurred to me that Thurston could serve as a secret conduit to Carruthers and that all was not yet lost.
‘What did he have to say?’ I asked, trying hard not to sound too keenly interested. ‘Did he mention Afghanistan?’
‘Oh, at some length. He was clearly much taken with the country and its culture, in particular its fighting men for whom he had a great deal of admiration, despite its tendency to unseemly behaviour at times.’
I nodded solemnly, trying not to look too aghast at Thurston’s inappropriate use of language. The gruesome habit of dismembering any enemy soldiers left lying on the battlefield, whether alive or dead, with the aid of their womenfolk, struck me not so much as ‘unseemly’ as downright barbaric. It was only through the swift action of my orderly, Murray, who threw me over the back of a packhorse when I was wounded at Maiwand and led me to safety at Kandahar, 11 that my life was saved. As a desk-wallah in Calcutta at the time of the battle, Thurston had a reason for not being fully aware of the facts, but I could think of no excuse for Carruthers’ ignorance.
‘Indeed they are brave to the point of fanaticism,’ I replied. ‘Did he mention the siege of Kandahar?’
‘Several times. It must have been an appalling experience that you, too, of course, had to endure. Thirtydays with no food and very little water! The suffering you had to go through! You must have been so thankful when Carruthers arrived with the relieving army.’
‘Indeed we were! Very relieved in both senses of the word, although for my part I was still recovering from my wound and at times was not really aware of what was going on. Did Carruthers by any chance mention when he was wounded?’
‘No, I don’t think he did. Is it important?’
‘Not at all, Thurston, not at all,’ I said dismissively, at the same time inwardly rejoicing that Thurston had unwittingly placed in my hands the information I needed to prove I was right. As I had suspected, Carruthers was certainly not pukkah! Indeed, so great was my jubilation that afterwards I beat Thurston at billiards by two frames to one.
Something of my delight must have shown in my expression, for when I returned to Baker Street later that afternoon, the first remark Holmes made when I entered our sitting-room was, ‘I see from your face that you have won a victory. I assume you beat Thurston today at billiards.’
‘Not only that, Holmes, but I now know without a shadow of a doubt that Carruthers is a wrong ’un!’
‘Really? That is good news! Draw a chair up to the fire, my dear fellow, and tell me how you came to this conclusion. Was it something he said at the Kandahar this afternoon?’
‘No; he was not there and I have the feeling that he absented himself on purpose to avoid meeting me again. On the contrary, it was something Thurston said. A fortnight ago before I arrived at the club, he was having a conversation with Carruthers. Apparently, Carruthers spoke in some detail about his experiences in Afghanistan, in particular about the siege of Kandahar.’
‘Do go on,’ Holmes urged as I paused for a moment to draw
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