修道院公学（15）

“Here is Herr Heidegger, sure enough!” cried Holmes, exultantly. “My reasoning seems to have been pretty sound, Watson.”

“I congratulate you.”

“But we have a long way still to go. Kindly walk clear of the path. Now let us follow the trail. I fear that it will not lead very far.”

We found, however, as we advanced that this portion of the moor is intersected with soft patches, and, though we frequently lost sight of the track, we always succeeded in picking it up once more.

“Do you observe,” said Holmes, “that the rider is now undoubtedly forcing the pace? There can be no doubt of it. Look at this impression, where you get both tyres clear. The one is as deep as the other. That can only mean that the rider is throwing his weight on to the handle-bar, as a man does when he is sprinting. By Jove! he has had a fall.”

There was a broad, irregular smudge covering some yards of the track. Then there were a few footmarks, and the tyre reappeared once more.

“A side-slip,” I suggested.

Holmes held up a crumpled branch of flowering gorse. To my horror I perceived that the yellow blossoms were all dabbled with crimson. On the path, too, and among the heather were dark stains of clotted blood.

“Bad!” said Holmes. “Bad! Stand clear, Watson! Not an unnecessary footstep! What do I read here? He fell wounded, he stood up, he remounted, he proceeded. But there is no other track. Cattle on this side path. He was surely not gored by a bull? Impossible! But I see no traces of anyone else. We must push on, Watson. Surely with stains as well as the track to guide us he cannot escape us now.”

Our search was not a very long one. The tracks of the tyre began to curve fantastically upon the wet and shining path. Suddenly, as I looked ahead, the gleam of metal caught my eye from amid the thick gorse bushes. Out of them we dragged a bicycle, Palmer-tyred, one pedal bent, and the whole front of it horribly smeared and slobbered with blood. On the other side of the bushes a shoe was projecting. We ran round, and there lay the unfortunate rider. He was a tall man, full bearded, with spectacles, one glass of which had been knocked out. The cause of his death was a frightful blow upon the head, which had crushed in part of his skull. That he could have gone on after receiving such an injury said much for the vitality and courage of the man. He wore shoes, but no socks, and his open coat disclosed a night-shirt beneath it. It was undoubtedly the German master.

福尔摩斯喜悦地喊道：“这一定是黑底格先生！华生，我的推论是相当正确的。”

“我祝贺你。”

“可是我们还有许多事要做。劳驾，请你不要走在小道上。我们现在随着轨迹走。我想不会很远了。”

我们继续向前走，发现这片荒原穿插着许多小块湿地。自行车的轨迹时隐时现，依稀可辨。

福尔摩斯说：“毫无疑问，汽车人准是在加快速度，你看这里的轨迹，前后轮胎一样清楚，一样深。这只能表明汽车人把全身重量都加在车把上，象是比赛的时候骑最后的一段路程。呀！他摔倒了。”

在自行车留下的痕迹上，有宽的、形状不规则的斑点，延续几码远。然后有几个脚印，随后轮胎的轨迹又出现了。

我提醒他：“车向一边滑倒。”

福尔摩斯把一束压坏了的金雀花给我看，朵朵黄花上溅满了紫一红一色的污点，我大为惊讶，在小道上的石南草也沾满了已凝结的血点。

福尔摩斯说：“华生，站开！不要增加多余的脚印！我面前的情况是什么呢？他受伤摔倒，站了起来，又上车，继续骑。可是没有另一辆自行车的痕迹。牛羊蹄痕在另一边的小道上。他不会被公牛顾腊桑坎唬不可能！这儿看不见另*任何人的脚印。华生，我们还要向前走。我们紧随血迹和自行车的轨迹，这个人一定逃脱不了。”

我们继续追踪，一会儿，就看到轮胎的轨迹在潮一湿而光滑的小道上急剧地打起弯来。我向前一看，突然一眼看到在密密的荆豆丛中有件金属物品闪烁发光。我们跑过去从里面拖出了一辆自行车，轮胎是帕默牌的，有一只脚蹬子弯着，车前部满是血点和一道道的血痕，很是吓人。在矮树丛的另一边有一只鞋露在外面。我们急忙跑过去，发现这位不幸的骑车人就躺在那儿。他身材高大，满脸一胡一须，戴着眼镜，一个镜片已经不见了。他的死因是头部受到沉重的一击，部分颅骨粉碎。受到这样的重伤以后他还能继续汽车，说明这个人一精一力饱满，而且很有勇气。他穿着鞋，但是没穿袜子，上衣敞开着露出一件睡觉穿的衬衣。毫无疑问这就是那位德语教师了。