空屋（11）

“I am glad to stretch myself, Watson,” said he. “It is no joke when a tall man has to take a foot off his stature for several hours on end. Now, my dear fellow, in the matter of these explanations we have, if I may ask for your co-operation, a hard and dangerous night's work in front of us. Perhaps it would be better if I gave you an account of the whole situation when that work is finished.”

“I am full of curiosity. I should much prefer to hear now.”

“You'll come with me to-night?”

“When you like and where you like.”

“This is indeed like the old days. We shall have time for a mouthful of dinner before we need go. Well, then, about that chasm. I had no serious difficulty in getting out of it, for the very simple reason that I never was in it.”

“You never were in it?”

“No, Watson, I never was in it. My note to you was absolutely genuine. I had little doubt that I had come to the end of my career when I perceived the somewhat sinister figure of the late Professor Moriarty standing upon the narrow pathway which led to safety. I read an inexorable purpose in his grey eyes. I exchanged some remarks with him, therefore, and obtained his courteous permission to write the short note which you afterwards received. I left it with my cigarette-box and my stick and I walked along the pathway, Moriarty still at my heels. When I reached the end I stood at bay. He drew no weapon, but he rushed at me and threw his long arms around me. He knew that his own game was up, and was only anxious to revenge himself upon me. We tottered together upon the brink of the fall. I have some knowledge, however, of baritsu, or the Japanese system of wrestling, which has more than once been very useful to me. I slipped through his grip, and he with a horrible scream kicked madly for a few seconds and clawed the air with both his hands. But for all his efforts he could not get his balance, and over he went. With my face over the brink I saw him fall for a long way. Then he struck a rock, bounded off, and splashed into the water.”

“我很高兴能伸直腰，华生，"他说，"让一个高个子一连几小时把身长去掉一英尺可真是不好玩。我亲爱的老朋友，咱们——如果我可以求你合作的话——面前还有一个晚上的艰险工作。或许最好是这项工作完了以后，我再把全部情况告诉你。”

“我很想知道，更喜欢现在就听到。”

“今天晚上你愿意跟我一起去吗？”

“随你说什么时候、去什么地方都行。”

“真的还象过去那样。咱们出发前还有时间吃点晚饭。好吧，就说说那个峡谷。我从峡谷中逃出来并没有多大困难。理由很简单：我根本没有掉进去。”

“你根本没有掉进去？”

“没有，华生。我根本没有掉进去。我给你的便条可完全是真的。当我发觉模样行┮跸盏哪里亚蒂教授站在那条停肯虬踩地带的窄道上的时候，我一点都不怀疑我的末日到了。在他的灰色眼睛中，我觉察到一个无情的意图。于是我跟他一交一谈了几句，得到他彬彬有礼的许可，写了那封后来你收到的短信。我把信、烟盒和手杖一起留在那里，就沿着那条窄道往前走，莫里亚蒂仍紧跟着我。我走到尽头便无路可去了。他并没有掏出武器，却突然冲过来把我抱住。他知道他的一切都完了，只急着对我报复。我们两人在瀑布边上扭成一一团一。但是我懂点日本式摔跤，过去有好几次都用上了这一手。我从他的两臂中褪了出来。他发出一声可怕的尖一叫，疯狂地踢了几下，两手向空中乱抓。尽避他费了很大的气力，仍旧无法保持平衡而掉下去了。我探头见他坠下去很长一段距离，然后撞在一块岩石上，又被弹出去，掉进水里。”