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Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes
The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb
Capítulo 9, Página 15
"We
went
upstairs
together,
the
colonel
leading
with
the
lamp,
the
fat
manager
and
I
behind
him.
It
was
a
maze
of
an
old
house,
with
corridors,
passages,
narrow
winding
staircases,
and
little
low
doors,
their
thresholds
worn
by
generations
who
had
crossed
them.
There
were
no
carpets
and
no
signs
of
furniture
above
the
ground
floor,
while
the
plaster
was
peeling
off
the
walls,
and
dampness
was
breaking
through
in
green,
unhealthy
patches.
I
tried
to
act
as
if
I
wasn't
concerned,
but
I
hadn't
forgotten
the
woman's
warnings,
even
though
I
ignored
them,
and
I
kept
a
close
eye
on
my
two
companions.
Ferguson
seemed
to
be
a
gloomy
and
silent
man,
but
from
the
little
he
said,
I
could
tell
he
was
at
least
a
fellow-countryman."
"Colonel
Lysander
Stark
finally
stopped
before
a
low
door,
which
he
unlocked.
Inside
was
a
small,
square
room,
where
it
was
hard
for
the
three
of
us
to
fit
at
once.
Ferguson
stayed
outside,
and
the
colonel
led
me
in."
"'We
are
now,'
he
said,
'actually
inside
the
hydraulic
press,
and
it
would
be
particularly
unpleasant
for
us
if
someone
turned
it
on.
The
ceiling
of
this
small
chamber
is
really
the
end
of
the
descending
piston,
and
it
comes
down
with
the
force
of
many
tons
onto
this
metal
floor.
There
are
small
lateral
columns
of
water
outside
that
receive
the
force
and
transmit
and
multiply
it
in
a
way
you're
familiar
with.
The
machine
runs
well
enough,
but
there's
some
stiffness
in
its
operation,
and
it's
lost
a
bit
of
power.
Perhaps
you
could
have
a
look
and
show
us
how
to
fix
it.'"
"I
took
the
lamp
from
him
and
examined
the
machine
thoroughly.
It
was
indeed
a
huge
one,
capable
of
exerting
enormous
pressure.
When
I
went
outside
and
pressed
down
the
levers
controlling
it,
I
immediately
heard
a
whishing
sound
indicating
a
slight
leak,
allowing
water
to
flow
back
through
one
of
the
side
cylinders.
An
inspection
showed
that
one
of
the
rubber
bands
around
a
driving-rod
had
shrunk,
not
quite
filling
the
socket
it
worked
along.
This
was
clearly
the
cause
of
the
power
loss,
and
I
pointed
it
out
to
my
companions,
who
listened
carefully
and
asked
several
practical
questions
about
how
to
fix
it.
Once
I
had
explained
it
clearly,
I
returned
to
the
main
chamber
of
the
machine
and
took
a
good
look
to
satisfy
my
own
curiosity.
It
was
obvious
at
a
glance
that
the
fuller’s-earth
story
was
a
complete
fabrication,
as
it
would
be
ridiculous
to
think
such
a
powerful
engine
was
designed
for
such
an
inadequate
purpose.
The
walls
were
wooden,
but
the
floor
was
a
large
iron
trough,
and
when
I
examined
it,
I
could
see
a
crust
of
metallic
deposit
all
over
it.
I
had
bent
down
and
was
scraping
at
this
to
see
exactly
what
it
was
when
I
heard
a
muttered
exclamation
in
German
and
saw
the
colonel's
pale
face
looking
down
at
me."
"'What
are
you
doing
there?'
he
asked."
"I
felt
angry
at
having
been
deceived
by
such
an
elaborate
story
as
the
one
he
had
told
me.
'I
was
admiring
your
fuller’s-earth,'
I
said;
'I
think
I
would
be
better
able
to
advise
you
on
your
machine
if
I
knew
the
exact
purpose
for
which
it
was
used.'"
"The
moment
I
spoke,
I
regretted
my
rashness.
His
face
hardened,
and
a
dangerous
light
appeared
in
his
grey
eyes."
"'Very
well,'
he
said,
'you
shall
know
all
about
the
machine.'
He
stepped
back,
slammed
the
little
door,
and
turned
the
key
in
the
lock.
I
rushed
towards
it
and
pulled
at
the
handle,
but
it
was
completely
secure
and
didn't
budge
to
my
kicks
and
shoves.
'Hello!'
I
yelled.
'Hello!
Colonel!
Let
me
out!'"
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Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes — B2 Inglés | Cuentana