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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
first
with
the
lamp,
the
fat
manager
and
I
behind
him.
It
was
a
labyrinth
of
an
old
house,
with
corridors,
passages,
narrow
winding
staircases,
and
little
low
doors,
the
thresholds
of
which
were
hollowed
out
by
the
generations
who
had
crossed
them.
There
were
no
carpets
and
no
signs
of
any
furniture
above
the
ground
floor,
while
the
plaster
was
peeling
off
the
walls,
and
the
damp
was
breaking
through
in
green,
unhealthy
blotches.
I
tried
to
put
on
as
unconcerned
an
air
as
possible,
but
I
had
not
forgotten
the
warnings
of
the
lady,
even
though
I
disregarded
them,
and
I
kept
a
keen
eye
upon
my
two
companions.
Ferguson
appeared
to
be
a
morose
and
silent
man,
but
I
could
see
from
the
little
that
he
said
that
he
was
at
least
a
fellow-countryman.”
“Colonel
Lysander
Stark
stopped
at
last
before
a
low
door,
which
he
unlocked.
Within
was
a
small,
square
room,
in
which
the
three
of
us
could
hardly
get
at
one
time.
Ferguson
remained
outside,
and
the
colonel
ushered
me
in.”
“‘We
are
now,’
said
he,
‘actually
within
the
hydraulic
press,
and
it
would
be
a
particularly
unpleasant
thing
for
us
if
anyone
were
to
turn
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
upon
this
metal
floor.
There
are
small
lateral
columns
of
water
outside
which
receive
the
force,
and
which
transmit
and
multiply
it
in
the
manner
which
is
familiar
to
you.
The
machine
goes
readily
enough,
but
there
is
some
stiffness
in
the
working
of
it,
and
it
has
lost
a
little
of
its
force.
Perhaps
you
will
have
the
goodness
to
look
it
over
and
to
show
us
how
we
can
set
it
right.’”
“I
took
the
lamp
from
him,
and
I
examined
the
machine
very
thoroughly.
It
was
indeed
a
gigantic
one,
and
capable
of
exercising
enormous
pressure.
When
I
passed
outside,
however,
and
pressed
down
the
levers
which
controlled
it,
I
knew
at
once
by
the
whishing
sound
that
there
was
a
slight
leakage,
which
allowed
a
regurgitation
of
water
through
one
of
the
side
cylinders.
An
examination
showed
that
one
of
the
india-rubber
bands
which
was
round
the
head
of
a
driving-rod
had
shrunk
so
as
not
quite
to
fill
the
socket
along
which
it
worked.
This
was
clearly
the
cause
of
the
loss
of
power,
and
I
pointed
it
out
to
my
companions,
who
followed
my
remarks
very
carefully
and
asked
several
practical
questions
as
to
how
they
should
proceed
to
set
it
right.
When
I
had
made
it
clear
to
them,
I
returned
to
the
main
chamber
of
the
machine
and
took
a
good
look
at
it
to
satisfy
my
own
curiosity.
It
was
obvious
at
a
glance
that
the
story
of
the
fuller’s-earth
was
the
merest
fabrication,
for
it
would
be
absurd
to
suppose
that
so
powerful
an
engine
could
be
designed
for
so
inadequate
a
purpose.
The
walls
were
of
wood,
but
the
floor
consisted
of
a
large
iron
trough,
and
when
I
came
to
examine
it
I
could
see
a
crust
of
metallic
deposit
all
over
it.
I
had
stooped
and
was
scraping
at
this
to
see
exactly
what
it
was
when
I
heard
a
muttered
exclamation
in
German
and
saw
the
cadaverous
face
of
the
colonel
looking
down
at
me.”
“‘What
are
you
doing
there?’
he
asked.”
“I
felt
angry
at
having
been
tricked
by
so
elaborate
a
story
as
that
which
he
had
told
me.
‘I
was
admiring
your
fuller’s-earth,’
said
I;
‘I
think
that
I
should
be
better
able
to
advise
you
as
to
your
machine
if
I
knew
what
the
exact
purpose
was
for
which
it
was
used.’”
“The
instant
that
I
uttered
the
words
I
regretted
the
rashness
of
my
speech.
His
face
set
hard,
and
a
baleful
light
sprang
up
in
his
grey
eyes.”
“‘Very
well,’
said
he,
‘you
shall
know
all
about
the
machine.’
He
took
a
step
backward,
slammed
the
little
door,
and
turned
the
key
in
the
lock.
I
rushed
towards
it
and
pulled
at
the
handle,
but
it
was
quite
secure,
and
did
not
give
in
the
least
to
my
kicks
and
shoves.
‘Hullo!’
I
yelled.
‘Hullo!
Colonel!
Let
me
out!’”
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Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes — C1 Inglés | Cuentana