Pagina 477 di 657

"Undoubtedly. It is quite clear that the colonel was a cool and

desperate man, who was absolutely determined that nothing should

stand in the way of his little game, like those out-and-out

pirates who will leave no survivor from a captured ship. Well,

every moment now is precious, so if you feel equal to it we shall

go down to Scotland Yard at once as a preliminary to starting for

Eyford."

Some three hours or so afterwards we were all in the train

together, bound from Reading to the little Berkshire village.

There were Sherlock Holmes, the hydraulic engineer, Inspector

Bradstreet, of Scotland Yard, a plain-clothes man, and myself.

Bradstreet had spread an ordnance map of the county out upon the

seat and was busy with his compasses drawing a circle with Eyford

for its centre.

"There you are," said he. "That circle is drawn at a radius of

ten miles from the village. The place we want must be somewhere

near that line. You said ten miles, I think, sir."

"It was an hour's good drive."