"
"May I be there to see!" I exclaimed devoutly. "But you were
speaking of this man Porlock."
"Ah, yes--the so-called Porlock is a link in the chain some
little way from its great attachment. Porlock is not quite a
sound link--between ourselves. He is the only flaw in that chain
so far as I have been able to test it."
"But no chain is stronger than its weakest link."
"Exactly, my dear Watson! Hence the extreme importance of
Porlock. Led on by some rudimentary aspirations towards right,
and encouraged by the judicious stimulation of an occasional
ten-pound note sent to him by devious methods, he has once or
twice given me advance information which has been of value--that
highest value which anticipates and prevents rather than avenges
crime. I cannot doubt that, if we had the cipher, we should find
that this communication is of the nature that I indicate."
Again Holmes flattened out the paper upon his unused plate. I
rose and, leaning over him, stared down at the curious
inscription, which ran as follows:
534 C2 13 127 36 31 4 17 21 41 DOUGLAS 109 293 5 37 BIRLSTONE 26
BIRLSTONE 9 47 171
"What do you make of it, Holmes?"
"It is obviously an attempt to convey secret information.
Pages:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26