large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_11_doyle_64kb_30
large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_11_doyle_64kb
English
8902
So unnerved was he at the sight that he leaned up against the wall with his hand to his throat to stifle his inclination to call out. His first thought was that the prostrate figure was that of some wounded or dying man, but as he watched it he saw it writhe along the ground and into the hall with the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent. Once within the house the man sprang to his feet, closed the door, and revealed to the astonished farmer the fierce face and resolute expression of Jefferson Hope. "Good God!" gasped John Ferrier. "How you scared me! SO UNNERVED WAS HE AT THE SIGHT THAT HE LEANED UP AGAINST THE WALL WITH HIS HAND TO HIS THROAT TO STIFLE HIS INCLINATION TO CALL OUT HIS FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT THE PROSTRATE FIGURE WAS THAT OF SOME WOUNDED OR DYING MAN BUT AS HE WATCHED IT HE SAW IT WRITHE ALONG THE GROUND AND INTO THE HALL WITH THE RAPIDITY AND NOISELESSNESS OF A SERPENT ONCE WITHIN THE HOUSE THE MAN SPRANG TO HIS FEET CLOSED THE DOOR AND REVEALED TO THE ASTONISHED FARMER THE FIERCE FACE AND RESOLUTE EXPRESSION OF JEFFERSON HOPE GOOD GOD GASPED JOHN FERRIER HOW YOU SCARED ME
tently. There was a pause for a few moments, and then the low insidious sound was repeated. Someone was evidently tapping very gently upon one of the panels of the door. Was it some midnight assassin who had come to carry out the murderous orders of the secret tribunal? Or was it some agent who was marking up that the last day of grace had arrived. John Ferrier felt that instant death would be better than the suspense which shook his nerves and chilled his heart. Springing forward he drew the bolt and threw the door open. Outside all was calm and quiet. The night was fine, and the stars were twinkling brightly overhead. The little front garden lay before the farmer’s eyes bounded by the fence and gate, but neither there nor on the road was any human being to be seen. With a sigh of relief, Ferrier looked to right and to left, until happening to glance straight down at his own feet he saw to his astonishment a man lying flat upon his face upon the ground, with arms and legs all asprawl.  AND LISTENED INTENTLY THERE WAS A PAUSE FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND THEN THE LOW INSIDIOUS SOUND WAS REPEATED SOME ONE WAS EVIDENTLY TAPPING VERY GENTLY UPON ONE OF THE PANELS OF THE DOOR WAS IT SOME MIDNIGHT ASSASSIN WHO HAD COME TO CARRY OUT THE MURDEROUS ORDERS OF THE SECRET TRIBUNAL OR WAS IT SOME AGENT WHO WAS MARKING UP THAT THE LAST DAY OF GRACE HAD ARRIVED JOHN FERRIER FELT THAT INSTANT DEATH WOULD BE BETTER THAN THE SUSPENSE WHICH SHOOK HIS NERVES AND CHILLED HIS HEART SPRINGING FORWARD HE DREW THE BOLT AND THREW THE DOOR OPEN OUTSIDE ALL WAS CALM AND QUIET THE NIGHT WAS FINE AND THE STARS WERE TWINKLING BRIGHTLY OVERHEAD THE LITTLE FRONT GARDEN LAY BEFORE THE FARMER'S EYES BOUNDED BY THE FENCE AND GATE BUT NEITHER THERE NOR ON THE ROAD WAS ANY HUMAN BEING TO BE SEEN WITH A SIGH OF RELIEF FERRIER LOOKED TO RIGHT AND TO LEFT UNTIL HAPPENING TO GLANCE STRAIGHT DOWN AT HIS OWN FEET HE SAW TO HIS ASTONISHMENT A MAN LYING FLAT UPON HIS FACE UPON THE GROUND WITH ARMS AND LEGS ALL ASPRAWL
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