I had heard
a waterman speak of the speed of Smith's launch the Aurora, so I
thought she would be a handy craft for our escape. I engaged
with old Smith, and was to give him a big sum if he got us safe
to our ship. He knew, no doubt, that there was some screw loose,
but he was not in our secrets. All this is the truth, and if I
tell it to you, gentlemen, it is not to amuse you,--for you have
not done me a very good turn,--but it is because I believe the
best defence I can make is just to hold back nothing, but let all
the world know how badly I have myself been served by Major
Sholto, and how innocent I am of the death of his son."
"A very remarkable account," said Sherlock Holmes. "A fitting
wind-up to an extremely interesting case. There is nothing at
all new to me in the latter part of your narrative, except that
you brought your own rope. That I did not know. By the way, I
had hoped that Tonga had lost all his darts; yet he managed to
shoot one at us in the boat."
"He had lost them all, sir, except the one which was in his blow-
pipe at the time."
"Ah, of course," said Holmes. "I had not thought of that."
"Is there any other point which you would like to ask about?"
asked the convict, affably.
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