Sherlock Holmes in Russia

Holmes wanted to pay special attention to that part of the ship lying under the Emir’s quarters. But to carry out any substantial observation of this part of the vessel was completely impossible, because here the whole of the lower deck was filled with the baggage of the Emir and his retinue, the chests being solidly packed from the deck to the ceiling. This discovery put Holmes in an especially good mood.

‘Undoubtedly, there is a way of getting between the chests to the Emir’s bedroom. The thief isn’t going to stay there for long and, one way or another, will emerge,’ he said, having finished his inspection. ‘But he has to have an accomplice on board. The accomplice blocked this particular area with chests in such a way that nothing could be checked between them. My dear Watson, let’s find out who supervised the loading.’

‘That shouldn’t be too difficult,’ I answered.

‘If that’s what you think, you do it,’ said Holmes.

V

Without a word, I made my way to the bottom deck where those sailors who were not on watch took refreshments and rested. And as soon as I appeared amongst them, I began to abuse one of them, ‘How the hell did you stow away the luggage, so that nobody can get through or even crawl through!’

‘And what the hell are you barking at me for,’ he bit back. ‘Wasn’t me indicated what to put where.’

‘Then who was it?’

‘Who? That new fellow, Skalkin, or whatever his name is!’

Hearing his name, an older, bearded sailor looked at me intently and said angrily, ‘Well, it was me, and what got in your way?’

‘The devil take you!’ I yelled. ‘I can’t get through.’

‘No need for you to get through there,’ he muttered. ‘So shut up or I’ll bash your face in.’

I managed to smooth over the quarrel, went to Holmes and told him everything I had discovered.

‘Splendid!’ exclaimed Holmes. ‘That means he is new. It’s worth knowing and he will have to be watched.’

Three hours passed and we reported for our watch. Holmes’s watch was on the lower deck. I was on the upper, by the wheel. My watch began at eight and passed quietly. But when I had completed it and went down to meet Holmes, who had completed his, from the look he threw at me, I realized something unusual had happened.

But it wasn’t possible to have a discussion. We weren’t alone and could be overheard. We went down to the sailors’ quarters, undressed and went to sleep.

It was still completely dark when Holmes woke me up. He slept beside me and a slight touch from him was enough to bring me to my feet. I yawned several times and tossed and turned as if to show that I had slept enough and began to dress. We went up unnoticed and crept into our cabin.

With intense curiosity I waited for what Holmes had to tell me. ‘And so, in a couple of hours, the situation should be clear,’ he said softly.

‘You’ve found something out tonight?’ I asked.

‘Yes,’ he answered. ‘It was just before eleven o’clock at night. I was on my watch and observed Skalkin carefully emerging from the sailors’ quarters. I pretended to be dozing. He looked at me suspiciously, but was apparently reassured and dived in amongst the luggage. There was nobody there. I sat with my back to him, watching intently through a mirror which I had taken the precaution of hanging up on the wall and which he hadn’t noticed. Thanks to this mirror, I could see everything behind me. He threw another glance at me, was still reassured that I wasn’t watching, and carefully approached one of the chests. Pushing it aside, he quickly disappeared in the gap that appeared. I leaped up from my place, carefully approached and put my ear to the edge of the gap he had created. It was just as I expected. Out of the pile of chests I overheard a conversation.

‘“It’s dangerous to come out,” whispered one voice.

‘“I know,” said another.

‘“Low water at the Jiguli sector of the river would be best. Are the fellows ready?”

‘“Yes, they’re none of them locals. They unload barges offshore. Nobody knows us. Is the cofferdam in order?” you probably know, Watson, that’s the compartment that separates two bulkheads.

‘“Yes, it’s fine,” the other assured him. “Nothing else?”

‘“Nothing. Be off.”

‘I heard a rustle and rushed to my place, keeping up the pretence that I was dozing. Skalkin moved the chest back to its previous position and went to the sailors’ quarters.’

‘But what does this conversation signify,’ I asked.

‘I don’t know exactly,’ Holmes shrugged. ‘But Jiguli is not far and there is some sort of sandbank, not far from which a barge will be unloading on shore. That’s where you and I, Watson, must keep our eyes peeled. That’s where the thief has to vanish, and it would be a great shame for us if we were to let him slip through our fingers.’

‘And according to you, what’s all this about a cofferdam?’

‘I don’t know,’ Holmes said thoughtfully.

VI

While we were talking, dawn had broken. We left our cabin and, unnoticed, descended to the lower deck to go our separate ways. At eight o’clock in the morning our watch began.