Alex Auswaks - Sherlock Holmes in Russia

‘I took out a steel pin I carried with me, inserted it in the hollow and jiggled it from side to side. Nothing happened. But when I jiggled it up and down, it slid deeper in without resistance. Now it became possible to remove the entire panelling and then four more, creating a wide gap.’

‘This is most intriguing,’ I exclaimed.

‘Yes.’ Holmes nodded. ‘When I went into the carriage, it was half empty. There were only a few chests left, which the thieves hadn’t the time to throw out before the train reached the top of the incline. I replaced the panelling carefully and, as we were going up another incline, I jumped off the train. All the way back I ran at full speed. At last I got back to the station and walked beyond. I had marked the tunnel, which was a good eight miles from the station. There were two more tunnels along the way and I walked through them without hindrance, although I came across watchmen at their entrances. But no sooner did I come to the tunnel I was aiming for than I was intercepted by a watchman, “Where d’you think you’re going!” he yelled. “Don’t you know tunnels are out of bounds!” I argued and swore, but to no avail. He wouldn’t let me through. I had to resort to cunning. I pretended to go round and hid behind a bush on a high rock. From here I had a clear view of the watchman. As soon as I saw him go inside his booth, I threw myself down and darted into the tunnel. It was a long tunnel, I thought, a good half mile and longer.’

Sherlock Holmes paused, drank a little red wine and went on, ‘I moved forward carefully, listening for the slightest sound, shining my torch on the walls and examining the sides of the tunnel carefully. Some three hundred yards into the tunnel, I came across a wagon that had been emptied and leaned up against the wall inside an archway. I scrutinized every stone of the tunnel at this point. And then I saw that four stones were not at one with the rest of the wall. They were cemented together. Moreover, they were not rock, but slabs cemented together. The four together were seven feet square. Undoubtedly, an artificial entrance way but, try as I might, I couldn’t find how to get it to open. Today, my dear Watson, we’ll summon Bakhtadian, settle up with him for the delivery, and go there together.’

‘Do you suspect that’s the hiding place for stolen goods?’

‘Yes, at least for this route. Every railroad route has its own storage facilities,’ answered Holmes.

We agreed on when we’d be going and lay down to sleep. Holmes slept for a couple of hours and then, having dressed in his ordinary clothes, vanished. He was back half an hour later with Bakhtadian in tow.

The three of us set to sorting out the goods Bakhtadian had delivered. The chests contained boots marked army quartermaster issue and underwear for junior ranks. Holmes assigned everything the exact factory prices and this, and the agreed percentage, was paid to Bakhtadian.

Bakhtadian promised to deliver another lot the same night, but not before four o’clock, and left. We changed swiftly into our previous workmen’s clothes and sped to the station.

We carried dark cloaks with us. The station was empty. The next train was due to leave in two hours and a quarter. We decided not to waste that much time, so we returned.

First we went to where Bakhtadian lived. But it was dark there, too, so we walked up and down the streets of the little village. It was in total darkness. The little village slept the sleep of the dead. At its edge we were near the Red Cross storehouse and were about to turn back, when we suddenly heard voices.

‘It’s Bakhtadian,’ Holmes whispered. ‘For heaven’s sake, take care. Follow me!’

He bent low and crept to the pile of goods belonging to the Red Cross, covered with tarpaulin. Soon enough, we saw the silhouettes of three men, amongst whom I recognized that of Bakhtadian. We crept nearer, ducked under the tarpaulin and began to listen. ‘You don’t have much to sell, have you?’ Bakhtadian was asking quietly.

‘As far as we are concerned, we have army quartermasters as part of us, which means we can let you have quite a lot,’ said another voice. ‘Everything you take, we can show as having been forwarded but destroyed during the retreat. We’ve come to an agreement over this with most army quartermasters. But you have to take the stuff as soon as possible, before the commission checking on remainder quantities gets to work.’

‘So where do we get the stuff from?’

‘Partly here, partly in Harbin.’

‘What have you got?’

‘Mainly tinned goods, canvas, leather of all sorts, ready-made boots, oats, barley, flour—’

‘And where do we discuss prices?’

‘See me. I arrived today and I’m staying with the quartermaster.’

‘Very well, but how do you aim to bring the cargo from Harbin?’

‘Oh, don’t worry about that. We live in harmony with the railways and share everything.’

‘Very well, I’ll see you tomorrow morning,’ said Bakhtadian.

And evidently now turning to the third man, he said, ‘And how about you?’

‘The same as with them,’ the third voice answered. ‘There’s a lot you can buy from us in the Red Cross, sugar, underwear, wine, cloth, tobacco, tinned goods—’

‘Where can they be picked up?’

‘Also here, then in Goon Ju Lin, Harbin.’

‘No fear of discovery?’

‘No fear. We’re dealing with people who won’t talk.’ He proceeded to name names, which Holmes quickly wrote down under the light of a concealed torch.

‘So how did you find me?’

‘Ivan Nikolayevitch recommended you to me.’

‘Yes, I was the one who told Trudin,’ a third voice confirmed.

‘Hmmm,’ lowed Bakhtadian. ‘Come to Ivan Nikolayevitch tomorrow morning, agree on a price and then start moving the stuff.’

‘Done!’

We heard all three depart while continuing their conversation. We left our hiding place and began to return, but Holmes didn’t go to the station. ‘I have to ascertain one or two things,’ he said, ‘so, tonight, you’re on your own.’ We shook hands and he vanished.

The following day at about noon Holmes came home excited and happy.

He said not a word, but seized a sheet of paper, dashed off a telegram and rushed off to the telegraph office.

‘Well, my dear Watson,’ he said, when he returned half an hour later, ‘now I’ve got them all firmly in my hands. In three days time, all the stolen goods will be freighted from everywhere.’

‘You’ve seen something?’ I asked.

‘More than necessary,’ said Holmes cheerfully. ‘When we parted, I went to the home of the quartermaster. His orderly was outside and we fell into conversation. He told me that there was a guest, an official of the Harbin quartermaster. This official’s name is Ivan Nikolayevitch Bravoff, who has been assigned a corner room with windows leading into the garden. When the orderly went to bed, I climbed up to the roof without any problem and slipped into the attic through the dormer window. I found the area above Bravoff’s room and drilled a hole in the ceiling. I sat there quietly without moving all night. At about eight, peeking through the hole, I saw Bakhtadian appear, then Trudin and, finally, a fellow called Verkhoveroff, an assistant stationmaster. They all began to haggle without any constraint, naming many names participating in the business, all of which I was able to write down. Amongst them were generals, and engineers, and agents empowered to act on behalf of the Red Cross. The discussion was so frank and open, I was really convinced that without the indirect help of such people, neither Bakhtadian, nor Trudin, nor Bravoff was in a position to do anything or would have to limit themselves to trifles. Some of those named were in such high positions, they themselves had such powerful patronage (protexia, as they call it hereabouts), that they could have any investigation or prosecution against themselves suppressed. But that, Watson, is none of our business. In three days time, the delivery to the secret depot from their nearest points begins. Then, from the furthest to the nearest, which will now serve as intermediate points. It looks as if this gang is so sure of the power of the people at the top that the members operate openly. Well, we’ll see. The day after tomorrow sees the arrival of Zviagin with gendarmes in disguise.’