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69-06-24 Sherlock Holmes The Dancing Men · Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson

0:06
Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes.
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Speaker 2: We present the first of a new twice-weekly series of
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Speaker 2: plays based on the short stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
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Speaker 2: dramatized by Michael Hardwick, with Carlton Hobbs as Sherlock Holmes
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Speaker 2: and Norman Shelley as Dr.
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Speaker 1: Watson. And now, here is Dr. Watson to introduce the
0:31
Speaker 1: case of The Dancing Man. Thank you, sir. I have
0:37
Speaker 1: told elsewhere of the joyful return of my friend, Mr.
0:40
Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes, three years after his supposed death struggle with
0:44
Speaker 1: the late Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. After his
0:49
Speaker 1: restless wanderings in the east and on the continent, he
0:52
Speaker 1: seemed content to be at anchor once more in the
0:54
Speaker 1: haven of our former lodging at 221B Baker Street, where
0:58
Speaker 1: our landlady, Mrs. Hudson, proceeded as usual to spoil him
1:04
Speaker 1: while continuing to deplore his irregular and untidy habits. But
1:08
Speaker 1: it was not long before he had become absorbed again
1:11
Speaker 1: in his practice as a consulting detective, ready for any
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Speaker 1: investigation that gave promise of stretching his remarkable powers to
1:19
Speaker 1: their limits. I see him now, one morning, sitting in silence,
1:25
Speaker 1: his long, thin back curved over a chemical vessel in
1:29
Speaker 1: which he was brewing a particularly malodorous product. His head
1:34
Speaker 1: was sunk upon his breast. He looked, from my point
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Speaker 1: of view, like a strange, lank bird with dull, grey
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Speaker 1: plumage and a black topknot. Oh, Watson, you do not
1:50
Speaker 1: prefer to invest in South African securities. Eh-oh! Who on
1:55
Speaker 1: earth do you know that? Confess yourself, Watson. They've taken
2:00
Speaker 1: a bet. I am? I ought to make you sign
2:03
Speaker 1: a paper to that event. Why? Because in five minutes
2:07
Speaker 1: you'll say it's all so terribly simple, Holmes. I shall
2:10
Speaker 1: say nothing of the kind. We shall see. There, that's done. Now, Watson,
2:18
Speaker 1: you've heard me remark before that it is not difficult
2:21
Speaker 1: to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its
2:24
Speaker 1: predecessor and each simple in itself. Frequently. Who's after doing so?
2:29
Speaker 1: One simply knocks out all the central inferences, and present
2:33
Speaker 1: one's audience with a starting point and a conclusion, one
2:36
Speaker 1: may produce a startling, though possibly a meretricious, effect. Holmes,
2:41
Speaker 1: I don't quite see what all this is about. Now,
2:44
Speaker 1: it was not really difficult, by an inspection of the
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Speaker 1: groove between your left forefinger and thumb, to feel sure
2:50
Speaker 1: you did not propose to invest your small capital in
2:53
Speaker 1: the gold field. What finger is it? I don't see
2:58
Speaker 1: any connection. When you returned from the club last night,
3:01
Speaker 1: You had chalk between your left forefinger and thumb. Well,
3:04
Speaker 1: what are they? I put it there instead of my cue.
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Speaker 1: You never paid the leach except with Thurston. Now, you
3:10
Speaker 1: told me four weeks ago that Thurston had an option
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Speaker 1: on some South African property which would expire in a
3:16
Speaker 1: month and which he desired you to share with him. Ah.
3:19
Speaker 1: Yet your checkbook is locked in my drawer and you
3:22
Speaker 1: haven't asked for the key. Mm-hmm. Therefore, my dear Watson,
3:26
Speaker 1: you do not propose to invest your money in this dinner. Ah.
3:30
Speaker 1: A very simple one. Quite so. Every problem becomes very
3:37
Speaker 1: childish once it's explained to you. Well, here's an unexplained
3:41
Speaker 1: one of this piece of paper. So what do you
3:44
Speaker 1: make of that? Well, it looks like a row of
3:49
Speaker 1: little men. One of them waving flags at him. Looks
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Speaker 1: as though they're supposed to be dancing. Childish, all right, Holmesy.
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Speaker 3: Yeah.
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Speaker 1: It's a child's drawing of a line of dancing men.
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Speaker 1: Childish enough to have terrified a young woman half out
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Speaker 1: of her wits. And to bring her husband post-haste all
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Speaker 1: the way from Norfolk to consult me? I can't say
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Speaker 1: that's him on our stay now. Come in.
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Speaker 3: Mr.
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Speaker 1: Kubrick, sir. Thank you, Mrs. Hudson. Mr. Holmes? I am Holmes.
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Speaker 1: This is my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson. Oh, how
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Speaker 1: do you do, gentlemen? How do you do, Mr. Gilbert?
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Speaker 1: Sit here. Thank you. Ah, I see you have my
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Speaker 1: dancing men there. What do you make of them, Mr.
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Speaker 3: Holmes?
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Speaker 1: At first sight, a childish prank. Prank? You have my letter, Mr. Holmes.
4:45
Speaker 1: I tell you, it's fighting my wife to death. So
4:48
Speaker 1: I understand. I think for my friend's benefit, you'd better
4:52
Speaker 1: have your whole story from the beginning, Mr.
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Speaker 3: Gilbert.
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Speaker 1: Well, I'm not much of a... Tory dealer, you know.
4:58
Speaker 1: A countryman born and bred. There's no family better known
5:02
Speaker 1: than the Cubits in the whole of Norfolk. That's quite
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Speaker 1: a bridling thought for five centuries. Quite so. And I
5:09
Speaker 1: understand that you've remained a bachelor until only recently. That's right.
5:13
Speaker 1: I came up to London for the Golden Jubilee last year.
5:17
Speaker 1: The middle-young American woman there was fantastic. A student in
5:21
Speaker 1: my boarding house. Well, to cut a long story short...
5:26
Speaker 1: Before the month was up, I was as much in
5:30
Speaker 1: love as a man could be. Married her in the
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Speaker 1: registry office and took her back to Whittingport. Congratulations. Well,
5:39
Speaker 1: some thought I was mad. I went out. A man
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Speaker 1: of good old family, taking a wife, an American as that,
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Speaker 1: without knowing a blessed thing about her family or her past.
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Speaker 1: But if you saw her, you'd understand why I did it.
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Speaker 1: Did she tell you nothing about her background? Oh, yes. Yes,
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Speaker 1: she said, I bid you never to ask about my father.
6:05
Speaker 1: But you take me, Ozen, she said. You take a
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Speaker 1: woman who has done nothing that she need personally be
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Speaker 1: ashamed of. But you'll have to be content with my
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Speaker 1: word for it. If you can't, then go back to
6:17
Speaker 1: Norfolk and forget all about me. That was very straightforward. Well,
6:23
Speaker 1: there was no going back for me. I took her
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Speaker 1: on those terms. That was just a year ago. She'd
6:31
Speaker 1: been very happy. Blissfully. Until just the other morning. We
6:37
Speaker 1: were coming back from an early morning ride. Hunt, he's
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Speaker 1: the stable lad, took.
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Speaker 3: Our horses and.
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Speaker 1: she ran on ahead into the house. I'll take all
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Speaker 1: this breakfast in ten minutes, darling. Right out. Ah, good boy.
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Speaker 1: Let's get him for a month. You can take him now, Hunt. Aye, sir. Hey,
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Speaker 1: what are all these chalk marks? Come here. Nothing to
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Speaker 1: do with me, sir. Well, you don't suppose the mistress
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Speaker 1: or I go around chalking... What are they? Those little
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Speaker 1: men dancing. You don't suppose we go around chalking such
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Speaker 1: things on... You don't suppose me, sir. Or Saunders or Cook... Oh,
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Speaker 1: come on, now. I tried to eat you for it.
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Speaker 1: It wasn't me.
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Speaker 3: Oh, very well.
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Speaker 1: Only Giddy rubbed off. And I don't want to see
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Speaker 1: any more of you. Do you understand? Thank you, Captain.
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Speaker 3: Thanks.
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Speaker 1: Ah. Giddy, I'm a goat. Oh, me? No, darling, not you.
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Speaker 1: Here's your coffee. Thanks. No, that young hunt. No, he's
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Speaker 1: not all that bright, still. It is like a liar.
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Speaker 1: Is that what he means? Talking rubbish of a windy-legged,
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Speaker 1: rude rabbit. Well, sounds of scribble and little men dancing about.
8:10
Speaker 1: Idling his time. A bit of chalk in his hand,
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Speaker 1: I suppose. But on the house, it's too bad. Darling. Ponders. Ponders, quick.
8:23
Speaker 1: The mistress is taking it. She didn't injure herself, I hope? No. No,
8:32
Speaker 1: she was round again in a few moments. Tried to
8:35
Speaker 1: make out if it was just a disease spell. That
8:38
Speaker 1: long gallop on an empty stomach, you know. I was
8:42
Speaker 1: able to go on with her breakfast, and I didn't
8:45
Speaker 1: think much more about it. But after the second time,
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Speaker 1: the following day, that day, yesterday, Mr. Holmes, just after
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Speaker 1: breakfast this time, Went out for a little stroll in
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Speaker 1: the garden together. Quite a serve again. Until we reached
9:03
Speaker 1: the sundial. That's where we found this paper I sent you.
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Speaker 1: The second lot of dancing men, or whatever you call them.
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Speaker 1: I picked it up and showed it to her without thinking.
9:17
Speaker 1: Thought she was going to change her way again. On
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Speaker 1: the spot. Great heavens. Mr. Kubrick, these dancing men you
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Speaker 1: found on the sundial... Can you possibly say whether the
9:27
Speaker 1: drawing is the same as the one you saw on
9:29
Speaker 1: the windowsill? What crossed my mind in the train, but I...
9:33
Speaker 1: I can't say. Only took a glance at the first one,
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Speaker 1: you know. Understandably. Tell me, have you heard of any
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Speaker 1: strangers in your neighborhood lately? Strangers?
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Speaker 3: Don't think so.
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Speaker 1: I presume it's a very quiet place. Any fresh face
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Speaker 1: would cause comments. Oh, bonjour. Then I suggest you return
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Speaker 1: to Norfolk. But can't you advise me then? I am
9:59
Speaker 1: doing so. Go home, take an exact copy of any
10:03
Speaker 1: fresh dancing men that may appear, and make discreet inquiries
10:07
Speaker 1: as to any strangers in the neighborhood. Do you reckon
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Speaker 1: these drawings add up to something? Evidently. If their meaning
10:15
Speaker 1: is purely arbitrary, then it may be impossible for us
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Speaker 1: to solve it. On the other hand, if it's systematic,
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Speaker 1: I've no doubt we shall get to the bottom of it. Now,
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Speaker 1: good day, Mr. Cubitt. If there are any fresh developments,
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Speaker 1: I shall always be ready to run down and see
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Speaker 1: you in Norfolk. If that's your advice, Mr. Holmes, then... Well,
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Speaker 1: good day, gentlemen.
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Speaker 3: Good day.
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Speaker 1: Ah, Mr. Cubitt. Come in, won't you? Thank you, Dr. Watkins. Mr. Holmes,
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Speaker 1: I'm sorry to return like this in less than a week,
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Speaker 1: but this business is getting on my nerves. Have there
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Speaker 1: been further events? There certainly have. Look. Look at these.
11:03
Speaker 1: Three more sets of these figures. Thank you. Ah. All different, Holmes. Excellent. Excellent. Great,
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Speaker 1: and there's everything in order, Mr.
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Speaker 4: Gibbs.
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Speaker 1: Well, when I got back to Riddling Forth after seeing
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Speaker 1: you the other day... The first thing I saw was
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Speaker 1: a fresh crop of dancing men, false on the table door.
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Speaker 1: That was this one. Did you rub out the mask
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Speaker 1: after coffee, even? Certainly. Nothing more else to see them.
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Speaker 1: But two mornings later, there was this fresh inscription in
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Speaker 1: their place. Capital. Our material is really accumulative. Three days later,
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Speaker 1: a message was left. Called on paper on the sundial again.
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Speaker 1: This one. I'd written, oh, this work was being done
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Speaker 1: by night. So last night, I determined to sit up
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Speaker 1: in my study, in the dark, with a revolver in
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Speaker 1: my hand. Well, it was about two in the morning.
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Speaker 1: Nothing had happened.
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Speaker 3: So when I heard the study door opening quietly behind her, Elsie!
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Speaker 1: What the... Oh, Sylvia, you scared me to death. What
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Speaker 1: are you doing? Why, you're fully dressed. And a gun.
12:28
Speaker 1: What are you doing, more likely? I guess I couldn't sleep.
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Speaker 1: I came to look for a book. Is that being
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Speaker 1: your life? There's the movie.
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Speaker 4: Now, see here, Elsie.
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Speaker 1: This has gone far enough. If you didn't... What is it?
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Speaker 1: What are you looking at? By heavens, there's someone out there.
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Speaker 1: Is there? No. No, there's no one. I just thought...
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Speaker 1: There's somebody there. Well, I'm going to get him and
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Speaker 1: we'll head this out. Oh, no, you mustn't. Get out
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Speaker 1: of my way, please.
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Speaker 4: I won't.
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Speaker 1: Oh, yes, you will.
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Speaker 4: You shall go.
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Speaker 1: I won't let you. Let go of me.
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Speaker 3: For heaven's sake.
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Speaker 1: I'm asking you to let go of me. I know, darling,
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Speaker 1: I know, but I won't let you go. Do you
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Speaker 1: hear me? I can't let you go. She held on
13:15
Speaker 1: to me for all she was worth. At last I
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Speaker 1: got here, but... By the time I got outside, there
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Speaker 1: was no one to be seen. She said she'd stopped
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Speaker 1: me going out because I might come to some harm.
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Speaker 3: But for a moment, I thought the.
13:29
Speaker 1: Truth was that she was afraid of him coming to
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Speaker 1: some harm. To me. By God, he would have done.
13:35
Speaker 1: Is that what you believe? No, Mr. Holmes. There's a
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Speaker 1: tone in my wife's voice and a look in her
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Speaker 1: eyes which forbids doubt. And I'm sure that it was
13:49
Speaker 1: indeed my own safety that she had in her mind.
13:52
Speaker 1: How long can you stay in London? I must be
13:54
Speaker 1: going now. Couldn't leave Elsie alone there at night for anything.
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Speaker 1: Neither would I in your place. If you could have stopped,
14:01
Speaker 1: I might possibly have been able to return to Norfolk
14:03
Speaker 1: with you in a day or two. But I must
14:06
Speaker 1: apply myself to these singular pieces of paper for some while.
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Speaker 1: I think it's very likely that I shall then be
14:12
Speaker 1: able to pay you a visit and throw some light
14:14
Speaker 1: upon your most interesting day. Holmes, it says here in
14:19
Speaker 1: the paper... Please, Watson. Oh, sorry, sorry, I forgot. Thank you, Dr. Watson. Dr. Watson. Now,
14:26
Speaker 1: if Mr. Holmes will kindly let me have the table. Oh, no,
14:28
Speaker 1: leave him.
14:29
Speaker 3: What, again?
14:29
Speaker 1: But he hasn't eaten since yesterday.
14:32
Speaker 3: No, I know.
14:32
Speaker 1: You know what? I'll come down to the kitchen and
14:35
Speaker 1: eat mine there. But, Dr. Watson.
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Speaker 3: After you.
14:38
Speaker 1: Watson. Watson. What? No, don't. What is it? Is there
14:46
Speaker 1: a train to North Walsham tonight? I'll look for it.
14:50
Speaker 1: What night is it? Wednesday, of course. I just wondered.
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Speaker 1: You've been working two days on those messy drawings. Signs
14:57
Speaker 1: seem to mean something. It might have been surgery by now.
15:00
Speaker 1: Prince Watson. Yes, here we are, North Walsham. What time
15:08
Speaker 1: is it? No. The last one just left. Confound it.
15:12
Speaker 1: If only this new letter from Hubert had arrived sooner
15:14
Speaker 1: this evening, we could have caught that train. This affair
15:17
Speaker 1: has gone far enough. More dancing men? You found something, then?
15:20
Speaker 1: That our presence is most urgently needed. Yes, Mrs. Hudson?
15:26
Speaker 1: Is there an answer to my table, then? It is, sir.
15:29
Speaker 1: The boy's waiting, if you should wish to reply. Well,
15:32
Speaker 1: very much so, if it should be... Ah, Watson. Miss
15:37
Speaker 1: Tettle said we must get there without delay. But is
15:39
Speaker 1: there some danger? I fear so. Well, why not warn
15:42
Speaker 1: them by telegram, the boys? No, no, no. The place
15:44
Speaker 1: is too remote. It won't be delivered tonight. Our only
15:47
Speaker 1: hope is to take the very first train in the morning.
16:18
Speaker 1: Good day, gentlemen. Have you got business here? Most certainly, sir.
16:23
Speaker 1: My name is Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock? Oh, Martin, sir. Inspector Martin.
16:28
Speaker 1: Marvel Constable. How to do.
16:29
Speaker 3: What?
16:30
Speaker 1: How could you have heard? I mean, the crime was
16:32
Speaker 1: only committed at three o'clock this morning. But what happened, Inspector? Quickly, please. Shot.
16:36
Speaker 1: Move up. Oh, no. Mr. and Mrs. She's dead and she's... No. Oh, no.
16:41
Speaker 1: I anticipated a crime. I came in the hope of
16:43
Speaker 1: preventing it.
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Speaker 4: You did?
16:45
Speaker 1: Then you mean you've got some evidence? I have. The
16:48
Speaker 1: evidence of the dancing men. What dancing? Inspector Martin, will
16:51
Speaker 1: you associate me in your investigation or would you prefer
16:53
Speaker 1: me to act independently? Why, I'd be very proud to
16:56
Speaker 1: feel I was working with you, Mr. Holmes. In that case,
16:59
Speaker 1: I should be glad to examine the house and hear
17:00
Speaker 1: the evidence without further delay. Well, now, the body's in
17:04
Speaker 1: the study, just as it was found. Mrs. Cooper's been
17:07
Speaker 1: taken upstairs. And the doctor's with her. But she don't
17:10
Speaker 1: hold out much hope, I hear. Well, if you'll follow me, gentlemen. Well,
17:15
Speaker 1: the question seems to be, did he shoot her, and
17:19
Speaker 1: then himself? Or did she shoot him, and then try
17:21
Speaker 1: to do away with herself? He was lying here, dead,
17:26
Speaker 1: just as you see him. And she was over near
17:28
Speaker 1: the window, where you see all that blood. The revolver
17:31
Speaker 1: lay about midway between them. It was the only revolver
17:33
Speaker 1: in the room? Yes. Yes. Two chambers have been fired,
17:36
Speaker 1: and the window is shut. Is that how it was found? Yes, sir. Mrs. King,
17:41
Speaker 1: the cook. We'll depose you, all right? Yes, sir. Definitely
17:46
Speaker 1: two shots I heard. One louder. Which was the louder, Mrs. King?
17:51
Speaker 1: The first. It must have been.
17:53
Speaker 3: It awoke me.
17:55
Speaker 1: Might what you heard have been two shots fired simultaneously,
17:58
Speaker 1: followed by a single shot which sounded much less loud
18:01
Speaker 1: by comparison? I'm sure I couldn't say it to that sir. No, no, no, quite.
18:07
Speaker 1: What did you do? I come downstairs. Were any lights on?
18:11
Speaker 1: I don't remember. But how did you know which room
18:13
Speaker 1: to approach? By the smell. Smell? No one said anything
18:18
Speaker 1: to me about the smell. The smoke from the gun.
18:21
Speaker 1: As soon as I reached the hall, I could smell
18:23
Speaker 1: it coming from the study. So I went in. Was
18:27
Speaker 1: the door open?
18:28
Speaker 3: A bit.
18:29
Speaker 1: I went in and.
18:32
Speaker 3: And there they was.
18:34
Speaker 1: The pole master and mistress, lion... Try not to affect yourself, Mrs. King. Mrs. King,
18:40
Speaker 1: only one more question. Yes, sir. Was there no light
18:44
Speaker 1: in the scuddy when you entered? Only the candle. The
18:48
Speaker 1: one you were carrying? And the other one, on the
18:51
Speaker 1: table near the window. Now, madam, you say there was
18:54
Speaker 1: a candle burning close to the window. Was the window
18:57
Speaker 1: open or shut? Shut, sir. You didn't shut it yourself? No, sir.
19:03
Speaker 1: I touched nothing. The candle stood here then, and the
19:09
Speaker 1: window was shut. I don't quite see the significance of this, Holmes.
19:14
Speaker 1: Nor do I, doctor. Here we have a revolver with
19:16
Speaker 1: two shots fired, one bullet in Kirby's heart, and the
19:20
Speaker 1: other lies near to his wife's brain. The only question is...
19:22
Speaker 1: How do you account for the bullet which so obviously
19:24
Speaker 1: struck the bottom of the window frame here? Eh? Where? Why, George, Mr. Holmes,
19:32
Speaker 1: However did you come to think that? Because I looked
19:34
Speaker 1: for it. Then three shots were fired, and only two
19:37
Speaker 1: of them from this revolver. Thomas, you mean to say
19:41
Speaker 1: there was a third person? Undoubtedly. Mrs. King's evidence told
19:44
Speaker 1: me that.
19:45
Speaker 4: How on earth?
19:45
Speaker 1: She smelt cordite fumes as she came down into the hall.
19:49
Speaker 1: Some draft. from in here must have been necessary to
19:51
Speaker 1: blow them from the room so quickly. The window must
19:54
Speaker 1: have been open for a time, though not long enough
19:57
Speaker 1: to extinguish the candle. As I conceded, a third person
20:01
Speaker 1: stood outside the window and fired in. A shot was
20:04
Speaker 1: fired at him and struck the bottom of the window frame.
20:07
Speaker 1: Then who shut the window? Mrs. Cubitt. But she was...
20:11
Speaker 1: A woman's instinct, Inspector. Shots were fired. She sprang to
20:16
Speaker 1: the window and shut it for protection. But, but I... Hello?
20:21
Speaker 1: What's this? That? Oh, her handbag. Sounds lying near her.
20:26
Speaker 1: No message or anything. But plenty of cash. So I see. Yes.
20:30
Speaker 1: Twenty-fifty pound notes. A thousand pounds. It must be preserved
20:36
Speaker 1: as it is. It will figure in the trial. What
20:38
Speaker 1: do you make of it, sir? Now, there are several
20:40
Speaker 1: points of this problem which I've not been able to
20:42
Speaker 1: explain to you yet, and this must remain one of them.
20:45
Speaker 1: But we must act quickly.
20:46
Speaker 3: How, sir?
20:47
Speaker 1: Firstly, by searching the flowerbed outside this window, where I
20:49
Speaker 1: have no doubt we shall find the spent case of
20:51
Speaker 1: the third cartridge. And then? Mr. Martin, is there any
20:55
Speaker 1: inn in this neighborhood known as Eldridge's? Eldridge's? Eldridge's. No,
21:02
Speaker 1: I can't... Hold on. There's an Eldridge's farm... Over to
21:07
Speaker 1: East Ruston? Is that a lonely part? Oh, very, sir. Ah,
21:10
Speaker 1: then perhaps they'll not yet have heard of all that
21:12
Speaker 1: happened here during the night. Very likely not, sir. Capital. Now,
21:16
Speaker 1: will you have the goodness to instruct one of the
21:17
Speaker 1: stable lads to saddle a horse and go there at
21:19
Speaker 1: once with a message which I shall give him? I
21:22
Speaker 1: don't see you. Now, Watson, a piece of paper from
21:24
Speaker 1: that bureau, please. All right.
21:27
Speaker 3: There you are.
21:29
Speaker 1: Thank you. Now, then.
21:31
Speaker 3: Watson.
21:36
Speaker 1: Abe Slaney? Irrigid's farm? Holmes, who's Abe Slaney? You'll find
21:45
Speaker 1: out soon enough. And, uh, Inspector, I think you'd do
21:53
Speaker 1: well to telegraph for an escort. As you may have
21:58
Speaker 1: to convey a particularly dangerous prisoner to the county jail. Oh, really?
22:04
Speaker 1: The boy... Who takes this note could no doubt forward
22:08
Speaker 1: your telegram. As you see, Watson, this is not my
22:15
Speaker 1: usual form of communication. Johnson, then. Now, Holmes, what's this?
22:25
Speaker 1: I thought we'd wait in this morning room because it
22:27
Speaker 1: has a very pleasant view of the drive. Oh, it's
22:29
Speaker 1: very pretty, I'm sure. Make yourself comfortable, gentlemen. And while
22:33
Speaker 1: we await the outcome of my dispatch to East Rostrum,
22:36
Speaker 1: I think I can help you to pass the time
22:38
Speaker 1: in an interesting and profitable manner. To you, friend Watson,
22:43
Speaker 1: I owe every atonement for having allowed your natural curiosity
22:46
Speaker 1: to remain so long unsatisfied. Thank you. To Mr. Martin,
22:51
Speaker 1: the whole incident may appeal as a remarkable professional study.
22:54
Speaker 1: Remarkable is the word, eh, Doctor? I am fairly familiar
22:59
Speaker 1: with all forms of secret writings. And I am, I trust,
23:02
Speaker 1: the author of a trifling monograph upon the subject... in
23:05
Speaker 1: which I analyze 160 separate typos. But the use of
23:10
Speaker 1: these dancing men is entirely new to me. And it's
23:13
Speaker 1: been invented, apparently, to conceal that a message is being conveyed...
23:16
Speaker 1: by giving the impression of random sketches by some child.
23:20
Speaker 1: I see. Now, as you are aware, E is the
23:24
Speaker 1: most common letter in the English alphabet. The figure most
23:27
Speaker 1: common in all these troops of dancing men... was this
23:30
Speaker 1: little fellow with legs apart and left arm upraised. Operatic
23:34
Speaker 1: tenor taking a high C. Very good, Watson. Only it's
23:38
Speaker 1: an E in this case. Now, speaking roughly, the order
23:42
Speaker 1: in which the other letters of the English alphabet tend
23:45
Speaker 1: to predominate is T-A-O-I-N-S.
23:48
Speaker 3: And so I.
23:51
Speaker 1: Have two messages complete. The first of which read, Ampere
24:00
Speaker 1: Abe Slaney at Eldridge's. Now, I had every reason to
24:04
Speaker 1: suppose that this Slaney was an American. Well, how does
24:07
Speaker 1: that happen? Abe is an American contraction. Mrs. Kubits, American origin,
24:11
Speaker 1: and her reticence about her past suggested that there was
24:14
Speaker 1: some criminal secret involved. I therefore tabled to the New
24:19
Speaker 1: York Police Bureau, asking whether the name of Abe Slaney
24:22
Speaker 1: was known to them, and received the reply... Abe Flaney,
24:25
Speaker 1: the most dangerous crook in Chicago.
24:28
Speaker 4: Why, George?
24:29
Speaker 1: On the very evening this answer arrived, Hubert sent me
24:32
Speaker 1: the last of his Dancing Men messages. It read, Elsie,
24:36
Speaker 1: prepare to meet thy God. I knew there wasn't a
24:40
Speaker 1: moment to lose. Unfortunately, Watson, we did lose our moment
24:46
Speaker 1: and reached here to find that the worst had already occurred. Yes. Hello.
24:52
Speaker 1: Who's this? Good. If I'm not mistaken, Abe Slaney. What?
24:57
Speaker 1: What's he doing here? I invited him. Well, he doesn't
25:00
Speaker 1: know it, does I? Hmm. Powerful looking gentleman, isn't he? Hmm.
25:05
Speaker 1: I've given instructions that he should be directed immediately to
25:08
Speaker 1: this room. So, I suggest we get our positions behind
25:12
Speaker 1: the door. You'll need your handcuffs, Inspector. Very good. But
25:15
Speaker 1: you can leave the coffin to me. Now, think. Take him. What?
25:28
Speaker 4: What the.
25:29
Speaker 1: Come on, you... Okay. Somebody got the job on 8th
25:34
Speaker 1: Lady at last. But who are you guys? Where's Elsie?
25:36
Speaker 1: Take her to this chair with him. Mrs. Hilton Gilbert
25:40
Speaker 1: is seriously wounded.
25:41
Speaker 4: What?
25:42
Speaker 1: She may die. Are you crazy? He shot at me
25:45
Speaker 1: and I shot at him. You'd think I'd have touched
25:48
Speaker 1: her hair or else his head. She was mine. Who
25:52
Speaker 1: did this cubic guy think he was, taking her away
25:54
Speaker 1: from me? He did not take her, sir. She broke
25:56
Speaker 1: away from our country and you when she discovered the
25:58
Speaker 1: kind of man you are. But you had to dog her,
26:01
Speaker 1: step to England and threaten her. Well, say this. You've
26:04
Speaker 1: caused the death of an innocent man and driven his
26:06
Speaker 1: wife to attempt suicide. Suicide? Oh, dear. Now I know
26:11
Speaker 1: you're crazy. Say, if she's hurt so bad, how did
26:13
Speaker 1: she write this, telling me to get over here first?
26:15
Speaker 1: I wrote it. Look, Elsie's pa, old Patrick, invented this
26:21
Speaker 1: dancing man code, and nobody outside the gang knew it.
26:24
Speaker 1: What one man can invent, another can discover. Her father
26:28
Speaker 1: was in the gang with you, you say? Sure, he
26:30
Speaker 1: was the boss. Now, you know what's in her purse.
26:34
Speaker 1: I also know that she expected you to come here
26:36
Speaker 1: last night and had a thousand pounds ready to offer
26:39
Speaker 1: you if you'd leave her and her husband in peace.
26:41
Speaker 1: But he was waiting here, too. Wasn't he, Slaney? Look, Elsie.
26:45
Speaker 1: It was self-defense, I tell you. He shot at me first.
26:48
Speaker 1: And hit the window frame. You shot back through the
26:50
Speaker 1: open window simultaneously and killed him. A servant thought both
26:54
Speaker 1: shots were one. You fled. Mrs. Hewitt sprang to the
26:58
Speaker 1: window and shot it, then picked up her husband's gun
27:00
Speaker 1: and turned it on herself. From remorse, I dare say,
27:03
Speaker 1: for bringing him to his death. If she recovers, she
27:07
Speaker 1: may yet have to face the charge of murdering her husband. What?
27:10
Speaker 1: The least that you owe her is to make it
27:12
Speaker 1: appear to the whole world that she was in no
27:15
Speaker 1: way directly or indirectly responsible. But it's tragic end. Oh, okay.
27:22
Speaker 1: I ask nothing better. I guess you throw the cup.
27:27
Speaker 1: All right, you can take me. I won't try anything.
27:30
Speaker 1: I guess I've done enough. I'll bring in a couple
27:32
Speaker 1: of my constables then.
27:34
Speaker 3: Mr.
27:34
Speaker 1: Holmes, I only hope, if ever I have an important
27:38
Speaker 1: case again, I'll have the good fortune to have you
27:41
Speaker 1: by my side. Thank you, Inspector. The credit shall be yours.
27:46
Speaker 1: For myself, there has been the satisfaction of a singular inquiry.
27:51
Speaker 1: As to my friend Watson... Holmes? I think that I've
27:54
Speaker 1: provided you with something unusual for your notebook. Yes, indeed.
28:00
Speaker 1: Then come along. 3.40 is our train. I fancy we
28:04
Speaker 1: should be back in Baker Street in time for dinner.
28:30
Speaker 2: The Dancing Man by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was adapted
28:34
Speaker 2: for radio by Michael Hardwick. The part of Sherlock Holmes
28:38
Speaker 2: was played by Carlton Hobbs and Dr. Watson by Norman Shelley.
28:43
Speaker 2: Hilton Cubitt, Humphrey Morton, Elsie Cubitt, Anne Murray, Mrs. Hudson,
28:49
Speaker 2: Janet Morrison, Inspector Martin, Fred Yule, Mrs. King, Janet Hitchman,
28:56
Speaker 2: Abe Slaney, John Bentley, Hunt John Gray. The production was
29:02
Speaker 2: by Graham Gould.
29:04
Speaker 1: The next play in the series, A Case of Identity,
29:07
Speaker 1: can be heard at 8.15 on Thursday on Radio 2.
29:13
Speaker 4: That's the clear mobile parrot. He knows a good thing
29:16
Speaker 4: when he hears it. Because it's only.
29:20
Speaker 4: Yes, only £ 12. 99 for unlimited 5G data and calls. Yes, yes,
29:26
Speaker 4: there are texts. And that's why he's our top salesperson.
29:29
Speaker 4: A parrot. Clear mobile. Keep it clear. Activation fee € 12.
29:35
Speaker 1: 99.
29:35
Speaker 4: 23GB UK and EU roaming data. A new McDonald's side
29:31
Speaker 4: mission has been unlocked. The Quarter Pounder Deluxe Legendary Edition.
29:36
Speaker 4: With double American cheese, crispy lettuce, fresh mustard and tomato.
29:39
Speaker 4: Available until the 29th of September. Take a side mission
29:42
Speaker 4: to McDonald's.
29:59
Speaker 1: From 11am, Wasdox last.
30:00
Speaker 4: Subject to availability, participation varies.