THE CASE OF THE CHINESE FUGITIVE

During my long association with consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, I came to expect the emergency needs of my medical expertise. I often found myself examining bodies or bandaging wounds in the most unlikely of places.

Such was the case one evening when Holmes and I were returning from Scotland Yard where we had presented evidence that had freed a young man who had contacted my friend for his aid. As we rounded a corner near a busy Chinese laundry, not far from our shared rooms at 221B Baker Street in London, we heard a started cry.

"Stop! Thief!" someone yelled as we heard light footsteps patter off into the distance. We suddenly came upon a gentleman who identified himself as Mr. Samuel Bronson, a banker. He was clutching his hand and I could see he had suffered a nasty cut.

"My friend is a doctor," Holmes said as he questioned Mr. Bronson. "He will see to your wound as you tell me what has occurred."

"I was robbed, sir," he answered pointing to the laundry building with his good hand. "A bold Chinaman bolted from the shadows and sliced my hand as he grabbed my wallet. He ran in there."

As soon as I stopped the bleeding, Mr. Bronson, Holmes and I entered the only entrance to the building, hot with the odor of borax and steam. Row upon row of Chinese labored on the laundry of London.

"This is impossible, Dr. Watson" cried Bronson, clutching his newly bandaged hand. "I only had a glimpse of him. There's no way Mr. Holmes can tell who robbed me."

"Oh but there is," said Holmes calmly. "The fugitive who robbed and assaulted you is that man right there!"

Glossary:

ban .dage 1 BrE F (also gauze in  AmE- n )
1 a long narrow piece of material, usu. cloth, for tying round a wound or round a part of the body that has been hurt
2 AmE also Band-Aid (tdmk) PLASTER¹ (2)

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bandage 2 v [T (UP)]
to tie up or bind round with a bandage: The doctor bandaged (up) her broken ankle. | a bandaged arm
 

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wound 2 n [(in)]
a damaged place in the body, usu. a hole or tear through the skin, esp. one made intentionally by a weapon, such as a gun or knife: The president received/sustained a serious stomach wound/a serious wound in the stomach. | It's only a flesh wound. (=not deep) | a bullet wound | The wound is healing fast.
 

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aid 2 n fml
[U] support or help: We went to the aid of the injured man.
 

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pat .ter  v [I+adv/prep]
to make, or move while making, the soft sound of something hitting a surface lightly, quickly, and repeatedly: The dog pattered down the stairs/across the hall. | The falling leaves pattered against the window panes.
 

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clutch  v
1 [T] to hold tightly: The mother clutched her baby in her arms.
2 [I (at)] to try to hold or seize: He clutched desperately at the branch as he fell.
 

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bolt  v
1 [I] to move fast or run away suddenly: My horse bolted and threw me in the mud. | The thief bolted when he saw the policeman.

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slice [I+adv/prep;T]

to cut with a knife: He sliced (into/through) his fingers by accident when cutting vegetables.

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grab 1 v [T]
1 to take hold of (a person or thing) with a sudden rough movement, esp. for a bad or selfish purpose: He grabbed the money and ran off. | They grabbed her by the arm and forced her into their car. | (fig.) Don't miss this chance to travel - grab it before the boss changes her mind.
 

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row 1 n
1 [(of )] a neat line (of people or things) side by side: a row of houses | a row of cups on a shelf | We sat in the third row of the stalls. (=in a theatre, etc.) | The children stood in a row. | Plant the seedlings in parallel rows.
 

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labour 2 BrE F labor AmE v
1 [I] to work, esp. hard: They laboured for years to build this monument. | I laboured over the report, trying to get it exactly right.
 

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