The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Twentieth Century Approaches

- Mr. Victor Hatherley? - Yes.

- Hydraulic engineer? - Yes.

Colonel Lysander Stark.

Thank you for your responding on such short notice.

You have been recommended to me, Mr. Hatherley,

as being a man who is discreet and capable of keeping a secret.

May I ask who it was who gave me so good a recommendation?

Perhaps it's better that I should not tell you that just now.

I have a proposition for you.

But absolute secrecy is quite essential - absolute secrecy.

Do you promise?

If I promise to keep a secret,

you may absolutely depend upon my doing so.

How would fifty guineas for a night's work suit you?

Quite.

I said a night's work,

but an hour's would be nearer the mark.

I simply want your opinion about a hydraulic stamping machine

which has got broken.

If you can just detect the cause of it

we could fix it ourselves.

Our little place is quite out in the country.

It is a good seven miles from Eyford Station.

Then I can't make it to the last train.

I'll have to stay overnight.

Yes.

That's why we offer such a generous pay

to you, a young and unknown,

when we could have hired the best experts.

It's a lot of money, of course.

I should like, however, to understand a little more clearly

what it is that you wish me to do.

I suppose you are aware

that fuller's-earth is a valuable product,

and that it is only found in one or two places in England.

I have heard about it.

Some time ago I bought a small piece of land

Where a deposit of fuller's-earth was discovered.

It turned out to be a link

between two much larger deposits to the right and left,

both of them, however,happen to be on my neighbour's lands.

A couple of my friends suggested that we should quietly and secretly work

on our own little deposit so we'd make enough money

to buy the neighbouring fields.

We guard our secret very jealously.

If anybody finds out that we hired a hydraulic engineer

it would soon lead to inquiries,

and then,any chance of carrying out our plans would be lost.

I hope that I make it all plain enough?

The only point which I could not quite understand

was what use you could make of a hydraulic press

in excavating fuller's-earth, which, as I understand,

is dug out like gravel from a pit.

We have our own process.

We compress the fuller's-earth into bricks,

so as to remove them without revealing what they really are.

Wait in this room for a few minutes, please.

I won't be long.

You have no business being here. I'm leaving, and so should you.

Go! Right now!

For the love of God! Get away from here before it is too late!

Perhaps we had better get down to business.

Mr. Ferguson is my secretary and manager.

We will take you up to see the machine.

You dig fuller's-earth here, in the house?

- In the house? - No, no!

We only compress it here.

We just want you to examine the machine

and to let us know what is wrong with it.

Ferguson, take the lamp.

This is the inside of the press.

The ceiling of this small chamber is the end of the descending piston,

and it comes down with the force of many tons

upon this metal floor.

Dear Ferguson, I believe,

the young man is familiar with the workings of the hydraulic press.

The machine still works, but there seems to be some trouble

that prevents it from working in its full capacity.

There was a small leakage.

One of the rubber bands had shrunk.

It happened because of this small thing?

This caused the problem.

How can we fix it?

We can order it from London.

It has to be replaced.

What are you doing there?

I was admiring your fuller's-earth.

I think I'd be able to advise you better

if I knew the exact purpose for which yor press was used.

Very well.

You shall know all about it.

Hello! Colonel! Let me out!

I swear, I'll tell no one!

Colonel!

I saw nothing!

I beg you, Colonel! You misunderstood me!

Colonel! Let me out!

Colonel! Let me out!

Come! come! They will be here in a moment.

They will see that you are not there.

Come!

Come! Come!

Here is the window.

It is high, but that's your only chance.

Helga!

Helga!

- Good morning, Mrs. Watson! - Good morning!

I brought a patient to the doctor.

- Good morning! - Hello!

- Come in, please! - Thank you!

- Good bye! - Good bye!

Good bye. Thank you.

Good bye!

John!

John!

John!

John, you've got another patient!

The beginning of the 20th century was marked for the British

with the war and Queen Victoria's death.

This is when the old England ceased to exist.

Scotland Yard policemen and London criminals

have armed themselves with electricity, telephones,

automobiles and airplanes,

and went about their business in the new century.

Sherlock Holmes who considered himself too old-fashioned for the new era,

retired and left London for the small farm at Sussex.

Doctor Watson concentrated on his the medical practice.

That was the end of

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DR. WATSON

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes VASILIY LIVANOV

Dr. Watson VITALIY SOLOMIN

The Twentieth Century Begins

Part One

We haven't seen each other

since your return from your American trip.

That's right!

- Watson! - Holmes!

I can't get used to your beard.

I, my friend, can't get used to the fact

that the telegram about your arrival

comes 30 minutes before you show up.

I can't get ready to meet you.

And I don't know whom I should blame:

the slow work of the post office or the speed of your car.

Come on in!

Relax, my friend, you've had a long trip.

I see you have been to Turkish baths.

My rheumatism has been acting up these last few days.

A Turkish bath is what we call an alterative medicine--

But, damn!

- How did you manage to find that out? - It's elementary, Watson!

You are in the habit of tying your boot laces in a certain way.

Today you tied them with an elaborate double bow,

which is not your usual method.

This is what I thought:

You have, therefore,taken them off somewhere. Who has tied them?

It is unlikely that it is your wife or the boot repair man,

since your boots are brand new. Well, what's left? The bath boy.

Yes, Holmes, I wanted to tell you a story,

which I heard from a patient of mine.

Excuse me.

I have to leave you, Watson, for a while.

My neighbor, mister Von Bork has arrived.

He usually buys honey from me.

How much honey do you want?

Two pounds.

The radiator that you gave me last time

was a perfect match.

Now I need an oil pump and the filters.

I need to go to London for that.

I have already called for my friend with a car.

- He's a mechanic, too? - Of course, he is.

- Is that his car outside? - It is.

Here is your honey.

- How much? - Never mind.

- No, really? - Three shillings.

Just a minute! It seems I only have bills.

- No, I found two coins. - It's enough for me.

No, here is the third one. Goodbye.

Why did you tell him that I am a mechanic?

If I had told him you are Doctor Watson,

he would have asked thousands of questions.

You are a popular writer, my friend.

Then I would have had to tell him my real name.

But I prefer

to be known as a beekeeper here.

But what do a pump and filters have to do with it?

It's just a favor for a good neighbor.

By the way, Watson, have you ever seen a fake shilling?

Von Bork just paid with it.

Why didn't you give it back if you knew it was fake?

I didn't want to upset a good man.

What a beautiful thing!

I can't spot any difference

between this and that the sort of His Majesty George the Fifth produces.

Except one thing. It's a counterfeit.

It's such a pity, Holmes

that you abandoned your fight against the criminal world

of London, and left it for Scotland Yard to deal with.