"Look here, Watson," Holmes said after we finished lunch. "Please sit down. I want to talk to you. I don't know what to do, and your advice is important to me. You smoke your cigar (雪茄烟) while I explain."
"Please continue," I said, as I lit my cigar.
"Now there're a few important points in young James' story. One, his father cries Coo-ee before he sees him. Two, he talks about a rat (老鼠). I think young James is telling the truth (真相)."
"So why did Mr. McCarthy shout Coo-ee then?"
"Well, he was not shouting Coo-ee to his son. It was by chance that James heard. The Coo-ee was to call the person he was meeting. But Coo-ee is an Australian cry, Australians usually say it when they meet to catch attention. Perhaps Mr. McCarthy was meeting someone from Australia."
"I see. But why did he talk about a rat, then?" I asked.
Holmes took a piece of paper from his pocket and put it on the table.
"This is a map of Australia," he said. He put his hand over part of the map. "Now, Watson, what can you read there?" he asked me.
"ARAT," I read.
"And now?" Holmes moved his hand.
"BALLARAT," I read.
"Yes. That was the word the dead man said. It's a place called Ballarat. His son only heard the 'rat' part of the word. Old Mr. McCarthy was trying to say where his murderer was from, the town of Ballarat. The grey cloak is point No. 3. If James is telling the truth, there was a grey cloak (斗篷). So now we have an Australian from Ballarat with a grey cloak."
"Great!" I replied.
"And it's someone who lives nearby, as the Boscombe Pool isn't open to the public. Only people from the farm nearby or the Turner house can go there," said Holmes.
"That's wonderful, Holmes!" I exclaimed.
