The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

"Good God!" I cried. "What can it mean, this relentless persecution?"

"The papers which Openshaw carried are obviously of vital importance to the person or persons in the sailing-ship. I think that it is quite clear that there must be more than one of them. A single man could not have carried out two deaths in such a way as to deceive a coroner's jury. There must have been several in it, and they must have been men of resource and determination. Their papers they mean to have, be the holder of them who it may. In this way you see K. K. K. ceases to be the initials of an individual and becomes the badge of a society."

"But of what society?"

"Have you never--" said Sherlock Holmes, bending forward and sinking his voice--"have you never heard of the Ku Klux Klan?"

"I never have."

Holmes turned over the leaves of the book upon his knee. "Here it is," said he presently:

"Ku Klux Klan. A name derived from the fanciful resemblance to the sound produced by cocking a rifle. This terrible secret society was formed by some ex-Confederate soldiers in the Southern states after the Civil War, and it rapidly formed local branches in different parts of the country, notably in Tennessee, Louisiana, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Its power was used for political purposes, principally for the terrorizing of the negro voters and the murdering and driving from the country of those who were opposed to its views. Its outrages were usually preceded by a warning sent to the marked man in some fantastic but generally recognized shape--a sprig of oak-leaves in some parts, melon seeds or orange pips in others. On receiving this the victim might either openly abjure his former ways, or might fly from the country. If he braved the matter out, death would unfailingly come upon him, and usually in some strange and unforeseen manner. So perfect was the organization of the society, and so systematic its methods, that there is hardly a case upon record where any man succeeded in braving it with impunity, or in which any of its outrages were traced home to the perpetrators. For some years the organization flourished in spite of the efforts of the United States government and of the better classes of the community in the South. Eventually, in the year 1869, the movement rather suddenly collapsed, although there have been sporadic outbreaks of the same sort since that date.

"You will observe," said Holmes, laying down the volume, "that the sudden breaking up of the society was coincident with the disappearance of Openshaw from America with their papers. It may well have been cause and effect. It is no wonder that he and his family have some of the more implacable spirits upon their track. You can understand that this register and diary may implicate some of the first men in the South, and that there may be many who will not sleep easy at night until it is recovered."

"Then the page we have seen--"

"Is such as we might expect. It ran, if I remember right, 'sent the pips to A, B, and C'--that is, sent the society's warning to them. Then there are successive entries that A and B cleared, or left the country, and finally that C was visited, with, I fear, a sinister result for C. Well, I think, Doctor, that we may let some light into this dark place, and I believe that the only chance young Openshaw has in the meantime is to do what I have told him. There is nothing more to be said or to be done to-night, so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for half an hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellow-men."

Adventure V. The Five Orange Pips (7) (с подсказками)

"Good God!" I cried. "What can it mean, this relentless [rI'lentlqs] (беспощадное) persecution ["pE:sI'kju:Sqn] (преследование)?"

"The papers which Openshaw carried are obviously (очевидно) of vital (жизненная) importance to the person or persons in the sailing ['seIlIN]-ship (парусное судно). I think that it is quite clear that there must be more than one of them. A single man could not have carried out two deaths in such a way as to deceive [dI'sJv] (обмануть) a coroner's ['kPrqnqz]љjury ['GuqrI] (понятые при расследовании случаев насильственной смерти). There must have been several in it, and they must have been men of resource and determination [dItE:mI'neISqn] (of ~ - решительные). Their papers they mean to have, be the holder ['hquldq] (владелец) of them who it may. In this way you see K. K. K. ceases ['sJsIz] (перестают) to be the initials [I'nIS(q)lz] (инициалы) of an individual and becomes the badge [bxG] (символ) of a society."

"But of what society?"

"Have you never -- " said Sherlock Holmes, bending [bendIN] (наклоняясь) forward and sinking ['sINkIN] (понижая) his voice -- "have you never heard of the Ku Klux Klan ["kH klAks 'klxn]?"

"I never have."

Holmes turned over the leaves of the book upon his knee. "Here it is," said he presently ['prezqntli] (вскоре):

"Ku Klux Klan ["kH klAks 'klxn]. A name derived from the fanciful ['fxnsIfql] (странное) resemblance [rI'zemblqns] (сходство) to the sound produced by cocking ['kPkIN] (взведение) a rifle ['raIfl] (зд. курок винтовки, rifle - винтовка). This terrible secret ['sJkrIt] society was formed by some ex-Confederate soldiers (бывшие солдаты Конфедерации) in the Southern states after the Civil War, and it rapidly formed local branches in different parts of the country, notably ['nqutqblI] (особенно) in Tennessee, Louisiana [lH"JzJ'xnq], the Carolinas, Georgia ['GLGq], and Florida ['flPrIdq]. Its power was used for political purposes, principally ['prInsqpqlI] (в основном) for the terrorizing ['terqraIzIN] (терроризирование) of the negro ['ni:grqu] (негритянские) voters ['vqutqz] (избиратели) and the murdering ['mE:dqrIN] (убийтво) and driving (изгнание) from the country of those who were opposed [q'pquzd] (были против) to its views. Its outrages ['autreIGIz] (преступления) were usually preceded [prI'sJdId] (were ~ - предшествовались) by a warning sent to the marked man in some fantastic [fxn'txstIk] but generally recognized shape -- a sprig [sprIg] (веточка) of oak-leaves [quk-lJvz] (дубовые листья) in some parts, melon ['melqn] (дынные) seeds [sJdz] (косточки) or orange ['PrInG] (апельсиновые) pips [pIps] (зернышки) in others. On receiving this the victim (жертва) might either openly ['qupnlI] (открыто) abjure [qb'Guq] (отказаться) his former ways, or might fly from the country. If he braved [breIvd] the matter out (зд. не обращал внимания на предупреждение), death would unfailingly [An'feIlINli] (неминуемо) come upon him, and usually in some strange and unforeseen [AnfL'sJn] (непредвиденный) manner. So perfect was the organization of the society, and so systematic ["sIstI'mxtIk] its methods, that there is hardly a case upon record where any man succeeded in braving ['breIvIN] (противостоять) it with impunity [Im'pjHnIti] (безнаказанно), or in which any of its outrages ['autreIGIz] (преступления) were traced [treIst] (прослежены) home to the perpetrators ['pE:pqtreItqz] (виновники). For some years the organization flourished ['flArISt] (процветала) in spite [spaIt] (не смотря на) of the efforts of the United States government and of the better classes of the community in the South. Eventually, in the year 1869, the movement rather suddenly collapsed [kq'lxpst] (разрушилось), although there have been sporadic [spq'rxdIk] (единичные) outbreaks ['autbreIk] (вспышки) of the same sort since that date.

"You will observe," said Holmes, laying down the volume, "that the sudden ['sAdn] (внезапное) breaking up of the society was coincident [kqu'InsIdqnt] (совпало) with the disappearance ["dIsq'pIqrqns] (исчезновение) of Openshaw from America with their papers. It may well have been cause and effect. It is no wonder that he and his family have some of the more implacable [Im'plxkqb(q)l] (неумолимые) spirits upon their track. You can understand that this register ['reGIstq] (опись) and diary ['daIqrI] (дневник) may implicate ['ImplIkeIt] (зд. опорочить) some of the first men in the South, and that there may be many who will not sleep easy at night until it is recovered (получено обратно)."

"Then the page we have seen--"

"Is such as we might expect. It ran, if I remember right, 'sent the pips [pIps] (зернышки) to A, B, and C' -- that is, sent the society's [sq'saIqtiz] (от общества) warning to them. Then there are successive [sqk'sesIv] (последующие) entries that A and B cleared, or left the country, and finally that C was visited, with, I fear, a sinister ['sInIstq] (досл. зловещий) result for C. Well, I think, Doctor, that we may let some light into this dark place, and I believe that the only chance young Openshaw has in the meantime ['mJntaIm] (тем временем) is to do what I have told him. There is nothing more to be said or to be done tonight, so hand me over my violin ["vaIq'lIn] (скрипка) and let us try to forget for half an hour the miserable ['mIzqrqbl] (отвратительная) weather and the still more miserable ways (поступки) of our fellow-men ['felqumqn] (соотечественники)."

To be continued...

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