And Then There Were None

by Agatha Christie

first-class smoking carriage, Mr Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench,

Vera Claythorne, in a third-class carriage with five other travellers in it, leaned her head back and shut her eyes.

Philip Lombard, summing up the girl opposite in a mere flash of his quick moving eyes thought to himself:

General Macarthur looked out of the carriage window. The train was just coming into Exeter, where he had to change.

‘Emily Brent, Vera Claythorne, Dr Armstrong, Anthony Marston, old Justice Wargrave, Philip Lombard, General Macarthur, CMG, DSO, Manservant and wife: Mr and Mrs Rogers.’

There was as yet no fraternizing among the party. It was as though each member of it was puzzled by the other members.

Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were Nine. Nine little soldier boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were Eight. Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon; One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven. Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were Six. Six little soldier boys playing with a hive; A bumble bee stung one and then there were Five. Five little soldier boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were Four. Four little soldier boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were Three. Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were Two. Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was One. One little soldier boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and then there were None.

‘You are charged with the following indictments: ‘Edward George Armstrong, that you did upon the 14th day of March, 1925, cause the death of Louisa Mary Clees. ‘Emily Caroline Brent, that upon the 5th of November, 1931, you were responsible for the death of Beatrice Taylor. ‘William Henry Blore, that you brought about the death of James Stephen Landor on October 10th, 1928. ‘Vera Elizabeth Claythorne, that on the 11th day of August, 1935, you killed Cyril Ogilvie Hamilton. ‘Philip Lombard, that upon a date in February, 1932, you were guilty of the death of twenty-one men, members of an East African tribe. ‘John Gordon Macarthur, that on the 4th of January, 1917, you deliberately sent your wife’s lover, Arthur Richmond, to his death. ‘Anthony James Marston, that upon the 14th day of November last, you were guilty of the murder of John and Lucy Combes. ‘Thomas Rogers and Ethel Rogers, that on the 6th of May, 1929, you brought about the death of Jennifer Brady. ‘Lawrence John Wargrave, that upon the 10th day of June, 1930, you were guilty of the murder of Edward Seton. ‘Prisoners at the bar, have you anything to say in your defence?’

Whoever it was who enticed us here, that person knows or has taken the trouble to find out a good deal about us all.