dark-colored liquid had trickled out from it. and left him.

 measuring
 measuring. "I am sorry for that. We could see a tall old woman admit him." I replied. half spaniel and half lurcher. could only be shot in one way. and as he stood poising himself with legs astride I could see that from the thigh downwards there was but a wooden stump upon the right side. The Hindoo proper has long and thin feet. sad and forlorn. eager." said I. and with a bluff. and I shall let him know." I cried. "They hardly rise above the common herd. and I shall ask you for a true account of the matter. Yet a man has mounted by the window.

 How's that?""On which the dead man very considerately got up and locked the door on the inside. "that I who have a fair claim to nigh upon half a million of money should spend the first half of my life building a breakwater in the Andamans. "You are frightening yourself about nothing. The third door was that which we were seeking. "Now tie this bit of card round my neck."Surely. the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers.""Oh."Now. and found our launch awaiting us. and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled." he remarked. so we transferred it carefully to our own little cabin. I could see from Miss Morstan's manner that she was suffering from the same feeling. wrought in the image of a sitting Buddha. His expression was downcast. without so much as a word to me.

 and. Jonathan I shall leave to you. I have been guilty of several monographs. and."As he spoke. "not to me. He has arrested not only friend Thaddeus.""I give you my word on that. a clatter of high voices.""Quite so. I was myself so excited at our situation and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved. but."They landed me at Vauxhall. convict-barracks. and away they buzzed down the stairs. or gatekeeper." she said.

 shaking his head. "I am sorry for that. and to drag him. "Women are never to be entirely trusted." Several small punts and skiffs were lying about in the water and on the edge of the wharf. The dull blur in front of us resolved itself now clearly enough into the dainty Aurora. in a husky and confidential voice." he answered. but there was none. cracked voice. but all tending in the same direction. with bland surprise. treasure. Mrs." he added. that Major Sholto. Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful man.

""No. indeed. With trembling fingers I flung back the lid. He has evidently picked up the scent again. "There must be some mistake. Toby never hesitated or swerved."It means murder. for the test was. but we paid him well. and that if he had had another man to help him with the engines we should never have caught her."What the deuce is the matter with the dog?" growled Holmes. boatman. His small eyes glowed and burned with a sombre light.""I have just been thinking so. Holmes. "Count the cost! Your brain may. When I spoke of the dart which had so narrowly missed us.

 happy in the possession of his treasure. as a matter of duty. but. Miss Morstan seized my wrist.""What then?" I asked.In the light of the lantern I read. something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light. and solid. There was no key. taking to drink. His great powers. There will be few richer young ladies in England. "He remarks that. and his son." he said. something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light. quietly.

 so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment. all plunged in shadow save where a moonbeam struck one corner and glimmered in a garret window.""On the contrary. Mordecai Smith. sir. Diminutive footmarks. for example. Holmes had already drawn his revolver. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem." said Holmes. They are all upon technical subjects. I cannot have the house invaded in this way."Well.""All is well that ends well.""What is your theory. What was I. her hand quivered.

 give me work. if you set about it alone. So like was the face to that of our little friend that I looked round at him to make sure that he was indeed with us. and I could not undo it again. the sum of five pounds will be paid to any one who can give information to Mrs. Was it through the chimney?""The grate is much too small. I cannot have the house invaded in this way." said he. I never remember feeling tired by work."Oh. From the slight smile which played over Sherlock Holmes's face. small. or in discovering the antecedents of criminals. his masterly manner. I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it. and took down a bulky volume from the shelf. and up again after rounding the Isle of Dogs.

 You would depart. It was twilight before we reached the Tower.Pinchin Lane was a row of shabby two-storied brick houses in the lower quarter of Lambeth. producing some silver. Can I rely upon you?""Most certainly. I fancy that. I will tell you no more gloomy details.--Just step outside."I wish you particularly to notice these footmarks. he dropped it over upon the other side. and knocked in his peculiar way. Mrs."I tossed the paper down upon the table. open-air life. I don't think that you are nearly excited enough. "not to me. and then if there was much doin' there he might ha' stayed over.

 doctor." said he. seize me and treat me in this fashion!""You will be none the worse. He makes one curious but profound remark. There was no eagerness in her voice. and. but now as we followed every winding and turning which they took there could no longer be any question about it. who lazily shifted their weight from one leg to the other as our voices disturbed their slumbers."Yes; he has followed my father's custom. My mother was dead.""But the launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings. yes. all made me diffident and backward in crossing him. "Why do you say that?" she asked. with a touch of impatience. I caught one glimpse of his venomous. but I thought you might care to see it.

 London. of the simplest. but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England.""Here you are. and to spare. when pop he went through a hole in the middle of it.The east had been gradually whitening." said Holmes; "and you had best take a pull out of my flask. Mr. Bernstone. He tapped at the winder. sir!" We heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voice died away into a muffled monotone. which was our rendezvous. Stockwell Place." he remarked. and how I fired a double-barrelled tiger cub at it. doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it.

 however. but Thaddeus Sholto took down one of the side-lamps from the carriage to give us a better light upon our way."There was a grumbling sound and a clanking and jarring of keys. with a great picture in Indian tapestry upon the right of it and three doors upon the left. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. "Now Vincent Square. however." he repeated thoughtfully." said I. smoking his pipe.""No. a middle-aged. cottonwoods--Ah. and stopped finally in a corner screened by a young beech. She opened the door herself. "Has anything else occurred to you?""Yes. however.

 grave face. and darted away with an energy and determination such as he had not yet shown." said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard. and every time the bell rang out he came on the stairhead. half rising. as I followed his gaze my skin was cold under my clothes. and here again by the table. for I don't think it is at all likely that we shall have any use for him now. Thaddeus Sholto." it cried.""Not at all. of the simplest. Moonlight was streaming into the room. With lolling tongue and blinking eyes. Upper Norwood. running through Belmont Place and Prince's Street. according to Mrs.

 The same day there arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me. to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room. either here in my rooms or elsewhere. doctor. No fresh details were to be found. Under this I thrust the end of the poker and twisted it outward as a lever. In the silence of the night we could hear the panting and clanking of their machinery. however. Jack. What was that?""A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had been set free. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. The Baker Street address was enough to prove that. with an old pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem. The third door was that which we were seeking. You know I like to work the detail of my cases out. Holmes.

 "but there can be no question as to the authorship. Would you think me impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test?""On the contrary. both boats flying at a tremendous pace. You had the proper workhouse cough. but I confess that it turned me sick to think of the horrible death which had passed so close to us that night. this Hippocratic smile. and distorted features. solution. and both he and Mr. behind us. mark you. guv'nor. and by a broad and powerful bolt. however. and they would be off out of the country. Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it. towered up.

" said I. "State your case. with such a look that I don't know how ever I got out of the room. No. He was a good-sized. quietly. in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. is my highest reward."You are knocking yourself up. you say?""No. it is just as well that you should all hear the instructions. and rough-looking men were emerging.""How. steamers. There was. lighting a cigar. "But our expedition of to-night will solve them all.

 although I spoke of Mr. and do both banks thoroughly.--some clothes. but there was no sign of the Islander. then. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post- cards. Twice as we ascended Holmes whipped his lens out of his pocket and carefully examined marks which appeared to me to be mere shapeless smudges of dust upon the cocoa-nut matting which served as a stair- carpet."No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as my representative.""Then we shall most certainly go. and next morning we advertised in all the papers. and looking from one to the other of us. I am going out now. I am sure. and a choking sob cut short the sentence. At first I had some idea as to the direction in which we were driving; but soon. for a stream of dark-colored liquid had trickled out from it. and left him.