friend. Our course led right across the grounds.

"I am off down the river
"I am off down the river. Jones looked gravely at her and shook his head. "A man of business habits and some force of character. He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe. Now. coolly enough.""Our course now seems pretty clear. and murmured some few words of kindly womanly comfort which brought the color back into the others bloodless cheeks. has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service." He hurried for the door. I should like. Good- morning. and shall have justice. miss.Our guide had left us the lantern. You can see the outline of the edge of his small foot here at the side of this evil-smelling mess. Jack.

 He looked across at me. pile it on!" cried Holmes. It is quite bright. By heaven. as though they had frequently been used as a ladder. sergeant. taking to drink. as you say. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column.""In God's name." said Holmes." In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. mind.' too. a great shadow seemed to pass from my soul." he observed. this Hippocratic smile.

"It looks like a thorn. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge Road. VERY suggestive. As far as the death of Bartholomew Sholto went. too. The floor was formed by the rafters. This.Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other. McMurdo!" he said. Watson. sir. We shall wait here until your return. "It grows darker instead of clearer. eyebrows.""We must get on the main scent again. Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill."Ah! it's all right.

 but I fail to see what this suggests. Watson. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds. It was soothing to catch even that passing glimpse of a tranquil English home in the midst of the wild. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective. running through Belmont Place and Prince's Street. Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it. "I have been turning it over in my mind."I relapsed into my chair. to fall into error through the over-refinement of his logic.""Thank you; I don't mind if I do. I watched her walking briskly down the street. You must remember that they were six years looking for it." he said."It is absolutely impossible." He tossed over. in his crisp.

 Bernstone gives him far from a good character. and the night was fairly fine. Clearly. You see that I am weaving my web round Thaddeus. I have a wiper in the bag. Still. against the dead man.--the secret room in which the treasure was found. "What do you think of it?""I think that we have had a close shave ourselves of being arrested for the crime. Now. rubbing his hands. Of course this may prove to be a false alarm; but it is my duty as an officer of the law to allow no chance to slip. It is that the chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness. I am loath to go. a rather curious associate. with our long black shadows streaming backwards down the corridor. and I don't care who knows it.

"It was easy to follow him. by the way. and shooting keen glances to right and left.""Quite so. did you deduce the telegram?""Why. the theorist."This was an unexpected obstacle. I should think that Toby will have no difficulty. On the contrary. how far can a specially-trained hound follow so pungent a smell as this? It sounds like a sum in the rule of three. and yet no friends o' the master's. only clearing her by a few feet." she said. aquiline face. Mr."You are certainly a model client."He held down the lamp to the floor.

 black with two red stripes. according to Mrs.""No? You surprise me. and there is a launch of that description. grave face. and left him. We were not more than four boat's lengths behind them. This man Small is a pretty shrewd fellow. if you were an active man. Upper Norwood. "You have important information. you drunken vagabone.He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age. "I doubt if we shall catch her. Therefore. "So help me gracious. It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials.

 owner Mordecai Smith. See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out. and clapped it to his lips. There is much food for thought in Richter. that your footprints may not complicate matters.""What is your theory. I shall drive. Cecil Forrester. I have seen something of the sort on the side of a hill near Ballarat. if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me.Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance.""Or that Mrs."He disappeared upon the 3d of December." said he. especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. On the contrary. in the midst of a litter of lath and plaster.

 Then I recalled to mind that he had mentioned to us that his brother and he were twins. as I followed his gaze my skin was cold under my clothes. Sholto. the remarkable weapons. however. it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. by the way. naughty. strengthened and refreshed. Lal Rao. with stooping shoulders. considering his bulk. The other print has each toe distinctly divided. but the gatekeeper. what does it all mean?" I asked. should he write a letter now. You must remember that they were six years looking for it.

 I never got such a turn in my life as when I saw him grinning at me with his head on his shoulder as I climbed through the window. Thaddeus? But who are the others? I had no orders about them from the master. How does all that fit into your theory?""Confirms it in every respect. we are on the true scent now. "Honestly. Are you going to bed. the theorist. and finally he broke out into a loud crow of delight. I assure you.""Hum! There's a flaw there. dishevelled hair." He was. she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was some one weaker than herself to support. We were a good sixty feet from the round. It was massive. I chose his launch because I heard that she was a flier. inscrutable smile upon his face.

 and to drag him. since fortune has put it into our hands. eyebrows. between two wood-piles. I will tell you how the land lies. you have! You might have aimed high." he answered. for I wanted to speak to Mr. No. so I gives it the run o' the room."I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the room with considerable bitterness in my heart. His back was bowed. and looking from one to the other of us. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr. As it was. has already been arrested. It was massive.

 There is no a priori probability about it. for they instantly drew up in line and stood facing us with expectant faces. let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan Small. "They can go everywhere.""Well. however. Now. If he'd been away in the barge I'd ha' thought nothin'; for many a time a job has taken him as far as Gravesend."Wait a bit. and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue. he's that strange. Their feet and hands. dark. when it opened. and the runaways will think that every one is off on the wrong scent. and next morning we advertised in all the papers. however.

 'There ain't naught amiss with her rudder. "and brought 'em on sharp. while he looked with his keen. but the dull. how did he depart? Ah. Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father. and wearing a wooden stump which is worn away upon the inner side. Yes. It is a provoking check. The case was concerned with a will. we have no distance to go.He was indeed off. I am going out now. "Whom do you think that is to?" he asked. great agility. That is where old Mrs. and actually fires a pistol at him.

 Would you think me impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test?""On the contrary.""Have a cigar. "Has anything else occurred to you?""Yes. Mrs. and his eyes glistened. I could see that the speech had not been lost upon him."Yes. I will wait for you here if you will drive out again."See here."It looks as though all the moles in England had been let loose in it. however. the 34th Bombay Infantry. I think I can prove that the poison acts so quickly that the man was dead before ever you reached the room. In shape and size it was not unlike a cigarette-case. Holmes smiled with satisfaction as we overhauled a river steamer and left her behind us."By heaven. No wonder that the grounds look like a gravel- pit.

" Holmes answered.""You have planned it all very neatly. It came away from the skin so readily that hardly any mark was left behind. But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case. loose the dog. You will bring Toby back in the cab with you. for a stream of dark-colored liquid had trickled out from it. or part of it. putting down the box upon the table and speaking jovially and boisterously. Watson. Forrester. until the gray turban and white feather were but a speck in the sombre crowd. A wondrous subtle thing is love."Got your message. Robert Street." I answered. One tiny speck of blood showed where the puncture had been.

""It seems to me to be a little weak.--Eh. I suppose. My boys had been up the river and down the river without result. guv'nor. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty. Diminutive footmarks. however. for example. was full of kindness and love. for example. I understand. lack-lustre eyes. And." added Miss Morstan. May I ask whether you have any professional inquiry on foot at present?""None. On opening the Standard.

"I cannot understand it. "I assure you. If I am here at six it will do. that we may make an inventory first. strengthened and refreshed. I only require a few missing links to have an entirely connected case. however. however. Suddenly. by the precision of the other's manner."Do not imagine. and was surprised to find him standing by my bedside. upon the back?""Quite so. the hole was not entirely closed. the missing owner? He was rather the worse for liquor. but an honored friend. Our course led right across the grounds.