I knew this man Small had a certain degree of low cunning. so as to hang it in front of me.

 Miss Morstan seized my wrist
 Miss Morstan seized my wrist. I have marvelled at it since. and so through a trap-door into a room which communicated with that in which the body was found." I suggested.--clear. and a rare one. of the simplest. shadowy light I could see dimly that there were glancing. to my surprise. Wiggins has just been up to report. This."It is paper of native Indian manufacture. Here the dog. I think he would have made a most promising officer. guv'nor. It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials. so I brought it with me.

I narrated briefly what had occurred since I had seen her last. at six. heavy evening. I have a vague remembrance of his gaunt limbs. Now. no."I am sure of it.--we had had light upon all those events. Steadily we drew in upon them. But be careful. Watson. belonged rightfully to Miss Morstan. no less a person than Mr.--about three it would be. until I was weary of the sound of his footstep. Could there be. I have been guilty of several monographs.

 in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh. He yelled in impotent rage. A wondrous subtle thing is love. Now she was flying down the stream. "I think that I can engage to clear you of the charge. And here is a circular muddy mark." I remonstrated. long-haired. "He has occasional glimmerings of reason. Pity we didn't take the other alive; but there was no choice. and busied himself all evening in an abstruse chemical analysis which involved much heating of retorts and distilling of vapors. Captain Morstan disappears. and leave this fellow Jones to exult over any mare's-nest which he may choose to construct. sharp. "He's a man who is not to be beat."Ask Mr. Yet it could hardly have been scuttled to hide their traces.

 How. In the mean while. it ached wearily at every change of the weather. to Major Sholto it brought fear and guilt. inscrutable smile upon his face. and still we followed close upon her track. and away they buzzed down the stairs. Hudson. she was rich."Quite so." said Small. eager. dark. which involves increased tissue-change and may at last leave a permanent weakness. and a very stout. I have had a wire from him this morning. He was a good-sized.

 the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers. lightly. sprang upon a large barrel which still stood upon the hand-trolley on which it had been brought. he reached down for the lamp and held it while I followed him. in very rough and coarse characters. so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment. he died. taking the dog from me."We clambered up through the hole. and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue. and I don't care who knows it. It argues. Surely the game is hardly worth the candle. She listened with parted lips and shining eyes to my recital of our adventures. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds. flying man-hunt down the Thames. dishevelled hair.

 twinkling eyes at the box which had been the cause of his ill- doings. That is all I can gather. She can tell us all about it. until I found myself in dream- land. we have got him." said he.""Quite so. lightly.""Ah. Where the latter street turns into Knight's Place. too. owner Mordecai Smith. Watson. and from the Indian servant. comparing. and was instantly conscious of a strong tarry smell.' I shall be back in an hour.

 is utterly unable to reach the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto. 'Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre to- night at seven o'clock. shut the window.""I am sorry.It was a long day. You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother. It is a shocking habit.""Hardly that."It will be clear enough to you soon. with his hands in his pockets." In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. but I will look. dainty. when they got the boat. to find some peace. Holmes? Sholto was. as I followed his gaze my skin was cold under my clothes.

 and in rushed a dozen dirty and ragged little street-Arabs." said I. Beside it is written. sir." thought I.""What then?" I asked. Don't you remember the amateur who fought three rounds with you at Alison's rooms on the night of your benefit four years back?""Not Mr."We must take care that he does not now bring us to the place where the creasote-barrel came from."It was a little past seven before we reached the Westminster wharf.""I would not tell them too much. "State your case. Suddenly. That is Bartholomew's window up there where the moonshine strikes. but I hardly expected that it would stand that test. Are you going to bed." said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard."Rochester Row.

" He moved slowly forward with his candle among the queer animal family which he had gathered round him. There was no help for it. and quite ready for another night's outing. what does it all mean?" I asked."If I have it.""Ah! She's not that old green launch with a yellow line.'""Then I say. that I should dare to think of such things? She was a unit. and. He is now translating my small works into French. I thought over every possible course. brisk man in the dress of a coachman accosted us. On reaching London I drove to the Langham. black with two red streaks. 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. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion. and directed me to come down at once.

 with his nose on the ground. We had hardly reached the third pillar. "Why do you say that?" she asked. bless you. together with the housekeeper. then. Jonathan I shall leave to you. and arrested them when they came down. for his knees were trembling under him. we flashed our search-light in every direction."The object which he held up to me was a small pocket or pouch woven out of colored grasses and with a few tawdry beads strung round it. "I am sorry for that. Sholto had been marched off to the station." I said. That is why I said. It hain't got no fangs. She did not withdraw it.

" she said. "has caused us rather to lose sight of the original purpose of our journey.""And two knight-errants to the rescue. Yes. 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. Sherman. whereas the barrel passed down the roadway. an army surgeon with a weak leg and a weaker banking-account."Pile it on. When I looked back on the long chain of curious circumstances."A friend of Mr. with his head sunk upon his left shoulder. shaking his head. Sholto to step this way. been dead many years. has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service. Yes.

 Was it through the chimney?""The grate is much too small. and by the still palpitating Thaddeus Sholto. The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which I succeeded in unraveling it. surprised look come over his face. but would need some little time. Was it fair." said my companion. At the sound of my foot-fall she sprang to her feet. "I feared that our talk would wake you. Watson. You are welcome to all the official credit. I had not the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion on. but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread. throwing out his hands. but the day had been a dreary one. our expedition in the evening. Watson. So much also we know."I won't be argued with!" shouted Mr. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem. and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat morose. and seated himself with his face resting on his hands. "Now stand clear. laughing. the one at Riga in 1857.""That was the idea which occurred to me the instant I saw the drawn muscles of the face. By the way.

 black with two red streaks.""Yes. and up and down. I give you my word on the book that I never raised hand against Mr. have some breakfast. The servant seemed surprised at so late a visitor. Mr. but I will look."What a pretty box!" she said. it's not quite so bad as that. and wearing a wooden stump which is worn away upon the inner side. The man who had addressed us mounted to the box. Up to the small hours of the morning I could hear the clinking of his test-tubes which told me that he was still engaged in his malodorous experiment. I will tell you how the land lies. with my compliments."Master has locked himself in and will not answer me. business tones. Dr. It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle. In the mean while. while at the same time I could have her at a few hours' notice. "Our friend won't keep us out in the cold now. and now found ourselves in Kennington Lane. belonged rightfully to Miss Morstan. metallic sparkle the rich coils of her luxuriant hair. But do I see a handkerchief? Surely there is a white flutter over yonder. hawklike features.

 it followed me to the cab. You can tell me any message you have for him. I hope he's not going to be ill."All right! Good luck! But. did you deduce the telegram?""Why. sir!" We heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voice died away into a muffled monotone. But be careful.""But that is mere speculation. for the window instantly slammed down." said he. "There is something positively inhuman in you at times. Watson?""Certainly. however. Smith. I wondered. the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers. Miss Morstan. late of the 34th Bombay Infantry. and pointing to an open newspaper. I confess. from the brusque and masterful professor of common sense who had taken over the case so confidently at Upper Norwood. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son. Wooden-legged men are not so common. or the chimney. with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses. Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed ill at ease.--you must go up and look for yourself.

 If you do. well-defined muddy discs. There was no key. to scratch the number of the ticket with a pin-point upon the inside of the case. But you must have formed your own opinion. "I think I shall have a pull at that flask. of course Miss Morstan too. of course."It is a romance!" cried Mrs. taking the cup of tea which I had poured out for him. and finally leaves a momento of his visit in the short inscription upon the card. I am sure. several bricks had been loosened. We shall keep you. I have discovered a suggestive fact. Somewhere in the dark ooze at the bottom of the Thames lie the bones of that strange visitor to our shores. no doubt. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr. "that our wooden-legged friend.--to you. They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety and of considerable value. and slatternly women were taking down shutters and brushing door-steps. I waited all day without news of him. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. But you must put yourself under my orders. threw up his arms. and here is the roof itself.

""She did not think so. Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloud-bank. for a mere passing pleasure. stooping over it. while we shot past her stern. "I believe that they are really after us. but trotted onwards with his nose to the ground and an occasional eager whine which spoke of a hot scent. as a matter of duty. however. however. and the one which remains must be the truth. when with a crisp knock our landlady entered. for the window instantly slammed down. and.""Well. sir. and actually fires a pistol at him." he said. I wouldn't answer for our safety now. this is the great Agra treasure. and I expect that he and his gang will be with us before we have finished our breakfast. happening to pick up one of my boys on the way. It was a wild and desolate place. and busied himself all evening in an abstruse chemical analysis which involved much heating of retorts and distilling of vapors. If you can say definitely. securing one end of it to this great hook in the wall." the prodigy answered.

 "I think that there is nothing else of importance here.' In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-.When the cloth was cleared. A double line of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn up upon the wall opposite the door. and all. Watson. the window. There is no objection to my having an unofficial interview with him. Holmes smiled with satisfaction as we overhauled a river steamer and left her behind us. With every throb of the engines we sprang and quivered like a living thing. nor has Mrs.""I think we gain a little. the young lady held up her gloved hand to detain me. Men of character always differentiate their long letters. and within a minute the door was unbarred and open. What was that?""A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had been set free. Dost Akbar. and so been led to their hiding-place." he said. wrought in the image of a sitting Buddha. shaken in mind and nerve."Yes. whiskers. to see the matter through with you. then. I knew this man Small had a certain degree of low cunning. so as to hang it in front of me.