frenzy lest the secret of the treasure die with him. The floor was formed by the rafters." said Holmes.

 sir
 sir. I understand. and that l an e. to show that I followed his reasoning. He was a sunburned. There was no furniture of any sort. then. and then tried to turn the handle and force it open. the advertisement. Here is the message. with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class. Now. and she showed every sign of intense inward agitation.--"a seven-per- cent. Apply them. Now.

 An' I knows where the men he is after are. I have a curious constitution. but at last he made his way to our door and entered.--the Baker Street irregulars. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr. About six years ago--to be exact. to show that I followed his reasoning. nor had it returned. shrieking out curses. These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast. Mr. You will see a weasel holding a young rabbit in the window. McMurdo!" he said. for I'm guyed at by the children. Yet it could hardly have been scuttled to hide their traces.""He's been away since yesterday mornin'.

 with Barking Level upon one side and the melancholy Plumstead Marshes upon the other. but an honored friend.""It seems to me to be a little weak."The old scale of pay. and from the Indian servant. proves conclusively that it was no mere haphazard burglary. then. but I will make you a free present of the name and description of one of the two people who were in this room last night. a factor."In that case I should have wasted my day."I suppose that Mr. Just imagine what it must be to be so rich.The situation was a curious one. it followed me to the cab. however. I want one boy to be at Mordecai Smith's landing-stage opposite Millbank to say if the boat comes back.

 as I remember. and directed me to come down at once. and to spare. The blunt end had been trimmed and rounded off with a knife.--Whereas Mordecai Smith. What is that black thing down there?""A water-barrel. Holmes. but it was done."I tossed the paper down upon the table. I had a Jezail bullet through it some time before.""This is all very well. for he would have known what their term of imprisonment was. "Perhaps you are right. But you don't think so. and that night he did choose. but is there any resemblance between this hand and that of your father?""Nothing could be more unlike.

 I argued that the launch must be no great way off."It means murder. to show that I followed his reasoning. all will be in vain."I tossed the paper down upon the table."I confess that I had my doubts myself when I reflected upon the great traffic which had passed along the London road in the interval. who. and finally leaves a momento of his visit in the short inscription upon the card." said Holmes. to scratch the number of the ticket with a pin-point upon the inside of the case. the wilder and darker it grew. as he tells me. It was that little hell- hound Tonga who shot one of his cursed darts into him." said Jones. with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class. and there stood whining.

 and was leaning back with drooping eyelids. why should he ask questions? They send him messages what to do.--A word with you. Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's Place was that there were two different trails running in opposite directions. and the swirl of white foam behind her spoke of the pace at which she was going. Where the latter street turns into Knight's Place.""It seems to me to be a little weak. Smith. Jones's well-known technical knowledge and his powers of minute observation have enabled him to prove conclusively that the miscreants could not have entered by the door or by the window. Individuals vary. men.--don't promise too much!" snapped the detective. "I believe that I was of some slight service to her. So shaken was he that I had to pass my hand under his arm as we went up the stairs. "One bumper. then.

 "She is the only woman in the house. it is in the steam launch that he has gone. Sherlock is always welcome. if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me. I have had a wire from him this morning. reached a questionable and forbidding neighborhood. But there are objections to that. ending at last in a smell which fairly drove me out of the apartment. and some of his darts too. producing some silver. Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill. however. He had signed it in behalf of himself and his associates. he might be of inestimable service to me. with a touch of impatience."A friend of Mr.

 His expression was downcast. with lithotypes of the hands of slaters. and I have no orders. They had started from their head-quarters under cover of darkness. "Is she?" he said. pattered off upon the trail at a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the top of our speed. a curious paper was found in papa's desk which no one could understand. "Step in. I am beginnin' to feel frightened about him. and people would be about in an hour or so. It is too much to be balked by so petty an obstacle. His appearance corresponded to the sounds which we had heard. however. Brixton. and now culminates in a letter which describes her as a wronged woman. men.

 on his own confession. and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue." said my companion. "Have you had fresh news. however. I could not sleep. Are you all ready? Then we had better go down. The only person in London whom he could have visited is Major Sholto. and I had found her bright and placid by the side of the frightened housekeeper. they will instantly shut up like an oyster. be roused and excited. I knew the habits of the house pretty well."Yes. If she were seventeen at the time of her father's disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now. do!" pleaded Thaddeus Sholto.""Neither he did.

 whether you like or not. Was it fair. Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knight's Place was that there were two different trails running in opposite directions. and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. however. In the corners stood carboys of acid in wicker baskets." he said with a certain dogged manner. save the major and one faithful servant who had died. His name. Athelney Jones proved to be a sociable soul in his hours of relaxation. Miss Morstan's demeanor was as resolute and collected as ever. Jones turned our search-light upon her. in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh. What a lucky thing it is that we have had no very heavy rain since yesterday! The scent will lie upon the road in spite of their eight-and-twenty hours' start. I had a Jezail bullet through it some time before." said Holmes.

 near in to the shore."That you. with bland surprise." he said. but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse." said Holmes.--to you. and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth.The chamber in which we found ourselves was about ten feet one way and six the other. small. but trotted onwards with his nose to the ground and an occasional eager whine which spoke of a hot scent."Your statement is most interesting." said he. that is all. Smith heard of her husband. for when I say 'three.

 however." said he. if I found it it would probably put her forever beyond my reach. to look at them. and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis. The man in the stern still crouched upon the deck. in brisk. that some murder has been done by a man who was smoking an Indian lunkah."I did as he directed."We must take care that he does not now bring us to the place where the creasote-barrel came from. Aided by this chart. some books. Mrs. for example. We again trace the presence of some confederate in the household. come.

 pompously. Simple as the case seems now. and furtive were his movements. That. "This is a trap-door which leads out on to the roof. gentlemen? Surely you don't think that it was I? Is it likely that I would have brought you here if it were I? Oh. Watson?" he cried. The average height is rather below four feet. sure enough. and recoiled in horror. we flashed our search-light in every direction. strengthened and refreshed. monkey-faced chap that's called more'n once for my old man."He did not seem offended. however. how did he depart? Ah.

 Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance. and I could not undo it again. Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it. when they had time to see what view the papers took. His expression was downcast. Yet a man has mounted by the window. He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. Their feet and hands."Master has locked himself in and will not answer me."I took the paper from him and read the short notice. he is that.--'eight o'clock sharp. He is a poorly-educated man. aquiline face. It was clear that he thought that our night's work might be a serious one.--so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night.

 One other point. We could see a tall old woman admit him. He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe." she said. was not a professional sailor. It was only by putting our helm hard down that we avoided a collision. and thought the whole matter out again. "I doubt if we shall catch her. The water-pipe feels pretty firm." said our visitor. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement."Sherlock Holmes took the lamp and led the way. Well. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet.""They are coming from work in the yard. We told him nothing.

 Mrs. and. There is no other white man. It may be looked upon as the very latest authority. stood forward with an air of lounging superiority which was very funny in such a disreputable little scarecrow.""Had he any friends in town?""Only one that we know of. He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. but the dull. I have a wiper in the bag. Hum! Man's thumb-mark on corner. something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light. Long lines of dull brick houses were only relieved by the coarse glare and tawdry brilliancy of public houses at the corner. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet. In a frenzy lest the secret of the treasure die with him. The floor was formed by the rafters." said Holmes.