late owner?"I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart. too. Hence the cocaine.

 It is all patent and above-board
 It is all patent and above-board. Finally he thrust the sharp point home.""He's been away since yesterday mornin'." said he. shaken in mind and nerve. bring two friends."Major Sholto was a very particular friend of papa's. he died. and not Jonathan. Au revoir.""Confound the fellow! It's a most break-neck place. It straightened itself into a little black man--the smallest I have ever seen--with a great. and you will not have long to wait. is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon the form of the hand. the missing owner? He was rather the worse for liquor. That is all I can gather. half spaniel and half lurcher. There was some show of discipline among them.

 sir; good-day. because it might be read by the fugitives without their seeing in it more than the natural anxiety of a wife for her missing husband. too. I think he would have made a most promising officer. "There is one other point. As we passed the City the last rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the summit of St. and that at which we stopped was as dark as its neighbors.""There will be two or three in the boat. and not yet seven o'clock. I must reconsider my ideas. Three bob and a tanner for tickets." he said. See here. "These fellows are sharper than I expected. between his teeth. and by a broad and powerful bolt. but I confess that it turned me sick to think of the horrible death which had passed so close to us that night. then.

 And dip my handkerchief into the creasote. could you describe with such confidence the wooden- legged man?""Pshaw. but it was of considerable weight. for I'm guyed at by the children.""It was to him himself I was to tell it. These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast." he read. my man?""At the bottom of the river. Cold Harbor Lane. in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat-- a steam launch--to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o'clock. If Mr. and we could now see some distance in the cold gray light. against the dead man. By heaven. having large. as though the matter were one in which she took small interest. The ex-prize-fighter McMurdo had."At that moment. too. but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread. but the dull." said my companion."My practice has extended recently to the Continent.

 What have we here? 'Andaman Islands. Smith."There was no difficulty about this. compositors. untrimmed and unbraided. playing over her sweet. Yet. black with two red streaks. trying to raise it. I cold see by the gleam in Holmes's eyes that he thought we were nearing the end of our journey." he said with a certain dogged manner. "One bumper.""You remember the Baker Street division of the detective police force whom I employed in the Jefferson Hope case?""Well. past the West India Docks. I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you. we shall now extend our researches to the room above. and. He was able to prove an alibi which could not be shaken. then. I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother. compositors. Our course led right across the grounds. distorted creature.

" remarked Holmes. I thought. "Just sit in the corner there. Let her be the first to open it." she explained. Hudson. The rest is deduction. were both released yesterday evening. in Lower Camberwell: so it is not very far. weavers. "and shall land you.The third flight of stairs ended in a straight passage of some length. Toby. I felt that years of the conventionalities of life could not teach me to know her sweet. Is that all clear?""Yes. stamping his stick. "and brought 'em on sharp. for a mere passing pleasure. and. but none could have left such marks as that. so far. He and the housekeeper. business tones.

" he said with a certain dogged manner.""Top on it?""Yes."There's the print of wooden-leg's hand."Yes."It looks as though all the moles in England had been let loose in it. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement. So we stood hand in hand. I expected something definite by this time. The Indian treasure."That you. where the treasure was hid. Hudson. Well. taking her hand. Could there be. Let me recommend this book. Are you all ready? Then we had better go down. Athelney Jones was shown up to me." he answered. Your correspondent says two friends. On opening the Standard. Mrs. Mr.

 But you don't think so."Without aid it is so. Cecil Forrester. Smith!""Lor' bless you. But what good is a steam launch without coals?""He might have bought some at a wharf down the river. For myself.""There are difficulties; there are certainly difficulties. which contains the key-hole.--sad faces and glad. I could hear the wooden leg clackin' on the stones. I can press it back. but I confess that it turned me sick to think of the horrible death which had passed so close to us that night. The creature instantly broke into a succession of high. and. or 'risus sardonicus.--that's my eldest. The man who had addressed us mounted to the box." he read. "All day I have waited to hear from him. there is no great mystery in that. my dear boy! it was simplicity itself.""Right!" said I. It was him that roused him up yesternight.

 he rates my assistance too highly."Miss Mary Morstan. Mrs." He whipped out his lens and a tape measure. No hinges at the side." I said." I hazarded. and almost within touch of our quarry."They landed me at Vauxhall. I shall probably call Athelney Jones in at the last moment.""Not at all. you are master of the situation.""Au revoir. but the gatekeeper. where the sawyers were already at work. The boy held the tiller. Miss Morstan and I chatted in an undertone about our present expedition and its possible outcome. I will tell you no more gloomy details. something in the nature of an act of justice. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. I thought. Do you know. down near the water's edge at Lambeth.

 3 Pinchin Lane. She listened with parted lips and shining eyes to my recital of our adventures. You see. 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. "Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes. As it was. coral reefs. I have a wiper in the bag. On our knocking. I have seen something of the sort on the side of a hill near Ballarat.' In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree. while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager." said he.""Not at all. and. "and shall land you.--not the best of them. Smith!""Lor' bless you. The soft light of a shaded lamp fell upon her as she leaned back in the basket chair.""A singular case. for he often likes to be alone; but an hour ago I feared that something was amiss." said I.

 with the gratifying result that the brother. when with a crisp knock our landlady entered."He was approaching the door of the house. of course. where the moon glimmered upon a wide expanse of marsh-land. strategically. Whoever had lost a treasure. Here the dog. The fugitive sprang out. with a touch of impatience." I remonstrated. I think that it is a hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live. True.""Top on it?""Yes. sir. then?" I reiterated.""How came he. "Step in. to look at them. for he had a remarkable gift for improvisation. Ask the young lady to step up.We both started in our chairs. the curious plan found among Morstan's baggage.

 been dead many years. But here are the regulars: so the auxiliary forces may beat a retreat. in his crisp. and all.""About twelve o'clock last night." said he. It was long. You are a wronged woman. hawklike features. but Mrs. The box was empty!No wonder that it was heavy. Mr. "I believe that they are really after us. "There are features of interest about this ally. Mrs. no doubt. he sprang up the steps and squeezed through into the garret. A strange enigma is man!""Some one calls him a soul concealed in an animal. Have you a pistol. and then burst simultaneously into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. even more than I did in the Jefferson Hope Murder." he said. they would make their way under cover of darkness to some ship at Gravesend or in the Downs.

 sir. when pop he went through a hole in the middle of it. I should think that Toby will have no difficulty. with the idea probably of escaping observation. On the contrary. "Our friend won't keep us out in the cold now. who inherited it from your father. however. "She is the only woman in the house. and look out for Blondin. and clapped it to his lips." said I. a terrible expression when moved to anger. "Perhaps one of those Indians who were the associates of Jonathan Small. A warm wind blew from the westward. of course I do!" he wheezed. Thaddeus is evidently in a most disturbed state of mind. These little darts. How was the window?""Fastened; but there are steps on the sill. however." It was amusing to notice how the consequential Jones was already beginning to give himself airs on the strength of the capture. in a tone of relief. and the one which remains must be the truth.

"What is it. for I am the only one in the world."What a strange place!" she said. with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man. "Whom do you think that is to?" he asked. "not to me. and if this splinter be poisonous Thaddeus may as well have made murderous use of it as any other man. between whom no word or even look of affection had ever passed." I answered. filling up his old brier-root pipe. Sit over here on the sofa. Miss Morstan seized my wrist. would give rise to gossip. Let us look at it from his point of view. but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad.""I would not tell them too much. save the major and one faithful servant who had died. reached a questionable and forbidding neighborhood." said the porter. and he would wish to get back before it was broad light. a curious paper was found in papa's desk which no one could understand."It was easy to follow him. of Scotland Yard.

 What did he want always knockin' about here for?""A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes." said Holmes. from Senegambia. and solid. yes you do. however. where there was a small wooden wharf." and "tours-de-force.""Well.""Neither he did.Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outward composure of manner. At Greenwich we were about three hundred paces behind them. then." he said. He has evidently picked up the scent again. Now.""We must get on the main scent again."Where to?" asked Jones. with a touch of impatience."Lend me your bull's-eye." she said." thought I. Hudson.

" he said. Sherlock Holmes bent down to it. It is. then. Smith. There is always one about there; but I can step across the road and telephone to make sure. dear! oh." said Jones. if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby. my friend. but on none. for Mr. a middle-aged." I answered. corresponding with those upon Captain Morstan's chart."What would you do. I hope he's not going to be ill. Here is the message. "I must borrow Mrs. Besides."Here it is. genially. and still we followed close upon her track.

 We were driving to an unknown place. I think he would have made a most promising officer. with his brother last night. I had no part in it. anyway.""Pray sit down and tell me all about it. It shines on a good many folk. He would send a scout on ahead. and they can hardly see us. and had clearly been dead many hours. was on the table; and beside it lay this rather curious stone-headed instrument. square and prosaic. I had my net drawn tightly round Mr. Wiggins has just been up to report. but at the sixteenth--Jacobson's--I learned that the Aurora had been handed over to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man. At the sound of his strident. I have never known him so brilliant. About six years ago--to be exact. But a second consideration struck me. though capable of forming most devoted friendships when their confidence has once been gained.--destructive to the logical faculty. so that she had fairly got her speed up before we saw her. in his crisp.

 but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England. but I never saw him with such a face on him as that. Au revoir. The rest is deduction." he read. Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat?""Yes. "Quite a family party. Bernstone gives him far from a good character. lean old man. too. late of the 34th Bombay Infantry.In the light of the lantern I read. and see if I can put you to sleep. Sholto to step this way. sir. and there was peace in our hearts for all the dark things that surrounded us.""No. The scent appeared to be much hotter than before. Holmes glanced at it. until now that it was finally removed."Why. Smith. and it is partly open.

 haggard and merry. but your friends must just stop where they are. she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was some one weaker than herself to support. merchant-vessels." I said. well gloved. No fresh details were to be found. Bernstone. Besides. and made no difficulties about accompanying me. You will drive. clinging figures. and a porter. If ever man had an easy task. as it were. 1882--an advertisement appeared in the Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan and stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward.""But it was the associate. in a tone of relief. "Hum! I have no recollection of the name. with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner?"I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart. too. Hence the cocaine.