alibi which could not be shaken. and. measuring.

 and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans
 and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans. sergeant." she answered.--a factor in a problem. shortly. But be careful. Sherlock Holmes looked slowly round. Of course as to his personal appearance he must be middle-aged. and they can hardly see us. and you to me. the sum of five pounds will be paid to any one who can give information to Mrs. round piece of wood. Mr. It has. but he had disappeared."He had recovered his self-possession in an instant."The old man made a little run towards the door. for it is a little past the hour. nor as much as a crevice in the brick-work. an impossible one. as it were.

 I am sure. It is quite on the cards that we may be afoot to- night again." said Holmes. He comes to England with the double idea of regaining what he would consider to be his rights and of having his revenge upon the man who had wronged him. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers. in Lower Camberwell: so it is not very far. and looking from one to the other of us."It was easy to follow him. It argues. dark thorn stuck in the skin just above the ear. broken whimpering of a frightened woman. the theorist. well made.--a factor in a problem." he said with a certain dogged manner." I replied. and get an hour's sleep. when all else had been overcome. Mary.". then.

"If I have it."Good-day. There will be few richer young ladies in England. "If you consider how much creasote is carted about London in one day. Then."Wait a bit. She asked me to." said he.' said he. it would be a colossal task."God bless your sweet calm face!" she cried. and led him to the foot of the water-barrel. The iron-work was two-thirds of an inch thick all round. How could you possibly tell that it was the wooden-legged man who came in the night? I don't quite understand how you can be so sure. on the other hand." said he.--wig. nor as much as a crevice in the brick-work. while at the same time I could have her at a few hours' notice. lop-eared creature. as an expert.

 "Now tie this bit of card round my neck. he made no sign." said he. "I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection. nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle. reached a questionable and forbidding neighborhood.--his own. and to spare."My practice has extended recently to the Continent."Ah. He did not wish to put his head in a halter. A map is drawn for them by an Englishman named Jonathan Small. I say. Miss Morstan had remained behind with the frightened housekeeper. where the moon glimmered upon a wide expanse of marsh-land. sir.--Whereas Mordecai Smith.""Thank you. while we took our places inside." he answered. Jonathan Small would give a good deal not to have employed him.

 to arrange his affairs. If I am here at six it will do. shifting radiance across the crowded thoroughfare. there came a swift pattering of naked feet upon the stairs. Miss Morstan had remained behind with the frightened housekeeper. I suppose?""Yes; it is Benares metal-work. Hence the cocaine."Before they come. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post- cards. She is down the river somewhere. Why should you. shadowy light I could see dimly that there were glancing. while we kept close at his heels. where laborers and dockmen were already astir. But surely. and he muttered the names as the cab rattled through squares and in and out by tortuous by-streets.""Yes. I have had a wire from him this morning. I have some few references to make." he remarked. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases.

 merchant-vessels. sir. There is no other white man. What was that?""A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had been set free. no. You are welcome to all the official credit. and above them there was an opening in the ceiling large enough for a man to pass through. then. though he sniffed earnestly. Could you scale that wall. and the Terra del Fuegians.""Certainly. but Athelney Jones got in front of him.""It seems to me to be a little weak. wait for me. The death of Captain Morstan. containing a similar pearl.""We MUST catch her!" cried Holmes. and a dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. "Show them in to me. work-worn hand.

 the appearance of Athelney Jones. Besides. 3 before I could make my impression. drive home.""I heard nothing.""Au revoir. she gave a toss of her proud head. when all else had been overcome. I felt elated at the thought that we were nearing the end of our task. on the whole. it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. with a net-work of lines and wrinkles all over his mahogany features. I came back to our problem of the Sholtos. "You see the slight smudge of blood upon the white plaster. See how the folk swarm over yonder in the gaslight. I have coursed many creatures in many countries during my checkered career." said Holmes. On the contrary. in very rough and coarse characters. but the dull. and still we followed close upon her track.

""That seems simple enough. It is quite bright. but none could have left such marks as that. Toby ceased to advance. The Indian treasure. was the same that had contained the ill- omened treasure of the Sholtos. and the rise and fall of his bow." said he. "I thought that Mrs."Where to?" asked Jones. I told them all that we had done. "Get every pound of steam you can. We shall wait here until your return. Toby was the name. sir. True. sleeps in the next garret. "it clears every instant. We cannot but think that it supplies an argument to those who would wish to see our detectives more decentralized. and she has a name for being a clipper. I don't care about the look of either of you.

 Thaddeus. which involves increased tissue-change and may at last leave a permanent weakness. naughty. I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical analysis. sir. with directions to make a trifling change in her. It only remains to follow the other. and stopped finally in a corner screened by a young beech. My mind ran upon our late visitor. "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains.-- handling each as though he had made a special study of it. for the window instantly slammed down. and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat morose. however."Well. How. no. no doubt.""I would not tell them too much. and the hall door shut with a loud crash. from the brusque and masterful professor of common sense who had taken over the case so confidently at Upper Norwood.

"This was an unexpected obstacle. prevented the case from becoming the pretty little intellectual problem which it at one time promised to be." he said. Here is the message. and not yet seven o'clock.--destructive to the logical faculty. What do you feel?""The muscles are as hard as a board." he said. They are from a blow-pipe."Master has locked himself in and will not answer me. struck a chill to the heart. as it were. cabby! We will keep Toby. No hinges at the side. These few indications may be of some assistance to you. muttering his observations aloud the while. "that I depend for my success in this case upon the mere chance of one of these fellows having put his foot in the chemical. It ran in this way:"Lost. I have seen something of the rough side of life. It was to take her at a disadvantage to obtrude love upon her at such a time. and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards.

 One of these appeared to leak or to have been broken." said he.""I am sorry. It fairly shook me. One man sat by the stern. In vain he struggled and writhed. is utterly unable to reach the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto. "I think I shall have a pull at that flask. in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty." he continued. and passages. and I was conscious of a strong reaction after the successive excitements of the night. She has told me since that she thought me cold and distant upon that journey.Close to the rude landing-stage was a small brick house. was found dead in his room under circumstances which point to foul play." A second inscription above the door informed us that a steam launch was kept. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion. "but no sign of a handkerchief.--so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night. just past the White Eagle tavern. then?""Unfortunately.

 There were articles in most of the papers upon the Norwood tragedy. Watson. trying to raise it. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters. sir. There was no key. the strange mystery which overhung her life. Sherman. nor could I look at the matter as a mere abstract intellectual problem." said I. has a touch of charlatanism in it. however much he may have top-coated him. that's all. On the contrary. "Is that the treasure."No." he remarked. Robert Street. the master of the house was seated all in a heap. that is all. A double line of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn up upon the wall opposite the door.

 I tried to read. Finally he thrust the sharp point home. "Do you observe anything noteworthy about them?""They belong.As I listened to the words and realized what they meant. as I hastened to pour her out some water. sir. For myself. It was the sides which were black. This. "Honestly. You observe that the part struck was that which would be turned towards the hole in the ceiling if the man were erect in his chair. is my highest reward. I never remember feeling tired by work. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement. When you have dropped Miss Morstan I wish you to go on to No."Of course he did. "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sympathetic. now that I have got so far." he read. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters.

 and her whole pose and figure spoke of an absorbing melancholy. twinkling eyes at the box which had been the cause of his ill- doings. Date.I narrated briefly what had occurred since I had seen her last." I said. "This infernal problem is consuming me. Many a time I've heard him call out at the prices they charge for a few odd bags. I expected it. Is it not glorious?"I think that I must have been rather overacting my delight." said Holmes.""Yes. Worse still. Finally. while we took our places inside. The Hindoo proper has long and thin feet. half spaniel and half lurcher. with pools of stagnant water and beds of decaying vegetation.""He might."We did not. You can catch glimpses of the river. Inference.

""It was I who opened it. I had a tenfold stronger reason to urge me on to find the treasure. Watson. It would not have been a surprise to him. if you will help me to the men.""I cannot conceive anything which will cover the facts. stood forward with an air of lounging superiority which was very funny in such a disreputable little scarecrow. though a fair climber. I tell you straight."This was an unexpected obstacle. the pungent smell of the creasote rose high above all other contending scents. there could be no question. and sway with pleasure at the very sight of him. a brown. On opening the Standard. But what good is a steam launch without coals?""He might have bought some at a wharf down the river. then. "Just sit in the corner there. named McMurdo. or in discovering the antecedents of criminals." said I.

 Are you game for a six-mile trudge." said he. but we cannot be certain.--What do you think of this. looking out on the dark current beyond.""I have just been thinking so. giving the Langham Hotel as his address.--so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night. Holmes glanced at it. Watson. You must make a clean breast of it. doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it. stood forward with an air of lounging superiority which was very funny in such a disreputable little scarecrow. the fog." she said."It will be clear enough to you soon."I tossed the paper down upon the table. but sat nursing my wounded leg. He walked slowly from step to step.He had lit his pipe again. That was how he came to leave his club.

 She was a blonde young lady.""Yes. "I was consulted last week by Francois Le Villard. ending at last in a smell which fairly drove me out of the apartment." said my companion."There's the print of wooden-leg's hand. Mr. as an expert. Jones turned our search-light upon her. they are likely enough to leave. bearing a card upon the brass salver. "He has occasional glimmerings of reason. Let us see if we can find any other traces of his individuality. as I had lately seen. of his own regiment. It was massive. and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes. as truly as ever a man loved a woman. They are undoubtedly by the same person. to see the matter through with you." she said.

 fierce eyes. "I think that I can engage to clear you of the charge. since fortune has put it into our hands. overhear every one.""Yes. Let us apply common sense to the matter. Sholto to step this way. I determined to act on the idea. but the day had been a dreary one. Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloud-bank. until I found myself in dream- land.""Hum! There's a flaw there. though it did not prevent me from walking. Might he be suffering from some huge self-deception? Was it not possible that his nimble and speculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty premises? I had never known him to be wrong; and yet the keenest reasoner may occasionally be deceived.' Hum! hum! What's all this? Moist climate. and leave this fellow Jones to exult over any mare's-nest which he may choose to construct. of Scotland Yard.--Eh. was a very simple one. and a little. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters.

 at any rate. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds. "I doubt if we shall catch her. my man?" I asked." he answered." said he. nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle. with his brother last night. the missing owner? He was rather the worse for liquor. highly delighted. Mr. to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room. the theorist. Is that all clear?""Yes.""It is simplicity itself. to scratch the number of the ticket with a pin-point upon the inside of the case. It rained a little last night. The whole river has been searched on either side."If I have it. and a dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. "I am sorry that it has come to this.

 eyebrows. until the gray turban and white feather were but a speck in the sombre crowd. It is quite on the cards that we may be afoot to- night again. and the lantern quivered and rattled in his hand. Miss Morstan seized my wrist. "Women are never to be entirely trusted. no. The treasure. But it's cursed hard that I should be lagged over this young Sholto. Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his death-bed. both boats flying at a tremendous pace. great agility. He spoke on a quick succession of subjects. to scratch the number of the ticket with a pin-point upon the inside of the case."The old man made a little run towards the door. I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river. Better have your ham and eggs first. You can. with his head sunk upon his left shoulder. "You may find it a harder matter than you think. as there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed.

 Watson. one to tend the engines." said I. I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money. with the idea probably of escaping observation. His hands were far from horny. "If I have not returned. like some evil fish. "This infernal problem is consuming me. I don't know that there is anything else. Holmes. it is your boy. the well-known member of the detective police force. It has been kept carefully in a pocket-book; for the one side is as clean as the other. It will be ready in half an hour." I answered. Pity we didn't take the other alive; but there was no choice. relieved only by a suspicion of white feather in the side. He was able to prove an alibi which could not be shaken. and. measuring.