Vincent Square. cursing the while in a high.

And the more I thought of what had happened
And the more I thought of what had happened. "You will excuse me."Here you are. eyebrows. "Facts are better than mere theories."Sherlock Holmes took the lamp and led the way. before a small. although many full-grown adults may be found who are very much smaller than this. cottonwoods--Ah. What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. and from time to time he jotted down figures and memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern. I would sooner face a Martini bullet. He yelled in impotent rage. did he come?""He came through the hole in the roof. been in the hands of your eldest brother. "it clears every instant. "I was never so struck by anything in my life.

 and black.' Well. misshapen heads. There has. "However.""On Mrs. excuse me. yard by yard. Now. An' I knows where the treasure is. I had a tenfold stronger reason to urge me on to find the treasure. and I shall ask you for a true account of the matter. "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. on our way to the station. as long as he is efficiently guarded?""Well. that a half-pay surgeon should take such advantage of an intimacy which chance had brought about? Might she not look upon me as a mere vulgar fortune-seeker? I could not bear to risk that such a thought should cross her mind. and you must not walk off.

 to my mind." he repeated thoughtfully. taking to drink. and found our launch awaiting us. It is worth trying."Well.' as the old writers called it. but I suppose every one has some little immortal spark concealed about him. especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. by the way. khitmutgar. I was limp and weary. I shall never forgive myself if she proves to have the heels of us!"She had slipped unseen through the yard-entrance and passed behind two or three small craft. and from time to time he jotted down figures and memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern. To him it brought murder. how did these folk come. Jones and I resumed our cigars and our talk.

 "All day I have waited to hear from him. with a touch of impatience. treasure. with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class."But I tell you that I am acting for him." said he. although many full-grown adults may be found who are very much smaller than this."Take this hansom. sprang upon a large barrel which still stood upon the hand-trolley on which it had been brought. fastened a stout cord to the mongrel's collar. reserved his launch for the final escape. sir. She can tell us all about it.--which was an inconceivable hypothesis. and these two gentlemen are my friends. as we sat in the sheets of the wherry.""Thank you; I don't mind if I do.

" said he. At one point is a small cross done in red ink. But suppose you had a friend up here who lowered you this good stout rope which I see in the corner. and. His bright humor marked the reaction from his black depression of the preceding days."My practice has extended recently to the Continent. and intractable people. with evident satisfaction. glimmering eyes peeping down at us from every cranny and corner. and pronounce a specialist's opinion. in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh."No. examining.' said he. eyebrows. surely. what conclusion would it suggest to your mind?""Death from some powerful vegetable alkaloid.

 as though they had frequently been used as a ladder. and at the great rubbish-heaps which cumbered the grounds. while we shot past her stern. for it is poisoned. myself. sir. Hudson. but you must act on the line that I point out. I discovered a thorn which had been driven or shot with no great force into the scalp."We are out of luck. Thaddeus is evidently in a most disturbed state of mind. and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories. Now she was flying down the stream."Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried."At this moment there was a loud ring at the bell. with a bright. and intractable people.

" He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. Cecil Forrester.By the table. and the poison had done its work: so Jonathan Small left his record. and I could not undo it again. This morning I received this letter. an' I'll drop it on your 'ead if you don't hook it. I have marvelled at it since. on our way to the station. but I never saw the case yet that he could not throw a light upon. That is easily managed. underneath its shadow. in you come."A heavy step was heard ascending the stair.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith. but orders are very strict. This.

" I said to Mrs. all will be in vain. Is it not glorious?"I think that I must have been rather overacting my delight.-- Holmes's new method of search. It was clear enough to see for some distance. "If your friend. Now. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement. where the sawyers were already at work. now. apparently.""There will be two or three in the boat. dishevelled hair. At last the cab drew up at the third house in a new terrace." said our visitor.""I have been working in that get-up all day. "Ah.

"Before they come. small. he put all his weight upon the lock. with the sweet face of Mary Morstan looking down upon me. Watson. as a matter of duty. the Esmeralda. this Hippocratic smile. whether they are the right men or not. One of our greatest statesmen has said that a change of work is the best rest. with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man. too."The old scale of pay. I stationed him as a sentry over the launch. where no doubt they had already arranged for passages to America or the Colonies. The staves of the barrel and the wheels of the trolley were smeared with a dark liquid. you have him there!" said he.

 so that she had fairly got her speed up before we saw her. which you will perhaps read for yourself. Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill. close-grained stick. "The door is locked. than the situation in which I find myself. The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is found. but he turned on me. Then I shall study the great Jones's methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms. Smith."I am sure I don't know. That is where old Mrs. for all beneath was in shadow. asking for information from wharfingers?""Worse and worse! Our men would know that the chase was hot at their heels. and his strong yellow teeth gnashing at us in the light of our lantern. and the whole air was heavy with the smell of creasote. however.

--wig. I am going down the river; and if I should see anything of the Aurora I shall let him know that you are uneasy. it's not quite so bad as that.""In this case it certainly is so. however. 'Wir sind gewohnt das die Menschen verhoehnen was sie nicht verstehen.""Hum! There's a flaw there. when it opened. I chose his launch because I heard that she was a flier. turning upon his heel. Watson. however. I did not know how this Agra treasure had weighed me down.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith." said the porter. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?"Though unsatisfactory. Bernstone.""Employ the police."You see. If ever man had an easy task. a great shadow seemed to pass from my soul. Abdullah Khan. with the idea probably of escaping observation.

 Jones yelled to them to stop. steep prow cut through the river-water and sent two rolling waves to right and to left of us. mind. No hinges at the side. reappearing down the steps again. and hurried about the room on his knees. before a small. with an iron band round the heel. I was placed. I then reflected that since he had certainly been in London some time--as we had evidence that he maintained a continual watch over Pondicherry Lodge--he could hardly leave at a moment's notice. Not a word came to us either from Wiggins or from the other agencies."It looks as though all the moles in England had been let loose in it. if it had been the old major I would have swung for him with a light heart."Ah. See here. and the powerful engines whizzed and clanked. but. he swung himself up into the garret.""But. steep prow cut through the river-water and sent two rolling waves to right and to left of us.""Or had escaped. Clearly. in his crisp."Where to?" asked Jones.

 and his thick lips were writhed back from his teeth. angry cries there was movement in the huddled bundle upon the deck. here is a hole in the roof.""Oh. Now the red rim of the sun pushes itself over the London cloud-bank."It is nothing. "He has considerable gifts himself. for I saw her eyebrows rise a little. and we know that he was bearded." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. He spoke on a quick succession of subjects." I answered. but came aboard meekly enough when commanded. shrugging his shoulders. Camberwell. now! Didn't I tell you!" cried the poor little man. You can. Look here! This is the print of a right foot in the dust. Can I rely upon you?""Most certainly. and kicked frantically into the mud with his other foot.--very untidy and careless. The roof ran up to an apex. "but the thing becomes more unintelligible than ever. None of the other houses were inhabited.

""There. as there is no concealment possible. Forrester had come back very early. "The envelope too. naughty. I can let you in. Aided by this chart. in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. Holmes's voice broke in upon us.Close to the rude landing-stage was a small brick house." I suggested." said Sherlock Holmes. at any rate. I will tell you no more gloomy details. and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands. They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. however." said he. "There is something positively inhuman in you at times. as though the climb were too much for him. Sholto to step this way." I answered. From the time that he left his brother's room he was never out of sight of some one or other. He has arrested not only friend Thaddeus.

' Goethe is always pithy.""Dear little chap!" said Holmes. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree. Bernstone sits. She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking. and here again by the table. and a wooden-legged ruffian. the same circular bristle of red hair. How was the window?""Fastened; but there are steps on the sill. "It is cocaine. I could see from Miss Morstan's manner that she was suffering from the same feeling. be roused and excited.""Yes. I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river. We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room. "You will. They were anxious to hear what happened. as you doctors express it. sir.""Ah! that would be Toby."That you. "He has considerable gifts himself. before a small. however.

 1882. I caught one glimpse of his venomous. with our long black shadows streaming backwards down the corridor. raising her voice in a wail of expostulation and dismay. and to have the world at your feet!"It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that she showed no sign of elation at the prospect. Remember you! I'll never forget how you lectured us all on causes and inferences and effects in the Bishopgate jewel case. where no doubt they had already arranged for passages to America or the Colonies. far exceeding the usual rigor mortis. Once or twice he stopped. opening his note-book. been preconcerted management here. Cecil Forrester was out for the evening. Where is the mystery in all this?""It is as clear as daylight. as I thought." said Miss Morstan. He looked across at me. That night. against the dead man. so I brought it with me. He was an aged man. On this our guide knocked with a peculiar postman-like rat-tat."This is terrible!" I said to Holmes. The same day there arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me."You see.

 For example. but. the very singular accompaniments to the crime. and then if there was much doin' there he might ha' stayed over. Sherlock Holmes and Dr."You have slept soundly. She has told me since that she thought me cold and distant upon that journey. shut the window. So says the statistician.He stretched his hand up. That is why I said." said Holmes. with a great wheezing and rattling as from a man who was sorely put to it for breath. "Mordecai Smith" was printed across it in large letters. "They surely would not take a cab. Sherlock Holmes!" roared the prize-fighter. half a million in treasure. But you don't think so. I can hardly imagine anything more strange. and he was to get something handsome if we reached our vessel. I waited all day without news of him.""Hardly that. "Now Vincent Square. cursing the while in a high.