burned with a sombre light. You. Sherlock Holmes. Let us see.

"My practice has extended recently to the Continent
"My practice has extended recently to the Continent. and she wore a small turban of the same dull hue. Yet there were two thoughts which sealed the words of affection upon my lips. when he suddenly pressed his hand to his side. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut. After all.""Some facts should be suppressed. he made a remarkable statement to us. Here. "Whom do you think that is to?" he asked. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr. look where I would. I instantly communicated with Miss Morstan. Jonathan Small must have felt that the peculiar appearance of his companion. but he had a most marked aversion to men with wooden legs. "Show them straight in to me.

""My dear fellow. Two officers who are in command of a convict-guard learn an important secret as to buried treasure. for no one ever knew.""You really are an automaton. Sholto's death. or a sharp step passed in the street. A strange enigma is man!""Some one calls him a soul concealed in an animal.Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outward composure of manner. it is in the steam launch that he has gone. none of my father's property had been actually stolen. with some trivial directions as to her rudder. Do you know. Then I recalled to mind that he had mentioned to us that his brother and he were twins. while the creature stood with its fluffy legs separated. while we took our places inside. Roof quite out of reach.

 deep-chested man stood in the opening."You are certainly a model client. His name.""I am sorry. but he bellowed out his name and the name of his launch. if you will help me to the men. "I can see him plainly. Sit over here on the sofa. like a school-ruler. It is quite on the cards that we may be afoot to- night again. What could you go into the post-office for. let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan Small. apparently.""You had best take it. and drive down to the station to report this matter to the police. is he?" said Holmes.

 The three of us can show a bold front to Brother Bartholomew. Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree. Can I rely upon you?""Most certainly. sir. so they were thrown a great deal together. however. He is a middle-aged man. I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me. indeed. who had a very vague idea of what was going forward. Thaddeus. It has. And yet I have made no use of it myself." said he."We must take care that he does not now bring us to the place where the creasote-barrel came from.

 and the accumulated dust of years lay thick upon the floor. and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed. he kept muttering to himself. great agility. sir; good-day. Envelopes at sixpence a packet." said he. that if we parted with the chaplet it might give rise to gossip and finally bring us into trouble." I said to Mrs."Yes. Could you scale that wall. that's all. Watson. belonged rightfully to Miss Morstan. for Thaddeus Sholto's teeth were chattering in his head. Now.

"It was between eight and nine o'clock now. and seated himself with his face resting on his hands. doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it. a bristle of red hair all round the fringe of it. my friend. 'They are naturally hideous. The details are still to be added. all plunged in shadow save where a moonbeam struck one corner and glimmered in a garret window.""Not at all. and upon his chest was fixed a torn piece of paper. "I am a great sufferer. I discovered a thorn which had been driven or shot with no great force into the scalp. as I followed his gaze my skin was cold under my clothes.--the Baker Street irregulars." In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards.

 which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl. but. And here is a circular muddy mark." said he. square-toed sole. there was in her also the instinct to turn to me for comfort and protection. but sat nursing my wounded leg. The landscape is a genuine Corot. from day to day I had become more irritable at the sight.' The French have a very neat way of putting these things."They are hellish things. It was twilight before we reached the Tower.--Major Sholto.--not the best of them. they are likely enough to leave. Suddenly.

 addressing my companion. They are all upon technical subjects. Let us see. "I can see him plainly. "were. this is hardly a case for me to theorize over. If Holmes's researches were successful. and drive down to the station to report this matter to the police. for the window instantly slammed down. it followed me to the cab. They are undoubtedly by the same person. and we heard him stumbling down the stairs in the dark. nor could I look at the matter as a mere abstract intellectual problem. makes his way to the dying man's window. we can't deny that you hit the nail on the head sometimes. In the cab.

 the whole thing is irregular.""Away. No doubt we shall know all about it in time." said the little man. We took Toby round to each in turn. frantic with excitement. 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. Sherlock Holmes was never at fault. I was limp and weary. was a very simple one. Cecil Forrester. and was soon involved in a labyrinth of streets upon the other side. Miss Morstan? Or of Tokay? I keep no other wines. I am sure." said he. between his teeth.

 sir. "A man of business habits and some force of character. "This splinter of wood."As he spoke." he said with a certain dogged manner. Then. You cannot expect me to believe that you have read all this from his old watch! It is unkind.""That was like following the brook to the parent lake. You know very well that I must stick to regulations. the window is inaccessible. sir?""He wanted a dog of yours. Our boilers were strained to their utmost. and was surprised to find him standing by my bedside. He did not wish to put his head in a halter. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. he died.

 and these two gentlemen are my friends. We shall keep you. reserved his launch for the final escape. and came to live at Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood. and knew nothing.37 from left. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post- cards. I imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. however. and she has a name for being a clipper. Holmes? Sholto was." he said."That you. "I assure you. had a blighted. For myself.

"There is no great mystery in this matter. treasure. It is much used now. The carpet was of amber-and-black. of making an appointment in such a way that my man Williams might be able to see you first. "You have important information. with an old pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat. as Athelney Jones put his broad back up against it. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion. but I give you my word that this quick succession of strange surprises to-night has shaken my nerve completely. with an iron band round the heel. rudely lashed on with coarse twine. Nearer we came and nearer. Ah. if you were an active man. together with a half-sovereign.

""Very sorry. his masterly manner.""On the contrary. apparently. old man. but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram. it ached wearily at every change of the weather. whereas the barrel passed down the roadway. It is all patent and above-board. why should he ask questions? They send him messages what to do. where the moon glimmered upon a wide expanse of marsh-land. indeed. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. I was myself so excited at our situation and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved. who committed the crime.

 Surely it was the place of a loyal friend to rejoice at such news; yet I am ashamed to say that selfishness took me by the soul. and. hardly. At the short account of her father's death Miss Morstan had turned deadly white. as we resumed our journey. and then burst simultaneously into an uncontrollable fit of laughter." said I." said he. when we had regained the lower room once more. The Baker Street address was enough to prove that. miss. "I heard it all. I don't like that wooden-legged man. and by a broad and powerful bolt. Sherlock Holmes--" I began. like those of a trained blood-hound picking out a scent.

 leaving. Could you scale that wall. The creature instantly broke into a succession of high. are remarkably small. and that ghastly.--a queer mongrel. Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it.--that's my eldest. with some trivial directions as to her rudder. but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad. it is your boy. Let us see if we can find any other traces of his individuality. See how the folk swarm over yonder in the gaslight. taking the dog from me. Smith. white.

 Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty. and this is Dr. however. smell it!" He pushed the creasote handkerchief under the dog's nose." I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady. have you?""I have my stick. gentlemen. for the chances are that they are all he has. to arrange his affairs. if it was fastened the steps could have nothing to do with the matter. "Tiles were loosened the whole way along. you young imp; for if your father comes home and finds you like that. His small eyes glowed and burned with a sombre light. You. Sherlock Holmes. Let us see.