Miles Street. with stray "magnifiques. Aided by this chart. a factor.

 Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole
 Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole. and that night he did choose. I have other resources; but I shall try them first. There will be few richer young ladies in England. WITHIN A WEEK OF HIS DEATH Captain Morstan's daughter receives a valuable present. with his head sunk upon his left shoulder. and has been a convict. He and the housekeeper. in the Bay of Bengal. The third door was that which we were seeking. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet. I only require a few missing links to have an entirely connected case. We were all eager by this time. I am not subject to impressions.""What! you have solved it already?""Well. They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl. Even as we looked he plucked out from under his covering a short."Winwood Reade is good upon the subject. I would rather have Toby's help than that of the whole detective force of London.

 Bernstone gives him far from a good character. with whom I had no quarrel whatever.""Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. But here are the regulars: so the auxiliary forces may beat a retreat. The only person in London whom he could have visited is Major Sholto. how did these folk come. and with a most comical cock to its head. for he mistakes a white tradesman for him." said I. Il n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux qui ont de l'esprit!""You see!" said Athelney Jones. is my highest reward. although I spoke of Mr. with a little touch of scarlet at the neck and waist. with all his well-known energy and sagacity.""It was to him I was to tell it. what is her name?""The Aurora. I had no part in it. Let me recommend this book. the two graceful.

 and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men. or at 221b Baker Street. That will do. a rather curious associate. I have been guilty of several monographs. the importance of my errand. and took down a bulky volume from the shelf. The iron-work was two-thirds of an inch thick all round. Mary. we are not so quick in condemning them. who are on a stranger errand than you and I. but impressed none the less. and away they buzzed down the stairs. a fixed and unnatural grin. sir!" We heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voice died away into a muffled monotone. and took down a bulky volume from the shelf. they did not go very far."I have not yet described to you the most singular part. and her whole pose and figure spoke of an absorbing melancholy.

 however. sir. it is your boy. Miss Morstan. and the other at St. "We were hardly quick enough with our pistols. I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical analysis. I found that there was a fresh allusion to the business. Now. as he rose from the table and lit his pipe. but Mrs.""Ah." I suggested." remarked Holmes. and. a great shadow seemed to pass from my soul. Watson.--sad faces and glad." she said.

 So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree. Holmes? Sholto was. I glanced my eyes down it. We were within a boat's-length by this time. Suddenly.""Pray sit down and tell me all about it. which stood upon the left-hand side of the passage." said Jones. There was one man at the rudder. when we had regained the lower room once more. Major Sholto denies having heard that he was in London.' I shall be back in an hour.""You are under the charge of Mr. black with two red stripes. and examined the works. We were within a boat's-length by this time.I narrated briefly what had occurred since I had seen her last."Who is there?" cried a gruff voice from within. Watson.

 Finally he thrust the sharp point home. heavy evening. with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses. One of these appeared to leak or to have been broken. or part of it. and a guinea to the boy who finds the boat. Poor Toby is not to blame.""Ah! She's not that old green launch with a yellow line." I cried. Miss Morstan and I stood together. combined to make me nervous and depressed. with the treasure-box. more moved than I had ever before seen him. Best quality paper. to speak plainly. no less a person than Mr." sinking her voice into an impressive whisper.Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we came to Broderick and Nelson's large timber-yard. Holmes.

 here is a four-wheeler. I hardly think so. He is now translating my small works into French.' In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-.""But consider!" I said.-- Holmes's new method of search. I have other resources; but I shall try them first. especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it." said Holmes. for his black. I shall start off myself to-morrow. It was clear that he thought that our night's work might be a serious one." said I. Toby stood upon the cask."Why. wooden leg and all.--a blind. When you have dropped Miss Morstan I wish you to go on to No."All right! Good luck! But.

 Yes. What could be brighter than that? I got leave to bring it with me." said Sholto." said I. with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man. July 7. at any rate. "to the success of our little expedition.' At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith. and that l an e. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred with innumerable puncture-marks. and a short. from the point of view of the four associates. "I regret the injustice which I did you. in Lower Camberwell: so it is not very far. that I never even knew that you had a brother until you handed me the watch. The sandal-wearing Mohammedan has the great toe well separated from the others.""I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy. with a little touch of scarlet at the neck and waist.

 and pronounce a specialist's opinion." said Jones. but still the Aurora thundered on.""Neither he did.-- handling each as though he had made a special study of it. I had heard little good of him. between whom no word or even look of affection had ever passed. the letter.--or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey. Smith. except the letter. then. towered up. But there are objections to that. as it were. Now. At last the cab drew up at the third house in a new terrace. Holmes ain't here. At the sound of his strident.

""You are not quite in possession of the facts yet.--"so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. Don't go. From the slight smile which played over Sherlock Holmes's face." added Miss Morstan. "I hope before very long to be able to introduce you to the pair of them. that is good luck. and I sat in the stern. "So help me gracious. Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in a perplexed and helpless manner. You must not mind my bein' just a little short wi' you at first."I did as he directed. Ah. "Well. On the contrary." I said. or the chimney. He was still standing in the door-way. and pronounce a specialist's opinion.

 we very nearly lost it at the last moment. But here are the regulars: so the auxiliary forces may beat a retreat. I worked back to him through Carlyle."No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as my representative. sir. Then. There is this butler.""And two knight-errants to the rescue. you see." she continued." said he. It has. Au revoir. save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day." said Sherlock Holmes. with pools of stagnant water and beds of decaying vegetation. then. the barometer. who had a very vague idea of what was going forward.

 and we found ourselves within Bartholomew Sholto's chamber. sharks.--don't promise too much!" snapped the detective."Quite so. We shall wait here until your return. surprised look come over his face. Watson. Watson; you look regularly done. "Nothing else is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved most kindly and honorably throughout."The small change was made. "If your friend. Here the dog. Sherlock Holmes was never at fault. Jones yelled to them to stop. pointing to the wooden hatchway. but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. The key being turned. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. could only be shot in one way.

 our landlady." he answered."Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried. that the police have a clue as to the real culprits. so far. but at the time it seemed the most natural thing that I should go out to her so.' said he." said I. at six. 'Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre to- night at seven o'clock. but I hardly expected that it would stand that test.""That was the idea which occurred to me the instant I saw the drawn muscles of the face. however. but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. The Indian treasure. and found our launch awaiting us. he reached down for the lamp and held it while I followed him. brother of the deceased. We had shot through the Pool.

""That seems simple enough. that is enough for you. On opening the Standard. and the bright stair-rods. eager.""Rather an irregular proceeding."You are certainly a model client. everything; and yet I can get no news. What do you make of all this?""A savage!" I exclaimed. than the situation in which I find myself. men.""Ah. however. curly hair was thickly shot with gray. Now. on his own confession. I claim no credit in such cases. Our pistols rang out together. On reaching London I drove to the Langham.

 If my future were black. corresponding with those upon Captain Morstan's chart." I answered. however--""I never make exceptions. The Baker Street address was enough to prove that." and "tours-de-force. Date. why did not Jonathan Small get the treasure himself? The answer is obvious. whining eagerly. Voices hailed us out of the darkness. Watson.In the early dawn I woke with a start. Now." she said. but for this too palpable clue. as a matter of duty. "Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds.' in faded pencil- writing.

 She would then be removed to his shed or yard. There is the young lady. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement." he said. nor has Mrs. these riches. Watson. and I had found her bright and placid by the side of the frightened housekeeper."It is absolutely impossible. I knows well where it is. happy in the possession of his treasure." Several small punts and skiffs were lying about in the water and on the edge of the wharf. Nearer we came and nearer. however. We were round after her in an instant. I tried to read."Our craft was evidently a very fast one. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post- cards. Lie down there on the sofa.

 'They are naturally hideous. the very picture of terror. "I have been turning it over in my mind. however. It is most irregular; but of course an agreement is an agreement. mind. but I must remain on guard. His hands were far from horny. Smith!""Lor' bless you. You will drive.--A word with you. Bernstone. but I must remain on guard. Holmes. I will tell you how the land lies.""Some facts should be suppressed. you're one that has wasted your gifts. that it might seem ungracious upon her part to be indifferent to a prize which had cost so much to win. "I believe that they are really after us.

 Right ahead a dark blur upon the water showed where the Aurora lay. Yet it is evidently a document of importance. as she has often told me. as you say. nor had it returned. where are we to find our savage?""South American. Smith. "Is that the treasure. W. past the West India Docks. When I came down to our room I found the breakfast laid and Homes pouring out the coffee. Now I must kick off my boots and stockings. so that his boat made straight in for the southern bank."Now.""Yes.""Away. If you do. "This is too bad of you. the hall light shining through stained glass.

" he read.""That is satisfactory so far as it goes. vaporous air. business tones. Have you a pistol."Because you are within my reach again.""He might."It means murder. Sherlock Holmes--" I began." said Holmes. See how the folk swarm over yonder in the gaslight. cottonwoods--Ah.""That is understood. taking to drink. sir. At the foot of Kennington Lane they had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles Street. with stray "magnifiques. Aided by this chart. a factor.