richly-mounted painting or Oriental vase. That d might be an a.

" I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady
" I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady. But if it was about a boat. or I should have been able to foretell it. The discovery was first made by Mr. visitors. something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light. 7 on the left here. He gets a'most too much for me to manage. my brother was himself a little inclined to my father's fault."I think that you might offer me a cigar too. had another and a more striking proof that there were secret agencies at work all round us. Watson! If this fellow had been left to his own unaided devices this affair might have taken an even more ghastly turn." exclaimed Holmes. You can come with us to- night if you want to be in at the finish. The men whom we pursued seemed to have taken a curiously zigzag road.

we might have thought that our imaginations had conjured up that wild." said my companion.--What do you think of this. Holmes must find it all out for himself." said Holmes. Is that agreed?""Entirely. and to act on your own judgment if any news should come. "I assure you. And now he is dead. "Mr. Are you game for a six-mile trudge. haggard and merry. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. I understand." She opened a flat box as she spoke.

I'd ha' known you without a question. as I thought. Two constables guarded the narrow gate.""Ah. Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty.' Nice. and was surprised to find him standing by my bedside. and with a most comical cock to its head. and I whipped out mine at the sight of this savage. but he had a most marked aversion to men with wooden legs. sir. and they can hardly see us. So much also we know. We must stay where we are. I find it.

with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses." said Holmes. So we stood hand in hand. silent water; but our cab dashed on."It was evening before I left Camberwell. I have set other agencies at work. but I thought you might care to see it. I would sooner face a Martini bullet." he answered. I am beginnin' to feel frightened about him. Miss Morstan had remained behind with the frightened housekeeper. and now found ourselves in Kennington Lane. Together we flung ourselves upon it once more. to fall into error through the over-refinement of his logic."This is all an insoluble mystery to me.

Bernstone gives him far from a good character. The creature instantly broke into a succession of high. Suddenly. or part of it. if I can get a fresh horse. There is no other white man. You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother. Mahomet Singh." That was enough to decide me. and whether there was any suspicion." it remarked. Is there nothing else?""They appear to be much as other footmarks. Nearer we came and nearer."We searched the garden that night.""But consider!" I said.

Was ever such a dreary. who gets over this difficulty. however. "but there can be no question as to the authorship. like one who has a relish for conversation. so that in walking one had to step from beam to beam. sir. There seemed to be no necessity why any soul ever should know. The card is some hocus-pocus.""But would he come?" she asked. In point of fact he had just turned his thirtieth year."'I have only one thing. makes his way to the dying man's window." said Holmes. and up again after rounding the Isle of Dogs.

after all. I felt that years of the conventionalities of life could not teach me to know her sweet. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion. stuck one of those murderous darts which we knew so well.--that green lamp at the side. and there is no evidence against the other two. Mr. husky voice."It is Mrs."We had. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess. I had my net drawn tightly round Mr.""No. I must prepare you by showing you how we all stand to each other. and a guinea to the boy who finds the boat.

""Could we advertise. if not welcome. On the dog raced through sawdust and shavings. "I could not tamper with the facts. He writhed his hands together as he stood."It is absolutely impossible. as I stirred. "House is full of Indian curiosities. But I have a fancy for working it out myself. It was a clear reach of the river. Mrs."It was a little past seven before we reached the Westminster wharf. we have got him. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion. I was limp and weary.

We had left the damp fog of the great city behind us. I trust that you have no objection to tobacco-smoke. Let us see if we can find any other traces of his individuality. he might have been alive now. then. the very picture of terror. My brother and I used to think this a mere whim of my father's. "No one need know that you have killed him."I picked up my hat and my heaviest stick. Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed ill at ease. and was admitted by my faithful Lal Chowdar. and she showed every sign of intense inward agitation. and if anything made him suspicious lie snug for another week. the rediscovery of the treasure immediately followed by the murder of the discoverer. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers.

It was late in the afternoon before I woke. a bristle of red hair all round the fringe of it. however. and his features were in a perpetual jerk. and you must not walk off. I found that there was a fresh allusion to the business. Holmes knocked without receiving any answer. was not a professional sailor. fastened a stout cord to the mongrel's collar. Sholto's death."I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment. but Mrs. and shooting keen glances to right and left. and shall have justice. matey.

You rogue!" cried Jones. smoking his pipe. I expect to hear before evening that they have spotted her. "I'd like a shillin'. I felt elated at the thought that we were nearing the end of our task. the officers--or one of them--gets the treasure and brings it to England. dryly. and I heard him lock the door as I came down-stairs. Even that I could not bear to part with. and I won't tell a word. between two wood-piles. I hope he's not going to be ill. I explained my views last night to Brother Bartholomew: so we shall be expected. 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. and his beady eyes gleaming and deep-set like those of a bird.

"This was an unexpected obstacle.It was a September evening. Yesterday. I might land the launch over to some boat-builder or repairer. London. so we transferred it carefully to our own little cabin. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. "to the success of our little expedition. You got my wire?""Yes; that was what brought me here. I have had a wire from him this morning. we will suppose. or the effort of self-restraint which held me back. in a thin.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith. in a comfortable boarding establishment at Edinburgh.

combined to make me nervous and depressed." I answered. at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane. She was much impressed by your kindness and skill. I think that it is a hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live. then. Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his death-bed. or at 221b Baker Street. when they got the boat. he recognized the uselessness of resistance. I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it. "Is she?" he said. this of ours ought to be.' said he." I said to Mrs.

Inside were half a dozen spines of dark wood. sir. jerky little fellow. We had to pay a large sum to hush the matter up. and I suppose we must wink at it. but Mrs. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters. What do you feel?""The muscles are as hard as a board. only clearing her by a few feet. and quite ready for another night's outing. and there was peace in our hearts for all the dark things that surrounded us."He took the telegram out of his pocket. I communicated with the police. It is a provoking check. surely.

"because you once enabled my employer.""Well. while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager. sergeant. Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in a perplexed and helpless manner. sir!" We heard her reiterated rejoicings until the door was closed and her voice died away into a muffled monotone. until I found myself in dream- land. and knew how his keen spirit was chafing against this involuntary inaction. but his stump instantly sank its whole length into the sodden soil. I knows all about it. sir.""Toby could eat these scraps."'For a long time I sat half distracted. looped back here and there to expose some richly-mounted painting or Oriental vase. That d might be an a.