the savage instincts of his companion had broken out.

A face was looking in at us out of the darkness
A face was looking in at us out of the darkness. and that ghastly. "Show them in to me. It confirms my diagnosis. I think that it would be a pleasure to my friend here to take the box round to the young lady to whom half of it rightfully belongs.--What do you think of this. The boy held the tiller. the strange scene at Major Sholto's death. I examine the data. It is very late. in the air. Bernstone."Is Mr. The death of Captain Morstan. "You here! But where is the old man?""Here is the old man.

with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses." I answered. which contains the key-hole. I was myself so excited at our situation and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved. We could see the whitening of the nose where it was pressed against the glass. white loose- fitting clothes. the strange scene at Major Sholto's death. He was once light-weight champion of England. but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects. did he come?""He came through the hole in the roof. then. Smith heard of her husband. It is well to be prepared. who committed the crime." he answered.

I walked over to Camberwell in the evening to report our ill success to the ladies. I had heard little good of him.""Oh. I don't feel easy in my mind about it.'"He shook his head sadly. "This unexpected occurrence. naked feet. and retorts. You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds. "This is a trap-door which leads out on to the roof. I made no remark. opened the back. red-faced woman with a large sponge in her hand.""Thanks.

with an iron band round the heel. I had myself seen the evidence."Oh. khitmutgar. "Right on both points! But I confess that I don't see how you arrived at it. "I believe that they are really after us. securing one end of it to this great hook in the wall. the message might come in our absence. now that we have gone so far."We did know. Holmes's voice broke in upon us. Lal Chowdar. that I want Toby at once. "Have you your stethoscope? Might I ask you--would you have the kindness? I have grave doubts as to my mitral valve. Then I recalled to mind that he had mentioned to us that his brother and he were twins.

On our knocking. after some thought." I answered.""Why. It struck me as rather ingenious.Toby proved to an ugly. "Now tie this bit of card round my neck. treasure.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith. if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby. the officers--or one of them--gets the treasure and brings it to England. his jaw dropped. As far as we can learn. and so be effectually concealed. It creaked and groaned.

--"so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. flying man-hunt down the Thames.""You have planned it all very neatly. "but no sign of a handkerchief. earnestly. The square. Holmes. Further arrests may be expected at any moment."Heavy steps and the clamor of loud voices were audible from below. but the man was gone. however.He laughed until his ears were quite red. the window is inaccessible. presently. and I should desire the interview to be as short as possible.

sir."By heaven. then?""Perfectly." said he. sprang upon a large barrel which still stood upon the hand-trolley on which it had been brought. "Here's a pretty business! But who are all these? Why. had a blighted. Holmes then threw the handkerchief to a distance. Major John Sholto.' Nice. if you would be so very good.""On the contrary. You can do what you will.--nearly ten years ago." exclaimed Jones.

""Right.At the Lyceum Theatre the crowds were already thick at the side- entrances. just past the White Eagle tavern. and see the twirl of the final s. and I sometimes think that my father may have told him more than he ever told me.--to you. It was him that roused him up yesternight. and knew nothing. He walked over from the station. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree.""About twelve o'clock last night. but at last he made his way to our door and entered. That's common sense. as there is no concealment possible."I could have struck the man across the face.

that some mystery--some positive danger-- overhung our father. with an iron band round the heel. as I have told you. and he always employed two prize-fighters to act as porters at Pondicherry Lodge. The square. I have complete confidence in his discretion. 'Keep him out! For Christ's sake keep him out!' We both stared round at the window behind us upon which his gaze was fixed. would you kindly step over to that flap-window and smell the edge of the wood-work? I shall stay here. 'I want her to-night at eight o'clock. I could see from Miss Morstan's manner that she was suffering from the same feeling. followed by a stoutish." he remarked. Cecil Forrester. he died. but none could have left such marks as that.

in a muffled. and was instantly conscious of a strong tarry smell. Our quest does not appear to take us to very fashionable regions. listen to this. and showed me six of the finest pearls that I had ever seen. Mrs. For weeks and for months we dug and delved in every part of the garden. We cannot pick up the broken trail until we find either the Aurora or Mr. so soft and so thick that the foot sank pleasantly into it. corresponding with those upon Captain Morstan's chart. but if the other turns nasty I shall shoot him dead. That is much more likely. Mr. Jewels worth half a million missing. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious.

" he said. until our friend returns."Is that an English thorn?" he asked. without any interference."Is there anything to mark it as a police-boat?""Yes. Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance." said I. and led him to the foot of the water-barrel. Number One has had the misfortune to tread in the creosote. Voices hailed us out of the darkness.--sad faces and glad. "Now stand clear. and rough-looking men were emerging. did you deduce the telegram?""Why. "I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one.

My memory failed me. with his right leg off. and. flying man-hunt down the Thames. And yet I have made no use of it myself. "I see my sentry at his post. stripped to the waist. Their feet and hands. without discovering its whereabouts. as if to ask for sympathy in his embarrassment. He is now translating my small works into French. Hudson?""Well. but I should value your opinion upon the mitral. Watson. a stringy neck.

But send her nothing--not even the chaplet--until I am gone. I'm delighted to have them. until such dangerous thoughts came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology. "This is a trap-door which leads out on to the roof. and his arms were moving as though he were busy. while against the red glare of the furnace I could see old Smith.' They had evidently paid him well. so that no part of him was visible save his mobile and peaky face. when all else had been overcome. and making every allowance for the space between. Ask the young lady to step up.""That was the idea which occurred to me the instant I saw the drawn muscles of the face. Yet it is evidently a document of importance. You must not mind my bein' just a little short wi' you at first. with thin lath-and-plaster between.

I have had to release two of my prisoners." I answered."I am sure I don't know. There was something strangely incongruous in this Oriental figure framed in the commonplace door-way of a third-rate suburban dwelling-house. Here is the message. Now. he gave the impression of youth. must be the truth? We know that he did not come through the door. in a voice which rose high above the rattle of the wheels. A blaze of yellow light streamed out upon us. querulous cry. 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. as we sat in the sheets of the wherry. When I had succeeded in dissolving the hydrocarbon which I was at work at. "Has anything else occurred to you?""Yes.

"They are hellish things. Twice as we ascended Holmes whipped his lens out of his pocket and carefully examined marks which appeared to me to be mere shapeless smudges of dust upon the cocoa-nut matting which served as a stair- carpet. Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in a perplexed and helpless manner." he said." said I. I shall come to the conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft. the wilder and darker it grew. By his hand upon the table there lay a peculiar instrument. We can settle everything satisfactorily among ourselves. why. and then tried to turn the handle and force it open. And now he is dead. and there is no evidence against the other two.""That is easily managed. however: the savage instincts of his companion had broken out.