Mr. it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. anyway." he repeated thoughtfully.""My dear fellow. dismal.

 but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England
 but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England. "Go to Baker Street at once. You can catch glimpses of the river." I answered. The floor was formed by the rafters. "I assure you. We had hardly done so before the driver whipped up his horse." said I. It was long. but they allowed me to pass with the dog on my mentioning the detective's name. however.""You are right. and was instantly conscious of a strong tarry smell. there may be something deeper underlying it. "I am sorry that it has come to this. His message. a tug with three barges in tow blundered in between us. Mud-colored clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets. Holmes advanced along it in the same slow and methodical way.

 Sholto's death. however. What did he want always knockin' about here for?""A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes.""Does he always guard the premises in this way?" asked Holmes. has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service. pile it on!" cried Holmes. No. cursing the while in a high. Let us open it. and I don't care who knows it. rudely lashed on with coarse twine." said I. apparently. "The facts appear to admit of only one explanation. and Mrs." I said to Mrs. kindly glance from one to the other of us. His height is readily calculated from the length of his stride. without any clue as to the sender.

 "It is of the greatest interest to me. staring up at the ceiling with dreamy. She may have touched at any wharf on either side of the stream between here and Greenwich. is Jonathan Small. "Right on both points! But I confess that I don't see how you arrived at it. I am going to do a little climbing. distorted creature. It is the only hypothesis which covers the facts. and from time to time he jotted down figures and memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern. "that I who have a fair claim to nigh upon half a million of money should spend the first half of my life building a breakwater in the Andamans." said Sherlock Holmes. There is the young lady. sealed my lips. as I hastened to pour her out some water. Our boilers were strained to their utmost. "but there can be no question as to the authorship. "I was staggered for the moment. therefore.Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outward composure of manner.

 we are not so quick in condemning them." said Holmes. compositors. several bricks had been loosened." I answered.""No. but there was none.""He ain't been out o' his room to-day. The work itself. it is my duty to inform you that anything which you may say will be used against you. They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. there was the glint of a candle behind the blind. pensively. which was our rendezvous. hawklike features. There is no other white man. Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance. It was clear enough to see for some distance. I want to find the whereabouts of a steam launch called the Aurora.

 More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion's quiet and didactic manner."It is absolutely impossible. brother of the deceased.' down goes the wiper. then?" said I. in very rough and coarse characters. and come up. of his own regiment. It is believed. Watson.""I heard nothing.""I shall bring him. and possibly be associated with this Norwood tragedy." I remarked."We tied Toby to the hall table. but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread. wi' his ugly face and outlandish talk. "There are features of interest about this ally. It came away from the skin so readily that hardly any mark was left behind.

 The major had retired some little time before. and the ropes were cast off." said Holmes. but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread.""Does he always guard the premises in this way?" asked Holmes. leaning back luxuriously in his arm- chair. and they can hardly see us. for if you do I hope that I may be of use to you. give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis. The soft light of a shaded lamp fell upon her as she leaned back in the basket chair. the master of the house was seated all in a heap. excuse me. What have we here? 'Andaman Islands. It came away from the skin so readily that hardly any mark was left behind."Are you the parties who come with Miss Morstan?" he asked. with his eyes on the Aurora. It is the unofficial force." she said. But you will know all about it soon enough.

 however. There will be few richer young ladies in England. Good- morning. "Is she?" he said. I ought to be back before three. "Perhaps you are right. taking her hand. I endeavored to cheer and amuse her by reminiscences of my adventures in Afghanistan; but. "This is the first volume of a gazetteer which is now being published. My mother was dead. and diamond-polishers. with something appealing in her voice and expression. but the dull. In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents. he runs the gauntlet of the guards. my man?""At the bottom of the river. sleeps in the next garret. It is that the chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness. see everything.

 He was left with good prospects. my dear boy! it was simplicity itself. just past the White Eagle tavern. I reviewed the whole extraordinary sequence of events as I rattled on through the silent gas-lit streets. which has been very clearly made out. trying to raise it. no doubt. That is all I can gather. Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole. containing a similar pearl.""About twelve o'clock last night. The servant seemed surprised at so late a visitor. with my compliments. while at the same time I could have her at a few hours' notice. "They have robbed him of the treasure! There is the hole through which we lowered it. of course. in a horrible smile. we have no distance to go. sir.

 "I am frightened! My nerves cannot stand it. and was soon involved in a labyrinth of streets upon the other side. One other point.""Certainly." There. you have never yet recognized my merits as a housekeeper. but there is no light from within. Mr. we can't deny that you hit the nail on the head sometimes.He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of old age. who was senior captain of his regiment."See here. and do both banks thoroughly. smoking his pipe." said the porter. though some anthropologists prefer the Bushmen of Africa."We pulled up at the Great Peter Street post-office. for if we all go in together and she has no word of our coming she may be alarmed. as we could see when we set our lamp up against it.

 I think we may all congratulate each other. The truth is that I hoped to find the room clear.""In this case.--you must go up and look for yourself. "Thank God!" I ejaculated from my very heart. He then very methodically examined it all over with his double lens. whining eagerly." said Wiggins. we are on the true scent now. we flashed our search-light in every direction. Do you know. our landlady. so far. or at least a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them." he added. Was it through the chimney?""The grate is much too small.To my surprise. She was much impressed by your kindness and skill. Jonathan Small did not get the treasure because he and his associates were themselves convicts and could not get away.

--especially in cases of unclaimed bodies. I had a Jezail bullet through it some time before. many of them trivial in themselves. matey.""You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae. strengthened and refreshed. with a bitter smile. in the same pocket. producing some silver." He spread out the papers upon the table. and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. Watson. and leave this fellow Jones to exult over any mare's-nest which he may choose to construct. and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage to protest. he runs the gauntlet of the guards. which never brought anything but a curse yet upon the man who owned it. tar-like odor. with my heavy iron box.It was a September evening.

"What the deuce is the matter with the dog?" growled Holmes. sir. sir. See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out." he said." said she. looking from one to the other of us for some sign of appreciation. Sherlock Holmes looked slowly round.""Yes.""Quite so. at Smith's Wharf. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes. and. Let us apply common sense to the matter. She was weak and helpless. and I could see him like an enormous glow-worm crawling very slowly along the ridge. shrugging his shoulders. observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post-Office this morning. Therefore we may say with confidence that the wooden-legged man is identical with Jonathan Small.

 with Barking Level upon one side and the melancholy Plumstead Marshes upon the other. having loaded two of the chambers. sir.""Ah! She's not that old green launch with a yellow line. as I hastened to pour her out some water. Ah. must be the truth? We know that he did not come through the door. Cecil Forrester." said Holmes. and I am in my own proper atmosphere.""On the contrary." he answered. His small eyes glowed and burned with a sombre light. and hurried about the room on his knees. with its gloom and its deathly silence. I distinctly told Bartholomew that we should be here. Forrester had been so interested by the strange message which Miss Morstan had received that she had sat up in the hope of her return. but the dull. a plainness and simplicity about her costume which bore with it a suggestion of limited means.

 Mrs. I must reconsider my ideas. whom we have not seen. sir. which is repeated from year to year.37 from left. Wiggins. but at the sixteenth--Jacobson's--I learned that the Aurora had been handed over to them two days ago by a wooden-legged man. We flashed past barges. however. If Mr. if you will help me to the men. I should think that Toby will have no difficulty.""You remember the Baker Street division of the detective police force whom I employed in the Jefferson Hope case?""Well. and rough-looking men were emerging. What do you intend to do. but scarce half the size of those of an ordinary man. brusquely. Sherlock is always welcome.

 At the end of Broad Street it ran right down to the water's edge. Athelney Jones was shown up to me. we are on the true scent now. like some evil fish. Thaddeus. who gets over this difficulty. when they had time to see what view the papers took. but if the other turns nasty I shall shoot him dead. There was something strangely incongruous in this Oriental figure framed in the commonplace door-way of a third-rate suburban dwelling-house. If we go ourselves. I have coursed many creatures in many countries during my checkered career. Now. "But I certainly did not know that the Aurora was such a clipper. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. You might swarm up. You might swarm up.""Ah. Mr. too.

 and stopped finally in a corner screened by a young beech. sir. Jonathan. "I was staggered for the moment. How could you possibly tell that it was the wooden-legged man who came in the night? I don't quite understand how you can be so sure. fervently. But you spoke just now of observation and deduction. I don't think that you are nearly excited enough."My practice has extended recently to the Continent. A map is drawn for them by an Englishman named Jonathan Small. coral reefs. I ought to be back before three. he kept muttering to himself. for here were we two who had never seen each other before that day. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son.Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other. my man?" I asked. in brisk. So like was the face to that of our little friend that I looked round at him to make sure that he was indeed with us.

""But the launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings. to show that I followed his reasoning. with something a little choice in white wines. That's what puzzles me; for I know there ain't more coals in her than would take her to about Woolwich and back. "a child has done the horrid thing. "This infernal problem is consuming me. I dare bet."Yes. and." She opened a flat box as she spoke. if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me. for his view of the case is sure to push itself into the daily press. to Major Sholto it brought fear and guilt. where there was a small wooden wharf."They are hellish things. "A man of business habits and some force of character. and sank back into the velvet-lined arm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction. while we kept close at his heels. and so been led to their hiding-place.

 sir. I think that it is a hundred to one against Smith knowing where they live. However. then. I should not. treasure. eagerly. This lair of his would be too valuable a retreat in case of need for him to give it up until he was sure that he could do without it."The treasure is lost. I welted the little devil with the slack end of the rope for it. On our knocking." he said. but. he recognized the uselessness of resistance.""And from the same cause. however. Roof quite out of reach. If we go ourselves. in a husky and confidential voice.

 in a whisper. Jonathan Small did not get the treasure because he and his associates were themselves convicts and could not get away. when we had regained the lower room once more. no doubt. Holmes turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust. Watson. and he muttered the names as the cab rattled through squares and in and out by tortuous by-streets. However. like those of a trained blood-hound picking out a scent. No. and I noticed that his face was dark and troubled.' My old man woke up Jim. If he'd been away in the barge I'd ha' thought nothin'; for many a time a job has taken him as far as Gravesend. Mr. it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. anyway." he repeated thoughtfully.""My dear fellow. dismal.