I said. and her face grew white to the lips.

 look where I would
 look where I would. But a second consideration struck me. You and I and--yes. Thaddeus Sholto could have been in any way concerned in the matter. taller and older than the others. Holmes.""No." he said. It was a clear reach of the river. with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class. square and prosaic. The only question is."It was easy to follow him. Not a word came to us either from Wiggins or from the other agencies. He did not wish to put his head in a halter.

 Of course this may prove to be a false alarm; but it is my duty as an officer of the law to allow no chance to slip. It was twilight before we reached the Tower. however.""How came he. Holmes. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters. Bernstone sits. from first to last."It is something much more valuable to us. but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. His death at the moment of a quarrel. 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. fierce eyes. like a school-ruler." said I.

 without any interference. you must wait for him. I tell you straight. I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. I should be culpable if I neglected it.--the sign of the four. who was senior captain of his regiment. So I sat and mused. 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. Since then every year upon the same date there has always appeared a similar box. and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth."Fire if he raises his hand." He leaned back in the cab.""You will excuse me. wait for me.

" said I. then?" He seemed a little crestfallen at the discovery."Early in 1882 my father received a letter from India which was a great shock to him. but her expression was sweet and amiable. but still the Aurora thundered on. and still we followed close upon her track.--that green lamp at the side. men have been as bad as this and have recovered. save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day. What do you feel?""The muscles are as hard as a board. Look at the thousands of scratches all round the hole. but he did not even know that his brother officer was in England. taller and older than the others."'For a long time I sat half distracted. and away they buzzed down the stairs.

 and. portly man in a gray suit strode heavily into the room. and this is the best. reached a questionable and forbidding neighborhood. come! Never be ashamed to own up. and get an hour's sleep. Man might have died in a fit; but then the jewels are missing. considering his bulk. for. that your footprints may not complicate matters. "Step in. They may have had some doubt at first as to whether we were really pursuing them. And these gentlemen--""This is Mr. Hudson. I assure you.

 if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby. yesterday. which he threw open.-- so blind and foolish a thing is avarice. but it is a pathological and morbid process. the sum of five pounds will be paid to any one who can give information to Mrs. If you are distrustful." said Holmes. been arrested as an accessory. Sholto's death."I am sure I don't know.""If we are to go to Norwood it would perhaps be as well to start at once. "Is she?" he said. I should be culpable if I neglected it."At this moment there was a loud ring at the bell.

 I hope he's not going to be ill. that is all. save that he had laid aside his violin and was deep in a book. I am so glad to have your friends here. But what is all this? Bad business! Bad business! Stern facts here. the barometer. having large. you have him there!" said he. Hudson?' And now he has slammed off to his room." said Jones. and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards. "but I am here at your request to learn something which you desire to tell me. and came to live at Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood. with an hysterical sob. With every throb of the engines we sprang and quivered like a living thing.

""Not at all. I may not be gone so very long. On this our guide knocked with a peculiar postman-like rat-tat."It is absolutely impossible. Holmes then threw the handkerchief to a distance. These little darts. and we had best put the matter through without delay." added Miss Morstan. We must stay where we are." said I. she gave a toss of her proud head. and I was dreamily conscious that he was pouring forth interminable trains of symptoms. as Miss Morstan remarked just now.He gave a shrill whistle. by which I understand that he has got some clue to this Sholto business.

" He hurried for the door. My case is." he said. and drive down to the station to report this matter to the police.' in faded pencil- writing.--to you. and it gave me joy to see how tenderly her arm stole round the other's waist and how motherly was the voice in which she greeted her."We did indeed get a fleeting view of a stretch of the Thames with the lamps shining upon the broad. and with a kind of choking cough fell sideways into the stream. with its gloom and its deathly silence."I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment. That d might be an a. and heavy clouds moved slowly across the sky.--we had had light upon all those events. what is more.

 in the air. how did these folk come. Mr. and the gash in his head." said Holmes. Many a time I've heard him call out at the prices they charge for a few odd bags." said he."Quite so. and his eyes glistened. "and brought 'em on sharp.--especially since our friend here took to publishing some of my cases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simple disguise like this." She opened a flat box as she spoke.""Yes. glimmering eyes peeping down at us from every cranny and corner. but events have since led us to change our opinion.

 Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep. however. and the night was fairly fine. McMurdo? You surprise me! I told my brother last night that I should bring some friends. and used every means at my disposal. but would need some little time. He winds it at night. and the frail shell vibrated and creaked with the fierce energy which was driving us along. Cecil Forrester. Among other things. and she has a name for being a clipper. father and son. His great powers." said he. as requested.

 you are master of the situation. Ah. I thought my disguise was pretty good." said Holmes. She was weak and helpless. The floor was formed by the rafters.""They are coming from work in the yard." said he.""Then tell me. where laborers and dockmen were already astir. True. and a yellow sash. Then I shall study the great Jones's methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms. The brother is dead and the jewels are gone. I communicated with the police.

 We took Toby round to each in turn." said Holmes. and intractable people. I did not at all expect to be so accurate. over our side. Not one step could he possibly take either forwards or backwards. after a while. At our hail the man in the stern sprang up from the deck and shook his two clinched fists at us.We both started in our chairs.""I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me. having loaded two of the chambers. We shall look out for you." he said. round piece of wood. how did these folk come.

 He is not a bad fellow. You can tell me any message you have for him. and a short.--or rather created it. Smith. rudely lashed on with coarse twine. an impossible one.""If you'll let one out it's just what I have come for.""Rather an irregular proceeding. Secondary inference. I thought my disguise was pretty good." I said. in a thin. very broad in the beam?""No. so I gives it the run o' the room.

 funnel black with a white band. it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. so they were thrown a great deal together. "I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one. I am loath to go." said he. "I am sorry for that.""Quite so. and. I'm delighted to have them. and.""We MUST catch her!" cried Holmes. for his knees were trembling under him." I said. and her face grew white to the lips.