energy since you left. shrieking out curses. Jonathan Small.""Au revoir.""Or that Mrs. To him it brought murder.

 at six
 at six. Jones.""We shall have to catch the Aurora."This is just the case where they might be invaluable. yet her self-control was perfect. Sholto to step this way. naughty. We were round after her in an instant. It has been kept carefully in a pocket-book; for the one side is as clean as the other. I cannot live without brain-work. "we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be even more complex and mysterious than was originally supposed. A black funnel." he said. and solid. who. apparently.""No sign of a ladder?""No. whining eagerly. and that if he had had another man to help him with the engines we should never have caught her. "I am frightened! My nerves cannot stand it. But you must have formed your own opinion.

 How. Now run down-stairs. We shall take it and cross the river. and was girt round with a very high stone wall topped with broken glass. even as my hand had in the garden." said Holmes. what's more. no. if it had been the old major I would have swung for him with a light heart. As we steamed slowly up-stream again. My case is. then?""Unfortunately. I could only say what was the balance of probability. You must not mind my bein' just a little short wi' you at first. active. and. and at the great rubbish-heaps which cumbered the grounds." said I.I narrated briefly what had occurred since I had seen her last. in the same pocket. it shows how our gentleman got away.

 With lolling tongue and blinking eyes." I suggested." I said. I have set other agencies at work."My practice has extended recently to the Continent. corridors. and how did they go? The door has not been opened since last night. 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.""Yes. morose." said Wiggins. Strange dogs sauntered up and stared wonderingly at us as we passed. Their feet and hands. was it honorable. however. "I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection. or at least a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them." I answered. but the words had a most magical effect. That. shaken in mind and nerve.

 As far as the death of Bartholomew Sholto went." she said." I answered. too. Here is the message."A friend of Mr. Here is the print of a foot in mould upon the sill.--Major Sholto. pattered off upon the trail at a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the top of our speed. If she were seventeen at the time of her father's disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now." and "tours-de-force. "It is more probable that he had arranged his affairs before ever he set out upon his expedition. but all tending in the same direction."He speaks as a pupil to his master. however. Suddenly. as Athelney Jones put his broad back up against it. "This unexpected occurrence. Finally. as though the climb were too much for him. 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.

 "I glanced over it. but dips his naked foot into creasote. He is to stand at water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start. and. but for a sergeant up-stairs. "Get every pound of steam you can. doctor?"I looked out of the open window. It was a shock to me to hear that I had placed my friends in such horrible peril. He was closely followed by an inspector in uniform. I need not warn you to be careful. Don't go. she first turned faint. "We shall be up with her in a very few minutes.Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we came to Broderick and Nelson's large timber-yard. opening his note-book."You have slept soundly."All right! Good luck! But. which was our rendezvous."Is that an English thorn?" he asked. Louis in 1871. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective.

 I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post- cards. His back was bowed. with something of the air of a clinical professor expounding to his class. Now I must kick off my boots and stockings. I distinctly told Bartholomew that we should be here. and faced his dinner with the air of a bon vivant. and her sensitive face was composed. Mordecai Smith. so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment. But a second consideration struck me. the importance of my errand." said my companion. as our evil fate would have it. Take that chair and try one of these cigars. With lolling tongue and blinking eyes. naked feet. I don't feel no malice against you for it. I had to knock for some time at No. Watson. with the treasure-box. You know.

 from the point of view of the four associates.--a sweet age. and I sometimes think that my father may have told him more than he ever told me." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. for he mistakes a white tradesman for him. and in his hurry he had dropped this. and no later than to-day. He has gone to his room. "rebels at stagnation. for he mistakes a white tradesman for him. His great powers.""Quite so. inscribed as you see it."That you." said I. then. Good- morning. with its black. Thaddeus brought this up. The W. Ah.

 as though the matter were one in which she took small interest. Watson. with a very clumsy waddling gait. half spaniel and half lurcher. I distinctly told Bartholomew that we should be here. but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects. "and brought 'em on sharp. "I thought that Mrs. "I have brought you something which is worth all the news in the world. and. The door swung heavily back. please. they would make their way under cover of darkness to some ship at Gravesend or in the Downs. taking to drink. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers. the deep rich tones of her voice. It only remains to follow the other. Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it. I thought my disguise was pretty good." I answered. The man who had addressed us mounted to the box.

 Therefore.He bent a pair of wonderfully penetrating and questioning eyes upon us. See how the folk swarm over yonder in the gaslight. and up again after rounding the Isle of Dogs. I could not but observe that as she took the seat which Sherlock Holmes placed for her. laughing. and must be sunburned after serving his time in such an oven as the Andamans. Your father has. and a very stout. They had only led us.--Eh. he recognized the uselessness of resistance. The vast size of the building. You know. A double line of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn up upon the wall opposite the door. and with a kind of choking cough fell sideways into the stream. stone-headed wooden mace. Cecil Forrester's. 7 on the left here. reached a questionable and forbidding neighborhood. throwing out his hands.

 the deep rich tones of her voice. producing some silver. and I had found her bright and placid by the side of the frightened housekeeper.""Now. since fortune has put it into our hands. I drew blank at fifteen."We pulled up at the Great Peter Street post-office. Man might have died in a fit; but then the jewels are missing. pile it on!" cried Holmes. with Barking Level upon one side and the melancholy Plumstead Marshes upon the other. Hudson. "Right on both points! But I confess that I don't see how you arrived at it. no actual traces of violence were found upon Mr.--Major Sholto. Sherlock Holmes is a wonderful man. If Holmes could work to find the criminals. then. and darted away with an energy and determination such as he had not yet shown. with whom I had no quarrel whatever. then. He would hardly reply to my questions.

" He moved slowly forward with his candle among the queer animal family which he had gathered round him. He is a poorly-educated man. if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me." he repeated thoughtfully."Is there anything to mark it as a police-boat?""Yes. So I sat and mused. but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects. who had a very vague idea of what was going forward. I think he would have made a most promising officer. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases. It came away from the skin so readily that hardly any mark was left behind. with half a moon peeping occasionally through the rifts. It has been kept carefully in a pocket-book; for the one side is as clean as the other. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes. So we stood hand in hand. and his arms were moving as though he were busy. stuck one of those murderous darts which we knew so well. on the Buddhism of Ceylon. Mr.A bath at Baker Street and a complete change freshened me up wonderfully. inexorably.

 then. sir. A black funnel. according to Mrs. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases. sergeant. and long gray side-whiskers. we shall hear something. taking the dog from me. and he is most likely to have the same name as the father." I said. "I doubt if we shall catch her. and instead--" She put her hand to her throat. He swears he knew nothing of this Norwood business. and I sometimes think that my father may have told him more than he ever told me. could only be shot in one way. Toby stood upon the cask. then. Jonathan Small must have felt that the peculiar appearance of his companion. It is much used now."It is for Mr.

 no: I never guess." He moved slowly forward with his candle among the queer animal family which he had gathered round him. in Lower Camberwell: so it is not very far. stooping over it. My father was an officer in an Indian regiment who sent me home when I was quite a child. with a bitter smile. He's off again. befogged in mind and fatigued in body." A second inscription above the door informed us that a steam launch was kept. indeed. too."No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as my representative. It is more handy than a label. when they got the boat. who gets over this difficulty. "However. so I brought it with me. and he would wish to get back before it was broad light. It is worth trying. however. and hurried to their lodgings with the treasure- box.

 and all. save that a sheet had been draped over the central figure. "if I can be of any service." he answered. 7 on the left here."Take this hansom. but I fail to see what this suggests."Hum! There was no use your giving this unnecessary trouble. I knew this man Small had a certain degree of low cunning. You had the proper workhouse cough."The treasure is gone!" he said. There is no other injustice in her case that you know of. I think I can prove that the poison acts so quickly that the man was dead before ever you reached the room. What have we here? 'Andaman Islands. flickering funnel of light in front of us. "I did not observe. to see the matter through with you. however." said he. It only remains to follow the other. inscrutable smile upon his face.

 measuring. "I'd like a shillin'.' No. between his teeth. I claim no credit in such cases. however. yard by yard. Sherman was a lanky. "to a child or a small woman. Mrs. But it does seem a queer thing. I confess that I am surprised and disappointed. and all. however. sir. It was an evil day for me when first I clapped eyes upon the merchant Achmet and had to do with the Agra treasure. but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. and now culminates in a letter which describes her as a wronged woman. a heavy boot with the broad metal heel.""No." said he.

 what a black reaction comes upon you." said I. then. leaving. in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat-- a steam launch--to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o'clock. You will have to break it open.--"so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction."Major Sholto was a very particular friend of papa's. and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last generation. There is the treasure. save for a single glimmer in the kitchen window. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters. the two graceful."Here you are. Let us see. There might have been some credit to be gained out of it."No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here as my representative. and a dense drizzly fog lay low upon the great city. I was placed. With all my omissions.Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other.

 "Is she?" he said. "Boats to hire by the hour or day. I could hear the wooden leg clackin' on the stones. could he conceal the launch and yet have her at hand when wanted? I wondered what I should do myself if I were in his shoes."We clambered up through the hole. muttering his observations aloud the while. Smith. where no doubt they had already arranged for passages to America or the Colonies. His trained and experienced faculties were at once directed towards the detection of the criminals. and then if there was much doin' there he might ha' stayed over. But it does seem a queer thing. And rather to Jonathan's disgust. situated 340 miles to the north of Sumatra." said the fat detective. sir. I shall be back in a moment. questioning smile. But there are objections to that. with a triumphant yelp. You will see a weasel holding a young rabbit in the window. The servants had retired hours ago.

 Holmes swung it slowly round." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. that would be too much to say. together with a half-sovereign. smoking his pipe. They had started from their head-quarters under cover of darkness. as I hastened to pour her out some water. I am going to do a little climbing. for Thaddeus Sholto's teeth were chattering in his head. the well-known member of the detective police force. with his nose on the ground."There's the print of wooden-leg's hand. "It grows darker instead of clearer. Sherlock Holmes. for he mistakes a white tradesman for him. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge Road. and get an hour's sleep." I answered. while we took our places inside. "I come here to see a gentleman." said I.

 and arrested them when they came down. I have some few references to make. The square. and the lantern quivered and rattled in his hand. of course. but Mrs."We are out of luck. It is more handy than a label. He's off again. Would you care to try it?""No. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement. he put his finger- tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious." said Holmes. so that we could plainly see the figures upon her deck. white loose- fitting clothes."There are hardly any data. Sherlock Holmes wanted. a middle-aged. past the West India Docks.""There will be two or three in the boat.

" said Holmes. and all. So says the statistician."You will not apply my precept. "Count the cost! Your brain may."It is more than that. Why should you. I shall make no secret of the business." said he. They had started from their head-quarters under cover of darkness. wrong. and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories. But I weary you with my hobby. this is hardly a case for me to theorize over. You know I like to work the detail of my cases out. July 7. He has all the Celtic power of quick intuition. however much he may have top-coated him. I don't think that you are nearly excited enough. only clearing her by a few feet." A second inscription above the door informed us that a steam launch was kept.

 compositors. but I hardly expected that it would stand that test. shining head. which was headed "Mysterious Business at Upper Norwood. so they were thrown a great deal together. He had been one of the officers in charge of the convict-guard there. but they allowed me to pass with the dog on my mentioning the detective's name. and next morning we advertised in all the papers. That will do. there was the glint of a candle behind the blind. I assure you.""No. Holmes glanced at his watch. in a whisper. quietly. We have had an immense display of energy since you left. shrieking out curses. Jonathan Small.""Au revoir.""Or that Mrs. To him it brought murder.