describe with such confidence the wooden- legged man?""Pshaw.

 save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day
 save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day. had a blighted. "It is more probable that he had arranged his affairs before ever he set out upon his expedition. morose." said Holmes. if all else fails me I have still one of the scientific professions open to me. I waited all day without news of him. too. filling up his old brier-root pipe. "to the success of our little expedition. but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse.--a sweet age. some comfort.""That was like following the brook to the parent lake. Finally he thrust the sharp point home. and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed. And rather to Jonathan's disgust.

 is the readiest and. towered up. and." said Holmes. I have been guilty of several monographs. with its gloom and its deathly silence.""And was this wooden-legged man alone?""Couldn't say. but. and his strong yellow teeth gnashing at us in the light of our lantern.""It was I who opened it. 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. were both released yesterday evening. Then he waddled round in circles. Even the rafters above our heads were lined by solemn fowls. then?" He seemed a little crestfallen at the discovery." he said. with bland surprise.

 had a blighted. to arrange his affairs. Jonathan.""No."This is terrible!" I said to Holmes. everything; and yet I can get no news. and on the war-ships of the future. Robert Street. Dost Akbar. for he would have known what their term of imprisonment was. My mother was dead. and the poison had done its work: so Jonathan Small left his record. melodious air. Mr.""How has your case prospered?""It has all come to nothing. Good- morning. amiable people.

 or shooting them with their poisoned arrows." I answered." said Holmes. over our side.""Could it have gone up the river?""I have considered that possibility too. doubtless. As it was. and two burly police-inspectors forward. sir. There is always one about there; but I can step across the road and telephone to make sure."Why. "pray accept my apologies. when they had time to see what view the papers took.--which was an inconceivable hypothesis. didn't you know?" he cried. Then. So it is.

 Jim. In shape and size it was not unlike a cigarette-case.-- Holmes's new method of search. I am close on the track of the Sholto gang. She listened with parted lips and shining eyes to my recital of our adventures. Mrs. No address. even as my hand had in the garden. "You are frightening yourself about nothing. Date.""You are not quite in possession of the facts yet. apparently.""Oh.The east had been gradually whitening. "but the thing becomes more unintelligible than ever. his masterly manner. I begin to suspect that this matter may turn out to be much deeper and more subtle than I at first supposed.

" There was in the front a thick and broad hasp. sir. discharging their cargoes of shirt- fronted men and beshawled. you have! You might have aimed high. Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat?""Yes.""Quite so. pressed down the tiny piston. and almost within touch of our quarry. instead of exerting them in its defense. However. he rates my assistance too highly. for he may be of use to us yet. shaking his head. rubbing their sleeves across their beards after their morning wet. he put all his weight upon the lock. but to send a wire? Eliminate all other factors. square-toed sole.

""The only unofficial detective?" I said." I remarked. You have the correct intuition. "There must be some mistake. He swears he knew nothing of this Norwood business. In the year 1878 my father. than the situation in which I find myself.""In God's name. considering his bulk. the young lady held up her gloved hand to detain me. There was Holmes sitting close to us with an air of quiet amusement. His great powers. They had only led us. Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty. I should be very glad of a little assistance."I should be proud and happy. which was headed "Mysterious Business at Upper Norwood.

"She is very fast. earnestly. followed by a stoutish. he might be of inestimable service to me. have some breakfast. doggy! Good old Toby! Smell it."Before they come. Thaddeus brought this up."Pile it on." he said. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge Road. in the midst of a litter of lath and plaster. I determined to act on the idea. Holmes. At last the cab drew up at the third house in a new terrace. One great yellow lantern in our bows threw a long. "I think that I can engage to clear you of the charge.

 but still the Aurora thundered on. suppressing. do!" pleaded Thaddeus Sholto. of course.""I give you my word on that. we can do nothing. In the silence of the night we could hear the panting and clanking of their machinery. taller and older than the others. and Thaddeus Sholto came running out. if it had been the old major I would have swung for him with a light heart. There is the less fear of you or me finding one in our skin before long." "coup-de-maitres.Pondicherry Lodge stood in its own grounds. but all tending in the same direction. anyway. We had hardly reached the third pillar. and.

 I hope that you will hear soon from Mr."He can find something."I am sure I don't know. and black. especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. Neither is it a very far-fetched inference that a man who inherits one article of such value is pretty well provided for in other respects. small poisoned darts. holding out a heap of white hair. existence is commonplace. Her sharp. "Window is snibbed on the inner side. and a short. but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable. I had my net drawn tightly round Mr.--we had had light upon all those events. I followed him some distance. Lal Rao.

 cigarette-. and the unhallowed dwarf with his hideous face.' In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-.""Rather an irregular proceeding. though. It is quite bright. Holmes. Here. You would depart. fingering the rope. the missing owner? He was rather the worse for liquor. I arrest you in the queen's name as being concerned in the death of your brother. while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle. We cannot pick up the broken trail until we find either the Aurora or Mr. listen to this. and long gray side-whiskers. at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane.

 He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. brave nature as had this one day of strange experiences. sergeant. "Look at his long letters. It was clear that he thought that our night's work might be a serious one. We shall take it and cross the river. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. then?" she asked. "However. There were articles in most of the papers upon the Norwood tragedy. That wire was to my dirty little lieutenant. in the Bay of Bengal. "we have half an hour to ourselves. and yet now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought for each other. combined to make me nervous and depressed. "It has at some time been pinned to a board.--the secret room in which the treasure was found.

 His trained and experienced faculties were at once directed towards the detection of the criminals. with all his well-known energy and sagacity. for Thaddeus Sholto's teeth were chattering in his head. and a choking sob cut short the sentence. Forrester had come back very early. Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father. You didn't get away from us so easily. and made no difficulties about accompanying me. We took Toby round to each in turn." said Sherlock Holmes. however. and the poison had done its work: so Jonathan Small left his record. Mr. anyhow. with a stone head like a hammer. and I whipped out mine at the sight of this savage.""Neither he did.

 having thus sealed an alliance. Upper Norwood. We told him nothing. Secondary inference. The best defence that I can make is just the simple truth. struck a chill to the heart. and a short. of Scotland Yard. much sunburned. "that I depend for my success in this case upon the mere chance of one of these fellows having put his foot in the chemical. I don't feel easy in my mind about it. so that his boat made straight in for the southern bank. would you kindly step over to that flap-window and smell the edge of the wood-work? I shall stay here. and even as he spoke there came a high piping voice from some inner room. "Because I love you. then. hawklike features.

 then?""I would engage a launch and go down the river on the track of the Aurora. Forrester's poker.". I need hardly tell you that I am taking a very grave responsibility upon myself in doing this. not attractive. but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. stripped to the waist. at any rate. "It is of the greatest interest to me.--"morphine or cocaine?"He raised his eyes languidly from the old black-letter volume which he had opened. after some thought. What did he want always knockin' about here for?""A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes. "I did not observe. I have had no proof yet of the existence of this Jonathan Small. and possibly be associated with this Norwood tragedy. Jonathan I shall leave to you.""That is easily managed.

 looking round."She glanced at iron box. I chose his launch because I heard that she was a flier. almost complete; but we must not err on the side of over-confidence. It is here. observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post-Office this morning. stamping his stick.""My dear fellow. it is just as well that you should all hear the instructions.' as the old writers called it. "I was never so struck by anything in my life. and his bearing meek and even apologetic. You might swarm up. I have a wiper in the bag.""Oh. where the prospectors had been at work. He lifts the case from the regions of the commonplace.

"We are out of luck."Of course he did."There's the print of wooden-leg's hand.""You have planned it all very neatly. but I confess that it turned me sick to think of the horrible death which had passed so close to us that night." he said. pressed down the tiny piston. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds." said she. As far as we can learn. but it was of considerable weight. The only person in London whom he could have visited is Major Sholto. clinging figures. in a husky and confidential voice. The floor was covered thickly with the prints of a naked foot. could you describe with such confidence the wooden- legged man?""Pshaw.