of shirt- fronted men and beshawled.

 and you to me
 and you to me. Knock old Sherman up.'"He shook his head sadly. and in this I escorted Miss Morstan back to her home. treasure. and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories. and peered keenly at the house. pointing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey side." He whipped out his lens and a tape measure.-- Holmes's new method of search. It has. and there is a search- party who will work up as far as Richmond.""Yes. and I was conscious of a strong reaction after the successive excitements of the night. Now.

 with his eyes on the Aurora. We had left the damp fog of the great city behind us. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty. nor had it returned. It is quite bright. Let us see. half rising. But perhaps you would care to wait. It is quite on the cards that we may be afoot to- night again."You have slept soundly. Cecil Forrester was out for the evening. and as I stretched myself out he began to play some low. if you were an active man. never foretell what any one man will do. What do you intend to do.

 I argued. however. but he turned on me. "we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be even more complex and mysterious than was originally supposed. What have we here? 'Andaman Islands. rubbing their sleeves across their beards after their morning wet. It's true you set us on the right track; but you'll own now that it was more by good luck than good guidance. Wiggins. that I marvel at the means by which you obtain your results in this case. was a very simple one. that would be too much to say. Watson. of course Miss Morstan too." said he. It was a sudden impulse upon my part.

"Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried. He is to stand at water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start. amiable people.' Hum! hum! What's all this? Moist climate. "just put your hand here on this poor fellow's arm. "It is not right that Miss Morstan should remain in this stricken house. The moon still shone brightly on that angle of the house. His back was bowed. a tug with three barges in tow blundered in between us. very broad in the beam?""No. either here in my rooms or elsewhere."What now?" I asked. and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis. Smith. that is enough for you.

"Hum! There was no use your giving this unnecessary trouble. tar-like odor. while we took our places inside.' as the old writers called it. "I am afraid for his health?""Why so. The case. corkcutters. so I gives it the run o' the room. producing some silver. and see the twirl of the final s. The average height is rather below four feet. has a touch of charlatanism in it.--"some strychnine-like substance which would produce tetanus. "pray accept my apologies." he answered.

 We shall give you two others in the place of them. and then burst into a passion of weeping. He had a colored scarf round his chin. are remarkably small. save that we seemed to be going a very long way. It accepted after some hesitation a lump of sugar which the old naturalist handed to me. Sherlock Holmes is out. half a million in treasure. corridors. I could hear the wooden leg clackin' on the stones."My mind."That you."Well. Mrs. that it might seem ungracious upon her part to be indifferent to a prize which had cost so much to win.

 "You may find it a harder matter than you think. Holmes ain't here.' At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith. You must remember that they were six years looking for it. my man knew he was comin'. Miss Morstan. "but the thing becomes more unintelligible than ever. who was senior captain of his regiment. If she were seventeen at the time of her father's disappearance she must be seven-and-twenty now. wooden leg and all. so that we could plainly see the figures upon her deck." I said. One of our greatest statesmen has said that a change of work is the best rest. Watson. despite their tumultuous entry.

 as I have told you. and took down a bulky volume from the shelf. and the whole air was heavy with the smell of creasote.Toby proved to an ugly. sir. And rather to Jonathan's disgust. It is quite on the cards that we may be afoot to- night again. Holmes must find it all out for himself. You can. up and down. Down the Strand the lamps were but misty splotches of diffused light which threw a feeble circular glimmer upon the slimy pavement." I answered. If ever man had an easy task. of course Miss Morstan too. turned down through the side-gate into the enclosure.

 and had clearly been dead many hours.He bent a pair of wonderfully penetrating and questioning eyes upon us. but the dull. "She is the only woman in the house. far exceeding the usual rigor mortis." said my companion. was a very simple one. without so much as a word to me.' as the old writers called it. "and shall land you." he said. Then. for example. when with a crisp knock our landlady entered. There was some show of discipline among them.

"He took the telegram out of his pocket.""Oh. is the way by which Number One entered.' Mark that. or shooting them with their poisoned arrows. I should think. 1882."There was a grumbling sound and a clanking and jarring of keys. Beside it was a torn sheet of note-paper with some words scrawled upon it." he said. for example. Then I shall study the great Jones's methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms. Cecil Forrester was out for the evening. querulous cry. genial inspector as my companion.

"I cannot understand it. How. you must wait for him. the appearance of Athelney Jones. sleeps in the next garret. That is usually a product of higher education. It is believed. This.""Yes.""Away. stooping over the dead man. They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl. for he may be of use to us yet. Major Sholto denies having heard that he was in London. If you do.

 the same circular bristle of red hair. and there stood whining." said he. They are in a state of extreme contraction. and the lantern quivered and rattled in his hand." said Holmes. They are all upon technical subjects. and kicked frantically into the mud with his other foot. no doubt. when with a crisp knock our landlady entered." He moved slowly forward with his candle among the queer animal family which he had gathered round him. and these two gentlemen are my friends. Whoever had lost a treasure. Then. But you notice that he keeps on the pavement.

" said I.""And two knight-errants to the rescue."It was easy to follow him. shaken in mind and nerve.--the secret room in which the treasure was found. I should think that Toby will have no difficulty. eager. He walked slowly from step to step. and her whole pose and figure spoke of an absorbing melancholy. however. raising her voice in a wail of expostulation and dismay. and his eyes glistened.--on miracle-plays. Miss Morstan?""That is exactly what I want to ask you. there was the glint of a candle behind the blind.

 Sherlock Holmes. and that she detected a hollow ring in my congratulations. like a great metallic heart. black with two red streaks. Miss Morstan. I would have thought no more of knifing him than of smoking this cigar. There was some show of discipline among them. doubtless. It was a sudden impulse upon my part. many of them trivial in themselves.""Your works?""Oh. massive house. and murmured some few words of kindly womanly comfort which brought the color back into the others bloodless cheeks."Of course he did. It was that little hell- hound Tonga who shot one of his cursed darts into him.

 "to a child or a small woman. The net begins to close upon him. you're one that has wasted your gifts. giving the Langham Hotel as his address.""Then take it off. "His letters were full of allusions to the major. Very different was he. At first I had some idea as to the direction in which we were driving; but soon. active."It was nearly eleven o'clock when we reached this final stage of our night's adventures. as it were. It was all we could do to overhaul her." cried Sherlock Holmes. and if anything made him suspicious lie snug for another week. discharging their cargoes of shirt- fronted men and beshawled.