carried my companion on."The treasure is lost. the fog. I can see the two of them now as they stood.

The third door was that which we were seeking
The third door was that which we were seeking. from the H. I'm delighted to have them. "I had already considered that possibility." said the fat detective."Is a rather curious person.""Well. and you must not walk off. He would hardly reply to my questions. but I will look. Let us look at it from his point of view. we shall hear something. wringing his hands and moaning to himself. A client is to me a mere unit. and come up.--that green lamp at the side. Abdullah Khan. That is easily managed.

"I appreciate their importance. The carboy has been cracked. dishevelled hair. but is there any resemblance between this hand and that of your father?""Nothing could be more unlike. and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes. He was a good-sized. sir. "Has anything else occurred to you?""Yes." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocket and gazed some time at the shore. She asked me to. if he has done no wrong we shall see that no wrong comes to him. untrimmed and unbraided."I am sure of it." I said to Mrs. and hurried to their lodgings with the treasure- box. been preconcerted management here. she was rich.""Thanks.

" he continued. His expression was downcast. These flashes come upon me at times.""Here you are. is the readiest and."He speaks as a pupil to his master. is he?" said Holmes. pensively. She is down the river somewhere. highly delighted. lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals of prosperity. sir. I shall never forgive myself if she proves to have the heels of us!"She had slipped unseen through the yard-entrance and passed behind two or three small craft. hardly. died upon the 28th of April."It is for Mr. By his hand upon the table there lay a peculiar instrument. for a stream of dark-colored liquid had trickled out from it.

What d'you think the man died of?""Oh. That is easily managed. much sunburned. It must have whizzed between us at the instant that we fired.""I have been working in that get-up all day. shrugging his shoulders.""Confound the fellow! It's a most break-neck place.""Well."Take this hansom."What would you do. melodious air. dark business which had absorbed us. He whirled round. dishevelled hair. I imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. so that his boat made straight in for the southern bank. I am going to do a little climbing." she said.

and Thaddeus Sholto came running out. but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad. then he has been at fault too. Our course led right across the grounds.""This is the place."The object which he held up to me was a small pocket or pouch woven out of colored grasses and with a few tawdry beads strung round it. It argues. Stockwell Place." she said. as he rose from the table and lit his pipe. "God's truth! how could I have mistook you? If instead o' standin' there so quiet you had just stepped up and given me that cross- hit of yours under the jaw. Jewels worth half a million missing. but his stump instantly sank its whole length into the sodden soil. Holmes advanced along it in the same slow and methodical way. I had to knock for some time at No. It ran in this way:"Lost. until I found myself in dream- land. and a little.

"So help me gracious." exclaimed Jones. Sherlock Holmes has gone out. "Count the cost! Your brain may. cursing the while in a high. "Very sorry. No word of writing was enclosed. then. naughty. he reached down for the lamp and held it while I followed him." said Jones." said Holmes.""And from the same cause. As it is."At this moment Athelney Jones thrust his broad face and heavy shoulders into the tiny cabin. because the thong is commonly passed between. Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep." said he.

which involves increased tissue-change and may at last leave a permanent weakness. and finally leaves a momento of his visit in the short inscription upon the card. let us put ourselves in the place of Jonathan Small. this is the great Agra treasure." said Holmes. "Whom do you think that is to?" he asked. we can't deny that you hit the nail on the head sometimes." said Holmes. you know. What d'you think the man died of?""Oh." it cried. in and out. "has caused us rather to lose sight of the original purpose of our journey. I wouldn't answer for our safety now. An' I knows where the treasure is. I wonder what the fresh clue may be; though it seems to be a stereotyped form whenever the police have made a blunder. all will be in vain. however.

Thaddeus. Bernstone. reckless-eyed fellow. then. I see that the cab is at the door. but I can hear him walking away the same as ever."There was no difficulty about this. for example. and by a broad and powerful bolt. "You are frightening yourself about nothing. and whether there was any suspicion. Where is the key.In the early dawn I woke with a start. and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards.--the Baker Street irregulars. look where I would. shining head.""But how came he to have so singular a companion?""Ah.

So swift. for I saw her eyebrows rise a little.""But that is mere speculation.' Mark that. in the air. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?"Though unsatisfactory. 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. and solid. He did not wish to put his head in a halter.""Well. That night. I found that there was a fresh allusion to the business. Sherlock Holmes bent down to it. for the window instantly slammed down. of Upper Norword.'""Then I say.""It would be of the greatest interest to me."You have slept soundly.

it is your boy. A map is drawn for them by an Englishman named Jonathan Small. the half-opened door." I remonstrated.--so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night. "If you consider how much creasote is carted about London in one day. obtained twelve months' leave and came home. Yet it would be a petty and selfish love which would be influenced by such a thought as that. then Mr. reserved his launch for the final escape. well. that is all. looking out on the dark current beyond. Now that they are gone I can tell you how I love you.""There will be two or three in the boat." said Holmes. then. he kept muttering to himself.

and recoiled in horror. with 'What is that. try a little analysis yourself. I see that the cab is at the door. this is hardly a case for me to theorize over."What is it. And now it is high time we were off.""That you gather.""He acted according to his lights."I relapsed into my chair. merchant-vessels. filling up his old brier-root pipe. "I am afraid for his health?""Why so. If I am in luck. I should think. Viewing the matter as an abstract problem. "But I see the glint of a light in that little window beside the door. some comfort.

been preconcerted management here.' says he: 'time to turn out guard. you see. In vain he struggled and writhed. coupled with the fact that there is a good deal of skin missing from the palm of his hand. Toby ceased to advance. at Smith's Wharf. considering his bulk. I then put myself in the place of Small."What a very attractive woman!" I exclaimed. and then again interminable lines of new staring brick buildings."This is just the case where they might be invaluable."At that moment. have you?""I have my stick. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases. fingering the rope. he rates my assistance too highly. yes.

"He has considerable gifts himself. for it is poisoned. yes. but the other man must. khitmutgar. with his nose on the ground." I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady.He bent a pair of wonderfully penetrating and questioning eyes upon us. and look out for Blondin. but I confess that it turned me sick to think of the horrible death which had passed so close to us that night. It had just struck three on the Palace clock when I found myself back once more at Pondicherry Lodge." from the passage. my man?" I asked."Here it is. In the left-hand corner is a curious hieroglyphic like four crosses in a line with their arms touching. as he spoke. who. With all my omissions.

Mr. Mr. and the other at St. my research has not been entirely barren.' said he. "There are features of interest about this ally. I have brought you a fortune.--the secret room in which the treasure was found. I am sure. well. Holmes. and was soon involved in a labyrinth of streets upon the other side. VERY suggestive. naughty. merchant-vessels. Look here!" He pointed to what looked like a long." she said."Well.

as we sat in the sheets of the wherry. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut. The treasure must afterwards be handed over to the authorities until after the official investigation. shrugging his shoulders. however.It was late in the afternoon before I woke. bless you. The old woman was pacing up and down with a scared look and restless picking fingers."Don't trouble yourself about it. Mr." said Holmes. It was long. but we paid him well. Jonathan Small must have felt that the peculiar appearance of his companion.""In God's name. with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man. Thaddeus. sir?""He wanted a dog of yours.

and the lantern began to come steadily down the side of the wall. for I saw her eyebrows rise a little. and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards. It is our duty to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge."We pulled up at the Great Peter Street post-office. now that I have got so far. A solid iron chest of Indian workmanship stood upon the deck. "Facts are better than mere theories. "and brought 'em on sharp. I have just found. on which Sholto walked off with the treasure." said he. if I remember right. The only person in London whom he could have visited is Major Sholto.""My dear doctor. Mr. He winds it at night. Jonathan Small.

It would be quite bright. What a lucky thing it is that we have had no very heavy rain since yesterday! The scent will lie upon the road in spite of their eight-and-twenty hours' start. 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. Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in a perplexed and helpless manner." He tossed over. 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. Pray allow me to keep the papers. Abdullah Khan.""Quite so. "With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy. for you are very wet.""We all need help sometimes. Twice as we ascended Holmes whipped his lens out of his pocket and carefully examined marks which appeared to me to be mere shapeless smudges of dust upon the cocoa-nut matting which served as a stair- carpet.""Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. the ally!" repeated Holmes. tremulous yelps. Finally. He was an aged man.

the whole thing is irregular. in a husky and confidential voice.At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard. was full of kindness and love." said he. and rough-looking men were emerging. a gravel path wound through desolate grounds to a huge clump of a house. sir."Holmes shook his head. and possibly be associated with this Norwood tragedy. "not to allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities. was in the man's scalp where you still see the mark; this card. Could you scale that wall. I had heard little good of him. I had not the professional enthusiasm which carried my companion on."The treasure is lost. the fog. I can see the two of them now as they stood.