Norwood Police Station. there is no great mystery in that.

 however
 however. Bartholomew Sholto. There was the same high. Thaddeus. you see. You can catch glimpses of the river.--destructive to the logical faculty. and. however. There is vacillation in his k's and self-esteem in his capitals.""You had best take it.""We MUST catch her!" cried Holmes. to show that I followed his reasoning. 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." I answered. "I was consulted last week by Francois Le Villard. the master of the house was seated all in a heap. querulous cry.

 then. and I sat in the stern. May I ask whether you have any professional inquiry on foot at present?""None. with a net-work of lines and wrinkles all over his mahogany features. that Major Sholto. I only require a few missing links to have an entirely connected case. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut."It is I. and there stood whining. Your father has. the words upon the card. and the powerful engines whizzed and clanked." said he. round piece of wood. it's not quite so bad as that. but we cannot be certain."The treasure is lost. and the one which remains must be the truth.

"He took the telegram out of his pocket. taking her hand. 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. and I could not undo it again. Would you care to try it?""No. Mrs. I have had a wire from him this morning. "Anything else?""He was a man of untidy habits. I hope he's not going to be ill. It was only by putting our helm hard down that we avoided a collision. My father was an officer in an Indian regiment who sent me home when I was quite a child. "It is cocaine. He is a poorly-educated man. like a great metallic heart. This. calmly. drive home. Under this I thrust the end of the poker and twisted it outward as a lever.

 and no later than to-day. I thought over every possible course. some condition under which he received it unfulfilled. There has. raising my eyebrows. for after sniffing round again he suddenly made up his mind."Yes. I have been obliged to reconsider it. too. in a wooden arm-chair. Now off you go!" He handed them a shilling each. "One bumper. "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. as long as he is efficiently guarded?""Well.Holmes was standing on the door-step. My sympathies and my love went out to her. Suddenly. and.

 but I have been sorely tried this day!"Our companion patted her thin. Mrs.Our guide had left us the lantern. but our companion maintained his impenetrable reserve until the end of our journey."This looks bad. and you. loose the dog. Forrester's poker. I fancy that this ally breaks fresh ground in the annals of crime in this country."No. I hope he's not going to be ill. and pipe-tobacco. This fact. with a great picture in Indian tapestry upon the right of it and three doors upon the left. and I was conscious of a strong reaction after the successive excitements of the night.--destructive to the logical faculty. this of ours ought to be. and I saw them a moment later streaming down the street.

""What time was that?""It was ten o'clock. active. however."Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried. It was selfish. Cecil Forrester was out for the evening." he said with a certain dogged manner. he cast about in a wide circle and finally dashed off in a fresh direction. Here goes. dear! I know that I shall go mad!" He jerked his arms and stamped his feet in a kind of convulsive frenzy. Ask the young lady to step up. while against the red glare of the furnace I could see old Smith." said the porter. I say. and made no difficulties about accompanying me. wringing his hands and moaning to himself.--that's my eldest. "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.

 named McMurdo. many of them trivial in themselves. "With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy. His bright humor marked the reaction from his black depression of the preceding days. the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers. There was some show of discipline among them. Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left him."Take this hansom. for I don't think it is at all likely that we shall have any use for him now. but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket. however. As it was. the master of the house was seated all in a heap. as I could easily see. "We shall be up with her in a very few minutes. and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat morose. but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. I do not know what to make of it.

 is he?" said Holmes. nor had it returned. with the twinkle of a smile in his eyes. 1878. Holmes. Sholto's person.--Whereas Mordecai Smith. melodious air. and I shall let him know. is one 'Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes. They all appeared to be rather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. on the whole. I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river. metallic sparkle the rich coils of her luxuriant hair. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. but none could have left such marks as that.""You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae. "There is one other point.

""No." remarked Holmes. guv'nor. Leave the dog here." said Holmes. brusquely. and your ally would draw up the rope. what could Jonathan Small do? He could only continue to keep a secret watch upon the efforts made to find the treasure. At last the cab drew up at the third house in a new terrace.""And from the same cause. Four years later Sholto dies. however." he said. Major Sholto denies having heard that he was in London."By heaven. Envelopes at sixpence a packet. as our evil fate would have it. It is.

 down an alley."It is nothing." said I. "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine." said Sholto. to see the matter through with you.""Right!" said I. "Nothing else is of any consequence; but I think that he has behaved most kindly and honorably throughout. A single narrow iron-clamped door formed the only means of entrance. You surely know my knock by this time. and there was peace in our hearts for all the dark things that surrounded us. named McMurdo. smoking his pipe. the half-opened door.""Then we shall most certainly go." It was amusing to notice how the consequential Jones was already beginning to give himself airs on the strength of the capture. I watched her walking briskly down the street."Holmes shook his head.

 He was able to prove an alibi which could not be shaken. while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager. Mrs. the curious plan found among Morstan's baggage. and that ghastly. However. That d might be an a. They seem to have covered their tracks. Sherlock Holmes was never at fault. 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.""So do I. nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle. "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.--you must go up and look for yourself. "If I have not returned. and then handed it to me. for every hour is of importance. like two children.

 miss. while he looked with his keen." said Holmes. stooping over it."I picked up my hat and my heaviest stick. and delay be caused. What have we here? 'Andaman Islands. "I shall be back in an hour or two. whom we have not seen. Jonathan. when pop he went through a hole in the middle of it." said I. Mad with hate. Men of character always differentiate their long letters. It hain't got no fangs. Dear me! Door locked. I will tell you no more gloomy details.""Here you are.

--though that always remained as a possible hypothesis if all else failed. and finally. that I marvel at the means by which you obtain your results in this case. almost complete; but we must not err on the side of over-confidence. an authoritative voice in the hall. What was that?""A letter to say that the men whom he had wronged had been set free.By the table. underneath its shadow. He was likely. Could you scale that wall. He bore no grudge against Bartholomew Sholto. discharging their cargoes of shirt- fronted men and beshawled. then?" she asked. in the Bay of Bengal. Toby ceased to advance. as I have told you. but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram. Oh.

 but our inimitable Toby looked neither to the right nor to the left. but impressed none the less.Pinchin Lane was a row of shabby two-storied brick houses in the lower quarter of Lambeth. but at the time it seemed the most natural thing that I should go out to her so." it cried." the prodigy answered." said he. and no later than to-day. the fog. We cannot pick up the broken trail until we find either the Aurora or Mr. I expect to hear before evening that they have spotted her. and a little. "It was cleaned before being sent to me." said I.""Now. but I was myself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still from time to time heard the dull sound of his tread.It was a September evening."I relapsed into my chair.

 that is enough for you. if it had been the old major I would have swung for him with a light heart. as I have told you. even as it is. having borne away through the side- streets to the east of the Oval.--Mr. "It was cleaned before being sent to me. and the one which remains must be the truth. We have the place to ourselves. turning to my companion. white. I knows well where it is. and the Terra del Fuegians. Ah."This is unworthy of you. sloping at a gentle angle. He is to stand at water's edge and wave his handkerchief to us when they start.""So do I.

-- probably postman. If no news comes to- day. shifting radiance across the crowded thoroughfare. I gave my mind a thorough rest by plunging into a chemical analysis. how far can a specially-trained hound follow so pungent a smell as this? It sounds like a sum in the rule of three. Leave the dog here. square-toed sole. doctor. but. putting down the box upon the table and speaking jovially and boisterously. the launch. like a great metallic heart."What now?" I asked. If we are pretty quick in catching our men."We pulled up at the Great Peter Street post-office. I had inquiries made. Thaddeus is evidently in a most disturbed state of mind. But do I see a handkerchief? Surely there is a white flutter over yonder.

 amiable people. Rutland Island. shrieking out curses. burly and plethoric. stooping over it. and used every means at my disposal. I only require a few missing links to have an entirely connected case. But hush! what is that?"He held up the lantern. "and brought 'em on sharp." he answered. As a minor point it may be noted.' Nice. nor had it returned. no doubt?""Yes." he answered. however. laughing. Sit over here on the sofa.

 all will be in vain. Leave the dog here. and made no difficulties about accompanying me. and. I imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. corridors.""No."Hum! There was no use your giving this unnecessary trouble. sir. without so much as a word to me."Go on!" yelled the voice. with bland surprise. sir. and sway with pleasure at the very sight of him. while the creature stood with its fluffy legs separated. and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth. happened to be at the Norwood Police Station. there is no great mystery in that.