The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-09

| into the Saxe-Coburg Square. hope that
| you have done what 1 asked you. Jones
| 81 have an inspector and two officers
waiting at the front door"
"Then we have stopped all the holes.
| And now we must be silent and wait.
| What time it seemed From compar-
| ing notes afterward it was but an hour
| and quarter, yet it appeared TO me that
| the night must have almost gone, and the
dawn be breaking above US. My limbs
/ were weary and stiff. for feared to change
| my position, yet my nerves were worked
| up to the highest pitch of tension, and my
hearing was so acute that could not only
| hear the gentle breathing of my compan-
| ions, but could distinguish the deeper,
| heavier inbreath of the bulky Jones from
| the thin signing note of the bank director.
| From my position / could look over the
| case in the direction of the floor. Sudden
| ly my eyes caught the CLINT OF light.
At first it was but lurid spark upon the
stone pavement. Then it heightened out
until it became yellow line, and then,
without any warning or sound, cash
seemed to open and a hand appeared, a
white, almost womanly hand, which felt
about in the center Of the little area of
light. For minute or more the hand.
with its writhing fingers, protruded out of
the floor. Then it was withdrawn as sud
denly as 1t appeared, and all was dark
again save the single lurid spark, which
marked chink between the stones.
Its disappearance, however, was but mo-
mentary. With a rending, tearing sound,
one of the broad, white stones turned over
upon it's side and left a square, gaping
hole, through which streamed the light of
lantern. Over the edge there peeped a
clean-cut, boyish face, which looked
keenly about it, and then, with hand on
either side of the aperture. drew itself
shoulder high and waist high, until one
frx.xa Il. - L
slant he stood at the side of the hole, and
was hauling after him a companion, 1.-the
and small like himself, with pale face
and shock of very red hair.
'It's all clear" he whispered. "Have
you the chisel and the bags? Great Scott!
Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing for
itw
Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and
seized the intruder by the collar. The
other dived down the hole, and heard
the sound of rending cloth as Jones
clutched at his skirts. THE hight flashed
upon the barrel of a revolver, but Holmes
hunting crop came doSn on the mans
wrist, and the pistol clinked upon the
stone floor.
'It's no use, John Clay" said Holmes,
blandly. "You have no chance at all"
80 see, )" the other answered, with the
utmost GOODNESS. 81 fancy that my pal is
all right, though | see you have got his
coat-tallS."
There are three men waiting for him at
the door" said Holmes.
"Oh, indeed. You seem to have done
the thing very completely. | must COM
pliment you"
you'll see your pal again presently"
said Jones. Hes quicker at climbing
down holes than | am. Just hold out
while fix the derbies. Now would you
please march upstairs, where we can get
t0 ho at
And John Clay walked quietly off in the
custody of the detective
Really, Mr.. Holmes" said Mr.. Merry
weather, as We followed them from the
cellar, 81 do not know how the bank can
thank you or repay you. There is no
doubt that you have detected and defeated
In the most complete manner one of the
most determined attempts at bank robbery
that have ever come within my ex-
perience"
You see, Watson" Sherlock Holmes
explained, in the early hours of the morn
ing, as We sat over glass of whisky and
soda in Baker street, sit was perfectly OBJ
vious from the first that the only possible
object of this rather fantastic business of
the advertisement of the league, and the
copying of the Encyclopedias, must be to
get this not-overbright pawnbroker out of
the way for number of hours every day.
The method was no doubt suggested to
accomplice's hair. From the time that /
heard of the assistant having come for
half wages, it was obvious to me that he
had some strong motive for securing the
situation"
But how could you guess what the mo-
tive was2"
Had there been women in the house, /
should have suspected mere vulgar in
trigue. That, however, was out of the
question. Then / made inquiries as to
this mysterious assistant, and found that
l had to deal with one of the coolest and
most daring criminals in London. He
was doing something in the cellar-some-
thing which took many hours a day for
months on end. What could it be once
more? l could think of nothing save that
he was running tunnel to some other
building.
$50 far 1 had got when we went to visit
the scene of action. 1 surprised you by
beating upon the pavement with my stick.
L was ascertaining whether the cellar
stretched out in front or behind. 1t was
not in front. Then 1 rang the bell and, as
| hoped, the assistant answered it. We
have had some skirmishes, but we had
never set eyes upon each other before
hardly looked at his face HIS knees
were what | wished to see. You must
yourself have remarked how worn.
wrinkled and stained they were. They
spoke of those hours of burrowing. The
only remaining point was what they were
burrowing for. / walked around the cor
ner. saw that the City and Suburban bank
abutted on our friends premises, and felt
that / had solved my problem"
"And how could you tell that they
would make their attempt tonight?" I
asked.
'Well, when they closed their league
offices that was sign that they cared no
longer about Mr.. Jabez Wilson's presence:
iu other words, that they had completed
their tunnel. Saturday would suit them
better than any other day, as it would
give them two days for their escape. For
all these reasons expected them to come
tonight. When you drove home after the
concert, l called upon Scotland Yard and
upon the chairman of the bank direc-
tors, with the result that you have seems
CONAN DoyIF