Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-02-12
ADVENTURE OF SILVER BLAZE.
nv a. Conan Doyle in tho strand Magazine,


exercised and watered as usual, and thu
stables were locked up at 9 O'Clock
Two OF the lads walked up TO the train
er's house, where they had supper II
the kitchen, while the third, Ned Hun
ter, remained on guard. At few min
utes after the maid, Edith Baxter
carried down to the stables his supper
which consisted OF dish Of curried
mutton. She took no liquid, as there
was water-tap In the stables, and Il
was the rule that the lad on duty should
drink nothing else. The maid carried
a lantern with her, as it was very dark
and the path ran across the open moor
Edith Baxter was within thirty yard:
OF the stables when man appeared out
OF the darkness and called to her TO stop,
As be stepped into the circle OF yellow
light thrown by the lantern, she saw
that he was a person OF gentlemanly
bearing dressed In gray suit OF tweed
with a cloth cap. He wore CATERS, and
carried heavy stick with knob to it.
She was most impressed, however, bg
the extreme pallor Of his face and by
the nervousness of his manner. His age,
she thought, would be rather over thir'
q than under It.
"'Can you tell me whore I amp he
asked. i had almost made up my mind
20 sleep on the moor when l saw the
light Of your lantern.
"'YOu are close TO the Kings Pyland
training stables, she said.
"'Oh, indeed What strike OF
luckr he cried. i understand that a
stable-boy sleeps there alone every
night. Perhaps that is his supper
which you are carrying to him. Now,
am sure THAI you would not be too
proud 10 earn the price OF new dress,
would yOu? He took piece of white
paper folded up out Of his waistcoat
pocket. see that the boy has this to-
night, and you shall have the prettiest
frOck that money can buy,
''She was frightened by the earnest
ness Of his manner, and ran past him to
the window through which she was ac-
customed TO hand the meals. IL was
already open, and Hunter was seated at
she small table inside. She had begun
to tell him OF what had happened when
the stranger came up again.
" Good evening" said he, looking
through the window. i wanted TO have
q word with YOU The girl has sworn
that as he spoke she noticed the corner
Of the little paper protruding from his
closed hand.
What business have you here?'
asked the lad.
ITS business that may put some
thing into your pocket, said the other.
You've two horses in for the Wessex
CuD-Sllver Rlaze and Bayard. Let me-
nave the straight tip, and you won't be
q loser Is il fact that at the weights
Bayard could give the other hundred
Yards in five furlOngs, and that the
staSle have put their money on him?'
so you're one of those damned
touts,' cried the lad. I'll show you
how we serve them in Kings Pyland.
He sprang uD and rushed across the
stable 10 unloOSe the dog. The girl 1ed
away 20 the house, but as she ran she
looked back and saw that the stranger
was leaning through the window. A
minute later, however, when Hunter
rushed out with the hound, he was
gone, and, though the lad ran all round
the buildings, he failed to find any
trace of him."
lone moment" I asked. Ibid the
stable boy, when he ran out with the
dog, leave the door unlocked behind
him?"
Excellent, Watson, excellent" muir
INJURED my companion. The import
ance OF the point struck me so forcibly
that / sent a special wire to Dartmoor
Yesterday 70 clear the matter up. The
boy locked the door before he left IL.
The window. may add, was not large
enough for man 20 get through.
Hunter waited until his fellow
groOms had returned, when he sent a
message up to the trainer aud told him
what had occurred. Straker was eX-
cited at hearing the account, although
he does not seem to have quite realized
its true significance. II left him, how
ever, vaguely uneasy, and Mrs. Straker,
waking at one in the morning, found
that he was dressing. In reply to her
inquiries, ne said that he could not
sleep on account OF his anxiety about
the horses, and that he intended TO walk
down 20 the stables TO see that all was
we'll. She begged him to remain at
home, as she could hear the rain patter-
ing against the windows, but In spite OF
her entreatles he pulled on his large
mackintcSch and left the house.
Mrs. Straker awoke at : in the morn
ing, to find that her husband had not
yet returned. She dressed herself has
lilly, called the maid and set off for the
stables The door was open; inside,
huddled together upon chair, Hunter
was sunk in a state Of absolute stupor,
the favorite's stall was empty and there
were no signs OF his trainer.
The two lads who slept in the chaif-
cutting loft above the harness room
we're quickly aroused. They had heard
nothing during the night, for they are
both sound sleepers. Hunter was obvi-
ously under the influence OF some pow
erful drug; and, as no sense could be
got out of him, ne was left 10 sleep II off
while the TWO lads aud the two women
ran out In search Of the abSentees.
They still had hopes that the trainer
had for some reason taken out the horse
for early exercise, but on ascending the
knoll near the house, from which all
the neighboring mOors were visible,
they not only could see no signs Of the
favorite, but they perceived something
which warned them that they were in
the presence Of a tragedy.
About a quarter mile from the stables
John Straker's overcoat was Tapping
from a furze bush. Immediately beyond
there was bowl-ShaDed depression in
the moor, and at the bottom Of this was
found the dead body OF the unfortunate
trainer. His head had been shattered
by savage blow from some heavy Eeap-
on. and be was wounded ia the thigh,
where there was long, clean cut, in
flicted evidently by some very sharp in
strument. II was clear, however, that
Straker had defended himself vigorous.
II AGAINST his aSsailantS for in his RIG I