Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-02-01

nave rendered 1t remarkable. These
strange details, far from making the
case difficult, have really had the
effect of making it less So"
Mr.. Gregson, who had listened to this
address with considerable impotence,
could contain himself no longer. Look
here, Mr.. Sherlock Holiness" he said,
'we are all ready to acknowledge that
you are a smart man, and that You
have FOUR own methods of working.
We want something more than
mere theory and preaching now,
though. 1t is a case of taking the man.
l have made my case out, and it seems
/ was wrong. Young Charpentier could
not have been engaged in this second
affair. Lestrade- went after his man,
Stangerson, and it appears that he
was wrong, too. You have thrown out
hints here, and hints there, and seem
to know more than we do, but the
time has come when we feel that we
have a right to ask you straight how
much you do know of the business.
Can you name the par who did it?"
II cannot help feeling that Gregson
is right, sir" remarked Lestrade. 1--WE
have both tried, and we have both
failed. You nave remarked more than
once since l nave been in the room
that you had all the evidence which
you require. Surely you viii not with
hold it any longer"
"And delay in arresting the assas-
sin," / observed, might give him time
to perpetrate some fresh atrocity."
Thus pressed by Is all, Holmes
showed signs of irresolution. He con-
tinued to walk up and down the room
with his head sunk on his chest and
his brows drawn down, as was his
habit when lost in thought.
"There Will be no more MURDERS 81
he said at last. stopping abruptly and
facing us. "You can put that consid-
Grafton out of the question, You have
asked me if | know the name of the
assassin. lido. The mere knowing of
his name is a small thing, however,
compared with the power of laying our
hands upon him. This expect very
shortly to do. | have good hopes OF
managing it through my own arrange
ments; but it is a thing which needs
delicate handling, for we have
a shrewd and desperate man to
deal with, who is supported, as
l have had occasion to prove, by an,
other who is as clever as himself. AS
long as this man has no idea that any.
one al have a clew there is some
chance of securing him; but if he had
the slightest suspicion he would
change his name and vanish in an in
slant among the four million inhabit.
ants of this great city. Without mean
ing to hurt any of your feelings, 1 an
bound to say that l consider these men
to be more than a match for the officia,
force, and that is why | have not asked
your assistance. If I fail I shall OF
course incur all the blame due to thi.
omission; but that | am prepared for
At present | am ready to promise tha'
the instant l can communicate witt
you without endangering my own com
binations | shall do So"
Gregson and Lestrade seemed to bt
far from satisfied by this assurance
or by the d~epreciating allusion to the
detective police. The former hat
flushed up to the roots of his faxer
hair, while the others beady eye,
glistened with curiosity and resent
ment. Neither of them had time tt
speak, however, before there was a tai
at the door and the spokesman of tn,
street Arabs, young Virgins, intro
duced his insignificant and unsavory
person.
"Please, sir" he said, touching hi.
forelock, 81 have the cal downstairs.
Good boy" said Holmes, blandly
"Why don't you introduce this pattern
at Scotland Yard9" he continued, tax
ing a pair of steel handouts from
drawer. "See how beautifully thu
spring works. They fasten in an in
slant"
"The old pattern is good enough,
remarked Lestrade, 'if we can find tn,
manic put them on"
Every good, very good" said Holmes
smiling. 'The cabman may as vel
help me with my boxes. Just ask hin
to step up, Virgins"
l was surprised to find my companion
speaking as though he were about t
set out on a journey, since he had no
said anything to me about it. Their
was a small portmanteau in the room
and this he pulled out and began t,
strap. He was busily engaged at i
when the cabman entered the room.
"Justgive me help with this buckle
cabman," he said, kneeling over hi
task, and turning his head.
The fellow came forward with
somewhat sullen, defiant air, and pu
down his hands to assist. At that in
slant there was a sharp click, the jang
ling of metal, and Sherlock HolIne
sprang to his feet again.
Gentlemen" he cried, with fashin.
eyes, "let me introduce you to Mr.
Jefferson Hope, the murderer of Enocl
Drebber and Joseph Stangerson."
The whole thing occurred in a mo
ment-so quickly that l had no time t
realize it. have a vivid recollection
of that instant, of Holmes triumphan
expression and the ring of his voice, o
the cabman's dazed, savage face, as h
glared at the glittering handouts
which had appeared as if by magi
upon his wrists. For a second or tv
we might have been a group of statues
Then with an ina~rticulate roar of fury
the prisoner wrenched himself FIRE
from Holmes grasp, and hurled him
self through the window. Woodwork
and glass gave way before him; blu
before he got quite through, Gregsor
Lestrade and Holmes sprang upol
him like 80 many stag-hounds
He was dragged back into tn
room, and then commenced a tel
rife conflict So powerful and S
fierce was he, that the four of us wer
shaken off again and again. He al
peared to have the %convulsive strengt
of a "a in an epileptie fit. His fac
and hands were terribly mangled b
the passage through the glass, but los
of blood had no effect in diminishin
his resistance. It was not until l.,
strade succeeded in getting his han
inside his neck-cloth and half stranf
ling him that we made him realize tina
his struggles were of no avail; an
even then we felt no security until w
had pinioned his feet as well as h
hands. That done, we rose to our fee
breathless and painting.
"We have his eab," said Sherloc
Holmes. at will serve to take him t
Scotland Yard. And now, gentlemen,
he continued, with a pleasant srnil,
I'VE have reached the end of Dur littl
mystery. You are very welcome to pr
any questions that you like to me 10Y
and tbera ia M danOer that I will r.