The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-11-23

ytt@ut~ TOR myself, ! Itit tfAttd ~
the thought that we were nearing the
cno of our task. ard caught some
thing Of Holmes gayety. None Of us
alluded during dinner 70 the cause
which had brought us together.
When the cloth was cleared Holmes
glanced at his watch and filed up
three glasses with port. Zone
bumper" said he, ito the success Of
our little expedition. And now IL Is
high time we were OF. Have you a
pistol. Watson?'
II have my old service revolver In
my desk"
You had best take It. then. II is well
TO be prepared. / see the cab Is at the
doov. ordered Il for half-past six"
IL was little past seven before we
reached the Westminster wharf and
found our launch awaiting us. Holmes
eyed IL critically.
rs there anything TO mnrk II as o
police boat2~
"Yes-that green lamp ut the side"
"Then take IL off.
The small change was made, we
stepped on board, and the ropes were
cast off. Jones, Holmes and ] sat In
the stern. There was one man at the
rudder, one to tend the engines, and
two burly police inspectors forward.
''Whcre TOP asked Jones.
"To the tower. Tell them TO stop
opposite TO Jacobson's yard"
Our craft was evidently a very fast
one. We shot past the long lines OF
loaded barges as though they were sta
tionary. Holmes smiled with satisfac-
ton as we overhauled river steam
err and left her behind MS.
ave ought to be able 70 catch any
thing on the river he said.
'Well. hardly that. But there are
not many launches 70 beat u.s."
''We shall have 10 catch tho Aurora,
and she has n name for being clipper.
will tell You how the land lies, Wat
son. You recollect how annoyed was
at being baked by SO small thing?"
"Yes."
"Well, gave my mind thorough
rest by plnnging into a chemical
analysis. One OF our greatest states
nen has said that change Of work is
the best rest. SO II Is When had
succeeded in dissolving the hydrocar-
bon which was at work ut, came
back TO our problem of the Sholtos, and
thought the whole matter out again.
My boys had been mp the
river and down the river without
result The launch was not at
any landing stage or wharf, nor had IL
returned. Yet IL could hardly have
been scuttled &c hide their traces
though that always remained as pos
sible hypothesis II all else failed.
knew that this man Small had cer-
tain degree of low cunning, bnt / did
not think him capable of anything in
the nature of delicate finesse. That is
usually product of higher education.
then reflected that since he Ind GER
tainly been In London some time-as
we had evidence that he maintained q
continual watch over Pondicherry
lodge-hc could hardly leave at mo-
ment's notice, but would need some
little time, If II were only day, TO
arrange his affairs That was the bal
nnce OF probability, at any rate"
''It seems TO me to be little weak, "
said /. 1T is more probable that he
had arranged his affairs before ever he
set out upon his expedition"
mo, hardly think so. This lair Of
his would be too valuable o retreat in
ease Of need for him TO give 1t up until
he was sure that he could do without
II. But second consideration strnclS
me; Jonathan Small must have felt
that the peculiar appearance Of his
companion, however much nc may
have top-coatcd him, would give rise
to gossip, and possibly be associated
with this Norwood tragedy. lie was
quite sharp enough To see that They
had started from their headquarters
under cover of darkness, and no