The Press., 1895-05-30

even the policemen and stokers, who had a very vague idea of what was going for ward.
 I've have no right to take anything for Cranted,'' '' Holmes answered. It is cer- tainly ten to one that they go down stream, but we cannot be certain From this point we can sec the entrance to the yard, and they can hardly see us. It will be clear night and plenty of light We must stay where we are See how the folk swarm | over yonder in the gaslight."
 "They are coming from work in the yard.''
 ''Dirty looking rascals, but suppose ev- | cry one has some little immortal spark con cealed about him. You would not think it to look at them. There is no priori probability about it. A strange enigma Is manp'
 stSome one calls him soul concealed in an animal" suggested.
 "WinwOod Reade is good upon the sub ject" said Holmes. He remarks that, while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for ex- ample, never foretell what any onc man will do, but you can say with precision | Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant So says the statistician. But do sec handkerchief? Surely there is a white 1ntter over wonder"
 'Yes, it is your boy," l cried. Il can see him plainly.'
 And there is the Aurora" exclaimed Holmes, and going like the Cevil! Full speed ahead, engineer. Max: after that launch with the yellow light. By heaven, I shall never forgive myself she proves to have the heels of us!'
 She had slipped unseen through the yard entrance and passed behind two or three small craft, so that she had fairly got her speed up before we saw her. Now she was flying down the stream, near in to the shore, going at q tremendous rate. Jones looked gravely at her and shook his head.
 "She is very fast" he said II doubt if we shall catch her."
 We must catch her!' cried Holmes be tween his teeth. Heap it on, stokers! Make her do all she can! If we burn the boat, we must have them!"
 We were fairly after them now. The furnaces rOared, and the powerful engines whizzed and clanked, like a great metallic heart. Her sharp, steep prov cut through the still river water and sent two rolling waves to right and to left of us. With ev- cry throb of the engines we sprang and quivered like living thing. One great yellow lantern in our bows threw long, f1ickering funnel of light ill front of us Right ahead 2. dark blur upon the wate showed where the Aurora lay, and tn swirl of white foam behind her spoke o the pace at which she was going. w flashed past bargcs, steamers, mcrchan vessels, in and ont, behind this one an' round the other. Voices hailed us out 0 the darkness, but still the Aurora thun dered on, and still WIG followed close upol her track
 Pile it on, men, pile it on!' crieC Holmes looking down into the engin room, while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager, aquilne face. "Ge every pound of steam you can."
 II think wo gain a littIc said Jones with his eyes on the Aurora.
 II am sure of it, said I. We shall b up with her in a very few minutes.' -
 At that moment, however, as our evi fate would have it, a tug with thre barges in tow blundered in between us It was only by putting our helm hart down that we avoided collision, and be fore we could round them and recover ou way the Aurora had gained q good 20 yards. She was still, however, we'll il view, and the murky, uncertain twiligh was settling into a clear starlit night Our boilers were strained to their utmost and the frail shell vibrated and creakeC with the fierce energy which was drivin, us along. We had shot through the Pool past the West India docks, down the lon; Deptford reach and up again after round ing the isle of Dogs. The dull blur il front of us resolved itself now clearl enough into the dainty Aurora. Jone turned our searchlight upon her, so tha we could plainly sec the figures upon he deck. One man sat by the stern, witt something black between his knees, ove which he stopped. Beside him lay darl mass which looked like a Newfoundland dog.
 The boy held the tiller, while agains the red glare of tho furnace I could sec olt Smith, stripped to the waist and shovel ing coals for dear life. They may hay had some doubts at first as to whether W were really pursuing them, but now as W followed every winding and turning whicI they took there could no longer be an question about it. At Greenwich we wCr about 300 paces behind them. At Black wall we could not have been more than 25O l have coursed many creatures in man countries during my check cred career, bu never did sport give me such wild thril as this mad, flying man hunt down tn Thames. Steadily we drew in upon them yard by yard. In the silence of the nigh we could hear the panting and clankini of their machinery. The man in the ster1 still CrOuched upon the deck, and his arm were moving as though he were busy whilc every now and then he would loo1 up and measure with a glance the dis tance which still separated us. Nearer W came and nearer. Jones yelled to then to stop. We were not more than fou boats lengths behind them, both boat flying at S tremendous pace. It was clear reach of the river, with Barking , level upon one side and tho melanchol Plumstead marshes upon the other A our hail the man in the stern sprang u from the deck and shook his two clinche fists at us, cursing tho while in a high cracked voice. He was a good sized pow erful man, and as he stood poising him self, with legs astride, l could see tha from the thigh downward there was but wooden stump upon the right side. A the sound of his strident, angry erie there was movement in the huddlcd bun de upon the deck. It strengthened itscl into a little black man-the smallest have ever seen-with a great, misshape head and shock of tangled, dishcvele hair. Holmes had already drawn his re volver, and l whipped out mine at tn sight of this sava"c, distorted creature