Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-05-15
CHAPTER v.-CoNTINUED.

CHAPTER S.-CONTlNUEO
what strange placer she said,
looking around.
st looks as though all the moles in
England had been let loose in it.
have seen something of the sort on the
side of a hill near Ballarat, where the
prospectors had been at work"
'sAnd from the same cause" said
Holmes. s'These are the traces OF
treasure-seekers. You must remember
that they were six years looking for it.
No wonder that the ground looks like
a gravelpit."
At that moment the door burst open,
and Thaddeus Sholto came running
out, with his hands thrown forward
and terror in his eyes.
There is something amiss with Bar
tholomew!' he cried. Il am fright
ened! My nerves cannot stand it." He
was, indeed, half blubbering with fear,
and his twitching, feeble face, peeping
out from the great Astrakhan collar,
had the helpless, appealing expression
of terrified child.
'sCone into the house, said Holmes,
in his crisp, firm way.
.sYes. dor pleaded Thaddeus Sholto.
II really do not feel equal to giving di-
rections."
We all followed him into the house
keepers room, which stood upon the
1ett-hand side of the passage. The old
woman was pacing up and down with
scared look and restless, picking
fingers, but the sight of Miss Morstan
appeared to have a soothing effect upon
her.
ssGod bless your sweet calm facet"
she cried, with a historical sob. 1T
does me good to see you. Oh, but 1
have. been sorely tired this day!'
Our companion patted her thin, work
worn hand and murmured some few
words of kindly womanly comfort
which brought the color back into the
others bloodless cheeks.
master has locked himself in and
will not answer me" she explained.
''All day / have waited to hear from
him, for he often likes to be alone; but
an hour ago I feared that something was
amiss, SO went up and peeped through
the keyhole. You must go up, Mr..
Thaddeus- mustrg go up and look
for yourself. have seen Mr.. Barthol-
omew Sholto in joy and in sorrow for
ten long years, but I never saw him
with such face on him as that"
Sherlock Holmes took the lamp and
led the way, for Thaddeus Sholto's
teeth were chattering in his head. So
shaken was he that l had to pass my
I, L.
stairs, for his knees were trembling
under him. Twice as we assembled
Holmes whipped his lens out of his
pocket and carefully examined marks
which appeared to me to be mere
shapeless smudges of dust upon the
cocoa-nut mating which served as a
,stair-carpet. He walked slowly from
step to step, holding the lamp low, and
shooting keen glances to right and |
left Miss Morstan had remained be-
hind with the frightened housekeeper.
The third flight of stairs ended in a
straight passage of some length, with
a great picture in Indian tapestry,upon
the right of it and three doors upon the
left. Holmes advanced along it in the
same slow and methodical way, while
we kept close at his heels, with our
long black shadows streaming back
wards down the corridor The third
door was that which we were seeking.
Holmes knocked without receiving any
answer, and then tried to turn the
handle and force it open. It was
locked on the inside, however, and by
broad and powerful bolt, as we could
see when we set our lamp up against
it. The key being turned, however,
the hole was not entirely closed. Sher-
lock Holmes bent down to it, and in
stantly rose again with a sharp intak-
ing of the breath.
There is something devilish in this,
Watson" said he, more moved than l
had ever before seen him. What do
you make of it?''
stopped to the hole, and recoiled in
horror. Moonlight was streaming into
she room, and it was bright with a
vague and shifty radiance. Looking
'.raight at me, and suspended, as it
we're, in the air, for all beneath was in
shadow, there hung a face-the very
ace of our companion Thaddeus.
There was the same high, shining
read, the same circular bristle of red
lair. the same bioodless countenance.
The features were set, however, in a
horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural
yrin, which in that still and moonlit
.oom was more EARRING to the nerves
,han an scowl or contortion. So like