Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-02-18
THE SIGN OF THE FOUR.
By A. CONAN DOYLE.
CHAPTER VIII

' If you cut>.,vr huw much ,l>oSotr Is Cartcd s.boUt London in VI.c d;iy, !; I~ no great wonder that our trul ehuuld EaNo been Cru~srd IL iS much usvd now cspo- Cially fur thc sCnsuniug uf wood Poor Toby is not to blamr
 We must get on the main scent again. suppose,
 "NCs, and fortunately We have no dis tance 10 go. Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner of Knights place was that thCrC wore two different trails run ming in opposite directions We took the wrong one It only remains to follow the other
 There was nu difficulty about this On i leading Toby to the place where he had committed his fault he cast about in a wide circle and finally dashed oil in a fresh dirHction.
 We must take care that he does not l now bring us to the place where the Creo sote barrel came from" observed
 II had thought of that but you notice that he keeps on the pavement, whereas the barrel passed down the roadway No; 1 we arc on the true scent now 1 It tended down toward the riverside i running through Belmont place and l Prince s sirvtt. At the end 0f Broad street 1 it ran right down tu the waters cdgc, l whCrr thCrc Was d small wooden wharf l Toby led lis tO the very edge of this, and 1 thrrr stood whining looking out on the | dark cucr, uI b,yund l ''Wr axe out of luck. said Holmes 1 "Ihgy Lave taken 10 a boat here. Sev- rIal >n1iu puUts and skifS were lying 1 ah"Ui in thc water and un the edge uf the wharf We took Toby round Ia cath in | turn, but though l." smiled earnestly he l made nn sign
 
 ' small brick house, with wooden placard slunG out through the second window. "Mur,l,cM smith" was printed across it ] in large lytirts, and underneath, Boats to l Hirv iy the Hour or Day. A second in | scriplion above the door informed Us that steam launch Was kept a statement which wa> confirmed by great pile of coke upon the jrtty sherlock Holmes looked ,lov.,yI .,. ., ,,.~s,lmcd an on:iuuu> ,>...
 This l,oh, ;..,,. ,..,t he These fel, lows are >hurycr than l r%prrted They seemed to naN, r,}vryd their tracks 1 There has, fear, hryn prrc"ncortcd man aErmrnt hrr'.
 lie was approaching the door of the hou~" when it opened. and a little curly h,atrd lId of came running cut, fol lowed Dy stoutiSh, rcd faced woman with a large sponge in her hand.
 "Gou come back ard be washed. Jack, she shouted "Comc back, you young inn, for if your father comes homo and finds you like that he Il let Us hear of it. "
 Dear little chap, said Holmes stratr- rically. What d rosy checked young rascal! Now. Jack, iS there anything you would likr,"
 The youth pondcrcd for a moment. I'd like a shillln," said hr.
 "Nuthing you would like bcttcr' Id HHc , shillin better, the prodigy answered after somo thought
 "HtrO You are, them Catch \ lno child, Mrs, smith"
 Her bless you. sir. he Is that and for 1 ward He g,ts almost tuo much for me 10 mHuaEr, specially when my man k away 1 days at a time.
 Away. is he:' said Holmes in n disap- pointed N,ir,. II am sorry for that, for wautr,l yo s!vlk yo Mr. smith %
 He lvtn away since yesterday morn irl, sir and. ,ruth yo tell. I'm bcginnin to feel Engineered about him But If it was Ahcut beat. sir. mAybo l could serve as well,
 ! wanted to hire his steam launch.
 Why. bless you, sir 1t is in the steam launch that Ee has gone That's what puzzles me. frr l hEow there ain't more ,>,.s ln her tan would take her to about Woc!NvicA anti bH,A If he'd bccn away tH tle b,.,,r, Id hA thought noJhin, for many n tItuo a jvh has taken him as fur as tiraV,> Id, and then If there was much L,iu tAcr> h. might ha staId over But what good Is a steam launch without coal,'"
 H. might have bought some at a wharf down tho rIN,r
 He might, sir, but it wCrent his way. Many a tIIuI I've heard him call out the prlcrs tEvy charge for few odd bags. Be- sides don't like that wooden legged man, wi his ugly face and outlandish talk. What Gl1 he want always knoCkin about here for'"
 '-A wooden !cCgCd man: said Holmes, l with bland surprise.
 'NCS sir, q brown, monkey faced chap that's called Inurr'n once for my old man. i Ii was him that rousVd him mp ycstcr- night, and. what's morc, my man knew he was rumin. for he had steam up in the launch tclI you straight, sir. don't teVl easy in my mind about it.
 "But, ny dear Mrs smith, said Holmes, struggling his shoulders, you are frightening yourself about nothing How Cunld you possibly tell that it was the wooden legged man who came in tho ! night: dent quite understand how you can bc sO sure " His voice, sir, knew his voice. which is kind O thick and fusgy, Ho tapped al } the windrr-about 3 it would be Show leg, UatCy, says he Tine to turn out guard My olG man woke up Jim-that': my Cldest-aud away they went without sC much as q word to mo, could hear tht wooden leg clackin on tho stones And was this wooden legged mar alonr'"
 ''C"oldn | say, am sur" didn't hoa
 II am sorry. Mrs Smith. for I wanted . steam launch, and l havo heard good TO ports Uf the - Let Inc see What is he nauC>''
 Tho Aurora, sir
 "Ahl Shes not that old green launcl with a yellow line. very broad in tn bcam!"
 No, indcedl Shes as trim littl thing as any on tho river Shcs bccl fresh painted - black. with two re, streaks, "
 "ThankS! l hope that you will hea soon from Mir Smith. l am going dow the river, and if l should see anything c }, the Aurora shall let him know that vol , are uneasy. A black funnel, you sayt'
 No 'sir-black. with n white band }, An, of courscl It was the sides whic
 were black Good morning, Mrs. Smith There is boatman hero with a wherry 5 Watson We shall take 1t and cross tn
 river"
 ), The main thing with people of tha
 sort, said Holmes as we sat in the sheet 3 of the whCrry, Is never to let them thin
 that their information can be of the slight , est importance to you. If you do, the
 will instantly shut up like an oyster , you listen to them under protest, as '' were, you arc very likely to get what yo
 want "
 r. Our course now seems pretty clear
 said
 5, What would you do, them"
 II would engage a launch and go dow ,. the track of the Aurora. "
 My dear fellow it would be a colosSI