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

SLUG. LIEU us open ibs NO WdbcT PIP
near. Roof quite out of reach. Yeta mai
has mounted by the window. Itrainet
little last night. Here is the print o
mold upon the sill, And here is ;
, circular muddy mark, and here agar
upon the floor, and here again by the
table. See here, Watson! This is re
ally very pretty demonstration"
q / looked at the round, well-defnet
muddy discs. THAT is not foot
mark, said /.
1T is something much more valuable
to us. 1t is the impressionof wooden
stump. You see here on the sill is the
boot mark, a heavy boot with broad
metal heel, and beside it is the mark OF
the timber-toe. "i ~
st is the wooden-legged man"
Quite So But there has been some
4 one else "a very able and efficient ally.
4 Could you scale that wall, doctor?"
! looked out of the open window.
The moon still shone brightly on that
angle of the house. We were a good
sixty feet from the ground, and, look
where would, could see no foothold,
nor as much as crevice in the brick
work.
+ 1T is absolutely impossible" an
swered.
sWithout aid it is so. But suppose
You had friend up here who lowered
you this good, stout rope which see
in the corner, securing one end of it to
this great hook in the wall. Then,
think, if you were an active man, you
might swarm up, wooden leg and all.
You would depart, of course, IN the
same fashion, and your ally would
draw up the rope, unite it from the
| hook, shut the window, snib it on the
inside, and get away in the way that
he originally came. As minor point, it
may be noted he continued, lingering
| the rope, ''that our wooden-legged
| friend, though fair climber, was not
professional sailor. His hands were
more than one blood mark, especially
toward the end of the rope, from which
I gather that he slipped down with
such velocity that he took the skin off
his hands,"
This is all very WE'LL" said I, 'tbut
the thing becomes more unintelligible
than ever. How about this mysterious
ally? How came he into the room?'
Yes, the allyn repeated Holmes,
pensively. There are features of in
terest about this ally. He lifts the
case from the regions of the common
place. l fancy that this ally breaks
fresh ground in the annals of crime in
this country-though parallel cases sug-
gest themselves from India, and, if my
memory serves me, from Senegambia.
'sHow came he, then?" / reiterated.
s'The door is locked, the window is in
accessible. Was it through the chin
ney?"
THE CRATE is much too small" he
answered Il had already considered
that possibility
''How them" persisted
''You will not apply my precept." he
said, shaking his head. ssHow OF an have
l said to You that when you have elimi-
mated the impossible, whatever re-
mains. however improbable, must be
the truth? We know that he did not
come through the door, the window, or
the chimney We also know that he
could not have been concealed in the |
room, as there is no concealment pos
sible. Whence, then, did he come?''
HE came through the hole in the
roof, I" cried.
'sOf course he did. He must have |
done so. If you will have the kindness
to hold the lamp for me, we shall now
extend our researches to the room
above--the secret room in which the |
treasure was found"
He mounted the steps, and, Selling a |
rafter with either hand he swung him
self up into the garnet. Then, lying on
his face, he reached down for the lamp
and held it while I followed him.
The chamber in which we found our
selves was about ten feet one way by
six the other. The floor was formed by
the rafters, with thin lath-and-plaster
between, so that in walking one had
to step from beam to beam. The roof
ran up to an apex, and was evidently
the inner she'll of the true roof of the
house. There was no furniture of any
sort, and the accumulated dust of
years lay thick upon the floor
Here you are. you see,' said Sher-
lock Holmes, putting his hand against
the sloping wall. This is trap-door
which leads out onto the roof. can
press it back, and here is the roof it
self, sloping at a gentle angle. This,
then, is the way by which Number One
entered. Let US see if we can find
some other traces of his Individuality
He held down the lamp to the floor.
Ind as he did so saw for the second
lime that night a startled, surprised
oolz come ovet his face. For myself,
Is followed his gaze my skin was cold
lnder my clothes. The floor was
covered thickly with the prints of
naked foot-clear, well defined, per-
ectly formed, but scarce half the size
# those of an ordinary man.
Holiness said, in a whisper, "a
hid has done this horrid thing
He had recovered his self-possession
n an instant. II was staggered for :
he moment, he said, 'sbut the thing {
5 quite natural. Ny memory failed !
ne, or should have been able to fore
ell it. There is nothing more to be 2
earned here. Let us go down.
3 ssWhat is yOur theory then ne RI