Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-03-21

whipped out his lens and a tape meas.
ure. aud hurried about the room on his
knees, measuring, comparing, eXamin-
ing, with his long thin nose only few
inches from the planks, and his beady
eyes cleaning and decp-set like those
of bird. SO swift. silent and furtive
We're his movements. like those of a
trained bloodhound picking ont a
scent, that / could not but think what
a terrible criminal he would have
made had he turned his energy and
sagacity against the law, instead of ex-
erting them in its defense. As he
hunted about, he kept muttering to
himself, and finally he broke out into
load crow of delight.
"We are certainly in luck" said he.
I'VE ought to have very little trouble
now. Number One has had the misfor-
tune TO tread in the creosote. You can
see the outline of the edge of his small
foot here Ht the side of this evil-smell-
ing mess. The carboy has been cracked,
you see, and the stuff has leaked out. -
"What then?" ! asked.
"Why, we have got him, that's all, y
al
follow that scent to the worlds end.
If pack can track a trailed herring
across a shire, how far can a spe cially-
trained hound follow so pungent a
smell as this? 1t sounds like a sum in
the rule Of three. The answer should
give us the But hulloo! here are the
accredited representatives of the law.
Heavy steps and the clamor of loud
voices were audible from below, and
the hall door shut with loud crash.
Before they come" said Holmes,
Just put your hand here on this poor
fellows arm, and here on his leg. What
do you fcel?'
''The muscles are as hard rs board, 4"
l answered.
''Quite so. They are in @ state of ex-
treme contraction, far exceeding the
usual riPor mortis. Coupled with this
distortion of the face this Hippocratic
smile, or 'risus sardonicus, as the old
writers called it, what conclusion would
it suggest to your mind?'
Death from some powerful vegcta-
BILE al.saloid,' | answered some
strychuine-like substance which would
produce tetanus."
THAT was the idea which occurred
to me the instant saw the drawn
muscles of the face. On getting into
the room | at once looked for the
means by which the poison had entered
the system. As you saw, discovered
a thorn which had been driven or shot
with no great force into the scalp.
that which would be turned towards
the hole in the ceiling if the man were
erect in his chair. Now examine this
thorn"
! took it up giugerly and held it in
the light of the lantern. II was long,
sharp and black. with glazed look
near the point as though some gummy
substance had dried upon it. The
blunt enl had been trimmed and
rounded of with knife.
"ls this an English thorn?" he asked
''No, it certainly is not"
with all these data You should be
able to draw some just inference. But
here are the regulars; SO the auxiliary
forces may beat a retreat"
As ne spoke, the steps which had
been coming nearer sounded loudly on
the passage, and a very stout. portly
man in "A gray suit strobe heavily into
the room. lie was red-faced, burly and
pletboric. wish a pair of very small
twiuhiiuE eyes which looked kecnly
ont from behind swollen and puffy
pouches lie was closely followed by
an inspector i'm uniform. and by the
.ss rs