The Delta independent., 1895-07-10

his revolver from his drawer and
Elipped it into his pocket. 1t was clear
that he thought that our nights work
might be n serious one.
Miss Morstan was muificd in dark
cloak. and her sensitive face was COM
posed, but pale. She must have been
more than woman if she did not feel
some uncasiness at the strange enter
prise upon which we were cmbarking,
yet her self-control was perfect, and
she readily answered the few addition
al questions which Sherlock Holmes
put to her.
Maj. Sholto was very particular
friend of papa'sy" she said. "His let
ters were full of illusions to the major.
lie and papa We're in command of the
troops at the Andaman islands. so they
were thrown great deal together. BY
the way, n curious paper was found in
papa's desk which no one could under
stand. l don't suppose that it is of the
slightest Importance. but ! thought
YOU might care to see it, SO brought
Ii with me. 1t is here
Holmes unfolded the paper careful
ly and smoothed it out upon his knee.
lie then very methodically examined
it all over with his double lens.
at is paper of native Indian manu-
facture,' he remarked. SIT has at some
time been pinned to board. The dia
gram upon it appears to be a plan of
part of large building with numcr-
Gus halls, corridors. and passages. At
one point is a small cross done in red
ink. and above it is '3.37 from left in
faded pencil-writing. In the left-hand
& h tlra
four crosses in n line with their arms
touching. Beside it is written. in very
rough and coarse characters. THE sign
of the four,-Jonathan Small. Mahomct
Singh, Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.'
No, 1 confess that I do not see how
this bears upon the matter. Yet it is
evidently document of importance.
1t has been kept carefully in pocket
book: for the one side is as clean as the
other
SIT was in his pocketbook that we
found it."
"Preserve it carefully, then, Miss
Morstan, for it may prove to be of use
to us. begin to suspect that this mat
for may turn ont to be much deeper
and more subtle than I at first sup
posed. I must reconsider my ideas"
lie leaned back in the cab, and / could
see by his drawn brow and his vacant
eye that he was thinking intcn,ly.
Miss Morstan and l cliattcd in an un-
dcrtonc about our present expedition
and its possible outcome, but our com
panion maintained his impenetrable re-
serve until the end of our journey.
1t was September evening, and not
yet seven o'clock. but the day had been
dreary one, and dense drizzling fog
lay low upon the great city. Mud
colored clouds dropped sadly over the
muddy streets Down the Strand the
lamps were but misty splotchcs of diff
fused light which threw feeble cir
cular glimmer upon the Shiny pave
mcnt. The yellow glare from the shop
windows strcamed out into the stcamy,
vaporous air, and threw n murlsy.
shifting RADIANCE across the crowded
thoroughfare. There was to my mind
something ecric and ghost-likc in the
endless procession of faces which fitted
across these narrow bars of light-sad
faces and glad, haggard and merry.
Like all human kind, they fitted from
the gloom into the light, and so back
into the gloom once more. am not
subject to impressions, but the dull,
heavy evening, with the strange bust
ness upon which we were engaged,
combined to make me nervous and de-
pressed. I could see from Miss Nor
stsn's manner that she was suffering
from the same feeling. Holmes alone
corld rise superior to petty influences.
;ic held his open notebook upon his
knee, and from time to time he jotted
down figures and memoranda in the
light of his pocket lantern.
At the Lyceum thentcr the crowds
were already thick at the side en-
frances. In front continuous stream
of hansoms and four-wheelers were
rattling up, discharging their cargoes
of shirt t-fronted men and beshawlcd,
pcdiaElondcd women. We had hardly
reached the third pillar, which was our
rendezvous, before a small, dark, brisk
man in the dress of n coachman ac-
costcd us.
Are you the parties who come with
Miss Morstan?'' he asked.
y am Miss Morstan, and these two
gentlemen are my friends" said she.
lie bent pair of wonderfully pene-
trating and questioning eyes upon us.
You will excnsc me- miss" he said,
with certain dogged manner, but
was to ask you to give me your word
that neither of your companions is q
police officer"
II give you my word on that" she
answered.
Hetgavc shrill whistle, on which a
street Arab led 5cross four-wheeler
and opened the door. The man who
had addressed us mounted TO the box,
while we took our places inside. We
had hardly done so before the driver
whipped up his horse, and we plunged
away alta furious pace through the
fo2gy streets.
The situation was curious one. We
were driving to m unknown place, on
an unknown crrand.. Yet our invita-