The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-21
Continued from last sunday.)

Sir Henry lay insenSible where he
had fallen. We tore away his collar
and Holmes breathed a prayer of graft
tude when we saw THAT there was ~
sign of a wound and that the rescue
had been in time. Already our friends
eyelids shivered and he made a feeble
effort to move. Lestrade thrust his
brandy-fask between the baronets
teeth, and two frightened eyes were
looking up at US.
My Cod" he whispered. What
was it? What, in Heavens name,
was it?''
IT'S dead, whatever it is said
Holmes. We've laid the family ghost
once and forever"
In mere size and strength it was a
terrible creature which was lying
stretched before US. 1t was not pure
bloodhound and it was not a pure mas
tiff: but it appeared to be combina-
ton of the two-gaunt, savage, and as
large as a small lioness. Even now, in
the stiffness of death, the huge jaws
seemed to be dripping with a blush
flame and the small, deep-set. cruel
eyes were hinged with fire. l placed
my hand upon the glowing muZzle, and
as I held them up my own fingers
smouldered and cleaned in the dark
ness.
phosphorus" I said.
"A cunning preparation of it," said
Holmes, shifting at the dead animal.
There is no smell which might have
interfered with his power of scent. We
owe you a deep apology, Sir Henry. for
having exposed you to this fright.
was prepared for hound, but not for
such a creature as this. And the fog
gave us little time to receive him.
You have saved my life
Having first endangered it. Are you
strong enough to stand2"
GIVE me another mouthful of that
brandy and l shall be ready for any
thing. So! Now. if you will help me
up. What do you propose to do?"
ITO leave you here. You are not fl
for further adventures tonight. II
you will wait, one or other of us will
go back with you TO the Hall"
He tried to stagger to his feet; but
he was still CHASTITY pale and trembling
in every limb. We helped him to a
rock, where he sat shivering with his
face buried in his hands.
I'VE must leave you now" said
Holmes. THE rest of our work mus
be done, and every moment is of i'm
portance. We have our case, and now
we only want our man.
Its a thousand to one against oul
finding him at the house." he con
tinued. as we retraced our steps swift
ly down the path. Those shots mus
have told him that the game was up.
I'VE were some distance off, and thi
fog may have deadened them
"He followed the hound to call hin
off-of that you may be certain. No
no. he's gone by this time! But wei
search the house and make sure"
The front door vas open, S,
we rushed in and hurried from room
TO room, to the amazement of {
doddering old manservant, who me
US IN the passage. There was no ligh
!. save in the dining room, but Holme
caught up the lamp and left no cor
ner of the house UNEMPLOYED. No sigi
could we see of the man whom w
were chasing. On the upper floor
however. one of the bedroom door
was locked.
There's someone in here" erie
Lestrade. Il can hear a movement
Open this door,"
A faint moaning and rustling cam
from within. Holmes struck the doc
gust over the lock with the fiat of hi
foot and it flew open. Pistol in hand
we all three rushed into the room.
But there was no sign within it o
that desperate and defiant villai
whom we expected to see. Instea
we were faced by an object so strang
and so unexpected that we stood 70
moment staring at it in amaze
mant.
The room had been fashioned int
n small museum. and the walls wer
lined by number of glass-toppe
cases full of that collection of butter
flies and moths the formation {
which had been the relaxation of thi
complex and dangerous man. In til
center of this room there was an ur
right beam, which had been place
at some period as support for til
old worm-eaten balk of timber whic
spanned the roof To this post
figure was tied, so swathed and mu1
filed in the sheets which had bee
used to secure it that one could M
for the moment tell whether 1t wa
that of a man or woman. One tow
el passed round the throat and we
secured at the back of the pillar. All
other covered the lower part of tt
face, and over it two dark eyes-eys
full of grief and shame and a dread
ful questioning-stared back at u
In a minute we had torn off the ga
unswathed the bonds. and Mrs Sta
'plSNOn SANK upon the uOOF IN ITOl
of us. AS her beautiful head fell upo
her chest I saw the clear red WEI
of a whiplash across her neck.
1.-THE brutei" cried Holmes Her
Lestrade, your brandy bottle! Pr
her in the chair, She has tainted fro
ill-usage and exhaustion"
She opened her eyes again.
rs he safer" she asked. Has I
escaped?'
HE cannot escape us, madam"
mo, no. I did not mean my hui
band. Sir Henry? Is he safer"
YES"
And the hound?"
''It is dead"
"She gave a long sigh of satisfa
ton
THANK God! Thank God. Oh. tn
villain, See how he has treated me
She shot her arms out from h
sleeves, and we saw with horror tn
they were all notified with bruise
But this is nothing nothing! It
my mind and soul that he has TO
tured and defiled. / could endure
all. iil-usage. solitude. a life of dece
ton. everything. as long as / cou
stiii cling to the hope that hi
his love, but now kno
that in this also I ha'
been his dupe and his tool" She broi
into passionate sobbing as she spok
You bear him no good will. nj
dam" said Holmes. Tell US IN.
whore we shall find him. n you ha'
ever aided him ~ evil, help us no
and 50 atone"
There b. but one place where
can have fed" she answered THE