The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-12


But I need yor- company and as
sistance Wait a bit! There is fell
low cutting Pc, up yonder. Bring
him over here, and he will guide the
police"
/ brought the peasant across. and
Holmes dispatched the frightened man
with note to DIR. Huxtable.
Now. Watson" sc,d he. -, have
picked up two clues this morning.
One is the bicyc-s with ele Palmer
tyre, and we see what that has led to.
The other is the bicyo,e with the
patched Dunlop. Before we start to in
vestigate that. let us try to realize
what we do know, so MS to make the
most of 1t. and to separate the essen
tial from the accidental.
First of all. wish to impress upon
you that the boy certainly left of his
own free will He got Down from his
window and he ent Off either alone
or with some one. That is sure
| assented.
We'll, now let us turn to this I'M
fortunate German master The boy
was fully dressed when tIed. There
fore he foresaw what he would do.
But the German went without his
socks. He certainly acted on very short
notice"
Undoubtedly"
''Why did he go? Because from his
bedroom window he saw the flight
of the boy; because he wished to over
take Kim and bring him back. He
seized his bicycle, pursued the lad.
and In pursuing him met as d sath''
$50 1t would SEEM
Now l come to the critical part of
my argument. The natural action of
a man in pursuin little boy would
be to run after him. He wouil know
that he could overtake him. Eut the
German does not do so. He turns to
his bicycle. l am told that he was an
excellent cyclist. He would not do
this II he did not see shat the boy had
some swift means of escape.
1.-The other bicycle"
Let us continue our reconstruction.
He meets his death five miles from the
school-not by a bullet, mark you.
which even IL lad might conceivably
discharge, but by a savage blow, dealt
by a vigorous arm. The lad. then,
had a companion in his flight. And
the flight was a swift one, since 1t
took five miles before an expert cyclist
could overtake them. Yet we survey
the ground round the ccene of the
tragedy. What co we find. n few
cattle tracks, nothing more. I took
a wfue sweep round, and there is no
path within fifty yards. Another cyclst
could have had nothing to do with the
actual murder. nor were there any
human footmarks.'
Holmes cried. this is impossi-
BILE"
"Admirables, he said. u most H.
L.. a..
as I state It, and. therefore must In
some respect ha stated 1t wrong.
Yet you saw for yourself can you
suggests any fallancy?'
He could not have fractured his
skull in a fall?'
I'm a morass. Watson?'
81 am at my wits end.''
Tut, tut. we have solved some
worse problems. At least we have
plenty of material If VIC can only use
1t. Come then and, having exhausted
the Palmer, let us see what the Dun
lop with the patched cover has to offer
u.s."
We picked up the track and followed
1t EDWARDS for some distance, but
soon the moor rose into a long. heath
er-tufted curve. and we lelt the water
course behind us. No further help from
spot where we saw the last of the
Dunlop tyre 1t might equally have led
to Holdernesse Hall, the stately towers
of which rose some miles to our left
or to grey village which lay In front
Of us. and marked the position OF the
Chesterfield high road.
AS we approached the forbidding
and squalid inn. with the sign of
game-cock above the door, Holmes
gave sudden groan. and clutched me
by the shoulder to save himself from
falling. He had had one Of those vio-
lent strains of the ankle which leave
man helpless. With difficulty he
limped up to the door. where a squat
dark. elderly man was smoking
black clap pipe.
How are you, Mr.. Reuben Hayes?'
said Holmes.
who are you. and how do you gel
my name SO patti" the countryman an