Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-09-21
The Adventure Of
Black Peter
No. 6 of the Series
Copyright, 1904. BY Il. Conan Doyle and Collier,
Week!y.)
(copyrigbt. 1905, BY Mcclure, Phillips s. Co..
CONTINUED

CONTINUED
fast all tie better. Will YOU not. for tn,
thought hat YOU have brought youl
CASE to a triumphant conclusion"
Stanley Hopkins was SpeechleSs Will
amaZement.
Il don't know what to say, Mr.
Holmes he blurted ont at last, with q
very red face. 1T seems to me that
l have been making a fool of myself
from the beginning. l understand now
what l should never have forgotten,
that am the pupil and YOU are the
have done, but l don't know how you
did,it or what it signifies"
Well, WELL" said Holmes good hui,
moredly. I'VE all learn by experience,
and your lesson this time is that YOU
Should lever lose sight of the alterna-
tive. You We're so absorbed in young
Neligan that you could not spare Il
thought to Patrick Cairns, the true
murderer of Peter Carey"
The hoarSe voice of the seaman broke
in on our conversation.
See here, mister, said he. Il make
no complaint of being man handled in
this fashion. but l would have you cal!
things by their right names. You say
l, murdered Peter Carey; l say l killed
Peter Carey. and there's all the differ
enc Maybe you don't believe what l
say. Maybe you think.I am just sling
ing you a yarn"
Not at all" said Holmes. Let Us
hear what you have to say"
"It's soon told, and. by the Lord. ev-
cry word Of it is truth. I knew Black
Refer, and when he pulled out his knife
I whipped a harpoon through him
sharp, for l knew that it was him or
me. That's how he died. You can call
it murder. Anyhow. I'd as soon die
with a rope round my neck as with
Black Peters knife in my heart
How came you there" asked
Holmes.
"1ll tell it you from the beginning.
Just sit me up q little SO as I can speak
easy. 1t was in SO that it happened
August of that year. Peter Carey was
master of the Sea Unicorn. and l was
spare %harpooner. We were coming out
Of the ice pack on u way home. with
head winds and a weeks southerlv
gale, when we picked up a little craft
that had been blown north. There was
one man on her-a landsman. The crew
had thought she would founder and
had made for the Norwegian coast in a
dingey. I guess they were all drowned.
We'll, we took him on board. this man.
and he and the skipper had some long
talks in the cabin. All the baggage we
took off With him was one tin box. SO
far as 1 know, the mans name was
never mentioned, and on the second
night be disappeared as if he had eve
been. 1t was given out that he had
either thrown himself overheard or
fallen overheard in the heavy weather
that we were having. Only one man
knew what had happened to him, and
that was me, for with my own eyes 1
saw the skipper tip up his heels and
put him over the rail in the middle
watch of a dark night two days before
we sighted the Shetland lights.
"Well. l kept my knowledge to my
self and waited to see what would
come of it. When We got back to Scot
land it was easily hushed up. and no
body asked any questions. A stranger
died by accident, and it was nobody's
business to inquire. Shortly after Pc.
ter Carey gave up the sea, and it was
long years before l could find where be
was. l guessed that he had done the
deed for the sake of what was in that
tin box and that he could afford now
to pay me we'll for keeping my mouth
shut.
ri found out where he was through
a. sailor man that had met him in Lon
don, and down l went to squeeze him
The first night he was reasonable
enough and was ready to give me what
would make me free Of the sea for life
I'VE were to fix it all two nights later
When / came l found him three parts
drunk and in a vile temper. We sa'
down, and we drank, and we yarneC
about old times. but the more he dranl
the less l liked the look on his face
] spotted that harpoon upon the wall
and I thought l might need it before
was through. Then at last he brok'
out at me, splitting and cursing, will
murder in his eyes and a great class
Knife in his hand. He had not tim
to get it from the sheath before I ha(
the harpoon through him. Heavens
what a yell he gave! And his face get
between me and my sleep. l Stoot
there, with his blood splashing rount
me, and l waited for a bit, but al
was quiet, SO l took heart once more
1 looked round. and there vas the til
box on the shelf. I had as much RICH
tn it as Peter Carey, anyhow, 80 l too
it with me and left the hut. Like
fool, / left my baccy pouch pom til
table.
"Now III tell you the queerest par
of the whole story. ! had hardly &c
outside the hut when ! heard som