The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-12-10
Adventures Of Sherlock
Holmes.
Continued from Page Three.)


l heard the sound of rending cloth as
Jones clutched at his skirts. The
| light flashed upon the barrel of a re-
volver, but Holmes hunting crop
came down on the mans wrist, and the
pistol clinked upon the stone floor.
IT'S no u John CLAW" said
Holmes blandly. "You have no chance
at al"
so see" the other answered. with
the utmost GOODNESS. I fancy that my
pal is all right, though l see you have
| got his cOat-tails.'
There are three men waiting for
him at the door" said Holmes.
ooh. indeed You seem to have
done the thing very completely. l
must compliment you"
and 1 YOU" Holmes answered.
Your rcd-headed idea was very new
! and effective"
You'll see your pal again pres
/ emily" said Jones. Hes quicker at
climbing down holes than l am. Just
hold out while / fix the derbies.
| II beg that you will not touch me
with your filthy hands," remarked our
! prisoner. as the handouts clattered
upon his wrists. you may not be
aware that l have royal blood in my
veins Have the goodness, also. when
you address me always to say sir ana
| please"
"An right" said Jones. with stare
and Singer. 'Well. would you
please, sir, march upstairs, where we
AN get cab to carry your highness
to the police-station?
'"That is better" said John Clay,
! serenely. He made a sweeping bow
| TO the three Of us and walked Off
in the custody of the detective.
| "Realv. Mr.. Holmes" said Mr..
| Merryweather, as we followed them
! from the cellar, II do not know how
| the bank can thank you or repay you,
| There is no doubt that you have de-
| tected and defeated in the most com
plete manner one of the most determ
| ined attempts at bank robbery that
| have ever come within my exper'
| ienCe."
81 have had ono or two little scores
| of my own to settle with Mr.. John
! Clay" said Holmes. Il have been az
| some small expense over this matter,
| which | shall expect the bank to re-
| fund but beyond that | am amply re-
paid by having had an experience
which is in many ways unique, and by
hearing the very remarkable narra-
tive of the Red-hnaded League"
You see. Watson" he explained in
the early hours of the morning, as
we sat over a glass of Whiskey-and-
soda in Baker Street. cit was per-
! fectly obvious from the first that the
only possible object of this rather fam
/ tastic business of the advertisement
of the league, and the copying of the
Encyclopedia. must be to get this
not over-bright pawnbroker out of the
way for number of hours every day.
/ IT was q curious way of managing it,
but really. it would be difficult to sug-
gest a better The method was no
! doubt SUGGESTED to Clay's ingenious
/ mind by the color Of his accOmpliccs
! hair The "A a week was a lure which
must draw him. and what was it to
! them, who were playing for thOus
ands? They put in the advertise
! meut one rogue has the temporary
office the ether rogue inCites the man
! to apply to it, and together they man
| aged to secure his absence every morn
ing in the week From the time that l
heard Of the assistant having come for
half wages it was obvious to me that
he had some strong motive for secur-
ing the situation"
"Rut how could you guess what the
! motive WaS?"
Had there been women in the
| III fuse , [ should have suspected a
mere vulgar intrigue. That. however,
| was out OF the question The man
/ business was a small one, and there
account for such elaborate prepara-
tons, and such an expenditure as they
+ were at. It must, then. be something
/ out of the house. What could it be?
/ [ thought of the assistants fondnesS
for photography, and his trick of van
! ishing into the cellar The cellar!
| There was the end of this tangled
cue Then | made inquiries as to this
mysterious assistant and found that
| had to deal with one of the coolest
| and most daring criminals in London.
He was doing something in the cellar
something which took many hours
day for months on end. What
could It be. once more2 ! could think
of nothing save that he was running
a tunnel to some other building.A
$50 far l had got when we went to
visit the scene Of action. | surprised
you by beating upon the pavement
| with my stick. ] was aScertaininG
whether the cellar stretched out in
front or behind. II was not in 'front.'
Then / rang the bell. and. as | hoped,
the assistant answered it. We have
| had some skirmishes. but we had
never set eyes UPON each other before
| hardly looked at his face. His knees
| were what / wished to see. You must
| yourself have remarked how worn,
| wrinkled. and stained they were. They
| spoke of thos hours of burroWing,
The only remaining point was what
| they were burrOWing for. / walked
| round the corner. saw that the City
and Suburban Bank abutted on our
friends premises, and felt that ! had
| solved my problem. When you drove
| home after the concert | called upon
| Scotland Yard and upon the chair
| e II tfrscs O