The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-25

quite recognize that I. am under ob-
legations to you, Nh Holiness" said
he. but / must regard what you
have just said 'ag either a very bad
joke or an insult"
Sherlock Holmes laughed 81 as
sure you that have not associated
you with the crime, Colonel" said he
The real murderer Is standing inn
mediately behind you" He stepped
past and laid his hand upon the
glossy neck of the thoroughbred
The horse!" cried both the Colonel
and myself
Yes. the horse And it may Lessen
his suit if l say that it was done in
self-defense. and that John Straker
was a man who was entirely unworthy
of your confidence. But there goes
the bell, and as | stand to win htt4e
on the next race, | shall defer a
lengthy explanation until more fit
ting time.
We had the corner of a Pullman
car to ourselves that evening as we
whrled back to London, and / fancy
that the journey was a short one to.
Colonel Ross as well as to myself. as
we listened to our companion's mar
rative of the events which had oc-
Cured at the Dartmoor training
stables upon that Monday night and
them.
II confess" said he, that any the
cries which / had formed from the
newspaper reports were entirely err
roncous. And yet there were indica-
tons there, had they not been over
laid by other details which concealed
their true import. / went to Devon
shire with the conviction that Fitz-
roy Simpson was the true culprit al
though, of course, l saw that the
evidence against him was by no
means complete. 1t was while / was
in the carriage, just as we reached
he trainers house, that the immense
significance of the curried mutton
occurred to me. You may remember
hat I was distract, and remained sit
ing after you had all alighted.
vas marveling in my own mind how
[ could possibly have overlooked 50
obvious a clew"
81 confess" said the Colonel, that
even now ! cannot sec how it helps
ls''
ut was the first link i'm my chain
# reasoning. Powdered opium is
~ no means tastelesS. The flavor
S not disagreeable, but it is percepti-
Die. Were it mixed with any ordinary
fish the eater would undoubtedly de-
ect It, and would probably eat no
more. curry was exactly the me-
!ium which would disguise this taste.
BY no possible supposition could this
stranger, Fitzroy Simpson have caused
urry TO be served in the trainers
family that night and it is surely too
nonstrous a coincidence to suppose
that he happened to come along with
powdered opium upon the very night
when a dish happened to be served
which would disguise the flavor THAI
is unthinkable. Therefore, Simpson
becomes eliminated from the case, anC
our attention centers upon StrakeI
md his wife. the only two people wht
aould have chosen curried mutton fo
supper that night. The opium wa
added after the dish was set side 70;
the stable boy for the others had the
same supper with no i'll effects. Which
IF them, then. had'access to that disl
without the maid seeing them?
Before deciding that question | ha(
srasped the significance of the silence
IF the dog. for one true inference in
variably suggests others. The Simp
son incident had shown me that dos
Was kept in the stables, and yet
hough some one had been in and ha(
fetched out horse, he had not bark