The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-12

must be SO. Watson, do you reeem-
Der seeing any cow-tracks todayyp
Yes, several.
"Where?"
"WelI everywhere. They were at
the morass and again on the path
and again where poor Heidegger met
his death.
many cows did you see on the moor
Il don't remember seeing any.
Strange, Watson, that we should
see tracks all along our line, but never
a COW on the whole mbor. Very
strange, Watson eh?"
Yes it is strange"
Now, Watson make an effort
throw your mind back. Can you see
those tracks upon the path?"
Eyes, l can"
Can you recall that the tracks
were sometimes like that, Watson"
he arranged a number of bread
crumbs in this fashion: : and
sometimes like this i:
and occasionally like this
that?"
mo, I cannot"
But l can. | could swear to It,
However, we will go back at our leis-
ure and verify it. What a blind beetle
/ have been, not to draw my conclu-
sion!"
'And what is your conclusion? r"
"Only that it is a remarkable COW
which walks, canters, and gallops BY
Georgei Watson, it was no brain OF a
country publican that thought out
such a blind as that The coast seems
to be clear, save for that lad in the
smithy Let us slip out and see what
we can see"
There were two rough haired, UNI
kempt horses in the tumble-down
stable. Holmes raised the hind leg
Of one Of them and laughed aloud.
"Old shoes, but newly shod-old
| shoes, but new nails. This case de-
serves to be classic. Let us go
across to the smithy."
The lad continued his work without
regarding us. / saw Holmes eye dart
ing to right and left among the litter
of iron and wood which was scattered
about the floor. Suddenly, however.
we heard a step behind us, and there
was the landlord, his heavy eyebrows
drawn down over his savage eyes, his
| sWarthy features conVulsed with pas
sion. He held short, metal-headed
stick in his hand, and he advanced
| in so menacing a fashion that I was
right glad to feel the revolver in my
| pocket.
You internal spies!" the man cried.
What are you doing there"
4 WHY MI. llGuDCll hayes SdiQ
| Holmes. coolly, lone might think that
YOU were afraid of our finding some
thing out"
The man mastered himself with
violent effort, and his grim moued
loosened into false laugh, which was
more menacing than his froWn.
You're welcome to all you can
| find out in my smithy" said he. "But
look here, mister, / don't Gaze for folk
poking about my place without my
leave, SO the sooner you pay your score
and get out of this the better / shall
| be pleased"
All right. Mr.. Hayes, no harm
meant said Holmes. I'VE have been
/ having a look at your horses, but /
think I'll walk, after all. It's not far,
I believe"
mot more than two miles to the
Hall gates. That's the road to the
left" He watched US with sullen eyes
until we had left his premises.
We did not go very far along the
| road, for Holmes stopped the instant
| that the curve hid us from the land
| lords view.
I'VE were warm, as the children
| say, at that inn, said he. Il seem to
| grow colder every step that ] take
away from it. No, no. / can't possibly
| leave it."
II am convinced" said /. "that this
/ "A
| more self-evident villain / never saw
"Oh he impressed you in that way
| did he? There are the horses, there is
| the smithy Yes, il is an interesting
! place, this Fighting Cock l think we
| shall have another look at it I'm an un-
obtrusive way"
| long, slOping hillside, dotted with
| grey limestone boulders, stretched be-
! hind us. We had turned off the road
/ and were making our way up the hill,
| when. looking IN the direction Of
| Holdernesse Hall, / saw q cyclist COM
(, ing swiftly along.
Get down. Watson!" cried Holmes
with heavy hand upon ny shoulder
hWe had hardly sunk from view when
/ the man flew past us on the road
Amid a rolling cloud Of dust, ! caught
| a glimpse of a pale, agitated face-a
4 face with horror in every lineaments
i the mouth open, the eyes staring wild
| ~ in front. 1t was like some strange
| caricature of the dapper James Wilder
1 whom we had seen the night before
''The Dukes secretary" cried
| Holmes Come Watson. let us see
what he does"
We scrambled from rock 10 rock,
! until in few moments we had made
/ our way to a point from which we
! could see the front door of the inn
/ Wilder's bicycle was leaning against
the wall beside it. No one was NOV
ing about the house. nor could we
i catch glimpse of amy faces at the
windows. Slowly the twilight crept
down as the sun sank behind the high
4 towers of HoldernesSe Hall. Then. i'm
Continued on Fourth Page.)