Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20

| tie sound OF movement. and thee an VS.
silent once more. though the sailE g;syg
stronger. For haif an hour | sat with
strdining ears Then suddenly another
sound became sudihe-a very gentle S,afn-
| ing sound. like that of small let OF Steam
escaping continually from Kettle. The in
| slant that We heard il Holmes spring from
the bed. struck match and dashed iuri-
ously with his cane the bell pull
:. on see It, Watson he yelled. You see
| But l saw nothing AT the moment who,
ioImes struck the light | heard 4 low
ctear WHISTLE but the sudden glare IA shlng
INTO my weary eyes made 1t inposs. biz for
| me to tell what II was at which my friend
lashed SO savagely. | could however. see
| that his face was dealy pale and filed with
| horror and lothins
he had ceased to strike and was gazing
up AT the yentiiator. when suddenly there
broke from the silence Of the night the
most horrible cry to which / have ever lis
| tened 1t swelied up louder and louder a
hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger
All mingled in the one dreadful shrek They
say that away down in the village and
eNeH III me distant parsonage. that cry
raised the sieepers from their beds 1t
struck cold 10 our hearts and l stood gag
ing at Holmes, and he at me until the last
echoes or II had died away into the silence
from which IL rose
What can it n1ean?'' | gasped
1T means that 1t is all over" Holmes an
sWered And perhaps. after ALL 1t Is Tor
tte best rake your pistol. and we will
enter Ut. hONlott room.
With grave face he lit the lamp ard
led the way down the corridor Twice he
struck at the chamber door without any re-
ply from within Then lie turned the handle
and entered | at his heels with the cooked
pistol in my hand.
Ii was a singular sight which met our
eyes. On the table stood "A dlrk-Iantern
with the shutter half open. throwing a bril-
liant beam of light upon the iron safe the
door of which was ajaT. Beside this table,
on the wooden chair, sat DR.. Grimesby Roy
lott. clad in a long gray dressing gown. his
pare ankles protruding beneath. and hts
rect thrust into red heelless Turkish slip
pers. Across his lap lay the short stock
with the long lash which he had noticed
during the day. His chin was cooked up
ward and his eyes were fixed I'm a dreadful.
rigid stare at the corner OF the ceiling.
Round his brow he had peculiar yellow
band with brownish speckles, which seem
ed To be bound tightly round his head. As
we entered he made neither sound nor mo-
ton.
The band, the speciled band:' whispered
Holmes.
l took a step forward. In an instant his
strange headgear began to move. and there
reared itself from among his hair the squat
if.mond-shaped head and pufred neck OF a
loathSome serpent.
1T is a swamp ADDER cried Holmes:
the deadliest snake in India. He has died
within ten seconds of being bitten. Nio-
lence does. in truth. recon upon the violent
and the schemer falls into the pit which
he digs for another. Let us thrust this
creature hack into its dem and We can
then remove Miss Stoner to some place OF
shelter, and let the county police know
what has happened"
AS he spoke he drew the dog whip swiftly
| from the dead mans lap. and throwing the
moose round the reptiles neck. he drew it
from its horrid perch. and carrying it at
arms length threw it into the iron safe.
which he closed upon it.
Such are the true facts of the death of
DR.. Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran. 1t
is not necessary that | should prolong a
| narrative which has already run to too
great a length. by telling how We broke the
sad news to the terrified girl. how we con-
veyed her by the morning train to the care
oe her good aunt at Harrow. of how the
slow process of official inquiry came to the
ccrclusion that the doctor met his fate
while indiscreetly playing with dangerous
pet. The little which | had yet to learn of
the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes
as travelled back next day.
II had" said he, come to an entirely
roreous conclusion. which shows, my dear
Watson, how dangerous IL always Is to rea-
son from insufficient data. The presence of
| the gypsies. and the use of the word band
| which was used by the poor girl. no doubt
to explain the appearance which she had
caught hurried glimpse of by the light of
her match. were sufficient to put me upon
an entirely wrong scent. | can only claim
| the merit that instantly reconsdered my
| position when however. it became clear to
me that whatever danger threatened an
occupant of the room could not come either
! from the window or the door My attention
was speedily drawn, as | have already re-
marked to you. to this ventiIator, and to
the bell-rope which hung down to the bed.
The discovery that this was a dummy, and
that the bed was clamped to the floor. IN
stantly save rise to the suspicion that the
rope was there as a bridge for something
passing through the hole. and coming to the
bed. The idea of a snake instantly occurred
to me, and when | coupled ii with my
knowledge that the doctor was furnished
with supply of creatures from India fell
that l was probably on the right track
The idea OF using a form OF poison which
could not possibly be discovered by any
chemical test was just such a one as would
occur to d clever and ruthless man who had
an eastern training. The rapidity with
which such poison would take effect would
also, from mis- point Of view. be an advan-
tage. 1t would be sharp-eyed coroner. in
deed. who could distinguish the two little
dark punCtures which would show where
the poison fangs had done their work Then
| thought Of the whistle. of course, he
must recall the snake before the morning
light revealed it to the victim. He had
trained it, probably. by the use OF the milk
which we saw, to return TO him when sum-
moned. He would put 1t through this ven
tlator at the hour that he thought best.
with the certainty that II would crawl down
the rope and land on the bed. 1t might or
might not bite the occupant; perhaps she
might escape every night for week. but
sooner or later she must fall a victim.
Il had come to these conclusions before
ever | had entered his room An inspection
of his chair showed me that he had been in
the habit of standing on it, which of course
would be necessary in order that he should
reach the ventilator The sight OF the SAFE,
the saucer of milk and the loop of whip
cord were enough to finally dispel any
doubts which may have remained The
metallic clang heard by Miss Stoner was
obviously caused by her stepfather hastily
closing the door of his safe upon Its terri
BILE occupant. Having once made up my
mind you know the steps which TOOK IN
order to put the matter to the proof
heard the creature hiss. as have no douot
that you did also. and l instantly lit the
light and attacked It, ,. 49,,
.sWith the result of driving 1t through the
ventiato tor" :. g.
And also with the result OF causing II 10
turn upon its master at the other slde.
Some of the blows of my cane came nome
and reused its snakish temper. SO IhaI IL
flew upon the first person Ii saw In this
way 1 am no doubt indirectly responsive
for DR.. Grimesby Roylotts death. ana l
upon my conscience.
Geology in Art.