Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-09-19
The Adventure of
the Priory School
No. S Of the Series

(Coyrghf, 1905. By II. Conan Doyle s1i CsHtsr's
Wsekly.o
(coeyriSbt, 1905, By Mcclure, PhilIi>s q cs.)
Here is Herr Heldegger, sure
enoughw cried Holmes e1ultantly. my
reasoning seems to have been pretty
sound. Watson"
81 congratulate you"
But we have long way still to go.
Kindly walk clear of the path. Now let
us follow the trail fear that 1t will
not lead very far"
We found, however, as we advanced
that this portion Of the moor Is inter-
sected with soft patches, and. though
we frequently lost sight Of the track.
we always succeeded in picking it up
once more.
do you observe" said Holmes, ''that
the rider is now undoubtedly forcing
the pace? There can be no doubt Of 1t.
Look at this impression, where you get
both tires clear. The one is as deep as
the other. That can only mean that the
rider is throwing his weight on to the
handle bar, as man does when he Is
sprinting. BY Jove, he has had fall!'
There was broad, irregular smudge
covering some yards Of the track. Then
there were few footmarks, and the
tire reappeared once more.
"a side Slip" suggested.
Holmes held up crumpled branch
Of Towering gorse. To my horror
perceived that the yellow blossoms
We're all dabbled with crimson. On the
path, too, and among the heather were
dark stains of clotted blood.
Bad" said Holmes. Bad! Stand
clear, Watson! Not an unnecessary
footstep! What do read here? He
fell wounded-he stood up-he remount-
other track. Cattle on this side path.
He was surely not gored by bull!
Impossible! But see no traces of
any one else. We must push on, Wat
son. Surely, with stains as well as the
track to guide. he cannot escape us
now"
| Our search was not very long one
The tracks Of the tire began to curve
Enthusiastically upon the wet and shining
path. Suddenly, us l looked ahead
the CLEAN of metal caught my eye from
amid the thick gorse bushes. Out OF
them we dragged bicycle. Palmer
tired, one pedal bent and the Who'll,
front Of it horribly smeared and slob
bered with blood. On the other sid
Of the bushes shoe was projecting
We ran round and there lay the un
fortunate rider. He was tall man
full bearded, with spectacles, one glas
1 Of which had been knocked out. Th
| cause Of his death was frightfu
blow upon the head, which had crush
ed in part Of his skull. That he coult
have gone on after receiving such al
injury said much for the vitality ont
courage Of the man. He wore shoes
but no socks, and his open coat dis
closed nightshirt beneath it. 1t wa
undoubtedly the German master.
Holmes turned the body over reyel
emily and examined 1t with great al
tention. He then sat in deep though
for time, and I could see by his ru1
fed brow that this grim discovery ha
not, in his opinion, advanced US muc
in our inquiry.
at Is a little difficult to know wha
to do, Watson" said he at last. IN
own inclinations are to push this II
quiry on, for we have already lost 8
much time that we cannot afford
waste another hour. On the other hant
we are bound to inform the police {
the discovery and to see that this poe
fellows body is looked after"
II could take note back"
"But need your company and Al
sistance. Wait bitl There is a fe
low cutting peat up yonder. Bring hil
over here, and he will guide the p
lice"
/ brought the peasant across. an
Holmes dispatched the frightened ma
with note to DR.. Huxtable.
| "Now, Watson" said he, I'VE hay
picked up two clews this morning Or
is the bicycle with the Palmer tir
and we see what that has led to. II
other Is the bicycle with the patche
Dunlop. Before we start to invest
gate that let us try to realize what "
do know, so as to make the most Of
and to separate the essential from Il
accidental"
'First of all, / wish to impress upc
you that the boy certainly left of b
own free will. He got down from b
window, and he went off either alol
or with some one. That IL sure"
assented.
"Well, now, let us turn to this u
fortunate German master. The be
was fully dressed when he fed. Their
fore he foresaw what he would d
But the German went without b
socks. He certainly acted on We,
short notice"
Undoubtedly"
"Why did he go? Because from b
bedroom window he saw the flight
the boy; because he wished to owe
take him and bring him back. +
seized his bicycle. pursued the lad al
In pursuing him met his DEATH"
$50 1t would SEEM"
"Now come to the critical part
my argument. The natural action
man in pursuing little boy won
be to run after him. He would kno
that he could overtake him. But t
German does not do SO. He turns
his bicycle. am told that he was 1
excellent cyclist. He would not
this If he did not see that the boy b,
some swift means Of escape"
n 1.-THE other bicycle"
"Let US continue our reconstructic
He meets his death Eve miles from t
school-not by bullet. mark yc
which even lad might concelvab
discharge, but by a savage blow de,
by a vigorous arm. The lad. then. b