The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-12

| NdS pcHlllu nlr1ls the DOSOUl ITlcnu o.
| Moriarty. the man who dropped the
l ocks over tho cliff. the most cunping
and dangerous criminal in London.
That is .he man who is after me to-
! night, Watson, and that Is the man
who is quite unaware that we are
after him."
| My friends plans We're gradually re-
Veaiing themselves. From this con-
| Venient retreat, the watchers We're
| being watched and the crackers track
| ed. That angular shadow up yonder
was the bait, and we were the hunters.
| III silence we stood together in the
darkness. and watched the hurIying
| figures who passed and repaSod i'll
| front of us. Holmes was silent and
| motionlcss; but | could tell that he
| Was keenly alert, and that his eyes
| were fixed intently upon the stream
| of paSsers-by. II was q bleak and boiS-
| ferrous night, and the wind WhiStled
shrilly down the long street Many
people were moving to ana FRO, most
| of them muffed in their coats and
Cravats. Once or twice ii seemed to
me that / had seen the same figure
before, and l especially noticed two
men who appeared to be SnelterinS
themselves from the wind III door
way Of a house some distance up the
street. | tried TO draw my compan-
| IONS attention TO them: hut he gave
a little ejaculation of impatienCe, and
continued to stare into the street.
More than once he ildgeted
with his feet and tapped
ON the wall. 1t was evident to mo
that he WIS becoming uneasy. and
that his plans We're not working out
altogether as he had hoped. AZ last,
as midnight approached and the street
gradually cleared, he paced up and
down the room in uncontroilable agl-
tation. / was about TO make some re-
mark to him, when 1 raised my eyes
to the lighted window, and again eH-
pericnced almost as great q surprise
as before. / clutched Holmes arm,
and pointed upwards. ....'
The shadow has moved" ] cried.
II was indeed no longer the profile,
but the back, which was turned to-
ward us.
smoothed tho asperitieS of his temper
or his Impotence with q less active iu-
tclligence than his own.
"Of course II has moved, said he.
las ] such farcical bunSier, watson
that l should erect an obvious dummy.
and expect that some OF the Sharpest
| men in Europe would be deceived by
1t? We have been in this room two
hours, and Mrs. Hudson has made
or once In every quarter of an hour
| She works it from the front, SO that
her shadow may never be seen. All"
| He drew his in his breath with shrill
excited intake. In the dim light ] saw
his head thrown forward, his whole
attitude rigid with attention. Outside
| the street waS absolutely deserted.
Those two men might still be crouch
| ing in the doorway, but could no
| longer see them. All was still and
dark, save only that brilliant yellow
| low screen i'll front of us With the
black figure outlined. upon its center
| Again in the utter silence heard that
| thin, Sibilart note which spoke Of IN
| tense suppressed excitement. IN in
slant later he pulled me back ijlto the
| BLACKLIST corner OF the room. and /
| felt q warning hand upon my lips
| The fingers which clutched me were
quivering. Never had | known my
| friend moro lnoyeda and yet the dark
street still stretched lonely and mo-
| tionless before us. ;.
| But suddenly l was aware Of that
| which his kecnnr senses had already
| distinguished. a ior. stealthy sound
| came TO my ears. not from the diroc-
| ton OF Baker street. but from the back
of the very house in which we laj' con-
| cedled. a door opened and shut. An
| instant later steps crept down the pas
| Sage--gteps which were meant TO be
silent, but which reverberated harshly
| through the empty. house. Holmes
| crouched back against the wall and
| did the same, my nand closing upon
| the handle Of my revolver PeeTing
| through the gloom saw the vague
| outline of man, shade blackcl than
| the blackneSs of the open door. He
stod for IN instant, and then he crcpt
| forward, Crouching, lnenacing. into
| the room. He was within three yards
| Of us, this sinister figure. and J had
| braced myself to meet his spring, be-
| fore I realized that he had no idea Of
| our presence. He passed close beside
| us. stole over to the. window, and very
softly and noiselessly raised it for half
| a foot. AS he sank Ia tic level Of this
| opening, the light OF the street. no
| longer dimmed by the dusty glass fell
| upon his face. The man seemed to DC
| beside. himself with excitement His
two eyes shone like stars, and his fea-
| lures We're working conVuSiveIy. He
WAS an elderly man, with q thir. pro-
| iecting nose, high. bald forehead.
| and a hugc grizzled mousnch". An
| opera hat wa5 pushed TO the back OF
| his head. and an evening dress shirt
| front cleaned ont through his open
| ovcrcoat. His face was gaunt and
| Swarthy. scored with deep, savage
| ii1tS III lllS ll6llu he cdTIltO " lidi w
| pearcd TO be a stick. but as he laid it
| down upon the floor il gave q metallic
! CIang. Then from the pocket of his
| overcOat be drew bulky object. aud
| he busted himself in some task which
ended with loud. sharp click. as If
! a spring or bolt had fallen in it, place.
| Still knceling upon the floor he hcnt
| forward and threw all his weight and
| strength upon some lever, with the re-
| suit that there came d long, "hirlinG.
| grinding noise. ending once more IL q
| powerful click. He Strengthened him
| self then, aud saw that what he held
| in his hand was u sort of q gun with
a curiously misshapen butt He OPP
| cned il at the brecch, put something
| in. aud snapped the Dreech-lock.
| Then, crouChing down. he rested the
end OF the barrel upon the ledge Of
| the open window, and / saw his long
| moustache droop over The stock aud
| his eye CLEAN as it pccred along the
| sights. | heard Il little sigh of salts
| faction as he cuddied the butt into
| MS shoulder. and saw that amazing
| target the black man on the yellow
| ground, standing clear at III" end of
| MS foresight. For an instant he was