The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-16

road. There is a church there. you see,
as well as Il few cottages and an inn.
Beyond that the hills become precipi-
tOuS. Surely it is here to the north that
our guest must lie"
/ But the bicyclcE" persisted
J well, well-' said Holmes impatient
/ ~. a good cyclist does not need a
( highroad. The moor is intersected with
/ paths, and the moon was at the full.
Hello. What is thiS?"
/ There was an agitated knock at the
door, and an instant afterward Dir.
| HuXtable was in the room. In his hand
he held blue cricket cap with Il white
chevron on the peak
AT last we have a clew.'' he cried.
"Thank heaven. at last we are on the
dear boys track, 1t is his capr'
/ Where was it found?"
"In the van of the gypsies who camp
ed on the moor. They left on Tuesday.
Today the police traced them down and
examined their caravan. This was
found"
How do they account for it,
"They shuffled and lied-said that
they found it on the moor on Tuesday
morning. They know where he is, the
rascals! Thank goodness, they are all
/ safe under lock and key. Either the
! fear of the law or the dukes purse
will certainly get out of them all that
they know
80 far so good" said Holmes when
the doctor had at last left the room
ut at least bears out the theory that
| it is on the side of the Lower Gill moor
that we must hope for results. The po-
/ lice have really done nothing locally
save the arrest of these gypsies. Look
here. Watson! There is water course
/ across the moor. You see it marked
here in the map. In some parts it wild
ems into morass. This is particularly
i, so in the region between Holdernesse
Hall and the school. 1t is vain to look
! elsewhere for tracks in this dry wealth
er, and at that point there is certainly
a chance of some record being left.
will call you early tomorrow morning
and you and will try if we can throw
some little light upon the mystery"
The day was just breaking when 1
woke to find the long, thin form of
! Holmes by my bedside. He was fully
dressed and had apparently already
been out
81 have done the lawn and the bi.
| cycle she'd" said he. Il have also had
a ramble through the Ragged Shaw.
/ t. L.,
the next room. | must beg you to
hurry, for we have great day before
u.s."
His eyes ShOne, and his cheek was
flushed with the exfilaration of the
master workman who sees his wosk
lie ready before him. A very different
| Holmes this active, alert man from the
retrospective and pallid dreamer Of
Baker street. l felt as l looked upon
that supple figure. alive with nervous
! energy, that it was indeed a strenuous
day that awaited us.
And yet it opened in the blacklist dis
| appointment With high hopes we
struck across the peaty, russell moor.
| intersected with a thousand sheep
paths. until we came TO the broad.
light green belt which marked the
morass between us and Holdernesse.
Certainly if the lad had gone home
ward he must have passed this. and
he could not pass it without leaving his
traces. But no sign of him or the
German could be Seen. With a dark.
ening face my friend strobe along the
margin, eagerly observant of every
muddy stain upon the messy surface.
Sheep marks there were in profusion.
ami at one place, some miles down,
cows had left their tracks. Nothing
more.
Check number one" said Holmes.
looking gloomily over the rolling ex-
panse of the moor. There is another
morass down yonder, and a narrow
neck between. Hello! Hello! Hello.
What have we here?"
We had come on small black ribbon
of pathway. In the middle of it. clear
! ly marked on the sodden soil, was the
track of a bicycle.
"Hurrah!'' l cried. 1--WE have it."
DuI t1ollneS was shaking his head,
and his face was puzzled and expectant
rather than joyous
"A bicycle, certainly, but not the BIZ
cycle" said he. Il am familiar with
forty-two different impressions left by
tires. This, as you perceive, is a Dun
lop, with patch upon the outer cover.
Heidegger''s tires were Palmers. leav-
ing longitudinal stripes Aveling. the
mathematical master, was sure upon
the point. Therefore it is not Heideg-
gers track"
THE boys, then?'
Possibly, if we could prove a bicy-
Gle to have been in his possession. But
this we have utterly failed to do. This
track, as you perceive, was made by a
rider who was going from the direction
Of the school,"
'0r toward it,"
mo, no. my dear Watson The more
deeply sunk impression is, of course.
the hind wheel, upon which the weight
rests. You perceive several places
where it has passed across and obliter-
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