Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-20
illustrated by f. D. Steele


powder from badly fitting cartridge
| happens to. squirt backward one may
fire many shots without leaving a sign.
l would suggest that Mr.. Cuhitt'S body
may now lie removed. l suppose. doc
tor, YOU have not recovered the bullet
which wounded the LADY,
"A serious operation will be necessa-
~ before that can Ice done. But there
are still four cartridges in the revolver.
Two have been fred and two wounds
inflicted, 50 that each bullet can be ac-
counted for
so it would SEEM said Holmes.
Perhaps You can account also for the
bullet which has 81 obviously struck
the edge of the Window"
He had turned suddenly. and his
long, thin finger was pointing to hole
which had been drilled right through
the lower window sash about an inch
above the bottom.
by George cried the inspector.
How ever did YOU sec that:"
Because l looked for it,
"WOnderful," said the country doe
tor. You are certainly right. sir Then
third shot has been fired. aud there
fore third person must have been
present. But who could that have been
and how could he have got awSy:"
That is the problem which we are
now about To solve" said Sherlock
Holmes. "lou remember. Inspector
Martin, when the servants said that on
leaving their room they were AT once
conscious of Il smell of powder l re
marked that the point was an extreme
~ important one:'
Yes sir: hut 1 confess l did not
quite follow YOU"
1T suggested that at the time OF the
firing the window as well as the door
of the room had been open. Otherwise
the fumes of powder could not have
been blown 50 rapidly through the
house. y draft in the room was nee
eSSary for that, Both door and win
dow were only open for Il very short
time, however"
How do you prove that?"
Because the candle was not gut
tered
"Capital!" cried the Inspector Cap
ital:'
Feeling sure that the window had
been open at the time Of the tragedy,
conceived that there might have been
a third person in the affair. who stood
outside this opening and fired through
II. Any shot directed at this person
might hit the sash. l looked. and there.
sure enough, was the bullet mark
but how came the window to be
shut and fastened"
The wOman's first instinct would be
20 shut and fasten the window. But.
hello! What is this?'
1t was a lady's hand bag which stood
upon the study table-a trim little hand
bag OF crocodile skin and silver.
Holmes opened il and turned the con
tents out. There were twenty fifty
pound notes Of the Bank of England.
held together 10y an india rubber band
nothing else.
This must be- preserved. for il will
figure in the trial. said Holmes as he
handed the bag with its contents To the
Inspector. 1t is now necessary that
we should try to throw some light upon
this third bullet. which has clearly.
from the splintering of the wood, been
fired from inside the room. 1 should
like to see Mrs. King, the cook, again.
You said, Mrs King, that you were
awakened by loud explosion. When
you said that did you mean that it
seemed to you to be louder than the
second one:"
We'll, sir, it wakened me from my
sleep, and so it is hard to judge. But
il did seem very loud
You don't think that it might have
been two shots fired almost at the same
instautE"
Il am sure / couldn't say. sir"
Il believe that it was undoubtedly
so. l rather think. Inspector Martin,
that we have now exhausted all that
this room can teach US. If you will
kindly step round with me, we shall
see what fresh evidence the garden has
10 offer"
a flower bed extended up TO the
study window. and we all broke into
an exclamation as we approached il.
The flowers We're trampled down, and
the soft soil was imprinted all over
with footmarks. Large. masculine feet
they were, with peculiarly long. sharp
toes. Holmes hunted about among the
grass and leaves like retriever after
a wounded bird. Then. with a cry OF
satisfaction, he bent forward and pick
ed up little brszen cylinder.
Il thought SO,' said he The re
volver had an ejector. and here is the
third cartridge. l really think. In
spector Martin, that our case is almost
complete"
The country inspectors face mad
shown his intense amazement at the
rapid and masterful progress OF Holmes
investigation. At first he had shown
some disposition to assert his own posi-
ton. but now he was overcome with
admiration and ready 10 follow with
out question wherever Holmes led.
Whom do you suspect" he asked.
'I'll go into that later. There are
several points in this problem which I
have not been able to explain 10 you
vet. Now that | have got 30 far I
had best proceed on my own lines and
then clear the whole matter up once
aud for all"