The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-24
SECTION THREE.

Il shall b. at Baker street at TO-
VERY we'll And, / say. doctor, there
may be some little danger so kindly
put your army revolver IL your peck
et.'' He waved his hand, turned on his
heel and disappeared in an instant
among the crowd.
1 trust that / am not more dense
than my neighbors, but / was always
oppressed with a sense of my own
stupidity in my dealings with Sherlock
Holmes. Here / had heard what he had
heard, I had seen what he had seen.
and yet from his words il was evident
that he saw clearly not only what had
! happened, but what was about 10 hap
pen, while to me the whole business
was still confused and grotesque As
/ drove home to my house in Kensiug-
ton l thought over it all, from the eN-
traOrdinary story of the red headed
COPPER of the Encyclopedia" down 10
the visit to Saxe-Coburg square. and
the ominOus words with which he had
parted from me. What was the noe
turnal expedition, and why should L
go armed? Where were we going, and
what were we to do? I had the hint
from Holmes that this smoOth-faCed
pawnbroker's assistant was a fOrnid-
able mana man who might play "a
/ deep game / tried to puzzle it out.
but gave it up in despair, and set the
matter aside until night should bring
an explanation.
1t was a quarter past when I start
! ed from home and made my way across
| the park, and so through Oxford street
| 10 Baker street Two hansOms were
| standing at the door, and, as l entered
! the passage, I heard the sound of
voices from above. On entering his
| room / found Holmes in animated con
VersatiOn with two men. one Of whom
] recognized as Peter Jones the Off
cial police agent, while the other was
a long, thin, sad-faced man. with IL
very shiny hat and oppressiyely re-
! spectacle frock coat.
Hal our party is complete" said
] Holmes, buttOning up his pea jacket
and taking his heavy hunting crop
from the rack. watson, L think you
know Mr.. Jones of Scotland Yard? Let
me introduce you to Mr.. MeFryWeather,
| who is TO be our companion in tonight
| adventure"
Were hunting in couples again, doc
| tor, you see said Jones in his cOnse-
/ quential way. "Our friend here is
| wonderful man for starting a chase.
| All he wants is an old dog TO help him
| to do the running down"
Il hope a wild goose may not prove
| TO be the end of our chase" observed
Mr.. Merryweather gloOmily.
You may place considerable conf
/ dence in Mr.. Holmes, sir" said the pO-
| lice agent lOftily. He has his own lit
| tie methods, which are, if he won't
mind my saying So just a little too
| theoretical and fantastic, but h has
| the markings of a detective in him. Il
| is not too much to say that once or
twice, as in that business of the ShOltO
murder and Agra treasure, he has been
/ more nearly correct than the official
| force
| "Oh. if you say so, Mr.. Jones. it is az
/ right" said the stranger with defer
! ence. still, / confess that / miss my
| rubber It is the first Saturday night
for seven-and-twenty years that have
| not had my rubber
Il think you viii find % said SheriOck
/ Holmes, that you viii play for a high
[ CT stake tonight than you have ever
/ done yet, and that the play viii be more
/ exciting. For you, Mr. MerryW
/ the stake viii be some $50 900, and
| for you. Jones. it will be the man upon
| whom you wish to lay your hands"
John Clay. the murderer. thief
/ smasher and fOrger. He's a young
man, Mr.. MeTryWeather but he is at
! the head of his profession, and ] would
! rather have my bracelets on him than
! on any criminal in London He's a
u
| His grandfather was a royal duke, and
! he himself has been TO Elton and Ok
! ford. His brain is as cunning as his
/ fingers, and though we meet signs Of
! him at every turn, we never know
/ where to find the man himself. He'll
| crack a crib in Scotland one week, and
/ be raising money to build an orphan
/ age in Cornwall the next. I've been Oh
! his track for years, and have never set
| eyes on him yet"
| Il hope that 1 may have the pleasure
/ of introducing you tonight. I've had
one or two little turns also with Mr..
! John Clay, and 1 agree with you that
| he is at the head OF his profession. 1t
! is past 10, however. and quite time that
| we started. If you two will take the
first hanson, Watson and l viii follow
| in the second"
! Sherlock Holmes was not very COM
| municative during the long drive, and
lay back in the cab humming the tunes
| which he had heard in the afternoon.
| We ratified through an endless laby-
1 rinth of gas-lt streets until We
! emerged into harrington street.
I'VE are close there now" my friend
| remarked. This fellow MeTFyWeather
| is a bank director. and personally inter
ested in the matter. L thought it as well
to have Jones with us also. He is not
bad fellow, though an absolute imbeCile
in his profession. He has one positive
virtue. He is as brave as bull dog,
and as tenacious as a lobster if he gets
his claws upon any one Here We are.
and they are waiting for us"
We had reached the same crowded
thOrOughfare in which we had found
ourselves in the morning. our cabs
were dismissed, and, following the
guidance OF Mr. MeTryWeather, we
passed down narrow passage and
through a side door, which ended in d.
very massive iron gate. This also was
opened. and led down a flight of wind
ing stone steps, which terminated at
another formidable gate. Mr.. Merry
{ weather stopped to light lantern, and
then conducted US down dark, earth
smelling passage, and so, after opening
third door, into huge vault or Gel
lar which was piled all round with
, crates and massive boxes.
, You are not very vulnerable from
; above" Holmes remarked, as he held
: up the lantern and gazed about him.
, ''NOr from below" said Mr.. Merry
: weather, striking his stick upon the
| flags which lined the floor. why. dear
! me, it sounds quite hollow" he re-
2 marked, looking up in surprise.
4 must really ask you TO be a little
: more quiet" said Holmes severely.
You have already imperilled the whole
success of our expedition. Might 1 beg
) that you would have the goodness TO sit
l down upon one OF those boxes, and not
to interfere?''
: The solemn Mr. MerryWeather
a perched himself upon a crate, with a
very injured expression upon his face,
while Holmes fell upon his knees upon
: the floor, and. with the lantern and n
, magnifying lens. began to examine
! minutely the cracks between the stones.
: A few seconds sufficed TO satisfy him.