Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04

and it is our duty to see that one moests
her upon that last journey. l think, Wat
son, that must spare time to run down
together on Saturday morning and make
sure that this curious and inclusive in
vestigation has no untoward ending"
| confess that l had not up to now taken
very serious view of the case, which had
seemed to me rather grotesque and bizarre
than dangerous. That a man should lie IN
wait for and follow a very handsome Wo-
man is no unheard-of thing. and if he has
so little audacity that he not only dared
not address her, but even fled from her APP
proach, he was not very fOrmidable as
sailant. The rGfffan Woodley was very
different person. but, except on one occa-
sion, he had not molested our client, and
now he visited the house of Carruthers
without intruding upon her presence. The
man on the bicycle was doubtless mem
Der of those weekend parties at the hall
of which the publican had spoken, but who
, he was, or what he wanted. was as obscure
as ever. 1t was the severity of Holmes
manner, and the fact that he slipped
volver into his pocket before leaving our
rooms which impressed me with the feeling
that tragedy might prove to Turk behind
this curious train of events
A rainy night had been followed by
glorious morning. and the heath-covered
countryside, with the growing clumps of
Towering gorse, seemed all the more beau
tiful to eyes which were weary of the duns
and drabs and slate-grays of London.
Holmes and walked along the broad, sandy
rejoicing in the music of the birds and the
fresh breath of the spring. From a rise of
the road on the shoulder of Crooksbury
Hill, We could see the grim hall bristling
out from amidst the ancient oaks, which,
old as they were, were still younger than
the building which they surrounded.
Holmes pointed down the long tract of road
which wound, reddish yellow band be-
tween the brown of the heath and the bud
ding green of the woods. Far away, a black
dot we could see a vehicle moving in our
direction. Holmes gave an exclamation of
Impotence.
II have given margin of half an hour"
said he. IF that is her trap she must be
making for the earlier train. I fear, Wat
son, that she will be past Charlington be-
fore we can possibly. meet her."
From the instant that we passed the rise
we could no longer see the vehicle, but we
fastened onward at such pace that my
sedentary life began to tell upon me, and l
was compelled to fall behind. Holmes,
however. was always in training, for he
had inexhaustible stores of nervous energy
upon which to draw. His springy step never
slowed until suddenly. when he was hun
dred yards in front of me, he halted. and I
saw him throw up his hands with gesture
an empty dogcart. the horse cantering, the
reins trailing. appeared round the curve of
the road and ratified swiftly toward us.
"Too late, Watson. too later cried
that / was not to allow for that earlier
train! It's abduction, INSTRUMENTATION
Murder! Heaven knows what Block the
road Stop the horse That's right Now
jump in. and let US see if can repair the
consequences of my own blunder."
We had sprung into the dogcart, and
Holmes. after turning the horse, gave 1t
sharp cut with the whip. and we few back
along the road. AS we turned the curve
the whole stretch of road between the hall
and the heath was opened up. I grasped
Holmes arm.
That's the man. gasped.
A solitary cyclist was coming toward us.
His head was down and his shoulders
rounded, as he put every ounce of energy
that he possessed on to the pedals. He
was flying like racer. Suddenly he raised
his bearded face, saw us close to him, and
pulled up, springing from his machine That
coai-black beard was in singular contrast
to the pallor OF his face, and his eyes were
as bright as IL he had fever. He stared
at US and at the dog-cart. Then look OF
auazement came over his face.
sF1alloas Stop there." he shouted. holding
his bicycle to block our road Where did
you get that dog cart! Pull m mani he