The news & observer., 1905-08-06
Adventures Of Sherlock
Holmes.
Continued From Page One.)

eQ MI. Baker, WITH a sign OF FelleI
"Of course, we still have the feath
ers, legs, crop. and SO on of your own
bird. SO if you wish
The man burst into hear-y laugh.
They might be useful to me AS relics
OF my adventure, said he but be-
yond that l can hardly see what use
the disjecta membra of my ilte ac,
Quaintance are going to be to me. No.
sir. l think that, with your permission,
l will coniine my attentions to the
excellent bird which L perceive upon
the sideboard."
sherlock Holmes glanced sharply
across at me with slight shrug of his
shoulders.
There is your hat, then, and there
your bird, said he. e'By-t the-Wa!
would it bore you to tell me where
you got the other one from? / am
somewhat of fowl fancier, and /
have seldom seen better grown
goose
Certainly. SIR" said Baker, who
had risen and tucked his newly gain
ed property under his arm. There
are ii lew OF us who frequent the
Alpha Inn, near the Museum we ar"
to be found in the Museum itself dur.
ing the day, you understand. Ihls
year our good host, Windigate by
name instituted q goose club. by
which, on consideration of come few
pence every week, we were each u
receive a bird at Christmas. My pence
were duly paid, and the rest IS familiar
to you. | am much indebted TO you,
sir, for a Scotch bonnet is fitted ne;th-
er to my years nor my gravity With
q comical romposity Of mannrr he
bowed solelnnly to both OF US AMI
strobe off upon his way.
80 much for Mr.. Henry Baker, :
said Holmes, when he had closed tbs
door behind him. "It is quite certain
about the matter. Are you hungry,
Watson %
NO"
"Then I suggest that we turn our
dinner into q supper, and follow ui,
this clew while it is still hot"
by all means"
1t was a bitter night, SO we drew
on our ulsters and wrapped cravats
about our throats. Outside, the stars
were shining coldly in cloudless sky,
and the breath of the passers-by
blew out into smoke like so many
pisto, shots. Our footballs rang out
crisply and loudly as we swung
through the Doctors quarter, Wimpole
Street, Harley Street, and So through
Wigmore Street into oxford Street. II
quarter of an hour We were in
Bloomsbury at the Alpha Inn,
which is a small public-house a the
corner of one of the streets which
runs down into Holborn Holmes
pushed open the door of the privat=
tar, and ordered two glasses of beer
from the ruddy-faced, whita~aproncd
landlord.
You bear should be excellent if il
is as good as your geese said he.
My geese!" The man seemed sur
prised.
''Yes I was speaking only half
who was a member of your goose
club
"Ah! yes. 1 see. But you see, si..
them's not Cur geese"
Indeed! Whose, then?"
"Well, l got the two dozen from a
salesman in Covent Garden"
Indeed? l know some of them
Which was it?"
''Breokinridge is his name
"Ah! l don't know him. Well,
here's your good health, landlord, and
night?"
Nov for Mr.. Breckinridge," he
continued buttoning up his coat, as
we came out into the frosty air. IRE.
member Watson, that though we
have so honely thing as goose AT
one end of this chain, we nave at
;he other n man who will certainly
get seven years penal servitude un-
less we can establish his innocence. Ii
is possible that our inquiry may but
confirm his guilt; but, in aay case
we have a line of investigation which
has been missed by the police, and
which a singular chance has placed in
our hands Let us follow it out to
the bitter end. Faces to the south
then, and quick march!'
We passed across Holborn, down
Endell Street and SO through a rig
zag of slums to Covent Garden Market
One of the large stalls bore the name
Of Breckenridge upon it, and the pro-
prietor. a horsey-looking man, with n
sharp face ard trim side-Whislsers was
helping a boy to put up the shutters
Good evening. It's q cold night" /"
said Holmes.
The salesman nodded, and shot y
questioning glance at my companion.
'Sold out Of geese. | see," continued
Holmes, pointing at the bare slabs of
marble.
"Iet you lave 500 tomorrow mora
ing"
That's 10 good
We'll, there are some on the stall
with the gas. flare
"Ah, but / was >recommen led to
you
"Who by?''
''The landlord of the Alpha
'Oh, yes; 1 sent him a couple CT
Dozen"
Fine birds they were. too. Now
where did YOU get them from %
To my surprise the question pro-
voked a burst of anger from the
salesman.
Nov then mister" said h. with
his head cooked and his arms akimbo,
what are you driving at? Let's have
il straight. now"
''It is straight enough. l should
like to know who sold you the geese
which you supplied to the Alpha