Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-06-22

that we must hope for results. The DO.
lice have really done nothing locally
save the arrest Of these gypsies. Look
here. Watson! There Is a water course
across the moor. You see IL marked
here In the map. In some parts II wild.
ems into morass. This is particularly
40 In the region between Holdernesse
Hall and the school It IL vain to lool,
elsewhere for tracks in this dry wcath.
er. and at that point there Is certainly
chance Of some record being left. I
Will call you early tomorrow morning.
and you and will try IL we can throw
some little light upon the mystery"
The day was Just breaking when
woke to find the long. thin form of
Holmes by my bedside. He was fully
| dressed and had apparently already
been out
~ have done the lawn and the bi.
cycle she'd" said he. IT have also had
rambIe through the Ragged Shaw
Now, Watson. there Is cocoa ready in
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 exhilaration of the
master workman who secs his work
lie ready before him. A very different
Holmes this active, alert man from the
retrospective and pallid dreamer of
Baker street. felt as I looked upon
that supple figure, alive with nervous
energy. that it was indeed strenuous
day that awaited us.
And vet 1t opened in the blaclest dis
appointment. With high hopes we
struck across the peaty. russell moor.
intersected with Il thousand sheen
paths. until we came to the brond,
light green belt which marked the
morass between us and Hoderncsse.
Certainly II the lad had gone home
ward be 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 profuson.
and 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 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. I'VE have it."
But Holmes was shaking his head.
and his face was puzzled and expectant
rather than joyous
"a bicycle. certainly. but not the BIZ
cycle" said he. ~ 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, leay-
ing longitudinal stripes. Aveling, the
mathematical master was sure upon
the point. Therefore it is not Heideg-
gers track"
1.-THE boys. them"
POSSIBLY. If we could prove bicy-
Gle to have been in his possession. But
this we have utterly failed to do. This
track, as you perceive. was made by
rider who was going from the direction
of the school,"
'Or toward it,"
'No. 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-
ated the more shallow mark Of the
front one. 1t was undoubtedly head
ing away from the school. 1t may or
may not be connected with our in
quiry, but we will follow it backward
before we go any farther"
We did So and at the end of a few
hundred yards lost the tracks as we
moor. Following the path backward,
we picked out another spot where
spring trickled across it, Here, once
again. was the mark Of the bicycle
though nearly obliterated by the hoOfs
Of COWS. After that there was no sign
but the path ran right on into Ragged
Shaw. the wood which backed on TO
the school. From this wood the cycle
must have emerged Holmes sat down
on a bowdpr and rested his chin in his
hands. had smoked two cigarettes
before he moved.
"We!l. WE'LL" said he at last. ut Is
of course possible that cunning man
might change the tire Of his bicycle in
order to leave unfamiliar tracks. a
criminal who was capable OF such a
thought is n man whom I should he
proud to do business with. We will
leave this question undecided and bark
back TO our morass again. for we have
left a good deal unexplored"
We continued our systematic survey
Of the edge Of the sodden portion Of the
moor. and soon our perseverance was
gloriously rewarded. Right across the
lower part of the bog lay n miry path.
Holmes gave cry Of delight as he np-
preached It, An impression like a fine
bundle Of telegraph wires ran down the
center OF it. 1t was the Palmer tire.
Here Is Herr Heidegger. sure
cnough!" cried Holmes exutantly. MY
reasoning seems to have been pretty
sound, Watson"
II congratulate Won"