Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-26

cow on the whole moor. Very strange,
Watson, eh?''
Yes. ii is strange"
Now, Watson, make an effort.
Throw your mind back. Can You see
those tracks upon the path?'
Yes, 1 can"
! Can you recall that the tracks were
something like that. WatSon"-he ar
ranged a number Of breadcrunbs in
this fashion - and some
times like this: -. and
occasionally like this. g..
Can you remember that?"
mo, l cannot"
But / can. 1 could swear to it
However, we will go back at our lels-
ure and verify it. What a blind beetle
l have been not to draw my conclu-
sion"'
And what is your conclusiOn?'
only that il Is a remarkable cow
which walks, canters and gallops. By
George, Watson, il was no brain OF
country publican that thought out such
blind as that The coast seems to be
clear save for that lad in the smithy.
Let us slip out and see what we can
! see"
There were two rough haired, I'M
kempt horses in the tumbledOwn sta
bic. Holmes raised the hind leg OF one
OF them and laughed aloud.
''Old shoes, but newly shod; old
shoes, but new nails. This case de-
serves 10 be classic. Let us go across
To the smithy."
| The lad continued his work without
regarding us. l saw Holmes eye dart
ing TO right and left among the litter of
| iron and wood which was scattered
about the floor. Suddenly, however, we
heard a step behind us. and there was
the landlord his heavy eyebrows drawn
| down over his savage eyes, his swartl1y
| features convulsed with passion. He
held n short. metal headed stick in his
| hand and he advanced in SO mena icing
| Il fashion that l was right glad to feel
the revolver in my pocket.
You internal spies the man cried.
What are You doing there?"
why, Mr.. Reuben Hayes" said
| Holmes coolIy. zone might think that
you were afraid of our finding some
thing out"
The man mastered himself with a
violent effort. and his grim mouth
| lOosened into a false laugh. which was
more mcnacing than his frown.
You're welcome to all you can find
out in my smithy,' said he. But look
here. mister. l don't care for folk pok-
ing about my place without my leave.
so the sooner you pay your score and
get out of this the better i shall be
pleased
"All right, Mr.. Hayes: no harm
meant" said Holmes. We have been
having Il look at your horses. but 1
think I'll walk, after all. It's not far,
believe
Not more than two miles TO the hall
gates. That's the road to the left
He watched us with sullen eyes until
we had left his premises.
We did not go very far along the
road, for Holmes stopped the instant
that the curve hid us from the land
lords view.
We were warm. as the children say,
at that inn said he. Il seem to grow
colder every step that | take away
from il. No. no; l can't possibly leave
it,"
Il am convinced" said l. that this
more self evident villain | never saw"
oh, he impressed you in that way,
did he? There are the horses. there is
the smithy. Yes. it is an interesting
place. this Fighting Cock. / think we
shall have another look at it in an I'M
obtruSive way"
a long. sloping hillside dotted with
gray limestone powders stretched be-
hind us. We had turned off the road
and were making our way up the hill
when. looking in the direction of Hol-
dernesse Hall. / saw a cyclist coming
swiftly along
Get down. Watson cried Holmes,
with heavy hand upon my shoulder.
We had hardly sunk from view when
the man flew past us on the road.
Amid a rolling cloud of dust / caught
glimpse of a pale, agitated face-a
face with horror in every lineament
the mouth open, the eyes staring wild
ly in front. 1t was like some strange
caricature of the dapper James Wilder
whom we had seen the night before
The dukes secretary cried Holmes
Come, Watson; let us see what he
does"
We HUH Eb'k To- TUCK uD-
til in Il few moments we had made our
way to a point from which we could
see the front door of the inn. Wilder's
bicycle was leaning against the wall
beside il. No one was moving about |
the house. nor could we catch glimpse |
Of any faces at the windows. Slowly !
the twilight crept down as the sun
sank behind the high towers of Holder |
nesse Hall. Then in the gloom we saw
the two side lamps of a trap light up |
in the stable yard of the inn and short |
~ afterward heard the rattle of hoofs |
as il wheeled out into the road and tore /
off at furious pace in the direction of |
Chesterfield.
What do you make OF that, Wat |
SOM Holmes whispered.
1t looks like fight"
"A single man in dogcart so far |