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

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fell wounded-he stood up.-he remount.
ed-hc proceeded. But there is no
other track Cattle on this side path.
lie was surely not Rored by a bull?
impossible. But I see no traces of
any one else. We must push on. Wat.
son. Surely, with stains as we'll as the
track to guide, he cannot escape US
now"
our search was not very long one.
Ihe tracks Of the tire began to curve
Enthusiastically upon the wet and shining
path. Suddenly, as looked aheod.
the CLEAN Of metal caught my eye from
amid the thick gorse bushes. Out Of
them we dragged a bicycle, Palmer
tired. one pedal bent and the who8
front of 1t horribly smeared and slob-
bered with blood. On the other side
of the bushes a shoe was projecting.
We ran round and there lay the I'm.
fortunate rider. lie was q tall man,
full bearded, with spectaclcs, one glass
of which had been knocked out. The
cause Of his death was a frightful
blow upon the head, which had crush.
ed in part Of his skull That he could
have gone on after receiving such an
injury said much for the vitality and
courage OF the man. lie wore shoes,
but no socks, and his open coat dis.
closed nightshirt beneath it. It was
undoubtedly the German master.
Holmes turned the body over rever.
emily and examined il with great ut
tcntion. He then sat in deep thought
for a time, and could see by his ruff.
fed brow that this grim discovery had
not, in bis opinion, advanced US much
in our inquiry.
ut is little difficult to know what
to do, Watson" said he at last. My
own inclina tons are to push this in
Quiry on. for we have already lost 50
much time that we cannot afford to
waste another hour. On the other hand,
we are bound to inform the police Of
the discovery and to see that this poor
fellows body is looked after"
II could take a note back
but I need your company and as.
sistance. Wait a bit. There is fel.
low cutting peat up yondcr. Bring him
over here. and he will guide the po-
lice"
brought the peasant across. and
Holmes dispatched the frightened man
with note to DR.. Huxtable.
Nov, Watson" said he. I'VE have
picked up two clews this morning. One
is the bicycle with the Palmer tire.
and we see what that has led to. The
other is the bicycle with the patched
Dunlop. Before we start to nvesti-
gate that let us try to realize what We
do know. so as to make the most Of II
and to separate the essential from the
accidental"
First Of all. I wish to impress upon
you that the boy certainly left Of his
own free will. He got down from his
window, and he went of either alone
or with some one. That Is sure"
assented.
"Well. now. let US turn to this IN
fortunate German master. The boy
was fully dressed when he fed. There
fore he foresaw what he would do.
But the German went without his
socks. He certainly acted on very
short notice"
"I'ndoubtedly."
why Uiu he 20! DtCuuSe ITOG Ills
bedroom window he saw the flight of
the boy: because he wished to over
take him and bring him back. He
seized his bicycle. pursued the lad and
in pursuing him met his DEATH"
$50 it would SEEM"
"Now l come to the critical part Of
my argument. The natural action Of
a man in pursuing a little boy would
be to run after him. He would know
that he could ovcrtake him. But the
German does not do so. He turns to
his bicycle am told that he was an
excellent cyclist. He would not do
this If he did not see that the boy had
some swift means Of escape"
THE other bicycle"
LET us continue our reconstruction
He meets his death five miles from the
schoOl-not by bullet. mark you.
which even lad might conceivahly
discharge, but by savage blow dealt
by Il vigorous arm. The lad. then. had
a companion in his flight And the
flight was swift one. since it took five
miles before an expert cyclist could
ovcrtake them. Yet we survey the
ground round the scene of the tragedy.
What do we find? A few cattle tracks,
nothing more. I took a wide sweep
round, and there is no path within fifty
yards Another cyclist could have had
nothing to do with the actual murder.
nor were there any human footmarks."
"Homes," l cried. this is impossi.
ble.
"Admirable"' he said. "a most II.
Eliminating remark. 1t is impossible as
state it, and therefore must in
some respect have stated it wrong.
Yet you saw for yourself Can you
suggest any fallacy?"
"He could not have fractured his
skull in FAM"
I'm n morass. Watson"
~ am at my wits end"
tut. tut. We have solved some
worse problems, At least we have
plenty Of material. il we can only use
il. Come. then. and. having exhausted
the Palmer. let us see what the Dun'
lop with the patched cover has TO offer
u.s."
We picked up the track and followed
1t onward for some distance, but soon
the moor rose into n long. heather tuft-
t4i curve. and we left the water course
hehind ne \o further help from tracks