The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-19

u
haps we might find it upon shoulders at any
moment. confess that 1 felt easier in my
mind when. after following Holmes example and
slipping of my shoes, found myself inside the
bedroom. My companion noiselessly closed the
shutters, moved the lamp onto the table and
cast his eyes round the room. All was We had
me and making trumpet of his hand he whis-
pered into my ear again SO gently that it was
| all that could do to distinguish the words:
''The least sound would be fatal to our plans"
! 1 nodded to show that had heard.
1--WE must sit without light. He would see It
thru the ventiator" - IL Is
rodded again. 10 -A-t
"Do not go asleep; your very life may depend
upon it. Have your pistol ready in case we
should need it. | viii sit on the side of tbs
bed and you in that chair" Pr = %
took out my revolver and laid it on the
| corner Of the table.
| Holmes had brought up long thin cane and
| this he placed upon the bed beside him. By 1t
he laid the box of matches and the stump OF
candle. Then he turned down the lamp and we
were left in darkness.
| How shall ever forget that dreadful vigil
| could not hear a sound, not even the drawing
of breath, and yet I knew that my companion
sat open-eyed within few feet OF me, IN tho.
same state, Of nervous tension in which 1 was
myself. The shutters cut of the least ray OF
light, and waited in absolute darkness. From
outside came the occasional cry OF night bird,
and once at very window long drawn cat
| like whine. which told us that the cheetah was
indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the
deep tor.es of the parish clock which doomed OUT
| every quarter Of hour How long they seemed,
| those quarters. Twelve struck. and and and
3, and still we sat waiting silently for what
ever might befall.
| Suddenly there was the momentary CLEAN Of q
light up in the direction of the yentilator which
vanished Immediately, but was succeeded by
strong smell of burning oil and heated metal.
Someone in the next room had lit dark lantern.
I heard gentle sound of movement, and then all
was silent once more, tho the smell grew
stronger. For half an hour sat with straining
/ ears Then suddenly another sound became audi :
ble-a very gentle, soothing sound. like that OF
a small jet of steam escaping continually from
Kettle The instant we heard it Holmes sprang
from the bed struck a match ana lasnea iurA-
ously with his cane at the bellpul.
You see it, Watson?'' he yelled. "Tou
see itT' -.
Holmes struck the light heard low. clear
whistle but the sudden glare flashing into my
weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell
what it was at which my friend lsshea SO saw
. agely. l could, however, gee that his face was
I deadly pale and filled with horror and loathlns.
He had ceased to strike, and was gazing up
at the ventilator, when suddenly there broke
from the silence of the night the most horrible
cry to which l have ever listened IT sweneo
+ up louder and louder, hoarse yell OF pain ana
fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful
shrek. They say that away down in the VII.
0 lage, and even in the distant parsonage, that
cry raised the sleepers from their beds. II
struck cold to our hearts, and l stood gazing at
Holmes, and he at me, until the last echoes OF
it had died away into the silence from which
it rose.
|
at means that it is all over" Holmes an
b swered "And perhaps, after all. 1t Is for the
best. Take your pistol and we will enter DR..
, Roylott's ROOM
the way down the corridor. Twice he struck
| at the chamber door without any reply from
C within. Then he turned the handle ana entered,
I at his heels with the cooked pistol IN my
e hand. -.t
It was singular sight which met our eyes
n On the table stood dark lantern with the shut
. | holt throw n
. upon the iron safe, the door of which was atar.
8 Beside this table on the wooden chair sat DR..
S Grimesby Roylott, clad in a long gray dressing
: gown his bare ankles protruding beneath and
l., his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slip
t pers. Across his lap lay the short stock with
e the long lash which we had noticed during the
n day. His chin cooked upward and his eyes
: were fixed in dreadful rigid stare at the corner
of the ceiling Round his h brow he had sstie
4 which seemed to be bound tightly around his
+ head. AS we entered he made neither sound
= nor motion.
- | 1.-THE band; the speekled band,'' Whispered
y Holmes
n i took a step forward. In an instant his
q strange headgear began to move, and there
:. reared itself from among his hair the squat,
= diamond-shaped head and pulled neck OF loath-
y | some serpent. !
y deadliest snake in India. He has died within
p | ten seconds of being bitten. Violence does, in
I truth, recoil upon the violent, and the sehemer
falls into the pit which he digs for another.
e Let us thrust this creature back into its den
e and we can then remove Miss stoner to some
:; place of shelter and let the county police know
what has happened" .
As he spoke he drew the dog-whip swiftly
from the dead mans lap and, throwing the moose
around the reptiles neck, he drew 1t from Its
horrid perch and, carrying 1t at arms length.
threw 1t into the iron safe which he closed
o upon it.
a Such are the true facts Of the death Of DR.:
! Grimesby Roylott of Stoke Moran. 1t is not
necessary that should prolong narrative which
: has already run to too great length by teiiing
s how broke the sad news to the terrified
girl, how We conveyed her by the morning train
to the, care Of her good aunt at Harrow. of
a how the slow process of official inquiry came
= to the conclusion that the doctor met his fate
t while indiscreetly playing with dangerous pet.
The little which I had yet to learn OF the case
e was told me by Sherlock Holmes as we Travelled
81 had,' said he, "came to an entirely erron-
y eous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson,
II how dangerous it always is to reason from in
8. sufficient data. The presence Of the gypses and
l. the use of the word band which was used
a by the poor girl, no doubt TO explain the APP
n pearance which she had caught hurried glimpse
l. of by the light Of her match, were sufficient
to put upon an entirely wrong: scent / can
only claim the merit that instantly reconsid-
e cred my position when, however, it became clear
Q to that whatever danger threatened an oe-
Il cupant Of the room could not come either from
the window or the door. Ny attention was
speedily drawn, as have already remarked to
II you to this ventilator and to the belrope which
hung down to the bed. The discovery that this
u
r. to the floor, instantly rise to the suspicion
that the rope was there as a bridge for some
| thing passing thru the hole and coming to the
# bed. The idea Of snake instantly occurred to
=. me, and when coupled 1t with my knowledge
= | that the doctor was furnished with supply
= of creatures from India felt that prob
: ably on the right track. The idea of using Q
+ form of poison which could not possibly be
- | discovered by any chemical test was just such
y a one would occur to clever and ruthless
i. man. who had had eastern training. The
= rapidity with which such poison would take
- effect would also from his point of view, be an
r. ! advantage. 1t would be sharp-eyed coroner,
! indeed. who could distinguish the two little dark
y punctures which would show where the poison
+ | fangs had done their work. Then thought OF
:, the whistle. OF course he must recall the snake
:. before the morning light revealed 1t to the
+" victim. He had trained 1t, probably by the use
10 of the milk which we saw, to return to him
= when summoned. He would put 1t thru this
!, yentiator at the hour that he thought best,
y with the certainty that 1t would crawl down
y the rope and land the bed. 1t might or
~ might not bite the occupant, perhaps she might
escape every night for week, but sooner or
y later she must fall victim
u II had come to these conclusions before ever
had entered his ROOM An inspection of his
Is chair showed me that he had been in the habit
e of standing on 1t, which of course would be
"a necessary In order that he should reach the
" ventilator. The sight of the safe, the saucer
X of milk and the loop of whipcord Were enough
~ to finally dispel any doubts which may have re-
u NAMED. The metallic clang heard by Miss
Stoner was obviously caused by her stepfather
le hastily closing the door of his safe upon its
re terrible occupant. Having once made up my
IS mind you know the steps which I took In
1t order to put the matter to the proof. heard
the creature hiss, ! have no doubt that you
ID did also. and instantly Lit the light and at
W tackled it,