Evening star., 1905-08-27

Here is an advertisement which will in
terest you,' said he. 1T appeared in all
the papers about year ago. Listen to this:
Lost, on the 9th instant. Mr. jeremiah
Hayling. aged twenty-six. a hydraulic
gineer. Left his lodgings at ten o'clock al
night, and has not been heard of since. Was
dressed in etc. etc. Ha! That represents
the last time that the colonel needed to
have his machine overhauled, l fancy.
Good heavens cried my patient Then
that explains what the girl said
"tUdouhtedly. 1t is quite clear that the
colonel was cool and desperate man. who
was absolutely determined that nothing
should stand in the way of his little game.
like those out-and-ou pirates who will
leave no survivor from captured ship.
Well. every moment now is precious. so IL
you feel equal To it. we shall go down TO
starting for Eyford."
Some three hours or so afterward we
were all in the train together, bound from
Reading 10 the little Berkshire village.
There were Sherlock Homes. the hydraulic
engineer Inspector Bradstreet OF Scotland
Yard, plain-clothes man and myself.
Bradstreet had spread an ordnance map of
the county out upon the seat and was
busy with his compasses drawing circle
with Eyford for its center.
There you are, said he That circle Is
drawn at a radius of ten miles from the viii
lage. The place we want must he some
where near that line You said ten miles.
think sir
1T was an hours good drive"
back all that way when you were uncon-
scious?''
They must have done so. / have a con-
fused memory. too. of having been lifted
and conveyed somewhere
What L cannot understand" said /. is
why they should have spared you when
| they found you lying fainting in the gareen.
Perhaps the villain was softened by the
woman's entreaties.
Il hardly think that likely. ! never saw
a more inexorable face in my life
"Oh. We shall soon clear up all that,
said Bradstreet We'll. l have drawn my
circle and / only wish l knew at what
point upon II the folk that we are in search
of to be found
II think l could lay my finger on 1t, said
Holmes. quietly.
Really. now" cried the inspector, you
| have formed your opinion! Come. now.
We shall see who agrees with you. L say
it Is south, for the country is more deserted
there"
And say east said my patient.
Il am for west remarked the plain
clothes man. There are several quiet lit
tie villages up there"
And | am FOR north,' said |. because
there are no hills there and sour friend says
that he did not notice the carriage go up
any.
Come" cried the inspector. laughing.
its very pretty diversity Of opinion. We
have bored the compass among Us. Who do
you give your casting vote tor
You are all wrong
But we cant all be-
'.Oh, yes. you can. This is my point he
placed his finger in the center of the circle.
This is where we shall find them
But the twelve-mile drive?' gaSped
Hatherley.
six out and six back. Nothing simpler.
You say yourself that the horse WAS fresh
and glossy when you got IN How could II
be that II it had gone twelve miles over
heavy roadS?
Indeed it is a likely ruse enough" Oh.
served Bradstreet, thoughtfully. "Of course,
- l. 20 = Nf
this gang
None at all" said Holmes They are
coiners on large scale, and have used the
machine to form the amaigam which has
taken the place of silver"
We have known for some time that a
clever gang at work said the in
spector. They have been turning out half
crowns by the thousand. We even traced
them as far Reading, but could get no
further for they had covered their traces
in way that showed they were very old
hands. But now, thanks to this lucky
chance, L think that We have got them
right enough"
But the inspector was mistaken. for those
criminals were not destined to fall into the
hands Of justice. As We rolled into Eyford
station We saw a gigantic column of smoke
which streamed up from behind "A small
clump Of trees in the neighborhood, and
hung like an immense ostrich feather over
the landscape.
"A house on fire." asked Bradstreet. as
the train steamed off again on its way.
Yes, sir" said the station mas.er
When did 1t break out?'
Il hear that it was during the night. sir,
but it has got worse and the whole place
is in a blaze"
Whose house is it?''
DIR Becher -
Tell me-" broke in the engineer. lis DR..
Becher German, very thin, with a long,
sharp nose?"
The station master laughed heartily. No.
sir. DR.. Becher is Englishman, and there
isn't man in the parish who has a better
lined waistcoat. But he has a gentleman
staying with him. patient. as l under
stand who is a foreigner, and he looks as
if little good Berkshire beef would do
him no harm.
The station master had not finished his
speech before we were all Fastening in the
direction of the fire. The road topped
low hill. and there was a great widespread
whitewashed building in front OF us, spout
ing fire at every chink and window, while
In the garden in front three fire engines
were vainly striving TO keep the flames un-
der
That's IT," cried Hatherley. in intense
excitement. There IS the gravel drive.
and there the rose bushes where lay.
That second window is the one that /
jumped from
well, at least" said Holmes. you have
had your revenge upon them. There is no
question that 1t was your oil lamp which.
when it was crushed in the press, set fire
to the wooden walls, though no doubt they
were too excited in the chase after you TO
observe IL AT the Tune NOW, keep your
eyes open in this crowd for your friends OF
last night, though L very much fear that
they are a good hundred miles off by now"
And Holmes fears came to be realized,
for from that day to this no word has ever
been heard either of the beautiful woman.
the sinister German, or the morose Eng
lishman. Early that morning peasant had
met a cart containing several people and
some very bulky boxes driving rapidly in the
direction of Reading. but there all traces
Of the fuSitives disappeared. and even
Holiness ingenuity failed ever to discover
the least clue as to their whereabouts.
The fremen had been much perturbed at
the strange arrangements which they had
found within. and still more so by dis
covering a newly severed human thumb
upon a window sill of the second floor.
About sunset. however. their efforts were
at last successful. and they srbdued the
flames but not before the roof had fallen
in and the whole place been reduced to
such absolute ruin that, save some twisted
cylinders and iron piping. not a trace re-
rnained of the machinery which had cost
our unfortunate acquaintance SO dearly.
Large masses Of nickel and Of tin were
discovered stored in an outhouse but no
coins were to be found which may have ex-
piained the presence of those bulky boxes
haa, nlr Iu rafa rrsd tn