The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-06-23

:
will be settled"
The seaman llrched across the room
and too, up the acn
Shall sign he-e?" he asked, stoop-
ing over the ;eble
IIo,uGcg ,,..i->., ,rCr Lis shoulder and
passed both hands over his neck.
This will g." said he.
l heard Nyi of steel and a below
like an enraged bull. The next instant
Holmes and the seaman We're rolling on
the ground together. He was Il man of
such gigantic strength that even with
the handouts Holmes had so deity
fastened upon his wrists he would have
very quickly overpowered my frien
had Hopkins and | not rushed to his
rescue. Only when | pressed the cold
muzzle of the revolver to his temple
did he at last understand that resist
ance was vain. We dashed his ankles
with cord and rose breathless from the
struggle.
Il must really apologize. Hopkins"
said Sherlock Holmes 81 fear that the
scrambled eggs are cold However.
you will enjoy the rest of your break
fast all the better, will you not, for the
thought that you have brought your
case to Il triumphant conclusion"
Stanley Hopkins was speeches. with
amaZement.
Il don't know what to say, Mr..
Holmes" he blurted out at last. with a
very red face 1t seems to me that
l have been making fool of myself
from the beginning. l understand now,
what | should never have forgotten,
that am the pupil and you are the
master. Even now | see what you
have done, but | don't know how you
did it or what it signifies"
well, we'll" said Holmes good hui
moredly. I'VE all learn by experience,
and your lesson this time is that you
should never lose sight of the alterna-
tive. You We're so absorbed in young
Neligan that you could not spare
thought to Patrick Cairns, the true
murderer of Peter Carey"
The hoarse voice of the seaman broke
Ill Oh our conversation.
See here, mister" said he, Il make
no complaint of being man handled in
this fashion, but would have you call
things by their right names. You say
| murdered Peter Carey: say killed
Peter Carey. and there's all the differ
ence. Maybe you don't believe what
say. Maybe you think am just sling
ing you yarn"
Not at all" said Holmes. LET us
hear what you have to say"
ITS soon told, and. by the Lord, ev-
cry word of it is truth. | knew Black
Peter, and when he pulled out his knife
l whipped harpoon through him
sharp. for | knew that it was him or
me. That's how he died. You can call
it murder. Anyhow, I'd as soon die
with rope round my neck as with
Black Peters knife in my heart"
"TIow came you there?" asked
! Holmes.
III tell it you from the beginning.
Just sit me up little so as | can speak
+ easy. 1t was in 'S3 that it happened
August of that year Peter Carey was
master of the Sea Unicorn. and | was
spare harpooner. We We're coming out
of the ice pack on our way home. with
head winds and a weeks southerly
gale, when we picked up little craft
that had been blown north There was
one man on her-a landSman. The crew
had thought she would founder and
had made for the Norwegian coast in
dingey. l guess they were all drowned.
Well we took him on board this man,
and he and the skipper had some long
talks in the cabin. All the baggage we
took off with him was one tin box. So
far as / know, the mans name was
never mentioned, and on the second
night he disappeared as if die had never
been. 1t was given out that he had
either thrown himself overheard or
fallen overheard in the heavy weather
that we were having. Only one man
knew what had happened to him, and
that was me, for with my own eyes l
saw the skipper tip up his heels and
put him over the rail in the middle
watch of dark night two days before
we sighted the. Shetland lights.
"Well, | kept my knowledge to my
self and waited to see what would
come of it. When we got back to Scot
land it was easily hushed up, and mo-
body asked any questions. A stranger
I died by accident, and it was nobody's
business to inquire. Shortly after Pc
ter Carey gave up the sea, and it was
long years before could find where he
was. | guessed that he had done the
deed for the sake of what was in that
tin box and that he could afford now
| to pay me well for keeping my mouth
shut
Il found out where he was through
sailor man that had met him in Lon
don, and down | went TO squeeze him.
| The first night he was reasonable
enough and was ready to give me what
would make me free of the sea for life.
We were to fix it all two nights later.
When | came | found him three parts
drunk and in vile temper. We sat
down, and we drank, and we yarned
about old times, but the more lie drank
the less l liked the look on his face.
| l spotted that harpoon upon the wall.
and thought l might need it before
! was. through. Then at last he broke
! out at me, splitting and cursing with
murder in his eyes and great clasp
knife in his hand He had not time
to get it from the sheath before | had
the harpoon through him. Heavens,
what yell he gave! And his face gets