The San Francisco call., 1905-04-02


Heidegger's tires were Palmer's. leav-
ing longitudinal stripes. A yelling, the
mathematical master, was sure upon
the point Therefore, it is not Heideg-
gers track"
''rhe boys. then?"
Possibly, if we could prove bicycle
to have been in his possession. But
this we have utterly failed to do. This
track, as you perceive, was made by a
rider who was going from the direction
of the school"
'Or toward it?"
mo, no, my dear Watson. The
more deeply sunk impression IS,
on which the weight rests.
You perceive several places where it
has passed across and obliterated the
more shallow mark of the front one.
1t was undoubtedly heading away from
the school. 1t may or may not be con-
neeted with our Inquiry but we will
follow it backward before we go any
farther"
We did So and at the end of a few
hundred yards lost the tracks as we
emerged from the boggy portion of the
moor Following the path backward
we picked out another spot, where
spring trickled across it. Here once
again was the mark of the bicycle,
though nearly obliterated by the hoofs
of cows. After that there was no sign,
but the path ran right on into Ragged
Shaw, the wood which backed on to
the school. From this wood the cycle
must have emerged Holmes sat down
on a boulder and rested his chin in his
hands. had smoked two cigarettes
before he moved.
We'll, WELL" said he at last. 1T is,
of course. possible that a cunning man
might change the tire of his bicycle
in order to leave unfamiliar tracks.
A criminal who was capable of such a
thought is a man. whom / should be
proud to do business with. We will
leave this question undecided and hark
back to our morass again, for we have
left good deal unexplored." -
We continued our systematic survey
of the edge of the sodden portion of
the moor, and soon our perseverance
was gloriously rewarded. Right across
the lower part of the bog lay a miry
path. Holmes gave a cry of delight as
he approached it. An impression like
a fine bundle of telegraph wires ran
down the center OF it. 1t was the Pal
mer tire.
Here is Herr Heidegger sure
enough!" cried Holmes, exultantIy.
My reasoning seems to have been
pretty sound, Watson"
81 congratulate you" !.
But we have long way still to CO.
Kindly walk clear of the path. Now
let US follow the trail. / fear that it
will not lead very far"
We found, however, as we advanced.
that this portion of the moor is inter-
sected with soft patches and, though
we frequently lost sight of the track,
we always succeeded in picking it up
once more.
do you observe" said Holmes, that
the rider is now undoubtedly forcing
the pace? There can be no doubt of
it. Look at this impression, where you
get both tires clear. The one is as
deep as the other. That can only mean
that the rider is throwing his weight
on to the handle-bar as man does
when he is sprinting. BY Jove! he has
had a fall
There was a broad, irregular smudge
covering some yards of the track. Then
there were a few footnarks and the
tire reappeared once more.
"A side-slip." 1 suggested.
Holmes held up cruinpled branch
of Towering gorse. To my horror /
perceived that the yellow blossoms
were all dabbled with crimson. On
the path, too. and among the heather
were dark stains Of clotted blood.
'Badi' said Holmes. Bad Stand
clear, Watsoni Not an unnecessary
footstepi What Go / read here? He
fell wounded-he stood up--he re-
mounted-he proceeded. But there is
no other track. Cattle on this side
path. He was surely not gored by
bull? Impossible! But see no traces
Of any one else. We must push on,
Watson. Surely with stains as well as
the track to guide US he cannot escape
US now"
Our search was not a very long one.
The tracks Of the tire began to curve
fantaStically upon the wet and shining
path. Suddenly as / looked ahead
the CLEAN of metal caught my eye
from amid the thick gorse-b bushes. Out
of them we dragged a bicycle, Palmer
tired, one pedal bent, and the whole
front of it horribly smeared and slob-
berec with blood. On the other side
of the bushes a shoe was projecting.
We ran around, and there lay the un-
fortunate rider. He was a tall man,
full bearded, with spectacles, one glass
of which had been knocked out. The
cause of his death was frightful blow
upon the head, which had crushed 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. He wore shoes, but no
socks, and his open coat disclosed
night-shirt beneath it, 1t was undoubt-
edly the German master.
emily, and examined it with great at
tention. He then sat in deep thought
for time, and 1 could see by his ruff
fed brow that this grim discovery had
not, in his opinion, advanced us much
in our inquiry.
ut is a little difficult to know what
to do, Watson" said he, at last. MY
own inclinations are to push this in
quiry on, for we have already lost so
much time that we cannot afford to
waste another hour. On the other
hand, we are bound to inform the po-
lice of the discovery, and to see that
this poor fellows body is looked after"
i could take a note back
But 1 need your company and as
sistance. Wait a bit! There is a fell
low cutting peat up yonder. Bring him
over here. and he will guide the po-
lice
I brought the peasant across, and
Holmes dispatched the frightened man
with a note to DR.. Huxtable.
Now. Watson" said he, I'VE have
picked up two clues 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 investigate that, let
us try to realize what we do know, so
nc n 10 he - n