The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-19


clients who crossed our humble TIRES
hold in Baker street. Holmes, how
ever, like all great artists, lived for
his arts sake, and, save in the case
of the Duke of Holdernesse, l have
seldom known him claim any large re-
ward for his inestimable services. So
unworldly was he-or so capricious-
that he frequently refused his help to
the powerful and wealthy where the
problem made no appeal to his sym
pathies. while he would devote weeks
of most intense application to the at
fairs of some humble client whose
case presented those strange and
dramatic qualities which appealed to
his Imagination and challenged his
ingenuity.
In this memorable year '95. a curious
and incongruous succession of cases
had engaged his attention, ranging
from his famous investigation of the
sudden death of Cardinal Tosea-an
inquiry which was carried out by him
at the express desire Of His Holiness
son, the notorious canary-trajner,
which removed a plague spot from the
East End Of London, Close on the
heels Of these two famous cases came
the tragedy of Woodman's Lee and
the very obscure circumstances which
surrounded the death of Captain Peter
Carey. No record of the doings of Mr..
Sherlock Holmes would be complete
which did not include some account
of this very unusual affair.
During the first week of July, my
friend had been absent so often and
so long from our lodging that l knew
he had something on hand. The fact
that several rough looking men called
during that time and inquired for Cap
tain Basil made me understand that
Holmes was working somewhere under
one of the numerous DISCUSSES and
names with which he concealed his
own formidable identity. He had at
least FIVE small refugees in different
parts of London. In which he was able
to change his personality. He said
nothing Of his business to me, and IL
was not my habit to force conf
dence. The first positive sign which
he gave me of the direction which his
investigation was taking was an extra
ordinary one. He had gone out be-
fore breakfast and I had sat down
to mine when he strobe into the room,
his hat upon his head and huge
barbed- headed spear tucked like an
umbrella under his arm.
Good gracious, Holmesp' I cried.
"You don't mean to say that you
have been walking about London with
that thing?"
II drove to the butchers and back"
1.-THE butcher's?'
''And l return with an excellent APP
petite. There can be no question, my
dear Watson, of the value of exercise
before breakfast. But l am prepared
to bet that you will not guess the form
that my exercise has taken"
II will not attempt it."
He chuckled as he poured out the
coffee.
IF you could have looked into AL
lardyce's back shop, you would have
seen dead pig swung from a hook in
the ceiling, and a gentleman in his
shirt sleeves furiously stabbing at it
with this weapon. / was that ener-
getic person, and 1 have satisfied my
self that by no exertion of my strength
can I transfi:i the pig with a single
blow. Perhaps you would care to try?''
mot for worlds. But why were you
doing this?"
Because 1t seemed to me to have
an indirect bearing upon the mystery
of Woodlands Lee. All, Hopkins,
got your wire last night. and have
been expecting you. Come and join u.s.
Our visitor was an exceedingly alert
man, thirty years of age, dressed in a
quiet tweed suit, but retaining the
erect bearing of one who was accus-
toned to official uniform. l recognized
him at once as Stanley Hopkins, a
young police inspector for whose flu
ture Holmes had high hopes, while he
in turn protested the admiration and
respect of a pupil for the scientific
methods of the famous amateur. Hop
kins brow was clouded, and he sat
down with an air of deep detection.
mo, thank you. sir. I breakfasted
before came round. 1 spent the
night in town, for 1 came up yester-
day to report"
"And what had you to report?''
Failure. sir, absolute failure"
"You have made no progress%'
None"
Dear me! must have a look at the
matter"
81 wish to Heavens that you would.
Mr.. Holmes It's my first big chance.
and am at my wits end. For good
ness sake, come down and lend me
a hand"
''well well, 1t Just happens that I
have already read all the available
evidence, including the report of the
inquest. with some care. BY the way.
what do you make of that tobacco
pouch, found on the scene of the
crime? Is there no clue there?"
Hopkins looked surprised.
"It was the mans own pouch, sir.
His initials were inside 1t. And IL was
of sealslin-and he was an old sealer.''
"But he had no pipe"
mo sir, we could find no pipe. In
deed, he smoked very little. and vet
he might have kept some tobacco for
his friends
mo doubt. only mention II be-
cause. If ] had heen handling the case.
! should have been inclined to make
that the starting point f my investi-
cation However, my friend. DIR. Wat
Of tlAie