The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-20
NEW SHERLOCK
 HOL MES SERIES
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(contlnued from Previous Page) -~~~~~~-~>>--~~>~~~~~~ but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal Some one in the next room had lit a dark-lantern. l heard a gentle sound of movement and then all was silent once more, , though the smell grew stronger For half an hour I sat with straining ears. Then suddenly another sound became audible a very gentle soothing sound, like that of a small jet of steam escaping con- tinually from kettle. The instant that we heard 1t Holmes sprang from the bed. struck a match and ashed furiously with his cane at the bel-pull.
 You see it, W atson?' he yelled. You see it?'
 But I saw nothing. At the moment when Holmes struck the light I heard a low. clear whistle, but the sudden glare flash ing into my weary eyes made 1t impos- sible for me to tell what 1t was at which my friend lashed so savagely l coulc, however, see that his face was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing.
 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 swelled up louder and loud CT, hoarse yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek. They say that away down in the village, and even in the distant parsonage, that cry raised the sleepers from their beds. It struck cold to our hearts, and stood gazing at Holmes, and he at me,
 until the last echoes of it had died away into the silence from which 1t rose.
 What can it mean?' l gasped. Tt means that it is all over." Holmes
 answered. And perhaps, after all, 1t is
 for the best. Take your pistol, and we
 will enter Dr. Roylott's room.' With a grave face he lit the lamp and
 led the way down the corridor. Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply from within. Then he turned the handle and entered. l at his heels, with the cooked pistol in my hand. It was a singular sight which met our eyes. On the table stood dark lantern with the shutter half open, throwing brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe the door of which was ajar. Beside this table, on the wooden chair, sat pr. Grimesby Roylott, clad in a long gray dressing gown. his bare ankles protruding
 beneath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers. Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had noticed during the day. His chin was cooked upward and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling. Round his
 brow he had peculiar yellow band, with
 brownish spreckles. which seemed to be bound tightly around his head. As we entered he made neither sound nor mo- ton.
 ..rhe bandl the speckled bandi'' whis- pered Holmes.
 I took a step forward. In an instant his
 strange headgear began to move, and
 there reared Itself from among his hear
 the squat diamond-shaped head and puff ed head of a loathsome serpent.
 '.It is a swamp adder.' cried Holmes;
 "the deadliest snake in India. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence. does in truth, recoil upon the violent. and the schooner falls into the pit which he digs for another Let us thrust this creature back into it's den, and we can then remove Miss Stoner to some place of shelter. and let the coun-
 try 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 it at arms length, threw
 1t into the iron safe which he closed upon it.
 Such are the true facts of the death of
 Dr. Grimsby Roylott, of Stoke Moran. It is not necessary that I should prolong
 a narrative which has already run to
 too great a length, by telling how we
 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 how the slow process of
 official inquiry came to the conclusion
 that the doctor met his fate while in-
 discreetly playing with a dangerous pet.
 The little which had yet to learn of the
 case was told to. me by Sherlock Holmes
 as we travelled back next day
 "I had" said he "come to an entirely
 erroneous conclusion. which shows, my
 dear Watson. how dangerous 1t always
 is to reason from insufficient data. The
 presence of the gypsies and the use of
 the word band which was used by the