Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-07-06
By A. CONAN DOYLE.

crouching in the doorway, but l could
no longer see them. All was still and
dark say only that brilliant yellow
screen in front of us with the black
figure outlined upon its center. Again
in the utter silence l heard that thin,
sibilant note which spoke of intense
suppressed excitement. An instant
later he pulled me back into the black
| est corner Of the room, and I felt his
warning hand upon my lips. The fin
! gers which clutched me We're CULVER
| ing. Never had I known my friend
! more moved, and vet the dark street
| still stretched lonely and motionless
| before us.
But suddenly I was aware Of that
! which his keener senses had already
I distinguished. A low, stealthy sound
came to my ears not from the direc-
| ton Of Baker street, but from the
back Of the very house in which we
/ lay concealed. A door opened and
/ shut. An instant later steps crept
! down the passagesteps which were
I meant to be silent, but which reverber-
I ated harshly through the empty house.
I Holmes crouched back against the
| wall, and l did the same, my hand
closing upon the handle of my revolver.
| Peering through the gloom, l saw the
l vague outline of a man, a shade black
er than the blackness Of the open
door. He stood for an instant, and
then he crept forward, crouching, men
acing. into the room. He was within
three yards of US, this sinister figure,
and 1 had braced myself to meet his
| spring before l realized that he had
no idea of u presence. He passed
close beside US, stole owe to the win.
dow, and very softly and n~oiselessly
raised it for half a foot AS he sank
to the level of this opening the light of
the street, no longer dimmed by the
dusty glass, fell full upon his face.
The man seemed to be beside himself
with excitement. His two eyes shone
like stars, and his features were work
ing convulsively. He was an elderly
man, with a thin, projecting nose, a
high, bald forehead and a huge griz-
zled mustache. An opera hat was push
ed to the back Of his head, and an
evening dress shirt front cleaned out
through his open overcoat. His face
deep, savage lines. In his hand he car.
ried what appeared to be a stick, but
as he laid it down upon the floor it gave
a metallic clang. Then from the pocket
Of his %overcoat he drew a bulky object,
and he busted himself in some task
which ended with a loud, sharp click,
as If a spring or bolt had fallen into
its place. Still -kneeling upon the floor,
he bent forward and threw all his
weight and strength upon some lever,
with the result that there zane a long,
whirling, grinding noise. ending once
more in a powerful click. He straight
ened himself then. and I saw that what
he held in his hand was a sort Of a
gun with a curiously misshapen butt.
he opened it at the breech, put some
thing In and snapped the b%reechblock.
Then, crouching down, he rested the
end Of the barrel upon the ledge Of the
open window, and 1 saw his long mus,
tache droop yer the stock and his
eyes CLEAN as it peered along the
sights. 1 heard a little sigh Of salts.
faction as he cuddled the butt into his
shoulder and saw that amazing target
the black man on the yellow ground
standing clear at the end Of his fore
sight. For an instant he was rigid
and motionless. Then his finger tight
ened OF the trigger. There was a
strange, loud whiZ and a long, silvery
tinkle of broken glass. At that instant
Holmes sprang like a tiger on to the
marksman's back and hurled him fiat
upon his face. He was up again in 8
moment, and with convulsive strength
he seized Holmes by the throat. but
struck him OF the head with the but
of my revolver, and he dropped agar
upon the floor. l fell upon him, and as
! held him my comrade blew n shrii
call upon a whistle. There was the
clatter of running feet upon the pave
ment, and two policemen in uniform
with one plain clothes detective, rushe.
through the front entrance and into the
room.
THAT you, Lestrade?" said Holmes.
ayes, Mr.. Holmes. l took the 20,
myself. It's good to see you back il
London, sir"
II think you want a little unoticia
help. Three undecided murders in ons
year won't do, Lestrade. But you han
died the Molesey mystery with less
than your u~sual-that's to say, yor
handled it fairly we'll"
We had all risen to our feet, our p:is
oner breathing hard, with a stalwar
constable on each side of him. .Alrcad;
a few loiterers had begun to collect j.
the street. Holmes stepped up to Tx
window, closed it and dropped til,
blinds. x%-estrade had produced tw<
candles. and the policemen had un
covered their lanterns. was abb
at last to have a good look at our pris
oner.
1t was a tremendously virile and ye'
sinister face which was turned towa-.
us. With the brow of q ph!!nsop!!c:
above and the jaw of a ~senSu1Iist be
low, the man must have started Wit.
great c~aDacifiQS for good mr. fC. oy;'