Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-27
II hardly think that likely. never saw

II hardly think that likely. never saw
a morS memorable face in my life"
"Oh. we shall soon clear up all that"
said Bradstreet We'll. I have drawn my
circle, and only wish I knew at what
point upon It the folk that we are in search
OF are to be found"
II think I could lay my finger on It,"
said Holmes, quietly.
Really, nowr' cried the Inspector. you
have formed your opinion! Come, now
we shall see who agrees with you. I say
1t is south. for the country is more de-
serted there"
"And 1 say east" said my patient
IT am for west" remarked the plain
clothes man. There are several quiet
little villages up there"
And am for north" said ], because
there are no hills there, and our friend
says that he did not notice the carriage
go up any"
Come" cried the inspector. laughing
ITS a very pretty diversity of opinion.
Who do you give your casting vote tor
you are all wrong"
but we can't all be-"
"Oh, yes, you can. This is my point"
he placed his finger in the centre of the
circle This is where we shall find them"
But the twelve-mile driver" gasped
Hatherley.
six out and six back. Nothing simpler
You say yourself that the horse was fresh
and glossy when you got in. How could it
be that II 1t had gone twelve miles over
heavy roads?'
Indeed, 1t is a likely ruse enough"
observed Bradstreet, thoughtfully. 'Of
course there can be no doubt as to the
nature Of this gang"
None at ALL" said Holmes. They are
coiners on LARGE scale. and have used the
machine to form the amalgam which has
taken the place OF silver"
I'VE have known for some time that a
clever gang was at work" said the in
specto=. "They have been turning out
haif-crowns by the thousand. We even
traced them as far as Reading. but could
get no further. for they had covered their
traces in a way that showed they were
very old hands. But now, thanks to this
lucky chance, I think that we have got
them right enough"
But the inspector was mistaken, for
those criminals were not destined to fall
into the hands of justice. AS we rolled
into Eyford station we saw a gigantic
column of smoke which streamed up from
behind a small 'clump OF trees in the
ostrich feather over the landscape.
"A house on fre?" asked BradstTeet as
the train steamed of again on its way.
Yes, sir" said the station master.
when did It break out?"
Il hear that Il was during the night
sir, but It has got worse and the whole
place is in a blaze"
Whose house is it?"
"DT. Becher's."
Tell me-" broke in the engineer 'is DR.
Becher a German, very thin. with long
sharp nose2"
The station-master laughed heartily
mo. sir. DR.. Becher is an Englishman
and there isn't a man in the parish who
has a better lined waistcoat. But he ha,
a gentleman staying with him, a patient
as I understand who is a foreigner, and
he looks as II a little good Berkshire bee
would do him no harm"
The statiOn-master had not finished hi
speech before We were all Fastening Fl
the direction Of the fire. The road toppeC
a low hill, and there was a great wide
spread whitewashed building I'm front o
us. spouting fire at every chink and win
! dow, while in the garden in front thre
fire engines were vainly striving 70 keel
the flames under.
That's itg" cried HAthsrlsy. In intsnS