The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-07-12

once he fdgeted with his feet and
tapped rapidly with his fingers upon
the wall 1t was evident to me that he
was becoming uneasy and that his
plans were not working out altogether
as he had hoped At last as midnight
approached and the street gradually
cleared he paced up and down the
room in uncomfortable agitation
was about to make some remark to
him when raised my eyes to the light
ed window and again experienced al
most as great surprise as before I
clutched Holmes arm and pointed up
ward
''The shadow has moved" / cried.
1t was indeed no longer the profile,
but the back, which was turned toward
u.s.
Three years had certainly not smooth
ed the asperities Of his temper or his
Impotence with a less active intelli-
gence than his own.
"Of course it has moved" said he.
Am such farcical bungler Wat
son, that l should erect an obvious
dummy and expect that some Of the
sharpest men in Europe would be de-
ceived by it? We have been in this
room two hours, and Mrs Hudson has
made some change in that figure eight
times, or once in every quarter of an
hour. She works it from the front.
so that her shadow may never be seen
Ali" He drew in his breath with
q nil tnI iY,tn l.n In, Il
light l saw his head thrown forward,
his whole attitude rigid with attention.
Outside, the street was absolutely de-
serted. Those two men might still be
crouching in the doorway. but could
no longer see them. All was still and
dark save only that brilliant yellow
screen i'll front of us with the black
figure outlined upon it's center. Again
in the utter silence 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 | felt his
warning hand upon my lips. The fin
gers which ciutched me were CULVER
ing. Never had l known my friend
more moved, and yet the dark street
still stretched lonely and motionless
before us.
But suddenly was aware Of that
which his keener senses had already
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 passage-steps which were
meant to be silent, but which reverber-
ated harshly through the empty house.
Holmes crouched back against the
wall, and did the same, my hand
closing upon the handle of my revolver.
Peering through the gloom, l saw the
vague outline Of a man. shade black
err 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
and l had braced myself to meet his
spring before l realized that he had
no idea Of our presence. He passed
close beside us, stole over to the win
dow and very softly and noiselessly
raised it for half 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 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
was gaunt and swarthy. scored with
deep, savage lines In his hand he car
r:cA what appeared to be stick, but
as he laid it down upon the floor it gave
q metallic clang. Then from the pocket
Of his overcoat he drew bulky object,
and he busted himself in some task
which ended with loud, sharp click,
as If a spring or bolt had fallen into
it's place. Still kneeling upon the floor,
he bent forward and threw all his
weight and strength upon some lever.
with the result that there came long.
whirling, grinding noise. ending once
more in powerful click. He straight
ened himself then, and | saw that what
he held in his hand was sort of Il
gun with a curiously misshapen butt
He opened it at the breech, put some
thing in and snapped the breechblock
Then, crouching down, he rested the
end of the barrel upon the ledge of the
open window and I saw his long mus
tache droop over the stock and his
eyes CLEAN as it peered along the
sights l 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 on the trigger. There was Il
strange, loud whiz and a long silvery
tin1Ie Of broken glass. At that instant
Holmes sprang like tiger on to the