The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-05
New Sherlock Holmes Series
(continued from Thlrty,salm Pase)

My data were coming more quickly than [ could have reasonably hoped.
 Tell me- I asked, did your butler ever ask you such a question:?
 Reginald Musgraves looked at me in astonishment. Now that you call it to my mind he answered, 'Brunton did ask me about the height of the tree some months ago, in connection with some lit tie argument with the groom
 This was excellent news, Watson, for it showed me that I was on the right road. l looked up at the sun. It was low in the heavens, and I calculated that in less than an hour 1t would He just above the topmost branches of the old oak. One condition mentioned in the ri- tual would then be fulfilled. And the shadow of the elm must mean the far ther end of the shadow, otherwise the trunk would have been chosen as the guide. I had, then, to find where the far end of the shadow would fall when the sun was just clear of the oak"
 That must have been difficult, Holmes, when the elm was no longer there.''
 Well, at least I knew that if Brunton could do 1t, I could also. Besides, there was no real difficulty. I went with Mus grave to his study and whitfield myself this peg. to which I tied this long string with knot at each yard. Then I took two lengths of a fishing rod. which came to just six feet, and I went back with my client to where the elm had been. The sun was just grazing the top of the oak. I fastened the rod on end, marked out the direction of the shadow, and meas ured 1t. It was nine feet in length.
 "Of course the calculation now was a simple one. If rod of six feet threw a shadow of nine. tree of sixty-four feet would throw one of ninety-six, and the line of the one would, of course, be tho line of the other. I measured out the dis tance, which brought me almost to the wall of the house, and I thrust a peg into the spot. You can imagine my ex ultation Watson, when within two inches of my peg I saw conical depression In the ground. I knew that it was the mark made by Brunton In his measure ments, and that I was still upon his trail.
 From this starting point I proceeded to step having first taken the cardinal points by my pocket compass. Ten steps with each foot took me along parallel with the wall of the house, and again I mark ed my spot with peg. Then I carefully paced off five to the east and two to the south. It brought me to the very thres- hold of the old door. Two steps to the west meant now that I was to go two paces down the stone-flagged passage, and this was the place indicated by the Ritual.
 Never have I felt such a cold chill of disappointment, Watson. For a moment it seemed to me that there must be some radical mistake in my calculations. The setting sun shone full upon the passage floor, and I could see that the old foot worn gray stones with which 1t was paved were firmly cemented together, and had certainly not been moved for many long year. Brunton had not been at I to ha fOnr hIt tt sounded the same all over, and there was no sign of any crack or crevice. But fortunately Musgrave, who had begun to appreciate the meaning of my proceedings and who was now as excited as myself, took out his manuscript to check my calculations.
 And under he cried. You have omit ted the "and under."'
 q had thought that it meant that we were to dig. but now, of course, I saw at once that I was wrong. There is a cellar under this then I cried
 Yes, and as old as the house. Down here, through this door,
 We went down a winding stone stair, and my companion, striking match, lit a large lantern which stood on a barrel in the corner. In an instant it was ob- vious that we had at last come upon the true place, and that we had not been the only people to VliSt lhe spot recently. :.
 Tt had been used for the storage of wood, but the billets, which had evidently been filtered over the floor were now piled at the sides, so as to leave a clear space in the middle. In this space lay a large and heavy fagstone with a rusted iron ring in the center to which a thick shepherds check muffler was attached.
 "'By Jove cried my client. That's Brunton's muffler. I have seen it on him, and could swear to it. What has the villain heen doing here?