The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-06-07
THE ADVENTURE or BLAI.>
pETE

IL you sign ~ the whole matter VIII %
settled
The seaman lurchci across the room and
TOOK M the pen.
shah I sign here he asked. STOPPING
over the table
Holmes leaned over his shoulder and
passed both hands over hts neck.
This AL. 50" said ne.
! heard a siick OF steel and a below like
IN cnragcd bull The next instant Holmes
and the seaman were rolling on the
ground together. he was y man Of such
gigantic strength that even with the hand
CUTS which Holmes had 80 deftly fastened
upon his wrists. nc would have very
quickly ovcrpowcr~d INV friend had Hop
Kiss and I not rushed To his rescue.
Only when I pressed the Coid muI.
xic OF the revolver TO his temple It'd he ut
last unders,a nd that resistance was vain
We dashed hts ankles With cord. aud rose
brcathicss from the struggle.
Il must really apolosizr. hopkins" said
Sherlock Holmca. II fear that the
scrambled eggs are cold However. you
will enjoy the rest OF your breakfast all
the better. will you not. for the thought
that you have brought your ease TO a
triumphant conclusion"
Stanley Hopkins was spccchlcss with
smaxrmcnt.
II don't know what TO say. Mr..
1f0ltUfts NJ put VI ltANs WIN ~
very red face. "lt seems to me that I
have been making a foot OF myself from
the beginning. I understand now. what I
shoaid never have forgotten. that I am
the pupil and you are the master Even
now ] see what you have done. but
don't know how you DID II. OF what Il
signifies"
We'll WE'LL" said Holmes. good hum
orcdiy I'VE NIL learn by experience. and
A. -
never loae sight OF the alternative You
were 20 absorbed In young Michigan that
you could not spart \ thought to Patrick
Cairns the tru. murderer OF Peter Carey"
The hoarse voice Of the scamon broke
IN on our conversation.
See here. mister" said he. 81 make no
complaint OF being man Ina ndlcd In this
fashion. hut would have you call things
BY their right names You say murdered
Peter Carey. say killed Peter Carey,
and there's all the difference. Maybe you
don't believe what ! say. Maybe you
think I arm just singing you yarn
mot nj ALL" said Holmes. Let 10 hear
what you have TO say
-ft's soon told. ard. h. the Lord every
word OF " 10 truth knew Black Peter.
and when he pulled out his knife whipped
q harpoon through him sharp. FOR ! knew
that II was him or me That's how he died
You can call IL murder. Anyhow I'd A.
soon die with q ropc round my neck IA
with Black Peters knife In my heart"
''IIow came you there" asked Holmes.
"I'll tell u YOU from the beginning. Just
ale me M n little. so az can speak easy.
n wss IN 81 that Il happcncd-August Of
that year. Peter Carey was master OF the
Bea Unicorn. and vas spare harpooncr.
We were coming out OF the ice pack OF
our way home. with head winds and a
weeks southtrir gale. when we picked up
q little craft that bad been blown north
There was one man on hcr-a landsman.
The crew had thought she would founder.
and had made for the Norwegian coast In
the dinghy guess they were all drowned.
Wen. VIC took him on board. this man.
aud he and tho skipper had some long
talks In the cabin. All the baggage We
took OF with him was one tin box. so far
rs I know. the mans name was never
mentioned and on the second night he
disappeared ms n he had never been IL
was given out thar he had either thrown
himself overheard or fallen overheard In
the heavy weather that W. were having
Only one man knew what had happened
10 him. and that was me. for. with my
own eyes I saw the skipper tip Mp his
heels and put him over the rail in the
nii6,.lc watch OF a dark night. two days
before We sighted the Shetland Lights.
well. I kept my knowledge TO myself.
md waited TO see what would come OF IL.
when We got back TO Scotland IL was
easily huShcd up. and nobody asked any
questions. A stranger died by accident.
and IL was nobody's business 10 Inquire
Shortly after Peter Carey gave up the
SEA. and Il was long years before | could
md where he was I guessed that he had
done the deed for the sake OF what was
in that tin box and that he could aford
now 10 pas uie well for keeping my mouth
shut.
II found out where he was through a
kailor man that had met him In London.
and down ! went TO squeeze him. The
hrst night he was reasonable enough. and
was ready to give me wha; would make
me free OF the sea for life. We were tn
hx u all two nights later. When ! came.
I found him lh-cc-partS drunk and In n
vile temper We sat down and We drank
and We yarncd about old times. but the
more ne drank the less I liked the look
on his face. I spotted that harpoon on the
wall. and thought I might need Il be-
fore I was through. Then at last lie
broke out at me. splitting and cursing. with
murder In his eyes and q great clasp
knife IN his hand. lie lad not time ~ get
" from the sheath before I had the har'
pooa through him. Heavens what sell
he gave and his face gets between the
aud my sleep | stood there. with his
blood tpllshing round me. and waited
for a bit but all was quiet, 80 ! took
heart once more. I looked round. and
there was the tin box on the shelf had
a. much right to u - Peter Carey. any
how, 40 I took Il with nae and left the
hut. Like foot left my baccy pouch
npor the table.
Now III tell you the quccrcst part OF
IN" whole story. 1 had hardly got outside
the hut when heard someone coming. and
I nal among the bushes. \ man Cuin'
sinking along. went into the hut. gave
rry a. " he had seen q ghost. aud lcggct
II as nard as hc could run until hr wal
GOT OF sight. Who he was CT what h'
wanted g. more than ! can tell. For mN
part I walked ten miles. rot train .
TunhrlGgc Wells. and 80 reached London
aud no ore the wiser,
Well whrn I came 10 examine the b1i
I found there was mo- money ~ u. an,
nothing but papers that I would not dar,
To sell. I had lost my hold OF BlaCl
Peter and was stranded in London with
out a shilling. There vas only my trad
left. | saw these advertisements abou
harpooncrS. and high wages. 80 | went {,
the shipping agents, and they sent M
here. That's all | know. ana I say agar
that II I killed Black Peter. the law shout,
give me thanks. Zoe I saved them tn
price OF hrmpcn rope"
~ very clear statement" said Holmes
rising and lighting hts pipe. II think
Hopkins. that you should los. no time Il
conveying your prisoner TO place o
safety. This room IL not we'll adapted 10
a cell and Mr. Patrick earns occupies TO-
large a proportion of our carpet"