The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-05-10
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

'ci tiillIS dtttu on very SNORT DOllce.
"Undoubtedly."
why did he go? Because. from his
bed room window he saw the flight OF
the boy; because he wished to overtakc
him and bring him back He seized
his bicycle, pursued the lad, and in
pursuing him met his DEATH"
SO 1t would SEEM"
Now I come to the critical part of
my argument. The natural action of q
man in pursuing a little boy would be to
run after him. He would know that he
could overtake him. But the German
does not do so. He turns to his bicycle.
| am told that he was an excellent cy-
clist. He would not do this, if he did
not see that the boy had some swift
means of escape.
The other bicycle"
Let us continue our reconstruction.
He meets his death five miles from the
school-not by a bullet, mark you,
which even a lad might conceivably
discharge, but by a savage blow
oealt by a vigorous arm. The
lad, then. had a companion in
his flight. And the fight was a
swift one, since it took five miles be-
fore an expert cyclist could overtake
them. Yet we survey the ground
around the scene of the tragedy. What
DO we ind? A few cattle tracks, moth
ing more. l took a wide sweep around,
and there is no path within fifty yards.
Another cyclist could have had moth
ing to do with the actual murder, nor
were there any human footmarks."
"Holmes,"I cried, this is impos-
sible."
"Admirable." he said. "a most H.
Eliminating remark 1t is impossible
as | state it. n therefore I must in
some respect AVE stated it wrong.
Yet you saw for yourself. Can you
suggest any fallacy?"
He could not have fractured his
skull in n fall"
In a morass, Watson?"
Il am at my wits end"
Tut, tut, we ave solved some worse
problems. At least we have plenty Of
material If we can only use it. Come,
then, and. having exhausted the Palm
er, let US see what the Dunlop with the
patched V has to offer u.s.
We picked up the track and followed
1t EDWARDS for some distance, but soon
the moor rose into a long, heather tuft-
ed curve, and we left the water course
behind US. No further help from tracks
could be hoped for. AT the spot where
we saw the last OF the Dunlop tire it
might equally have led to Holdernesse
hall. the stately towers of which arose
some miles to our left, or to a low, grey
village which lay in front of US, and
marked the position OF the Chesterfield
high road.
AS we approached the forbidding and
sQualid inn, with the sign of a game
s,,5aan .ro,n 80 oi,atna' -
st,oIIdar ~ go hrnsa1f trarn f,Jn;nn
&c haa ia q - 80 thnsn ,; hto,, et rni,
~ t1a ,rlI. u.binh ieaI.a ~ Nov bains
less With difficulty he limped up to
the door. where Il squat dark, elderly
man was smoking q black clay pipe.
How are yoa, Mr.. Reuben Hayes?"
WE ne low ..+
NV nana as SO 1ot !, nv tna n WOW u ry,S So" 80
.w'oraI y.Hb sr;rin'-s Insh of ,
natr Of ]cnnnina sVat A''S'' ~ q
-.Nrait ;,'s n,i,+ad ~, ~, ho,,d ,hova
80. . =, ~ ~ -
ia r,,sfar ar NC n1sn tn,,sa s,,nnnsa
Won haven't, such "a fhin~ az , ca,ria ue
In vorr HES %
NO have not
II can hardly .,,, my f,ot IN tho
-yound"
.sDon,t p,t It T., the yround"
But ~irnn'r walk"
well tban hon"
MIR. Reuben Hoycs' manner was far
from gracious, bur Holmes took it with
admirable good ll,1lnOr.
Look here, my man" said he. This
is really rather an awkward fix for me.
I don't mind how 1 get on"
"Neither do r., said the morose land
lord.
THE matter is very important. I
would offer you q sovereign for the use
of a bicycle"
The landlord prjcke ed I'D his ears.
Where do you want to. go?"
"To H~oldernesse hall"
Pals Of the dock, l suppose ?" said
the landlord, surveying our mud
stained garments with @ironical eyes.
Holmes laughed good naturedly.
He'll be glad to see US, anyhow"
Why"
'os srh son, d,o.a !, ,.,s;,,a
g: : ! NJ: i: . ::;: e.: 6: :: u +: ); '' !: ::,; ::: !.
the heavy. gnshsvsn face. His manner