The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-05-10
v.-rHE ADVENTURE OF THE
pRIORY ScHOOl.-cortinued

tires. This, as you perceive. II Dun
| lop. with n patch upon the outer cover.
| Hcidegger's tires were palmer's, lcav-
/ Ing longitudinal stripes Avcling. the
| mathematical master. was sure upon
the point. Therefore. II IL not Hcideg-
gers track"
THE boys. them"
| Possibly, IL we could prove bi-
cycle To have been In his possession.
hut this we have utterly failed to do.
This track. as you perceive, was made
by a rider who WAS going from the d.
rcction of the school"
'Or towards it,
No. no. my dear Watson. The more
deeply sunk impression II. OF course.
the hind wheel. upon which the weight
rests. You perceive several places
where IL has passed across and oblit-
Grated the more shallow mark of the
front one. II WAS undoubtedly head
ing away from the school. IL may ar
may not be connected with our inquiry.
but we viii follow II. backwards before
We go any farther"
We did so and at the end Of n few
hundred yards lost tho tracks rs We
emerged from the DOGGY portion ~ the
moor. Following the path backwards.
We picked out another spot. where "a
spring triCklcd across a.. Herr. once
again. was the mark 81 the bicycle.
though nearly obllteratci by the hoofs
OF cows. After that there was no sign.
but the path ran right on into Ragged
Shaw. the wood which backed or To the
school. From this wood the cycle mus;
have emerged. Holmes sat down OH Il
boulder and rested his chin I'm his
hands. I had smoked two cigarettes
before he moved.
Well. we'll" said he. ut last. 1t is.
OF course. possible that n cunning man
might change the tire or his bicycle
in order Ia leave unfamiliar tracks. \
criminal who was capable Of such n
thought Is a man whom I should he
proud Ia do business with. We viii
leave this question undecided and bark
back to our moraSs again, for we have
left "A good deal uucxplorcd."
We continued our systematic survey
oi the edge of the soidcn portion of the
moor. and soon gu: perseverance was
Rlnrlously rewarded. Right across the
lower part of the bog lay miry path.
Holmes CAV" "a cry 81 delight a. he app
preached u. An impression like "a fine
bundle of telegraph wires ran down the
center ~ %. II WAS the Palmer tire.
Here Is Herr Hcidcgger. sure
enough" cried Holmes. eXutautly.
My reasoning seems to have been
pretty sound, Watson"
Il congratulate you
hut wr have long way still to go.
Kindly walk clear 81 the path. Now
let us follow the trail. | fear that IL
will not lead very far
We found. however. aS We advanced
that this portion nf the moor N inter
secicd with soft patches. and. though
We frequently lost sight Of the track.
we always succeeded Ia picking IL up
once more
DO YOU observe" said Holmes. that
the rider u now undoubtedly forcing
the pace There can he no doubt of u.
Look at this impression, where you get
both tires clear. The one II as deep
NJ the other. That can ouIy mean that
The rider ~ throwing his weight on
to the hnndlebar ns u man does when
he Is sprinting. by Jovc' he has had
a fall"
There was = broad. irregular Smudge
covering some yards OF the track. Then
there were a few footmarks. aud the
tire rcappcurcd once more.
"A sidc-slip." I suggested.
Holmes held up crunplcd branch NJ
Towering gorsC To my horror. | per-
ceivel that the elbow blossoms were
NIL dabbicd with crimson. ON the path.
too. and among the heather were dark
stains or clothed blood.
Bad" said Holmes. Bad Stand
clear. Watson, Not nn unnecessary
footstcp' What do I read here? He
fell wouudcd-hc stood up-hc re-
mounied-he proceeded HUT there is no
other track. Cattle on this side path.
He was surely not gored by n bull? I'm
possible, But l see no traces OF any
one else. We must push on. Watson.
Surely. with stains as well as the track
Ia guide III. he cannot escape us now"
our search was not very long one.
The tracks NJ the tire began to curve
Enthusiastically upon the wet and shining
path. Suddenly. as I looked ahead. the
glcam Of metal caught my eye
from amid the thick gorsc bushes.
out Of them We dragged a bicycle.
Palmer tired, one pedal bent. and the
whole front OF IL horribly smearcd and
with blood. ON the other side OF the
bushes shoe Was projecting. We ran
around. and there lay the unfortunate
rider. lie was tall man. full bearded.
with spectacles. one glass ~ which had
been knocked out. The cause of his
death was n friIhtful blow upon the
heau. which had crushed In part OF his
skull. That he could have gone on ar
ter receiving such an inquiry said much
for the vitality and courage OF the man.
lie wore shoes, but no socks, and his
open coat disclosed q night shirt be-
meath IL. II was undoubtedly the Ger
man master.
Holmes turned the body over reyer-
entity. and examined II with great at
tcntion. He then sat In deep thought
for a time. and ! could see by his ruf-
fed brow that this grim discovery had
not. In his opinion. advanced us much
In our inquiry.
1t II "A little difficult To- know what To
do. Watson" said he. at last. My own
inclinations are To- push this inquiry on.
FOR We have already lest SO much time
that We cannot afford To- waste another
hour. ON the other hand. We are bound
To Inform the police of the discovery.
and la -" That this poor fellows body
" looked after"
Il could take a note back"
hut I need your company and assis-
tarcc. Wait n Bit There N a fellow
cutting peat up yonder Bring him
over here and h. will guide the los,
lice
brought the peasant across. aub
Holmes dispatched the frightened main
with a note to pr. HuNIablc.
Now, Watson" said he. we have
picked up two clews this morning. one
Is the bicycle with the Palmer tire and
We 49," what that has led To. The other
" tn" bicycle with the patched Dunlop.
Before We start to investigate that. let
uS try to realize what We do know. 80
as to make the most Of IL. and To- sepa-
rate the essential from the accidental"
First OF all. I wish to impress upon
you that IN" boy certainly left OF his
own free Will. lie got down from his
window and he went OF. either alone
or with someone, That is sure"