The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1906-06-08
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

THE ADVENTURE OF BLA.n
PETER.-continued.
You are just the man want" said he.
''Herc's the agreement ON the s:de-tuble.
If you sign il the whole matter viii be-
settled"
The seaman lurchcd across the room and
took up the pen.
shall sign lrcre?" he asked, STOPPING
over the table
Holmes leaned over his shoulder and
passed both hands over his neck.
'"lhis Will do" said he.
! heard a click OF steel and a below like
an enraged bull The next instant Holmes
and the seaman We're rolling on the
ground together. He was a man of such
gigantic strength that even with the hand
| cuffs which Holmes had so deity fastened
| upon his wrists. he would have very
quickly overpowercd my friend had Hop
kins and I not rushed to his rescue.
Only when I pressed the cold mu.-
gle of the revolver to his temple did he a
last understand that resistance was vain.
We dashed his ankles with cord, and rose
| breathless from the struggle.
II must really apologize. Hopkins, said
Sherlock Holmes. = 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 case TO Il
| triumphant conclusion"
| Stanley Hopkins was speeches. with
amazement.
Il don't know what to say Mr..
| Holmes" he blurted out at last, with Il
| very red face. 1T seems to me that
| have been making fool of myself from
| the beginning. ! understand now, what
| should never have forgotten, that | am
| the pupil and you are the master. Even
now see what YOU have done, but l
don't know how you did it, what it
| signifies
We'll, we'll" said Holmes. good hum
orcdly, we all learn by experience. and
your lesson this time is that YOU should
never lose sight of the alternative. You
We're so absorbed in young NeIigan that
| YOU could not spart a thought TO Patrick
Cairns, the true murderer of Peter Carey"
The hoarsc voice of the scamon broke
| in on our conversation.
See here. mister" said he II make no
complaint of being man-handicd In this
fashion, but ] would have you call things
by their right names. You say l murdered
| Peter Carey, I say ] killed Peter Carey
and there's all the difference. Maybe you
don't believe what say. Maybe you
think am just Singing YOU yarn"
Not at al,' said Holmes. Let us hear
what you have to say"
Its soon told and. by the Lord. every
word Of it is truth ] knew Black Peter
and when he pulled out his knife whipped
a harpoon through him sharp. for knew
that 1t was him or me. That's how he died
You can call it murder Anyhow. Ia as
soon die with rope round my neck as
with Black Peters knife in my heart"
How came you there?" asked Holmes.
I'll tell it YOU from the beginning. Just
sit me UP little, as can speak easy
1t was in 'S3 that it lappcned-August Of
that year. Peter Carey was master of the
Sea Unicorn, and l was spare harpooner
We were coming out of the ice pack on
our way home, with head winds and Il
weeks southcrly gale, when we picked up
a little craft that had been blown north.
| There was one man on her-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 Oh board. this man.,
and he and the skipper had some long
talks in the cabin. All the baggage we
took off with him was one tin box. So far
as 1 know, the mans name was never
mentioned. and on the second night he
disappeared as If he had never been. 1t
was given out that he had either thrown
himself overheard or fallen overheard in
the heavy weather that we were having.
Only one man knew what had happened
to him, and that was me. for, with my
own eyes, 1 saw the skipper tip up his
heels and put him over the rail in the
middle watch of dark night. two days
before we sighted the Shetland Lights.
We'll, ] kept my knowledge to myself,
and waited to see what would come of it..
When we got back to Scotland it was
easily hushcd up, and nobody asked any
questions. stranger died by accident,
and it was nobody's business to inquire.
Shortly after Peter Carey gave up the
sea. and it was long years before I could
find where he was. l guessed that he had
done the deed for the sake of what was
in that tin box, and that he could afford
now to pay me we'll for keeping my mouth
shut.
Il found out where he was through q
sailor man that had met him In London,
and down l went to squeeze him. The
first night he was reasonable enough, and
was ready to give me what would make
me free of the sea for life. We were TO
fix it all two nights later. When came,
found him th-ec-parts drunk and in a
vile temper. We sat down and we drank
and we yarned about old times, but the
more he drank the less ! liked the look
on his face. ] spotted that harpoon ION the
wall, and I thought 1 might need it be-
fore ! was through. Then at last he
broke out at me, splitting and cursing, with
murder in his eyes and great clasp
knife in his hand. He lad not time to get
!: from the sheath before ] had the har-
poon through him. Heavens! what a yell
he gave! and his face gets between me
and my sleep. l stood there, with his
blood spashlng round me- and l waited
for bit, but all was quiet. SO l took
heart once more. l looked round, and
there was the tin box on the shelf. 1 had
as much right to 1t as Peter Carey any.
how, so ] took it with me and left the
hut. Like fool I left my baccy pouch
upon the table
Now III tell you the queerest part OF
the whole story. l had hardly got outside
the hut when 1 heard someone coming, anG
l hid among the bushes. A man came
sinking along, went into the hut. gave !:
cry as If he had seen ghost and Legged
it as nard as he could run until he wa.
out Of sight Who he was CT what he
wanted is more than can tell. For my
part 1 walked ten miles. got a train al
Tunbridgc Wells. and SO reached London
and no ore the wiser.
We'll. when l came to examine the DO,
/ found there was no money in it. ant
nothing but papers that I would not dar'
to sell. / had lost my hold on Blacl
Peter, and was stranded in London with
out a shilling. There was only my trad'
left. l saw these advertisements abou
harpooners and high wages. so 1 went Il
the shipping agents. and they sent mi
here. That's all ] know, and l say agar
lsf1i 1,11r Dxk1 l,..