The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-02-15
ADVENTURE OF THE

t~elltgence han his own.
or course 1t has moved" said h
Am l such a faccical bungler, Wat
SON. that l should erect an obviou
dummy. and expect that some Of tn
sharpest men in Europe would be de
ceiVed by It? We have beer in thi
room two hours, and Mrs. Hudson ha
'naue some change in that :!c0ro eiFii
umes, or once In every quarter of a
hour. She works it from the front, S
mat her shadow may never oe seer
h He drew In his breath with
shrill, excited intake. In the dim lteh
saw his head thrown forward. hi
whole attitude rigid with attention
outside the street was absolutely de
serted. Those w men might still b,
crouching in the doorway, but l coult
no longer see them. All was still auc
dark, save only that brilliant yellow
screen in front of US with the blacl
figure outlined upon It's center. Again
IN the utter silence I heard that thin
slbilant note which spoke of intense
suppressed excitement. An instant
later he pulled me back into the black
est corner of the room. and Ilfelt his
warming hand upon my lips. The fin
gers which clutChed me were Quivering
Never had l known my friend more
moved. and vet the dark street still
stretched lOneiy ana mntiOnless before
US.
But suddenly I was aware Of that
Whlch his keener senses had already
distinguished. A low, stealthy sound
came TO my ears, not from the direction
of Baker street. but from the back door
or the u in which we lay con-
cealed. a door opened and shut. An
instant later steps Crept down the pas
sage-steps which were meant to be
Silent. but which reverberated harshly
trough he empty house. Holmes
coruched back against the wall and I
dld the same, my hand closing upon
the handle of my revolver. Peering
'hrough the gloom, I saw the vague
outline or a man, a shade blaCker than
the ~DlaCkneSs of the open door. He
stood for an instant, and then he crept
orWard crouching, menacing. into the
room. He was within three yards of
US, ms sinister figure, and l had
braced myself to meet his spring be-
fore realized that he had no idea of
our presence. He passed close be-
side us, stole over to the window, and
Very softly n noiselessly raised it
half a foot. AS he sank to the level
or his opening, the light of the street.
no longer dimmed by the dusty glass,
fell upon his face. The seemed TO be-
beside himself with excitement. His
TWO eyes shone like stars, and his feat
ures were working convulsively. He
was an elderly man. with a thin. pro-
JeCtlng nose, a high, bald forehead. and
a huge Grizzled mustache. An opera
nat was pushed to the back of his head,
and an. evening dress shirt-front
cleaned out through his open overcoat,
His face was gaunt and swarthy,
scored with deep, savage lines. In his
hand he carried wha appeared to be
a stick. but as he laid it down upon
the floor 1t gave a metallic clang. Then
from the pocket of his overcoat he drew
q h11lyu. - h,naf -,I L.. .-s -
IN some task which ended with d loud, 4
sharp click. as if a spring or bolt had
1aiien into It's place. Still kneeling
upon the floor he bent forward and
threw all his weight and strength upon
some lever, with the result that there
came a long, whirling. grinding noise,
endins once more in Il powerful click. |
saw that what he held in his hand
was a sort Of q gun, with a curiously
~nlsshapen butt. He opened it at the
Dreech, put something in. and snapped
~breech-lock. Then. crouching
he rested the end of the barrel
upon the ledge of tbs open window,
and l saw his long mustache droop
over the stock and his eye CLEAN as it
along the sights. 1 heard a lit
tie sigh of satisfaction as he cuddled
the butt to his shoulder, and saw that
amazing target, the black man on the
yellow ground, standing clear at the
END or his foresight. For an instant
ne was rigid and motionless. Then his
dnger frightened on the trigger. There
a strange, loud whiz and a lond,
'ilvery mike of broken glass. At that
Instant Holmes sprang like a tiger on
o the marllsman's back, and hurled
nm f1at upon his face. He was up
In q moment, and with convulsiye
trength he seized Holmes by the
,hroat, blu l struck him on the head
With h butt of my revolver, and he
dropped again upon the floor. | fell
p 0 him, n as I held him my COM
'ade blew a shrill call upon a whistle.
mere was the clatter of running feet
the pavement, INC two policemen
n uniform. with n plain-clothes de-
ective, rushed through the front en-
II into the room.
THAT you, Lestrade? ?" said Holmes.
Yes, Mr.. Holmes. I took the job
myself. It's good to see you back in
.cndon, SIR
Il think o want a little unofhcial
lelp. Three undetected murders in
me year won't co, Lestrade. But you
handled the Molesey mystery with less
han your usual-that's to say, you
it fairly Well"
We a all risen to our feet. our pris-
'ner breathing hard, with a stalwart
constable on each side Of him. AL
.eady q few loiterers had begun to
in the street. Holmes stepped
lp to the window, closed it, and
lropped the blinds. Lestrade had pro-
two candles, and the policemen
iad uncovered their lanterns. I was
lble at last to have a good look at our
prisoner.
It was a tremendously viriIe and vet
face which was turned toward
With the brow of a philosopher
lbove and the Jaw of a s%ensualist be-
the maj must have started with
treat capacities for good and evil. But
me could not look upon his cruel blue
yes, with their dropping. cynical lids,
IT upon the fierce, aggressive nose and
reatening, ~deep-lined brow. with
tut reading natures plainest danger-
He took no heed of any Of us.
tut his eyes We're fixed Upon Holmes
ace with an expression In which
hatred anu amazement were equally
blended. You fiend!" he kept on NUT
ering. y clever. clever fend!.
sAh. COLONEL" said Holmes, rrang-
his rnmpled collar, "tJourneys end
n lovers meetings. as the old play
avs. I don't think / have had the
of seeing you since you ia
tored me with those attractions as III
ay on the ledge above the R-eichenbach
Talls''
The colonel still stared az NY fr,end