The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-05-24

ing longitudinal stripes. Aveling, the
mathematical master, was sure upon
the point. Therefore it is not Heideg-
gers track
"The boys, them"
Possibly, if we could prove bicy-
Gle to have been in his possession. But
this we have utterly failed to do. This
track, as you perceive, was made by a
rider who was going from the direction
Of the school,"
"Or toward it?'
mo, no. my dear Watson. The more
deeply sunk impression is, of course,
the hind wheel, upon which the weight
rests. You perceive several places
where it has passed across and obliter
ated the more shallow mark of the
front one. 1t was undoubtedly head
ing away from the school. 1t may or
may not be connected with our in
quiry, but we will follow it backward
before we go any farther"
We did SO, and at the end of few
hundred yards lost the tracks as we
emerged from the Doggy portion of the
moor. Following the path backward,
we picked out another spot where a
spring trickled across It, Here, once
again. was the mark Of the bicycle.
though nearly obliterated by the hoofs
of cows. After that there was no sign.
but the path ran right on into Ragged
Shaw, the wood which backed on to
the school. From this wood the cycle
must have emerged Holmes sat down
on bowlder and rested his chin in his
hands had smoked two cigarettes
before he moved.
"Well, WE'LL" said he at last. "1t is
Of course possible that cunning man
might change the tire Of his bicycle IN
order to leave unfamiliar tracks. A
criminal who was capable of such a
thought is man whom should be
proud to do business with. We will
leave this question undecided and bark
back to our morass again, for we have
left good deal unexplored."
We continued our systematic survey
Of the edge of the sodden portion of the
moor, and soon our perseverance was
gloriously rewarded. Right across the
lower part Of the bog lay miry path.
Holmes gave cry Of delight as he APP
preached it. An impression like fine
bundle Of telegraph wires ran down the
center Of it. 1t was the Palmer tire.
Here is Herr Heidegger, sure
enough cried Holmes exultantly. "AIy
reasoning seems to have been pretty
sound, Watson"
81 congratulate you."
But we have a long way still to go.
Kindly walk clear Of the path. Now let
us follow the trail. fear that it will
not lead very far"
We found. however, as we advanced
that this portion of the moor is inter-
sected with soft patches, and, though
we frequently lost sight Of the track,
we always succeeded in picking it up
once more.
do you OBSERVE" said Holmes, 'that
the rider is now undoubtedly forcing
the pace? There can be no doubt of it,
Look at this impression, where you get
both tires clear The one is as deep as
the other. That can only mean that the
rider is throwing his weight OH to the
handle bar, as man does when he is
sprinting. BY .Jove, b.. has had fall!'
There was a broad, irregular smudge
covering some yards Of the track Then
there We're a few footmarks, and the
tire reappeared once more.
"A side slip" suggested.
Holmes held up crumpled branch
Of Towering gorse. TO my horror I
perceived that the yellow blossoms
We're all dabbled with crimson. On the
path, too, and among the heather were
dark stains Of clothed blood.
Bad" said Holmes bad. Stant
clear, Watson! Not an unnecessary
footstep! What do l read here? III,
fell wounded-he stood up-he remount
ed-he proceeded. But there is II.
other track Cattle on this side path
He was surely not gored by a bull
Impossible! But l see no traces o
any one else. We must push on, Wat
son. Surely, with stains as we'll as tn
track to guide, he cannot escape u
now"
Our search was not very long one
The tracks of the tire began to curry
Enthusiastically upon the wet and shinin.
path. Suddenly, as l looked ahead
the CLEAN of metal caught my eye iron
amid the thick gorse bushes. Out o
them we dragged a bicycle, Paine
tired, one pedal bent and the Who'll
front of it horribly smeared and sloI
bcrcd with blood. On the other sid
of the bushes u shoe was projecting
We ran round and there lay the un
fortunate rider. He was Il tall mar
full bearded, with spectacles, one glas
of which had been knocked out. Th
cause Of his death was frightfu
blow upon the head, which had crush
ed In part of his skull. That he coul
have gone on after receiving such a
injury said much for the vitality an
courage of the man. He Wore shoes
but no socks, and his open coat dis
closed Il nightshirt beneath it. 1t wa
undoubtedly the German master.
Holmes turned the body over revel
emily and examined it with great al
tention. He then sat in deep though