Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-02-16
BY A. CONAN Y

: Indian army, and the best heavy-game
shot that our eastern empire has ever
produced. / believe j am correct. coll
onel, in saying that our bag Of tigers
Still remain u~nrivaled.
The fierce old man said nothing, but
still glared at my companionist with
his savage eyes, and bristling mustache
he was wonderfully like a tiger him
self.
Il wonder that my very simple STRAIT
agem could deceive so old a shlkari,"
said Holmes. 1T must be very familiar
TO you. Have you not tethered a young
kid under a tree, lain above ii with
your rifle, and waited for the bait TO
bring up your tiger? This empty house
is my tree, and you are my tiger. You
have possibly had other guns in reserve
in case there should be other tigers, or
in the unlikely supposition OF your
aim failing you. These" he pointed
around the room, 'are my other guns.
The parallel is exact"
Colonel Moran sprang forward with
a snarl of g but the constahles
dragged him back. The fury upon his
face was terrible to look at.
Il confess that you had n small
surprise for me" said Holmes. Il did
not anticipate that you woul yourself
make use of this empty house and this
convenient front window. / had inn
agined you as operating from the
street, where my friend Lestrade and
his merry men were awaiting o
With that exception, all has gone as
l expected"
Colonel Moran turned to the official
detective.
You may or may not have just
cause for arresting me-" said he, but
at least there can be no reason why
| / Ghny1lH C1hYDtf ~ tho nihaG nf fhfC
person. If | am in the hands of the
law. let things be done in a legal way"
We'll, that's reasonable enough"
| said Lestrade. Nothing further you
have to say, Mr.. Holmes, before we
go.
Holmes had picked up the powerful
air-gun from the floor, II was eX-
aiming it's mechanism.
AN admirable and unique weapon"
said he, "noiseless and tremendous
power. I knew Won Herder, the blind
German mechanic. who constructed it
to the order of the late Professor MORT
arity. For years / have been aware of
it's existence, though l ave never be-
fore had the opportunity Of handling
1t. / commend ii very specially to
your attention, Lestrade, and also the
bullets which fit It,"
You can trust us to look after that,
Mr.. Holmes" said Lestrade, as the
whole party moved towards the door
Anything further to say?"
only to ask what charge you intend
to PREFER"
What charge, sir? Why of course,
the attempted murder of Mr.. Sherlock
Holmes"
Not SO, Lestrade. l do not propose
TO appear in the matter at all. To o
and to you only. belongs the credit
Of the remarkable arrest which you
| ba 40 apfaptaI Voc agfpnHn nnn-
graduate you! With you usual happy
mixture of cunning and audacity, you
have got him.
SCOT him, Got whom. Mr.. Holiness"
+The man that the whole force has
been seeking in vain-Colonel Sebas-
tian Moran, who shot the Honorable
Ronald Adair with an expanding bullet
from an air-gun through the open win
dow OF the second-front of No. 427
Park Lane, upon the 30th of last
month. That's the charge, Lestrade.
And now, Watson, If o can endure
the draught from a broken window, /
think that half an hour in my study
over a cigar may afford some profitable
amusement"
Our old chambers had been left un-
changed through the supervision of
Mycroft Holmes and the immediate
care of Mrs. Hudson. As / entered
| saw, Ii is true. an tidiness,
but the old landmarks were all in place.
There was the chemical corner n the
acid-stalned. deal-topped table. There
upon a shelf was the row of formidable
scrap-books and books of reference,
which many of our fellow citizens
would haye been so glad TO burn. The
diagrams, the violin-case, and the pipe
rack-even the Partisan slipper which
contained the topacco-all met my eyes
J -, I r1,xaNl ,.ttaal 49, PNINra x,yo 80.
two occupants of the room-one, Mrs.
Hudson. who beamed pom us both as
we entered-the other, the TRANCE
dummy which had played so important
a part In the evenings adventures. Ii
was q wax-colored model of my friend,
SO admirably Gone that ii was a perfect
fac-simile. 1t stood on 4 small ped
estal table with an old dressing gown
of Holmes so draped round il that the
illusion from the street was absolutely
perfect.
IL hope you preserved all precau-
tions, Mrs Hudson?" aid Holmes.
II went to 1t on my knees, sir. just
as you told me-"
Excellent. You carried the thing
out very well. Did o observe where
the bullet VENT"
Yes, sic, I'm afraid il has spoilt
your beautiful bust. for IL passed right
through the head and fiattened itself
on the wall. ! picked II up from the
carpet. Here X isl"
Holmes held Ii out to me-. "A soft
revolver bullet. as you perceive, Wat
son. There's genius in that, for who
would expect to find such q thing fired
from an air All right, Mrs. Hud-
son, l am nue. oblil ed for your assist
ance. And now Watson. let me see
you In the old seat once more. for there
are several points which / should like
TO discuss with you"
He had thrown off the seedy frock
coat. and now he was the Holmes of
old in the mo~use-colored dressing
gown which he took from his effigy.
THE old shikari's nerves have not
lost their steadiness, nor his eyes their
keeness." said he with a laugh, as he
inspected the shattered forehead of the
bust.
Plumb In the middle OF the back of
the head and smack through the brain.
He was the best shot in India. and l
expect that there are few better here
in London. Have you heard the
name?'
"No. l have not"