The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-05-03
.nut the hlrrcle,.. ! ohiccted.

But the bicycieY'' I objected.
quite so. We will tonne TO the BIZ
| cycle presently. To continue our rcn-
soning u thcsc people did not so by
/ the road they must have traversed the
country To the north of the house or
to the south OF the house. That II GER
tain. Let us weigh the one against
| the other. ON the south OF the house
u. rs you perceive. "A large district OF
arabic land. cut up into small fields.
with stone wall between them. There.
I admit that a bicycle is impossible.
We can dismiss the idea. We turn to
the country on the north. Here lies n
grove OF trees. marked rs the Ragged
Shaw and on the farther side stretch
- great rolling moor. Lower Gill
Moor. extending for ten miles and slop-
ing gradually upwards. Here, nj one
side OF this wilderness. IL Holderncsss
hall ten miles by road. but only six
across the moor. IL II n peculiarly
desolate plain. A few moor farmers
haze small holdings. where they rear
sheep and cattle. Except these. the
plover and the curiew are the only In
habitarts until you come TO the Ches-
terrified righ road. There II n church
there. you see. a few cottages and an
inn. Beyond that the hills become pre-
cipltous. Surely u is here to the north
that our quest must lie"
But the bicycle" I persisted.
Well. we'll" said Holmes, Impatient
~. a good Cyclist does not need a
high road. The moor In intersected
with paths. and the moon was at the
full. Halloa! what IN this?''
There was an agitated knock ut the
door. and an instant afterwards DIR.
Huxtable was In the room. In his
hand he held a blue cricket sap. with
a white chcvron on the peak.
AT last we have n clew!" he cried.
Thank heaven! nj last we are on the
dear boys track! II Is his cap"
Where was Il found"
In the van OF the gypsies who
camped un the moor. They left on
Tuesday. Today the police traced them
down and examined their caravan. This
was found"
How did they account for it,
They shufIicd and lied-said that
they found IL on the moor on Tuesday
morning. They know where he IL. the
rascals! Thank goodness. they are
fear Of the law or the dukes purse Will
certainly get out OF them all they
know"
so far. so good" sail Holmes. when
the doctor had at last left the room. 1T
ut least bears out the theory that 10
ls on the side OF the Lower GIL Moor
that we must hope for results. The po-
save the arrest OF these Eypsies. Look
here. Watson! There IN watercourse
across the moor. You see IL marked
here In the map. In some parts 10
widens into n morasS. This IL particu-
larry So In the region between Holder
nessc hall and the school. II IL vain to
look elsewhere for tracks I'm this dry
weather. but ut that point there Is GER
tainiy n chance OF some record being
left. I viii call you early tomorrow
morning. and you and ! VIII try n we
can throw some light upon the mys-
terry"
The day was just breaking when I
woke To find the long. thin form OF
Holmes by my bedside. He was fully
dressed. and had apparently already
been out.
n have done the lawn and the bI-
cycle she'd" said he. II have also had
ramble through the Ragged Shaw.
Now. Watson. there IL cocoa ready In
the next room. must beg you TO
hurry. for We have a great day before
US"
His eyes shone. and his cheek was
flushed with the eNhilaration OF the
master workman who sees his work
lie ready before him. A very different
Holmes, this active. alert man, from
the retrospective and pallld dreamer OF
Baker street. l felt, az looked upon
that supple figure. alive with nervous
energy. that u was indeed n strenuous
day that awaited us.
And yet II opened In the blacklist dis
appointment. With high hopes We
struck across the peaty. russell moor,
lntersected with n thousand sheep
paths. until we came To- the broad.
lightgreen belt which marked the
morass between us and Holdernesse.
Certainly. IL the lad had gone home
wards. he must have passed this. and
he could not II without leaving his
traces. But no sign OF him or the
German could be seen. With n darken-
ing face my friend STROBE along the
margin. eagerly obscrvant OF every
muddy stain upon the messy surface.
Sheep marks there were In profusion,
and ut one place. some miles down.
cows had left their tracks. Nothing
more.
Check number one" said Holmes,
looking gioomily over the rolling ex-
panse OF the moor. There In another
morass down yonder. and n narrow
neck between. Halloa! halloa! halloa!
what have We here?"
We had come on n small black rib
bon OF pathway. In the middle OF u.
clearly marked on the sodden soil, was
the track Of n bicycle.
"Hurrah," l cried. We have &C."
But Holmes WIS shaking his head.
and his face was puzzled and expectant
rather than Joyous.
(continusd Next Week.
sympathy tor the Engine.