The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-05

to be served in the trainers IaHliy
that night, and it is surely too mon
strous a coincidence to suppose tnat
he happened to come along with pow
dered opium upon the very night when
a dish happened to be served which
would disguise the flavor. That is I'M
thinkabIe. Therefore Simpson becomes
eliminated from the case and our at
tention centres upon Straker n ms
wife, the only two people who could
have chosen curried mutton for sup
per that night. The opium was add
ed after the dish was set aside Tor
the stable-boy. for the others had the
same for p p with no III ef1ects.
Which of them. then, had access to
tina dish without the maid seeing
them?
Before deciding that question I
had grasped the significance Of the
ence OF the dog, for one true infer
ence invariably suggests others. The
silence Of the dog for n true infer
q dog vas kept in the stables, n
yet, though some one had been in
and had fetched out a horse. he a
not barked enough to arouse the w
lads in the loft. Obviously the mid
dog knew we'll.
81 was already convinced, or almost
convinced. hat John Straker went
down to the stables in the dead of the
night and took out Silver Blaze. For
what purpose? For a dishonest one,
obviously, or why should he drug his
own stable-boy? And yet 1 was at
a loss to know why. There have been
cases before now where trainers have
made sure Of great sums of money
by laying against their own horses,
through agents, n then preventing
them from winning by fraud. Some
tunes it is a pulling Jockev. Some
times 1t is some Surer and subtler
means. What vas it here? I hoped
that the contents Of his pockets might
help me to form a conclusion.
"And they did so. You cannot have
the singular knife which was
found in the dead mans hand, a knife
Whicn certainly no sane man would
choose for a weapon 1t was, as DR..
Watson told us, a form of knife which
IS used for the most delicate opera
TO be used for a delicate operation
that night. You must know. with
your wide experience of turf matters,
Colonel Ross, hat it is possible to
make a slight nick upon the tendons
OF a horses ham, and to do it sub
c~utaneously, so as to leave absolutely
no trace. A horse so reate would
devolp a slight lameness, which would
be put down to a strain in exercise or
a touch of rheumatism, but never to
foul play"
"Villian! Scoundre1!" cried the Col
oneI.
I'VE have here the explanation of
why John Straker wished to axe the
horse out On to the moor. So spirited
a creature would have certainly reused
the soundest Of sleepers when it felt
the prick OF the knife. 1t was abso-
Iutely necessary to do it in the open
air"
II have been blind" cried the Colo
mel. of course that was why he need
ed the candle, and struck the match"
Undoubtedly. But in examining his
belongings l was fortunate enough to
discover not only the method of the
crime, but even its motives. AS a man
Of the world, Colonel, you know that
men do not carry other peoples bills
about in their pockets. We have most
of us quite enough to do to settle our
was leading a double life, and keeping
a second establishment. The nature
Of the bill showed that there was q
lady in the case, and one who had ex-
pensive tastes. Liberal as you are
with your servants, one can hardly
guinea walking dresses for their
ladies'. [ questioned Mrs. Straker as
to the dress without her knowing it,
and having satisfied myself tina it had
never reached her. I made a note of
the milliner's address, and felt that by
calling there with Straker's photo
graph I could easily dispose Of the
mythical Derbyshire.
From that time on all wa plain.
Straker had led out the horse to a
hollow here his light would be in
visible. Simpson in his fight had
dropped his craVat, and Straker had
picked it up-with some idea, perhaps,
that he might see it in securing the
horses leg. Once IN the hollow, he
had got behind the horse and q
struck a light; but the creature, fright
ened at the sudden glare, and with
the strange instinct OF animals feel
ing that some mischief was intended,
a lashed out, and the steel shoe had
struck Straker full on the forehead.
He had already, ia spite Of the rain,