The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-12
THE ADVENTURE OF
THE DEVILS FOOT
sTontinued from page ~e1even.)

herself stay in the house another
day. and was starting that very after
noon to rejoin her family at 81. ives;
We ascended the stairs and viewed
the body. Miss Brenda T~regennis had
been a very beautiful girl, though
now verging upon middle age. Her
dark. cIear-cut face was handsome
even in death, but there still fingered
upon it something of that CONFUSION
of horror which had been her last
human emotion. From her bed room
we descended to the Sittlng-ro0m
where this strange tragedy had &C
tually occurred. The charred ashes OF
the overnight fire lay in the CRATE.
On the table were the four outtered
and burned-out candles, with the
cards scattered over its surface. The
chairs had been moved back against
the walls, but all else was as it had
been the night before. Holmes paced
with light, swift steps about the
room; he sat in the various chairs,
drawing them up and reco%nstructing
of the garden was visible; he exam
ined the floor, the ceiling, and the
Fireplace: but never once did l see
that sudden Frightening of his eyes
and tightening of his lips which
would have told me that he saw some
CLEAN Of light in this utter darkness.
why a fire." he asked. Had
AAASy q
on a spring EVENING"
Mortimer Tregennis explained that
the night was cold and damp. For
that reason. after his arrival. the fire
was lit. What are you going to do,
MT. HOlmes?" he asked.
My friend smiled and laid his hand
upon my arm. Il think Watson, that
I shall resume that course Of tobacco
poisoning which you have so often
and SO justly condemned" said he.
with your permission. gentlemen,
we will now return to our cottage,
for I am not aware that any new fac
tor is likely to come to our notice
here. I will turn the facts over in
my mind, Mr.. Tregennis. and should
anything occur to me l will certainly
communicate with you. In the mean
time I wish you both good morning.
It was not until long after we were
back in Poldhu Cottage that Holmes
broke his complete and absorbed ST
lence. He sat cOiled in his armchair,
his haggard and ascetic face hardly
visible amid the blue swirl of his to-
bacco smoke, his black GROWS drawn
down, his forehead contracted, his
eyes vacant and far away. Finally, he
sprang to his feet.
1T won't do, Watson." said he,
with a laugh. Let US walk along the
cliffs together and search for flint
arrows. We are more Xix ely to find
them han clues to this problem. To
let the brain work within sufficient
racks itself to pieces. The sea air,
sunshine, and patience, Watson-all
else will come.
Now, let us calmly define our po-
sltion, Watson he continued, as we
skirted the cliffs together. Let us
get a firm grip Of the very little
which we do know. so that when
frnch factG arise Ky NAV he raa6V m
tit them into their places. I take it,
in the first place, that neither Of us
is prepared to admit diabolical intru-
sions into the affairs of men. Let us
begin by ruling that entirely out of
our minds. Very good. There remain
three persons who have been griev-
ously stricken by some conscious or
unconscious human agency. Tina is
firm ground. Now, when did this
occur? Evidently assuming his mar
rative to be true, it was Immediately
after MI Mortimer ~Tregennis had
left the room. That is a very import
ant point. The presumption is that
it was within a few minute after
wards. The cards still lay upon the
table. 1t was already past their usual
hou for bed. Yet they had not
changed their position. 1 repeat, then.
that the occurrence was Immediately
after his departure, and not later than
eleven o'clock last night.
'Our next obvious step is to check.
SO far as we can, the movements Of
Mortimer Tregennis after he left the
room. In this there is no difficulty,
and they seem to be above suspicion.
Knowing my methods as you do, you
were, Of course, conscious of the
somewhat clumsy waterproof ~expedient
by which I obtained a clearer impress
of his foot than might otherwise have
been possible. The wet sandy path
took it admirably. Last night was
also wet, you will remember, and it
was not misunderstanding obtained a
sample print-tO pick out his rack
among Others and to follow his move
nlents. He appears to have walked
away swiftly in the direction of the
vicarage.
IF, then. Mortimer Tregennis dis