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

! CT1cO. 1ncy Ia -
"AU six there? Then my horse
is running" cried the Colonel in
great agitation. But L DON'T see
him. My colors have not passed"
"only five have passed. This must
be he"
AS spoke a powerful bay horse
swept out from the weighing encios-
ure and cantered past us, bearing
on its back the w~ell-known black and
red of the Colonel.
That's not my horse" cried the
owner. THAT beast mas not a white
that you have done. Mr.. Holmes?'
We'll. we'll. let lis see how he gets
on" said my friend. imperturbably.
For a few minutes he gazed through
my field glass; Capital. an ex-
There they are. coming round the
curVe!"
From our drag we had a superb
view as they came up the straight.
The six horses were SO close together
that a carpet could have covered
them, but half "a up the yellow
of the Mapleton staple showed to the
front. Before they reached us, how
ever, Desborough's bolt was shot. n
the Colone1's horse, coming away with
a rush., passed the post a good six
lengths before it's rival, the Duke
of Balmoral's Iris making a a
hire
Its my race, anyhow" gasped
the Colonel. passing his hand over
neither head nor tail Of it. Don't
you think that you have kept up
your mystery long enough. Mr..
Holmes?" :.
Certainly, Colonel, you shall know
everything. Let US all go round anu
have a look at the horse together.
Here he is" he continued, as we
made our way into the weighing en-
closure, where only owners and their
friends find adnittance. "You have
only to wash his face n his leg
in spirits of wine, and you will find
that he is the same old Silver Blaze
as ever"
"You take my breath away!"
IT found him in the hands Of a
fakir, and took the liberty OF ru-
ming him just as he was sent over"
My dear sir, you ave done won
ders. The horse looks very fit and
well. 1t never went better in its
life. I owe you a thousand apOlOgis
for having doubted your ability. Yo
have done me a great service by re-
covering my horse. You would do
me a greater still if you could lay
your hands on the murderer Of John
Straker."
Il have done So" said Holmes
quietly.
The Colonel n I stared at him
ID dl1ldZCIflSII. O4 IdSC gu III
Where is he, them"
He is here"
Here: Where?"
In my company at the present
moment"
The Colonel flushed angrily. II
quite recognize that I am under obli-
cations to you, Mr.. Holiness" said he,
"but l must regard what you have
just said as either a very bad joke or
an insult"
Sherlock Holmes laughed. 81 as
sure you that l have not associated
you with the crime, Colonel" said he.
1.-The real murderer is standing i'm
mediately behind you" He stepped
past and laid his hand POI the glossy
neck Of the thoroughbred.
"The horse!" cried both the Colonel
and myself.
his guilt if l say that it was done in
self-defence, and hat John Straker
was a man who was entirely unworthy
Of your confidence. But there goes
the bell. and as I stand to win a little
on this next race. I shall defer a
lengthy explanation until a more fit
ting time"
We had the corner Of q Pullman
car to ourselves that evening as we
whirled back to London, and + fancy
that the journey was a short one to
lOiOUeI Ross as We'll as TO myself, DIS
We listened to our companions narra-
tive OF the events which had occurred
at the Dartinoor training stables upon
that Monday night, and the means
by which he had u%nravelled them.
Il confess" said he, that any theo-
ries which / had formed from the
newspaper reports were entirely err
rOneous. And yet there were indica-
lions there. had they not been over-
LAID by other details which concealed
their true import. I went to Devon
shire with the conviction that Fitzroy
Simpson was the true culprit, although
OF course, | saw that the evidence
gains him was by no means COM
cletc. It was while I was in the car
llage, just as we reached the trainers
house, that the immense significance
of the currjed mutton occurred to
me. You may remember that I was