The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-17

EHSiSiiiHdu VINO came IN after YOU
mad gone. He said"
But waited for none Of the land
lords explanations. In a ting.e or
fear | was already running down the
village street. and making for the
path which l had 80 lately descended.
II a taken me an hour 10 come
down. For all my efforts TWO nor.
had passed before I found myself
at the fall of Reichenbach once more.
There was Holiness Alpine-Stock still
leaning against the rock by which l
had Left him. But there was no sign
O. him, and 1t waS in vain that l
shouted. My only nswer was my own
voice ~reverberating in a rolling echo
from the cliffs round me.
L was the sight Of that Alpine
stock which turned me cold and slcH.
He had not gone 10 R~osenlaui. tI..n.
lie a remained on that three zoo
Path. with sheer wall on one side and
sheer drop on the other, until his
enemy had overtaken him. The youns
Swiss a gone too. He had probably
been in the pay OF Moriarty. and had
lett the two men together. And then
what had happened? Who was 20 tel
us what a happened then?
l stood for a minute or two 10 coll
lect myself, for was dazed with the
horror Of the thing. Then l began
to think Of Holiness own methods and
tC try to practise them in reading this
tragedy. 1t was. alas, only too easy TO
do. During our conversation We had
not gone to the end Of the path. and
the Alpine-stock marked the place
where we had stood. The blackish
soil is kept forever soft by the inces-
SAINT drift Of spray, and a bird would
leave it's tread upon il. Two lines Of
footmarkS were clearly marked along
the farther end or the path, both
leading away from one. There We're
none returning. A few yards from
the enc the soil was all p~ioughed up
into a patch of mud. and the brambles
and ferns which hinged the chaSm
were torn and b~edraggled. l lay upon
my face and peered over with the
spray spouting UP all around me. II
had darkened since l left, and now l
could only See here and there the
glistening Of moisture upon the black
walls. and far away down at the end
Of the shaft the CLEAN Of the broken
water. ] shouted; but only that same
half-human cry of the fall was borne
back to my ears.
But it was destined hat / should
after all have a last word OF greeting
from my friend and comrade. ] have
said that his Alpine-stock had been
left leaning against a rock when Jut-
ted on to the path. From the top
of this boWlder the CLEAN Of some
thing bright caught my eve, and, rails
ing NV hand, found that 1t came
from the silver cigarette-case which
he used to carry. AS | took IL "
a small square OF paper upon whlch
it had lain futtered down on to the
ground. Unfolding it, l found that !
consisted of three pages torn from his
notebook and addressed to me. II
was characteristic of the man that the
direction vas as precise, n the
writing as firm and clear, as thougn
it had been written in his study.
nv dear Watson" it said, 81 write
these few lines through the courtesy
Of Mr.. Moriarty, who awaits my con-
venience for the final discussion OF
those questions which lie between Us.
He has been giving me q sketch Of
the methods by which he avoided the
English police and kept himself in
formed Of our movements. Ihey GER
tainly confirm the very high opinion
which ] had formed of his abilities
1 am pleased to think that snatl De
able to free society from any further
effects of his presence, though fear
that it is at a cost which will give
pain to my friends. and especially, my
lear Watson. to YOU. | have already
explained to you. however. that my
career had in any case reached ~
crisis, and hat no possible conclusion
to it could be more congenlal 70 me
than this. indeed. if I may make a
full confession to You. / was quite con-
vinced that the letter from Meiringen
was a hoax and | allowed You &C
DEPART on that errand under the per
suasion that some development of this
sort would follow. Tell Inspector Pat
terson thai the papers which he needs
tC convict the gang are in pigeon
hole NJ. done up IN a blue envelope
and inscribed 'Moriarty.' / made every
disposition Of my property before leaV-
ing England, and hanced it TO my
brother Mycroft. Pray give my greet
ings to Mrs. Watson. and believe ms
to be. my dear fellow,
VERY sincerely YOURS.
"SHERLOCK HOLMES
A few words may suffice to tell the
little that remains. An examInatloT
by. experts leaves little doubt that 9
!, personal contest between the Two mel
andaa q . l. could hardly fail To enc