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

together to cur breakfast one morn
ing.
Co! Where to?"
"To Dartmoor: to Kings Pyiand.'
I was not surprised. Indeed, my
only wonder was that he had not al
ready been mixed up in this extra
ordinary case. which was the one
topic Of conversation through the
length and breadth Of England. For
s. whole day my companion a
rambled about h room Win us
chin upon his chest and his broWs
knitted, charging n recharglng ms
pipe with the strongest black to-
bacco, and absolutely deaf 10 any
Of my questions or emarks. fresi
editions of every paper nao peen
sent up by u news agent, only 20
be glanced over and tossed down into
q corner, Yet, silent as he was, !
knew perfectly we'll what II was over
which he was brooding. Ihere was
but n problem before the pubhc
which could challenge his powers OF
analysis, and that was the sihguaa
Of the favorite Tor
the Wessex Cup, and h tragic muir
der OF It's trainer. When, therefore,
he suddenly announced his lntentloIs
of setting out for the scene OF the
drama 1t was only what / had Doth
expected and hoped Ior'
ct should be most happy {, go
down with you IL ! Siou1u Aios ~
the way said /.
cav dear watson, YOU would con-
fer q great. favor upon me by coming
And I hin that your time Will not
be ~nnisspent, for there are points
about the case which promise to make
il an absolutely unique one. we
have, 7 think, just time to catch u
train at Paddington, and I will go
further into the matter upon our
tourney. You would ob1ige me by
bringing with you your very excel
lent feid-glass."
And SO it happened that an hour
or SO later I found myself in the
corner Of o frst-class carriage flying
along en- route for Exeter, While
Sherlock, Holmes, With his sharp,
eager face framed in his ear-fapped
tr~aveIing-cap. dipped rapidly INTO the
bundle Of fresh papers Whlch ne mao
procured at P~addington we had left
Reading tar behind US before he
thrust the last one of them under
the seat, and offered me his cigar
case;
1--WE are going WE'LL" said he. look
ing cut Of the window and glanclng
at his watch. 'OuC rate at present
is ffty-three and a nalf miles Ill
hour."
Il nave not observed the quarter
mile posts" said /.
seeNor have I. But the telegraph
posts upon this line are sixty yards
aptrt, and the calculation is a simple
one. [ presume that you have look
ed into this matter Of the murde
OF John Straker and the disappear
ance of Silver BlaZe?"
CT have seen what the telegraph
and the Chronicle have to say
STt is one OF those cases where the
art Of the reasoner should be used
rather for the sitting Of details than
for the acquiring OF fresh yldenc
The tragedy has been SO uncom-
mon, SO complete, and OF such per
sonaI importance to so many people,
that we are suffering from a plethora
OF surmise, conjecture, and ~hypothe-
sis. The difficulty is to detach the
framework Of fact-of absolute unde-
niable fact-from the embellishments
Of theorists and reporters. Then
having established ourselves upon lis
SOUND basis, it is our duty to see
what inference ma be drawn and
what are~the special points upon
which the whole mystery turns. On
Tuesday evening, received tele-
grams from both Colonel Ross, the
owner OF the horse, and from IN
spector Gregory, who is looking after
the case, inviting my cooperation
TUESDAY EVENING"" / exclaimed.
-ssAnd this is Thursday morning. Why
didn't YOU go down yesterday"
Because made a blunder my dear
Watson, which Is. I am afraid q
more common occurrence than any
one would think who only knew me
hrougfs your memoirs. The fact is
that I could not believe il possible
that the most remarkable horse in
England could long remain concealed,
especially in SO sparsely inhabited a
place as the north of Dartmoor. From
hour to holhr yesterday | expected to
hear that he had been found, and
that <is abductor was the murderer Of
John Straker When. however. an
other morning had come, and [ found
that beyond the arrest of young Fitz-
roy Simpson nothing had been done,
I felt that it was time for me to take
action. Yet in some ways / feel that
yesterday has not been wasted"
You have formed q theory. then p,
AT least I have got a grip OF the
essential facts Of the case. shall
enuMerate them to you. for nothing
clears up a case SO much as statina