The Washington herald., 1912-02-18

Of any one else. We must push ON
Watson. Surely, with stains as well
as the track to guide us, he cannot es-
:. Our search was not a very long one
The tracks of the tire began to ciIrve
fantastieally upon the wet and shining
path. Suddenly, as I looked ahead. the
gleam of metal caught my eve from
amid the thick gorse-bushes. Out OF
them we dragged bicycle. Palmer
tired, one pedal bent, and the whole
front of il horribly smeared and sIob-
bered with blood. On the other side
OF the bushes, a shoe was projecting
We ran round, and There lay The uri-
fortunate rider He was a tail man.
full-bearded, with speetacles, one glass
OF which had been knocked out THE
cause OF his death was a friRhtful blow
upon the head. which had crushed In
part OF his skull. That he could have
gone on after receiving such an injury
sad much for the vitality and courage
OF the man. He wore shoes, but no
socks, and his open coat disclosed a
night-shirt beneath il. II was undoubt-
edly the German master.
Holmes turned the body over rev.
erently, and examined il with great at
tention He then sat in deep Thought
ior a time, and could see by his rufaed
brow that this grim discovery had not.
n MS opinion, advanced US much in our
IT is little difficult to know what
to do, Watson" said he, at last. "My
own ineiinations are to push this in
curry on. tor we have already lost so
much time that we cannot afford 10
waste another hour. On the other hand.
We are bound to inform the police OF
me discovery, and to see that this poor
fellows body is looked after"
could take a note back"
But ! need your company and assist
ance wait bit There Is a fellow
cutting peat up yonder. Bring him
over her, and he will guide the police"
brought the peasant across, and
noimes dispatched the frightened man
with note to DIR. Huxtable
Now, Watson" said he owe hav.
picked up two clews this morning. One
is the bicycle with the Palmer tire. and
we see what that has led to. The other
Is the bicycle with the patched Dunloo
Before we start to investigate that let
us try to realize what we do know. SO
as to make the most of It, and to sepa-
rate the essential from the accidental"
FIRST OF all, | wish 10 impress upon
you that the boy certainly left of his
own. free-will. He got down from his
window and he went off, either alone
or with some one. That is sure"
/ assented.
We'll, now, let US turn to this un-
fortunate German master. The how
was fully dressed when he fed. There
lore, he foresaw what he would do.
But the German went without his socks.
lie certainly acted ON very short mo-
Undoubtedly"
Why did he go2" Because, from
his bedroom window, he saw the fieht
OF the boy; because he wished to over
lake him and bring him back. He seized
his bicycle, pursued the lad, and in pur-
suing him met his DEATH"
so II would seem"
Now ! come to the critical part of
my argument The natural action of a
man IN pursuing little boy would be
% run after him. He would know that
ne could overtake him. But the Ger
man does not do so. He turns to his
bicycle. l am told that he was an ex-
ceilent cyclist. He would not do this,
4 ne did not see that the boy had some
'hms hednS OF escape.
The other bicycle"
Let us continue our reconstruction.
he meets his death FIVE miles from the
ehool-not by bullet, mark you, which
wen a lad nigh conceiyably discharge
'ut by savage blow dealt by vigor-
'ns arm. The lad, then, had a COM
'anion in his flight. And the flight
vas swift one, since it took FIVE miles
before an expert cyclist could over
AXE them. Yet We survey the ground
,ronnd the scene of the tragedy. What
10 we find? A few cattle tracks, moth
ng more. | took wide sweep around
md there is no path within fifty yards.
Another. cyclist could have had nothing
Q DO with the actual murder, nor we're
here any human footmarks."
ible."
"Admirablep he said. "A most H.
uminating remark. 1t is impossible as
state i, and therefore | must in some
EuuT a. -