The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-07-02
PART SIX.


Il must really apologize, Hopkins
said Sherlock Holmes. Il fear that
the scrambled eggs are cold. How
ever. you will enjoy the rest of your
! breakfast all the better, will you not,
! for the thought that you have brought
! your case to a triumphant conclusion"
Stanley Hopkins was speeches.
! with amaZement.
! Il don't know what to say, Mr..
! Holmes" he bluTted out at last, with
! very red face. 1T seems to me that
J l have been making fool of myself
| from the beginning. l understand
! now, what | should never have for
| gotten, that l am the pupil and you
are the master. Even now l see what
you have done. but I don't know how
! you did it, or what it signifies"
We'll, we'll" said Holmes, good hui
moredly. We all learn by experience
and your lesson this time is that you
should never lose sight of the alterna-
tive. You were so absorbed in young
Neligan that you could not spare a
! thought to Patrick Cairns, the true
murderer of Peter Carey"
i The hoarse voice of the seaman
See he~e, mister" said he, Il mako
no complaint of being manhandled in
this fashion, but I would have you
say l killed Peter Carey. and there's
all the difference. Maybe you don't
believe what | say. Maybe you think
| am Just singing you yarn
Not at all" said Holmes. Let us
i
It's soon told, and, by the Lord, ev-
cry word of it is truth. I knew Black
Peter, and when he pulled out his
knife I whipped a harpoon through
him sharp. for | knew that it was him
or me. That's how he died. You can
call it murder Anyhow. ID as soon
die with rope round my neck as
with Black Peters knife in my heart
4 How came you there?' asked
| Holmes.
/, I'll tell it to you from the beginning
Just sit me up a little, so as l can
| speak easy. 1t was in SO that il hap
, pened-August of that year Peter
| Carey was master of the Sea Unicorn
and l was spare harpooner. We We're
. coming out of the ice-pack on our way
e home with head winds and a week.
southerly gale, when we picked up a
: little craft that had blown north
There was one man on her-a lands
man. The crew had thought she
would founder. and had made for the
, Norwegian coast in the dinghy.
guess they were all drowned. Wei
we took him on board, this man, and
, he and the skipper had some Ions
! talks in the cabin. All the baggage
t we took off with him was one tin box
So far as | know, the mans name wa:
never mentioned, and on the second
; night he disappeared as if he hat
I never been. II was given out that h
{ had either thrown himself overheard
; or fallen overheard in the heav!
weather that we were having ONLY
one man knew what had happened t
him, and that was me. for, with m!
own eyes, saw the skipper tip III
his heels and put him over the raj
in the middle watch of q dark night
, two days before we sighted the Shet
land Lights.
Well, | kept my knowledge to my
; self, and waited to see what woult
. come of it. When we got to Scotland
I it was easily hushed up. and nobod
asked any questions. A stranger diet
i by accident, and it was nobody's bust
Z ness to inquire. Shortly after Pete
D Carey gave up the sea, and it wa
: long years before I could find wher
J. he was. I guessed that he had don
S the deed for the sake of what was il
that tin box and that he could at
2 ford now TO pay me we'll for keepin;
. my mouth shut.
. Il found out where he was througl
I a sailor man that had met him il
:, London. and down went to squeez
|, him. The first night he was reason
:, able enough, and was ready TO give IN
), what would make me free of the Sc
/ for life. We were to fix it all tw
= nights later. When | came. l fount
him three parts drunk and in a vii
! temper. We sat down and we dram
and we yarned about old times, bu
the more he drank the less l like
: the look on his face. l spotted tina
t harpoon upon the wall, and l though