The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-21
Silver Blaze
BY ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Published
with The Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate

erations known to surgery. And it
was to be used for a delicate opera.
tion that night. You must know, with
your wide experience of turf matters,
Colonel Ross. that it is possible to
make slight nick upon the tendons
of horses ham, and to do it sub
cutaneously, SO as to leave absolutely
no trace. A horse so treated would
develop a slight lameness, which
be put down to strain in exercise or
q touch of rheumatism, but never
to foul play"
VILLAIN! scoundrel!" cried the
Colonel.
I'VE have here the explanation of
, why John Straker wished to take the
horse out onto the moor. So spirited
a creature would have sertainly reused
! the soundesr of sleepers when it felt
| the prick of the knife. 1t was abso-
lutely necessary TO do it in the open
aid"
I have been blind!" cried the Col
onel. "Of course that was why he
/ needed the candle, and struck the
match
Undoubtedly. But in examining his
belongings l was fortunate enough to
|
crime, but even it's motives. AS a
man of the world. Colonel, you know
that men do not carry other peoples
bills about in their pockets We have
most of US quite enough to do to settle
our own at once concluded that
| Straker was leading a double life, and
keeping a second establishment. The
nature of the bill showed that there
was lady in the case. and one who
had extensive tastes. Liberal as you
are with your servants, one can hard,
| ly expect that they can buy twenfys
| guinea walking dresses for their Ia
dies l questioned Mrs. Straker as to
the dress without her knowing it, ano
having satisfied myself that it had
never reached her, l made note of
| the milliner's address,. and felt that
by calling there with Straker's photo
I graph ] could easily dispose of the
mythical Derbyshire.
| From that time on all was plain.
| Straker had Ned out the horse to ),
:; hollow where his light would be In
visible Simpson in his flight mad
dropped his cravat. and Straker had
picked it up-with some idea, perhaps
that he might use it in securing the
horses leg. Once in the hollow, he
struck light but the creature:
frightened at the sudden glare, and
with the strange instinct of animals
feeling that some mischief was in
tended, had dashed out, and the steel
shoe had struck Straker full on the
forehead He had already, in spite OF
the rain, taken off his overcoat in
order to do his delicate task, and SO
as he fell. his knife gashed his thigh
Do ] make it clear?'
Wonderful" cried the Colonel
Wonderful. You might have been
there"
"My final shot was, I confess, a very
long one 1t struck me that SO astute
man as Straker would not undertake
this delicate tendon-nicking with lit
tie practice What could he practice
on? My eyes fell upon the sheep, and
| asked question which, rather to
my surprise, showed that my surmise
was correct.
When I returned to London called
upon the milliner, who had recognized
Straker as all excellent customer OF
the name of Derbyshire, who had a
very dashing wife, with q strong par
TALLY for expensive dresses. I have
no doubt that this woman had plunged
him over head and ears in debt ant
so led him into this miserable plot
You have explained all but one
thing" cried the Colonel. Where
was the horse?"
All, it bolted, and was cared fol
by one of your neighbors. We mus
have an amnesty in that direction.
think. This is Chaplain Junction, il
l am not mistaken, and we shall be ii
Victoria in less than ten minutes
If you care to smoke cigar in oul
rooms, Colonel, shall be happy tt
give you any other details which
might interest you"
Monday-The adventure of the Alb
hey Grange.