The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-21
PART SIX.


neither head nor tail of it. Don't you
think that you have kept up your mys-
terry long enough. Mr. Holiness
Certainly, Colonel. you shall know
everything. Let us all go round and
have a look at the horse together.
Here he is" he continued. as we made
our way into the weighing enclosure,
where only owners and their friends
find admittance. You have only to
wash his face and his leg in spirits of
wine, and you will find that he is the
same old Silver Blaze as ever"
"You take my breath away"
81 found him in the hands of fakir
and took the liberty of running him
just as he was sent over"
My dear sir. you have done Won
ders. The horse looks fit and we'll
1t never went better in it's life. I owe
you a thousand apologies for having
doubted your ability. You have done
ME a great service by recovering my
horse. You would do me greater
still if you could lay your hands on the
murderer OF John Straker."
I have done So" said Holmes quiet
ly.
The Colonel and stared at him in
amazement. You have got him,
Where is he, them"
He is here"
Here. Where?"
I'm my company at the present mo-
ment."
The Colonel flushed angrily. II
quite recognize that I am under OBJ
legations to you, Mr.. Holiness" said he,
but I must regard what you have
just said as either a very bad joke or
an insult"
Sherlock Holmes laughed. 81 as
sure you that l have not associated
you with the crime. Colonel" said he.
The real murderer is standing imme-
diately behind you" He stepped past
and laid his hand upon the glossy
neck of the thoroughbred
THE horse!" cried both the Colonel
and myself
Yes, the horse. And it may lessen
his guilt if | say that it was done in
self-defense, and that John Straker
vas a man who was entirely unworthy
of your confidence. But there goes
tie bell, and as l stand to win a little
on this next race, | shall defer a
lengthy explanation until a more fit
ting time
We had the corner of a Pullman
car to ourselves that evening as we
whirled back to London, and ] fancy
that the journey was a short one to
Colonel Ross as well as to myself, as
we listened to our companions nara
tive of the events which had occurred
upon that Monday night and the
means by which he had unravelled
them.
= ~
ries which l had formed from the
newspaper reports were entirely erro-
neous. And yet there were indica-
lions there. had they not been over
laid by other details which concealed
their true import. ! went to Devon
shire with the conviction that Fitzrov
Simpson was the true culprit, al
though, of course, l saw that the evil
dence against him was by no means
complete. It was while l was in the
carriage, just as we reached the train
er's house that the immense signifi-
canoe of the curried mutton occurred
TO me. You may remember that was
distract, and remained sitting after you
had all alighted. I was marvelling in
my own mind how l could possibly
have overlooked SO obvious a clue"
Il confess said the Colonel, that
even now l cannot see how it helps
US
1T was the first link in my chain of
reasoning. Powdered opium is by no
means tasteless. The flavor is not dis
agreeable. but it is perceptible. Were
it mixed with any ordinary dish the
eater would undoubtedly detect it, and
would probably eat no more. A curry
was exactly the medium which would
disguise this taste. By no possible
supposition could this stranger. Fitz-
roy Simpson, have caused curry to be
served in the trainers family that
night, and it is surely too monstrous 2
coincidence to suppose that he hap
pened to come along with powdered
opium upon the very night when a
dish happened to be served which
would disguise the flavor That is IN
thinkable. Therefore Simpson be-
comes eliminated from the case, and
our attention centers upon Straker
ana his wife. the only two people who
could have chosen curried mutton for
supper that night. The opium was
added after the dish was set aside for
the stabie-boy. for the others had the
same for supper with no i'll effects
Which of them. then, had access to
that dish without the maid seeing
them"
Before deciding that question I had
grasped the significance of the silence
of the dog. for one true inference in
variably suggests others. The Simp-
son incident had shown me that dog
was kept in the stables, and yet,
though some one had been in and had
fetched out Il horse. he had not barked
enough to arouse the two lads in the,
loft. Obviously the midnight visitor
was some one whom the dog knew
we'll
Il was already convinced, or almost
convinced. that John Straker went
down to the stables in the dead of
the night and took out Silver Blaze.
For what purpose? For a dishonest
one, obviously, or why should he drug
his own stable-boy? And yet l was
at a loss to know why. There have
been cases before now where trainers
have made sure of great sums of mon
ely or by laying against their own
horses, through agents, and then pre-
venting them from winning by fraud
~tir -