The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-29

make his way in He must have been
very poor burglar"
inns is most extraordinary
thing" said the inspector. 81 could
swear that these marks were not here
yesterday evening"
Some curious person from the vii
lage, perhaps" suggested.
Very unlikely. Few OF them
would dare to set foot in the grounds.
far less try to force their way into the
canin. What do you think of 1t, Mr..
Holiness"
i think that fortune is very kind to
u.s."
You mean that the person will
| como again ?"
1T is very probable He came ex-
pectlng to find the door open. He
tried to get in with the blade of a
very small penknife. He could not
manage it. What would he do?"
Come again next night with a more
useful tool"
so | should say. 1t will be our
fault If we are not there to receive
him. Meanwhile, let me see the in
Siuc VI tue CABIN.
! The traces of the tragedy had been
removed, but the furniture within the
little room still stood as it had been
on the night of the crime. For two
hours, with most intense concentra-
ton, Homes examined every object in
! turn, but his face showed that his
! quest was not a successful one. Once
only he paused in his patent investiga-
tion.
Have you taken anything off this
| shelf, Hopkins?"
No, l have moved nothing"
Something has been taken. There
is less dust in this corner of the shelf
than elsewhere. 1t may have been a
book lying on its side It may have
been a box. Well, well, I can do
nothing more. Let US walk in these
beautiful woods, Watson, and give a
few hours to the birds and the
| flowers. We shall meet you here
later, Hopkins, and see if we can
come to closer quarters with the
gentleman who has paid this visit in
the night"
| 1t was past eleven o'clock when we
formed our little ambuscade Hopkins
was for leaving the door of the hut
open but Holmes was of the opinion
that this would arouse the suspicious
of the stranger. The lock was a per-
fectly simple one, and only a strong
blade was needed to push it back.
Holmes also suggested that we should
wait, not inside the hut, but outside
1T among the bushes which grew
round the farther window. In this
way We should be able to watch our
man if he struck light, and see
what his object was in this stealthy
nocturnal visit.
1t was long and melancholy vigil
and yet brought with it something of
the thrill which the hunter feels when
he lies beside the waterproof, and
was it which might steal upon US out
of the darkness? Was it a fierce tiger
fighting hard with flashing fang and
of crime, which could only be taken
, waits for the coming of the thirsty
beast of prey. WHAT savage creature
claw, or would it prove to be some
! skulking jacket, dangerous only to the
weak and unguarded?
In absolute silence we crouched
amongst the bushes, waiting for what
ever might come. At first the steps
of few belated villagers, or the
sound of voices from the village light
ened our vigil, but one by one these
interruptions died away, and an abso
lutte stiffness fell upon US, save fol
the chimes of the distant church
which told US of the progress of the
, night. and for the rustic and whisper
, of fine rain falling amid the foliage
which rooted US in.
+ (Tomorrow-The Adventure of Blacl
Peter Cnntinuadl