Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-17
sy sIR AITHUE CONAN DoYLl

find out. This Is not such . pop
ulous neighborhood."
Lestradc shrugged his shoulders. 'I
am a practical man." he said, "and
really cannot undertake to 60 about
the country looking for left-handed
gentleman with game-leg. | should
become the laughing stock OF Scot
land Yard"
Gan right" said Holmes, quietly.
~ have given you the chance. Here are
your lodgings. Goodbye. / shall drop
you line before leave" Z
Having left Lestrade at his rooms,
we drove to our hotel, where we found
lunch upon the table. Holmes was silent
and buried in thought with . panied
expression upon, his face, as one who
finds himself in perplexing position.
Look here, Watson" he said, when
the cloth was cleared; ''iust sit down in
this chair and let me preach to you for q
little. / don't quite know what to do,
and should value your advice. Light 9
cigar, and let me expound."
Pray do So"
'Well, now, in considering this case
there are two points about young Nc
Carthy's narrative which struck u.
both instantly, although they impressed
me in his favor and you against him
One was the fact that his father should
according to his account cry "Cooce J.
before seeing him. The other WAS his sin
gular dying reference to a rat. He
mumbled several words you understand
but that was all that caught the sons
ear. Now from this double point oul
research must commence, and we will
begin it by presuming that what the lac
says is absolutely true"
What OF this 'Cooee! then?"
"Well, obviously it could not have
been meant for the son. The son
as far as he knew, was in Bristol, 1t wa.
mere chance that he was within ear
shot. The "Cooeep was meant to at
tract the attention of whoever it wa:
that he had the appointment with
But sCooee' il distinctly Australian
cry, and one which is used between
Australians. There is strong presump
ton that the person whom Mccarthy
expected to meet him at Boecombe Poo
was some one who had been in Austria
lia."
What of the rat, then7"
Sherlock Holmes took folded papel
from his pocket and fattencd it ou
on the table. This is map OF thu
Colony of Victoria" he said. Il wirec
to Bristol for it last night" he pu
his hand over part of the map. "Whs
do you read?" he asked.
"ARAT," / read.
| "And now?" He raised his hand.
"BALLARAT."
Quite so. That was the word thu
man uttered, and of which his son onl,
caught the last two syllables. He wa
irving to utter the name of his murderer
So-and-.o, of Ballarat."
at is wonderful / exclaimed.
at is obvious. And now, you ece
| had narrowed the field down oon
siderably. The possession of . gra,
garment was q third point which grant
ing the sons statement to Be correct
was a certainty. We have come nov
now out Of mere vaguencss to the def
mite conception of an Australian from
Ballsrat with gray cloak.
Certainly"
"And one who was at homo in tn
district, for the Pool can only be ap
preached by the farm or by the estate
where strangers could hardly wander.
| Quite so"
"Then comes our expedition of TO
day. BY an examination of the groun'
gained the trifing details which
gave to that imbecile Lestrade, as t
the personality of the criminal.
"But how did you gain them?"
"You know my method. 1t is foundc
upon the observance of trifes."
His height ! know that you Nigh
roughly Judge from the length of HI
stride. His boots, too, might be tol
, from their traces"