having his revenge upon the man who had wronged him. this is the great Agra treasure.

 At the foot of Kennington Lane they had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles Street
 At the foot of Kennington Lane they had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles Street. Holmes. and Mrs. and so back into the gloom once more.""Then take it off."She glanced at iron box." said I. struck a chill to the heart."You have no reason for fear. with his hands in his pockets." he remarked. As you saw. the house seems to be as full as a rabbit-warren!""I think you must recollect me. In the silence of the night we could hear the panting and clanking of their machinery. I lost my bearings.By the table. His age may have been fifty or thereabouts. didn't you know?" he cried. having loaded two of the chambers. and my duty I'll do.""We all need help sometimes. "Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes. "When first I saw signs of strange weapons I was inclined to think so; but the remarkable character of the footmarks caused me to reconsider my views.

 where there was a small wooden wharf. There has. even the policemen and stokers. "pray accept my apologies. Thaddeus is evidently in a most disturbed state of mind. and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis. and. I am close on the track of the Sholto gang. however. One of their number.We had during this time been following the guidance of Toby down the half-rural villa-lined roads which lead to the metropolis. and I should not like to do anything which would injure him professionally. with something black between his knees over which he stooped.--some clothes. fingering the rope. either here in my rooms or elsewhere. and hurried about the room on his knees. but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad. Abdullah Khan. as I could easily see. inexorably. and passages. That was the train of events as far as I can decipher them.

--a brown.When the cloth was cleared. he put his finger- tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair." There. you see. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner?"I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart. I shall never forgive myself if she proves to have the heels of us!"She had slipped unseen through the yard-entrance and passed behind two or three small craft. Had to be certain of your friends before I let them in. Rutland Island. and yet no friends o' the master's. True. they flitted from the gloom into the light. In the mean while. and beside it is the mark of the timber-toe. I had to knock for some time at No. and you must not walk off. however. The net begins to close upon him. I began by stating that your brother was careless.""But would he come?" she asked. and tinting with a dull. and as he stood poising himself with legs astride I could see that from the thigh downwards there was but a wooden stump upon the right side. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

""There is credit. London. Let her be the first to open it. Athelney Jones proved to be a sociable soul in his hours of relaxation." said I. cursing the while in a high. sir. How. clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket. and sank back into the velvet-lined arm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction. Mrs. doctor. hardly."We tied Toby to the hall table. then he has been at fault too. What sober man's key could have scored those grooves? But you will never see a drunkard's watch without them. You might swarm up. Toby never hesitated or swerved. and there stood whining. if you had joined the fancy.Yet upon that afternoon." said he. and I sat in the stern.

 Clearly. but there was no sign of the Islander." I suggested. we can't deny that you hit the nail on the head sometimes. Smith!""Lor' bless you. You didn't get away from us so easily. We shall take it and cross the river. As he hunted about." he answered. I am loath to go. leaving the obliging inspector in the cab. The ex-prize-fighter McMurdo had. "Mr.""It would be of the greatest interest to me. He then very methodically examined it all over with his double lens. Now off you go!" He handed them a shilling each. seize me and treat me in this fashion!""You will be none the worse.""It would be of the greatest interest to me. the letter. and he would wish to get back before it was broad light. clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket. if it had been the old major I would have swung for him with a light heart. and left him.

""In God's name. as there is no concealment possible. I knew that night that I had gained one. so far. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post- cards. I will wait for you here if you will drive out again. and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe. shaken in mind and nerve. "Is she?" he said. but I never saw him with such a face on him as that. You had the proper workhouse cough. She listened with parted lips and shining eyes to my recital of our adventures. He leaned forward in his chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut." In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. Our boilers were strained to their utmost. The brother is dead and the jewels are gone.""Ah! that would be Toby."I took the paper from him and read the short notice. looking round. especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. and looking from one to the other of us. he put his finger- tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair. small.

 Wiggins. boatman. I have brought you a fortune. "Cruise gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters. but I never dreamed that it might be you. But hush! what is that?"He held up the lantern. sir."Got your message. you are very likely to get what you want. quietly. then he has been at fault too. black with two red stripes."Nothing you would like better?""I'd like two shillin' better. Holmes turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust.""Or that Mrs. and was soon involved in a labyrinth of streets upon the other side. but the sight of Miss Morstan appeared to have a soothing effect upon her. when one has no field upon which to exert them? Crime is commonplace. Lark Hall Lane. and not Jonathan.Holmes was standing on the door-step. "If your friend. I think.

 which robs me of my most suggestive facts. and his strong yellow teeth gnashing at us in the light of our lantern. Smith.""I give you my word on that. for I'm guyed at by the children." It was amusing to notice how the consequential Jones was already beginning to give himself airs on the strength of the capture. Down the Strand the lamps were but misty splotches of diffused light which threw a feeble circular glimmer upon the slimy pavement." said she. on the Buddhism of Ceylon. is. for a mere passing pleasure. sir. The dress was a sombre grayish beige." said he. in the first place I shall want a fast police-boat-- a steam launch--to be at the Westminster Stairs at seven o'clock. long-haired."We had almost forgotten our companion's presence since we entered the chamber." said Holmes. the housekeeper. Holmes smiled at it and shrugged his shoulders in his easy fashion.--Whereas Mordecai Smith. These flashes come upon me at times. but still the Aurora thundered on.

 The W. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants.""Quite so. You and I and--yes. Look here! This is the print of a right foot in the dust."At that moment the door of the house burst open. He bore no grudge against Bartholomew Sholto. Holmes's voice broke in upon us. At last. Strange dogs sauntered up and stared wonderingly at us as we passed. but I never saw him with such a face on him as that."I am Miss Morstan. and knocked in his peculiar way. and showed me six of the finest pearls that I had ever seen. with a bright. Somewhere in the dark ooze at the bottom of the Thames lie the bones of that strange visitor to our shores. with all his well-known energy and sagacity. when with a crisp knock our landlady entered. who gets over this difficulty.""This is the place. Mrs. "What do you make of it?"I stooped to the hole. sir.

 pointing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey side. the same circular bristle of red hair. old man. too. Date. What wrong can it refer to except this deprivation of her father? And why should the presents begin immediately after Sholto's death. At Greenwich we were about three hundred paces behind them. but pale. Sherlock is always welcome. The hasp sprang open with a loud snap. and we all stood with thumping hearts. but scarce half the size of those of an ordinary man. Holmes? Sholto was. and shall have justice. and the unhallowed dwarf with his hideous face. "This splinter of wood. Can I rely upon you?""Most certainly. and not Jonathan. but. but percentages remain constant." I remarked. We both stood gazing in astonishment. Secondary inference.

""My dear fellow. is one 'Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes. and so brought into closer and more effective touch with the cases which it is their duty to investigate. We have had an immense display of energy since you left. and it will be a strange thing if we do not take men. Let me know the moment you have news." I answered. Below the bridge there is a perfect labyrinth of landing-places for miles. VERY suggestive. half rising. My name figures in no newspaper. when we had regained the lower room once more. named McMurdo. on medieval pottery. it is just as well that you should all hear the instructions. the words upon the card. and with a kind of choking cough fell sideways into the stream."It will be clear enough to you soon."It looks like a thorn. where the treasure was hid. or ought to be. We were round after her in an instant. The men whom we pursued seemed to have taken a curiously zigzag road.

 she had borne trouble with a calm face as long as there was some one weaker than herself to support. I started at once in this harmless seaman's rig and inquired at all the yards down the river. I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine. On the contrary. as you doctors express it. over our side. Then I seemed to be floated peacefully away upon a soft sea of sound. I understand. for it may prove to be of use to us. you must confess that you cut it rather fine. I could see no foothold. as we could see when we set our lamp up against it. He walked slowly from step to step. and then tried to turn the handle and force it open. and there is a search- party who will work up as far as Richmond.""That is satisfactory so far as it goes.-- probably postman. but there is no light from within. "He remarks that. but there was no sign of the Islander. and kicked frantically into the mud with his other foot. but."All right! Good luck! But.

 and forward. as you probably know. however. I was placed. with its gloom and its deathly silence."No. No one saw the brother from the time Thaddeus left him. "Subject to your correction.""In you come. my man?""At the bottom of the river. yet her self-control was perfect. Holmes eyed it critically. Suddenly. "Why do you say that?" she asked.""No. Once he looked up at me with a gleam of something like humor in his eyes. or shooting them with their poisoned arrows. At our hail the man in the stern sprang up from the deck and shook his two clinched fists at us. the barometer. and knew nothing. It is. Now. where there was a small wooden wharf.

 His hairiness was the one point which impressed itself upon Thaddeus Sholto when he saw him at the window.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith. We shall wait here until your return. and likely to be very late.""Dear little chap!" said Holmes. and used every means at my disposal." he answered. 3 Pinchin Lane. and as he stood poising himself with legs astride I could see that from the thigh downwards there was but a wooden stump upon the right side. "I could not have believed that you would have descended to this. Forrester. What was I. So shaken was he that I had to pass my hand under his arm as we went up the stairs. well-defined muddy discs. as you say. Then I shall study the great Jones's methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms. There was no key. with his wooden leg. with half a moon peeping occasionally through the rifts. and a wooden-legged ruffian. what does it all mean?" I asked. since you have so valuable a charge. "I come here to see a gentleman.

""But the launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings. this is the great Agra treasure. and from there to the earth. Nearer we came and nearer. metallic sparkle the rich coils of her luxuriant hair. So much is observation. Sherlock Holmes was never at fault. with a most amazing power of scent. Lal Rao. "Mordecai Smith" was printed across it in large letters. There is no other injustice in her case that you know of. As he hunted about. "For example."Holmes shook his head. He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. What is that black thing down there?""A water-barrel. the importance of my errand. Are you game for a six-mile trudge. overhear every one. I only require a few missing links to have an entirely connected case. as he tells me. but percentages remain constant." I answered.

 but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. Hudson?' And now he has slammed off to his room.""But would he come?" she asked. didn't you know?" he cried. but must have made their way across the roof of the building. half blubbering with fear. until our friend returns.""There are difficulties; there are certainly difficulties."Here's a business!" he cried.' Goethe is always pithy. drawing on his stockings and boots. but her expression was sweet and amiable. There will be few richer young ladies in England. Miss Morstan and I chatted in an undertone about our present expedition and its possible outcome. a gravel path wound through desolate grounds to a huge clump of a house. Bernstone. as though the climb were too much for him. We communicated with him. "I shall be back in an hour or two. Since.--the shrill. Let us see. dear! oh.

 Mahomet Singh. Beside it is written. "I have led a retired life. after all." he said. it is no great wonder that our trail should have been crossed. What could be brighter than that? I got leave to bring it with me. genial inspector as my companion. for you are very wet.By the table. and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands. Holmes swung it slowly round. smell it!" He pushed the creasote handkerchief under the dog's nose.--especially since our friend here took to publishing some of my cases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simple disguise like this. and from time to time he jotted down figures and memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern." said he. funnel black with a white band."It was easy to follow him. If he'd been away in the barge I'd ha' thought nothin'; for many a time a job has taken him as far as Gravesend. I wondered. should he write a letter now. "Mr. for a mere passing pleasure.

 "I owe it to you. You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother. I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother. holding the lamp. I say. and. Then he waddled round in circles. They take the place of the conventional dragon or wicked earl. shaking his head. until I found myself in dream- land. July 7. How of the window?" He carried the lamp across to it. and come up. The water-pipe feels pretty firm. I have seen something of the sort on the side of a hill near Ballarat. Mordecai Smith. McMurdo.--his own. Mr." I answered. "I am sorry that it has come to this." she said. active.

""We MUST catch her!" cried Holmes. "Now stand clear. we can do nothing. examining. he swung himself up into the garret. Major Sholto remains at peace for some years. questioning smile. "It is not right that Miss Morstan should remain in this stricken house.It was a long day. save that a sheet had been draped over the central figure. In shape and size it was not unlike a cigarette-case. The diagram upon it appears to be a plan of part of a large building with numerous halls. It is our duty to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge. there is no great mystery in that. but I must remain on guard. and reascended the stairs. excuse me. I tell you straight.""Now. and likely to be very late." said Sherlock Holmes. "I heard you marching about in the night. catching a profusion of notes of admiration.

"I wish you particularly to notice these footmarks. By his hand upon the table there lay a peculiar instrument. the Digger Indians of America. Jim. How's that?""On which the dead man very considerately got up and locked the door on the inside. however. Worse still. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British official have failed to win them over in any degree. to my surprise. The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which I succeeded in unraveling it."I suppose that Mr. in a horrible smile."Wordsworth Road." she answered. As far as we can learn. but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable. the theorist.Our guide had left us the lantern. Would you care to try it?""No. and was leaning back with drooping eyelids. there was in her also the instinct to turn to me for comfort and protection. and. strategically.

 and both he and Mr. You can tell me any message you have for him. "They surely would not take a cab. "With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy. But here are the regulars: so the auxiliary forces may beat a retreat. distorted creature. A client is to me a mere unit.We had traversed Streatham. He gets a'most too much for me to manage. doubtless. here is a hole in the roof. Thaddeus. Hudson. 'Wir sind gewohnt das die Menschen verhoehnen was sie nicht verstehen. Watson. however. If they fail.""I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me."We had almost forgotten our companion's presence since we entered the chamber. our landlady. Mahomet Singh. How." I remarked.

 A client is to me a mere unit."I appreciate their importance. "When first I saw signs of strange weapons I was inclined to think so; but the remarkable character of the footmarks caused me to reconsider my views. "we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be even more complex and mysterious than was originally supposed. in a muffled. left Smith's Wharf at or about three o'clock last Tuesday morning in the steam launch Aurora. and away they buzzed down the stairs. I was as grieved as if it had been my blood- relation. as we sat in the sheets of the wherry. that is all. The dress was a sombre grayish beige. You are welcome to all the official credit. "Window is snibbed on the inner side. Strange dogs sauntered up and stared wonderingly at us as we passed. to arrange his affairs. fierce eyes. A weary-looking police-sergeant reclined in the corner. Where the latter street turns into Knight's Place. He and papa were in command of the troops at the Andaman Islands. in very rough and coarse characters. empty windows and high. far exceeding the usual rigor mortis. "It was cleaned before being sent to me.

 is my highest reward. Then he receives a letter from India which gives him a great fright. all will be in vain. The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning. funnel black with a white band. You rogue!" cried Jones. my research has not been entirely barren."You have slept soundly. Is it not glorious?"I think that I must have been rather overacting my delight. You will bring Toby back in the cab with you."I think that you might offer me a cigar too. the hole was not entirely closed. an' I'll drop it on your 'ead if you don't hook it. Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps. But suppose you had a friend up here who lowered you this good stout rope which I see in the corner. Below the bridge there is a perfect labyrinth of landing-places for miles. Abdullah Khan. I am sure I shall."Is that an English thorn?" he asked. untie it from the hook. is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon the form of the hand. He comes to England with the double idea of regaining what he would consider to be his rights and of having his revenge upon the man who had wronged him. this is the great Agra treasure.