“Now，gentlemen，“saidhe，“IamquitereadyforTavistock。”
Aswesteppedintothecarriageoneofthestable-ladsheldthedoor
openforus。AsuddenideaseemedtooccurtoHolmes，forheleaned
forwardandtouchedtheladuponthesleeve。
“Youhaveafewsheepinthepaddock，“hesaid。“Whoattendsto
them？“
“Ido，sir。”
“Haveyounoticedanythingamisswiththemoflate？“
“Well，sir，notofmuchaccount，butthreeofthemhavegonelame，
sir。”
IcouldseethatHolmeswasextremelypleased，forhechuckledand
rubbedhishandstogether。
“Alongshot，Watson，averylongshot，“saidhe，pinchingmyarm。
“Gregory，letmerecommendtoyourattentionthissingularepidemic
amongthesheep。Driveon，coachman！“
ColonelRossstillworeanexpressionwhichshowedthepoor
opinionwhichhehadformedofmycompanion”sability，butIsawby
theinspector”sfacethathisattentionhadbeenkeenlyaroused。
“Youconsiderthattobeimportant？“heasked。
“Exceedinglyso。”
“Isthereanypointtowhichyouwouldwishtodrawmyattention？“
“Tothecuriousincidentofthedoginthenight-time。”
“Thedogdidnothinginthenight-time。”
“Thatwasthecuriousincident，“remarkedSherlockHolmes。
FourdayslaterHolmesandIwereagaininthetrain，boundfor
WinchestertoseetheracefortheWessexCup。ColonelRossmetus
byappointmentoutsidethestation，andwedroveinhisdragtothe
coursebeyondthetown。Hisfacewasgrave，andhismannerwascoldin
theextreme。
“Ihaveseennothingofmyhorse，“saidhe。
“Isupposethatyouwouldknowhimwhenyousawhim？“askedHolmes。
Thecolonelwasveryangry。“Ihavebeenontheturffortwenty
yearsandneverwasaskedsuchaquestionasthatbefore，“saidhe。“A
childwouldknowSilverBlazewithhiswhiteforeheadandhis
mottledoff-foreleg。”
“Howisthebetting？“
“Well，thatisthecuriouspartofit。Youcouldhavegotfifteento
oneyesterday，butthepricehasbecomeshorterandshorter，untilyou
canhardlygetthreetoonenow。”
“Hum！“saidHolmes。“Somebodyknowssomething，thatisclear。”
AsthedragdrewupintheenclosurenearthegrandstandIglanced
atthecardtoseetheentries。
WessexPlate[itran]50sovs。eachhftwith1000sovs。added，
forfourandfiveyearolds。Second，L300。Third，L200。Newcourse
onemileandfivefurlongs。
1。Mr。HeathNewton”sTheNegro。Redcap。Cinnamonjacket。
2。ColonelWardlaw”sPugilist。Pinkcap。BlueandblackJacket。
3。LordBackwater”sDesborough。Yellowcapandsleeves。
4。ColonelRoss”sSilverBlaze。Blackcap。Redjacket。
5。DukeofBalmoral”sIris。Yellowandblackstripes。
6。LordSingleford”sRasper。Purplecap。Blacksleeves。
“Wescratchedourotheroneandputallhopesonyourword，“said
thecolonel。“Why，whatisthat？SilverBlazefavourite？“
“FivetofouragainstSilverBlaze！“roaredthering。“Fiveto
fouragainstSilverBlaze！FivetofifteenagainstDesborough！Fiveto
fouronthefield！“
“Therearethenumbersup，“Icried。“Theyareallsixthere。”
“Allsixthere？Thenmyhorseisrunning，“criedthecolonelin
greatagitation。“ButIdon”tseehim。Mycolourshavenotpassed。”
“Onlyfivehavepassed。Thismustbehe。”
AsIspokeapowerfulbayhorsesweptoutfromtheweighing
enclosureandcanteredpastus，bearingonitsbackthewell-known
blackandredofthecolonel。
“That”snotmyhorse，“criedtheowner。“Thatbeasthasnota
whitehairuponitsbody。Whatisthisthatyouhavedone，Mr。
Holmes？“
“Well，well，letusseehowhegetson，“saidmyfriend
imperturbably。Forafewminuteshegazedthroughmyfield-glass。
“Capital！Anexcellentstart！“hecriedsuddenly。“Theretheyare，
comingroundthecurve！“
Fromourdragwehadasuperbviewastheycameupthestraight。The
sixhorsesweresoclosetogetherthatacarpetcouldhavecovered
them，buthalfwayuptheyellowoftheMapletonstableshowedtothe
front。Beforetheyreachedus，however，Desborough”sboltwasshot，
andthecolonel”shorse，comingawaywitharush，passedtheposta
goodsixlengthsbeforeitsrival，theDukeofBalmoral”sIris
makingabadthird。
“It”smyrace，anyhow，“gaspedthecolonel，passinghishandover
hiseyes。“IconfessthatIcanmakeneitherheadnortailofit。
Don”tyouthinkthatyouhavekeptupyourmysterylongenough，Mr。
Holmes？“
“Certainly，Colonel，youshallknoweverything。Letusallgo
roundandhavealookatthehorsetogether。Hereheis，“hecontinued
aswemadeourwayintotheweighingenclosure，whereonlyowners
andtheirfriendsfindadmittance。“Youhaveonlytowashhisfaceand
hisleginspiritsofwine，andyouwillfindthatheisthesame
oldSilverBlazeasever。”
“Youtakemybreathaway！“
“Ifoundhiminthehandsofafakerandtookthelibertyofrunning
himjustashewassentover。”
“Mydearsir，youhavedonewonders。Thehorselooksveryfitand
well。Itneverwentbetterinitslife。Ioweyouathousandapologies
forhavingdoubtedyourability。Youhavedonemeagreatserviceby
recoveringmyhorse。Youwoulddomeagreaterstillifyoucould
layyourhandsonthemurdererofJohnStraker。”
“Ihavedoneso，“saidHolmesquietly。
ThecolonelandIstaredathiminamazement。“Youhavegothim！
Whereishe，then？“
“Heishere。”
“Here！Where？“
“Inmycompanyatthepresentmoment。”
Thecolonelflushedangrily。“IquiterecognizethatIamunder
obligationstoyou，Mr。Holmes，“saidhe，“butImustregardwhat
youhavejustsaidaseitheraverybadjokeoraninsult。”
SherlockHolmeslaughed。“IassureyouthatIhavenotassociated
youwiththecrime，Colonel，“saidhe。“Therealmurdereris
standingimmediatelybehindyou。”Hesteppedpastandlaidhishand
upontheglossyneckofthethoroughbred。
“Thehorse！“criedboththecolonelandmyself。
“Yes，thehorse。AnditmaylessenhisguiltifIsaythatitwas
doneinself-defence，andthatJohnStrakerwasamanwhowasentirely
unworthyofyourconfidence。Buttheregoesthebell，andasIstand
towinalittleonthisnextrace，Ishalldeferalengthyexplanation
untilamorefittingtime。”
WehadthecornerofaPullmancartoourselvesthateveningaswe
whirledbacktoLondon，andIfancythatthejourneywasashortone
toColonelRossaswellastomyselfaswelistenedtoourcompanion”s
narrativeoftheeventswhichhadoccurredattheDartmoor
training-stablesuponthatMondaynight，andthemeansbywhichhehad
unravelledthem。
“Iconfess，“saidhe，“thatanytheorieswhichIhadformedfromthe
newspaperreportswereentirelyerroneous。Andyettherewere
indicationsthere，hadtheynotbeenoverlaidbyotherdetailswhich
concealedtheirtrueimport。IwenttoDevonshirewiththe
convictionthatFitzroySimpsonwasthetrueculprit，although，of
course，Isawthattheevidenceagainsthimwasbynomeans
complete。ItwaswhileIwasinthecarriage，justaswereachedthe
trainer”shouse，thattheimmensesignificanceofthecurriedmutton
occurredtome。YoumayrememberthatIwasdistraitandremained
sittingafteryouhadallalighted。Iwasmarvellinginmyownmind
howIcouldpossiblyhaveoverlookedsoobviousaclue。”
“Iconfess，“saidthecolonel，“thatevennowIcannotseehowit
helpsus。”
“Itwasthefirstlinkinmychainofreasoning。Powderedopiumis
bynomeanstasteless。Theflavourisnotdisagreeable，butitis
perceptible。Wereitmixedwithanyordinarydishtheeaterwould
undoubtedlydetectitandwouldprobablyeatnomore。Acurrywas
exactlythemediumwhichwoulddisguisethistaste。Bynopossible
suppositioncouldthisstranger，FitzroySimpson，havecausedcurryto
beservedinthetrainer”sfamilythatnight，anditissurelytoo
monstrousacoincidencetosupposethathehappenedtocomealongwith
powderedopiumupontheverynightwhenadishhappenedtobeserved
whichwoulddisguisetheflavour。Thatisunthinkable。Therefore
Simpsonbecomeseliminatedfromthecase，andourattentioncentres
uponStrakerandhiswife，theonlytwopeoplewhocouldhavechosen
curriedmuttonforsupperthatnight。Theopiumwasaddedafterthe
dishwassetasideforthestable-boy，fortheothershadthesamefor
supperwithnoilleffects。Whichofthem，then，hadaccesstothat
dishwithoutthemaidseeingthem？
“BeforedecidingthatquestionIhadgraspedthesignificanceofthe
silenceofthedog，foronetrueinferenceinvariablysuggestsothers。
TheSimpsonincidenthadshownmethatadogwaskeptinthe
stables，andyet，thoughsomeonehadbeeninandhadfetchedouta
horse，hehadnotbarkedenoughtoarousethetwoladsintheloft。
Obviouslythemidnightvisitorwassomeonewhomthedogknewwell。
“Iwasalreadyconvinced，oralmostconvinced，thatJohnStraker
wentdowntothestablesinthedeadofthenightandtookout
SilverBlaze。Forwhatpurpose？Foradishonestone，obviously，orwhy
shouldhedrughisownstable-boy？AndyetIwasatalosstoknow
why。Therehavebeencasesbeforenowwheretrainershavemadesureof
greatsumsofmoneybylayingagainsttheirownhorsesthrough
agentsandthenpreventingthemfromwinningbyfraud。Sometimesitis
apullingjockey。Sometimesitissomesurerandsubtlermeans。What
wasithere？Ihopedthatthecontentshispocketsmighthelpmeto
formaconclusion。
“Andtheydidso。Youcannothaveforgottenthesingularknifewhich
wasfoundinthedeadman”shand，aknifewhichcertainlynosane
manwouldchooseforaweapon。Itwas，asDr。Watsontoldus，aform
ofknifewhichisusedforthemostdelicateoperationsknownin
surgery。Anditwastobeusedforadelicateoperationthatnight。
Youmustknow，withyourwideexperienceofturfmatters，Colonel
Ross，thatitispossibletomakeaslightnickuponthetendonsof
ahorse”sham，andtodoitsubcutaneously，soastoleave
absolutelynotrace。Ahorsesotreatedwoulddevelopaslight
lameness，whichwouldbeputdowntoastraininexerciseoratouch
ofrheumatism，butnevertofoulplay。”
“Villain！Scoundrel！“criedthecolonel。
“WehaveheretheexplanationofwhyJohnStrakerwishedtotakethe
horseoutontothemoor。Sospiritedacreaturewouldhave
certainlyrousedthesoundestofsleeperswhenitfelttheprickof
theknife。Itwasabsolutelynecessarytodoitintheopenair。”
“Ihavebeenblind！“criedthecolonel。“Ofcoursethatwaswhyhe
neededthecandleandstruckthematch。”
“Undoubtedly。ButinexamininghisbelongingsIwasfortunateenough
todiscovernotonlythemethodofthecrimebutevenitsmotives。
Asamanoftheworld，Colonel，youknowthatmendonotcarryother
people”sbillsaboutintheirpockets。Wehavemostofusquiteenough
todotosettleourown。IatonceconcludedthatStrakerwas
leadingadoublelifeandkeepingasecondestablishment。Thenature
ofthebillshowedthattherewasaladyinthecase，andonewho
hadexpensivetastes。Liberalasyouarewithyourservants，onecan
hardlyexpectthattheycanbuytwenty-guineawalkingdressesfor
theirladies。IquestionedMrs。Strakerastothedresswithouther
knowingit，and，havingsatisfiedmyselfthatithadneverreached
her，Imadeanoteofthemilliner”saddressandfeltthatby
callingtherewithStraker”sphotographIcouldeasilydisposeof
themythicalDerbyshire。
“Fromthattimeonallwasplain。Strakerhadledoutthehorsetoa
hollowwherehislightwouldbeinvisible。Simpsoninhisflighthad
droppedhiscravat，andStrakerhadpickeditup-withsomeidea，
perhaps，thathemightuseitinsecuringthehorse”sleg。Onceinthe
hollow，hehadgotbehindthehorseandhadstruckalight；butthe
creature，frightenedatthesuddenglare，andwiththestrange
instinctofanimalsfeelingthatsomemischiefwasintended，had
lashedout，andthesteelshoehadstruckStrakerfullonthe
forehead。Hehadalready，inspiteoftherain，takenoffhisovercoat
inordertodohisdelicatetask，andso，ashefellhisknife
gashedhisthigh。DoImakeitclear？“
“Wonderful！“criedthecolonel。“Wonderful！Youmighthavebeen
there！“
“Myfinalshotwas，Iconfess，averylongone。Itstruckmethatso
astuteamanasStrakerwouldnotundertakethisdelicate
tendon-nickingwithoutalittlepractise。Whatcouldhepractiseon？
Myeyesfelluponthesheep，andIaskedaquestionwhich，ratherto
mysurprise，showedthatmysunrisewascorrect。
“WhenIreturnedtoLondonIcalleduponthemilliner，whohad
recognizedStrakerasanexcellentcustomerofthenameofDerbyshire，
whohadaverydashingwife，withastrongpartialityforexpensive
dresses。Ihavenodoubtthatthiswomanhadplungedhimoverheadand
earsindebt，andsoledhimintothismiserableplot。”
“Youhaveexplainedallbutonething，“criedthecolonel。“Where
wasthehorse？“
“Ah，itbolted，andwascaredforbyoneofyourneighbours。Wemust
haveanamnestyinthatdirection，Ithink。ThisisClapham
Junction，ifIamnotmistaken，andweshallbeinVictoriainless
thantenminutes。Ifyoucaretosmokeacigarinourrooms，
Colonel，Ishallbehappytogiveyouanyotherdetailswhichmight
interestyou。”
THEEND。
1904
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFBLACKPETER
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Ihaveneverknownmyfriendtobeinbetterform，bothmentaland
physical，thanintheyear”95。Hisincreasingfamehadbroughtwith
itanimmensepractice，andIshouldbeguiltyofanindiscretionifI
wereeventohintattheidentityofsomeoftheillustriousclients
whocrossedourhumblethresholdinBakerStreet。Holmes，however，
likeallgreatartists，livedforhisart”ssake，and，saveinthe
caseoftheDukeofHoldernesse，Ihaveseldomknownhimclaimany
largerewardforhisinestimableservices。Sounworldlywashe-or
socapricious-thathefrequentlyrefusedhishelptothepowerfuland
wealthywheretheproblemmadenoappealtohissympathies，whilehe
woulddevoteweeksofmostintenseapplicationtotheaffairsof
somehumbleclientwhosecasepresentedthosestrangeanddramatic
qualitieswhichappealedtohisimaginationandchallengedhis
ingenuity。
Inthismemorableyear”95，acuriousandincongruoussuccession
ofcaseshadengagedhisattention，rangingfromhisfamous
investigationofthesuddendeathofCardinalTosca-aninquiry
whichwascarriedoutbyhimattheexpressdesireofHisHolinessthe
Pope-downtohisarrestofWilson，thenotoriouscanary-trainer，
whichremovedaplague-spotfromtheEastEndofLondon。Closeon
theheelsofthesetwofamouscasescamethetragedyofWoodman”sLee，
andtheveryobscurecircumstanceswhichsurroundedthedeathof
CaptainPeterCarey。NorecordofthedoingsofMr。SherlockHolmes
wouldbecompletewhichdidnotincludesomeaccountofthisvery
unusualaffair。
DuringthefirstweekofJuly，myfriendhadbeenabsentsooften
andsolongfromourlodgingsthatIknewhehadsomethingonhand。
Thefactthatseveralrough-lookingmencalledduringthattimeand
inquiredforCaptainBasilmademeunderstandthatHolmeswas
workingsomewhereunderoneofthenumerousdisguisesandnameswith
whichheconcealedhisownformidableidentity。Hehadatleastfive
smallrefugesindifferentpartsofLondon，inwhichhewasableto
changehispersonality。Hesaidnothingofhisbusinesstome，and
itwasnotmyhabittoforceaconfidence。Thefirstpositivesign
whichhegavemeofthedirectionwhichhisinvestigationwastaking
wasanextraordinaryone。Hehadgoneoutbeforebreakfast，andI
hadsatdowntominewhenhestrodeintotheroom，hishatuponhis
headandahugebarbed-headedspeartuckedlikeanumbrellaunder
hisarm。
“Goodgracious，Holmes！“Icried。“Youdon”tmeantosaythatyou
havebeenwalkingaboutLondonwiththatthing？“
“Idrovetothebutcher”sandback。”
“Thebutcher”s？“
“AndIreturnwithanexcellentappetite。Therecanbeno
question，mydearWatson，ofthevalueofexercisebeforebreakfast。
ButIampreparedtobetthatyouwillnotguesstheformthatmy
exercisehastaken。”
“Iwillnotattemptit。”
Hechuckledashepouredoutthecoffee。
“IfyoucouldhavelookedintoAllardyce”sbackshop，youwouldhave
seenadeadpigswungfromahookintheceiling，andagentlemanin
hisshirtsleevesfuriouslystabbingatitwiththisweapon。Iwas
thatenergeticperson，andIhavesatisfiedmyselfthatbynoexertion
ofmystrengthcanItransfixthepigwithasingleblow。Perhaps
youwouldcaretotry？“
“Notforworlds。Butwhywereyoudoingthis？“
“Becauseitseemedtometohaveanindirectbearinguponthe
mysteryofWoodman”sLee。Ah，Hopkins，Igotyourwirelastnight，and
Ihavebeenexpectingyou。Comeandjoinus。”
Ourvisitorwasanexceedinglyalertman，thirtyyearsofage，
dressedinaquiettweedsuit，butretainingtheerectbearingof
onewhowasaccustomedtoofficialuniform。Irecognizedhimatonce
asStanleyHopkins，ayoungpoliceinspector，forwhosefuture
Holmeshadhighhopes，whileheinturnprofessedtheadmirationand
respectofapupilforthescientificmethodsofthefamousamateur。
Hopkins”sbrowwasclouded，andhesatdownwithanairofdeep
dejection。
“No，thankyou，sir。IbreakfastedbeforeIcameround。Ispent
thenightintown，forIcameupyesterdaytoreport。”
“Andwhathadyoutoreport？“
“Failure，sir，absolutefailure。”
“Youhavemadenoprogress？“
“None。”
“Dearme！Imusthavealookatthematter。”
“Iwishtoheavensthatyouwould，Mr。Holmes。It”smyfirstbig
chance，andIamatmywit”send。Forgoodness”sake，comedownand
lendmeahand。”
“Well，well，itjusthappensthatIhavealreadyreadallthe
availableevidence，includingthereportoftheinquest，withsome
care。Bytheway，whatdoyoumakeofthattobaccopouch，foundonthe
sceneofthecrime？Istherenocluethere？“
Hopkinslookedsurprised。
“Itwastheman”sownpouch，sir。Hisinitialswereinsideit。And
itwasofsealskin，-andhewasanoldsealer。”
“Buthehadnopipe。”
“No，sir，wecouldfindnopipe。Indeed，hesmokedverylittle，
andyethemighthavekeptsometobaccoforhisfriends。”
“Nodoubt。Ionlymentionitbecause，ifIhadbeenhandlingthe
case，Ishouldhavebeeninclinedtomakethatthestarting-pointof
myinvestigation。However，myfriend，Dr。Watson，knowsnothingof
thismatter，andIshouldbenonetheworseforhearingthesequence
ofeventsoncemore。Justgiveussomeshortsketchesofthe
essentials。”
StanleyHopkinsdrewaslipofpaperfromhispocket。
“Ihaveafewdatesherewhichwillgiveyouthecareerofthe
deadman，CaptainPeterCarey。Hewasbornin”45-fiftyyearsofage。
Hewasamostdaringandsuccessfulsealandwhalefisher。In1883
hecommandedthesteamsealerSeaUnicorn，ofDundee。Hehadthen
hadseveralsuccessfulvoyagesinsuccession，andinthefollowing
year，1884，heretired。Afterthathetravelledforsomeyears，and
finallyheboughtasmallplacecalledWoodman”sLee，nearForestRow，
inSussex。Therehehaslivedforsixyears，andtherehediedjust
aweekagoto-day。
“Thereweresomemostsingularpointsabouttheman。Inordinary
life，hewasastrictPuritan-asilent，gloomyfellow。His
householdconsistedofhiswife，hisdaughter，agedtwenty，andtwo
femaleservants。Theselastwerecontinuallychanging，foritwas
neveraverycheerysituation，andsometimesitbecamepastall
bearing。Themanwasanintermittentdrunkard，andwhenhehadthefit
onhimhewasaperfectfiend。Hehasbeenknowntodrivehiswifeand
daughteroutofdoorsinthemiddleofthenightandflogthemthrough
theparkuntilthewholevillageoutsidethegateswasarousedby
theirscreams。
“Hewassummonedonceforasavageassaultupontheoldvicar，who
hadcalleduponhimtoremonstratewithhimuponhisconduct。In
short，Mr。Holmes，youwouldgofarbeforeyoufoundamore
dangerousmanthanPeterCarey，andIhaveheardthatheborethesame
characterwhenhecommandedhisship。Hewasknowninthetradeas
BlackPeter，andthenamewasgivenhim，notonlyonaccountofhis
swarthyfeaturesandthecolourofhishugebeard，butforthehumours
whichweretheterrorofallaroundhim。Ineednotsaythathewas
loathedandavoidedbyeveryoneofhisneighbours，andthatIhave
notheardonesinglewordofsorrowabouthisterribleend。
“Youmusthavereadintheaccountoftheinquestabouttheman”s
cabin，Mr。Holmes，butperhapsyourfriendherehasnotheardofit。
Hehadbuilthimselfawoodenouthouse-healwayscalleditthe”cabin”-afewhundredyardsfromhishouse，anditwasherethathe
slepteverynight。Itwasalittle，single-roomedhut，sixteenfeetby
ten。Hekeptthekeyinhispocket，madehisownbed，cleanedit
himself，andallowednootherfoottocrossthethreshold。Thereare
smallwindowsoneachside，whichwerecoveredbycurtainsandnever
opened。Oneofthesewindowswasturnedtowardsthehighroad，and
whenthelightburnedinitatnightthefolkusedtopointitout
toeachotherandwonderwhatBlackPeterwasdoinginthere。That”s
thewindow，Mr。Holmes，whichgaveusoneofthefewbitsof
positiveevidencethatcameoutattheinquest。
“Yourememberthatastonemason，namedSlater，walkingfromForest
Rowaboutoneo”clockinthemorning-twodaysbeforethemurder-
stoppedashepassedthegroundsandlookedatthesquareoflight
stillshiningamongthetrees。Heswearsthattheshadowofaman”s
headturnedsidewayswasclearlyvisibleontheblind，andthatthis
shadowwascertainlynotthatofPeterCarey，whomheknewwell。It
wasthatofabeardedman，butthebeardwasshortandbristled
forwardinawayverydifferentfromthatofthecaptain。Sohe
says，buthehadbeentwohoursinthepublic-house，anditissome
distancefromtheroadtothewindow。Besides，thisreferstothe
Monday，andthecrimewasdoneupontheWednesday。
“OntheTuesday，PeterCareywasinoneofhisblackestmoods，
flushedwithdrinkandassavageasadangerouswildbeast。He
roamedaboutthehouse，andthewomenranforitwhentheyheardhim
coming。Lateintheevening，hewentdowntohisownhut。Abouttwo
o”clockthefollowingmorning，hisdaughter，whosleptwithherwindow
open，heardamostfearfulyellfromthatdirection，butitwasno
unusualthingforhimtobawlandshoutwhenhewasindrink，sono
noticewastaken。Onrisingatseven，oneofthemaidsnoticedthat
thedoorofthehutwasopen，butsogreatwastheterrorwhichthe
mancausedthatitwasmiddaybeforeanyonewouldventuredownto
seewhathadbecomeofhim。Peepingintotheopendoor，theysawa
sightwhichsentthemflying，withwhitefaces，intothevillage。
Withinanhour，Iwasonthespotandhadtakenoverthecase。
“Well，Ihavefairlysteadynerves，asyouknow，Mr。Holmes，butI
giveyoumyword，thatIgotashakewhenIputmyheadintothat
littlehouse。Itwasdroninglikeaharmoniumwiththefliesand
bluebottles，andthefloorandwallswerelikeaslaughter-house。He
hadcalleditacabin，andacabinitwas，sureenough，foryou
wouldhavethoughtthatyouwereinaship。Therewasabunkatone
end，asea-chest，mapsandcharts，apictureoftheSeaUnicorn，a
lineoflogbooksonashelf，allexactlyasonewouldexpecttofind
itinacaptain”sroom。Andthere，inthemiddleofit，wastheman
himself-hisfacetwistedlikealostsoulintorment，andhisgreat
brindledbeardstuckupwardinhisagony。Rightthroughhisbroad
breastasteelharpoonhadbeendriven，andithadsunkdeepinto
thewoodofthewallbehindhim。Hewaspinnedlikeabeetleona
card。Ofcourse，hewasquitedead，andhadbeensofromtheinstant
thathehadutteredthatlastyellofagony。
“Iknowyourmethods，sir，andIappliedthem。BeforeIpermitted
anythingtobemoved，Iexaminedmostcarefullythegroundoutside，
andalsotheflooroftheroom。Therewerenofootmarks。”
“Meaningthatyousawnone？“
“Iassureyou，sir，thattherewerenone。”
“MygoodHopkins，Ihaveinvestigatedmanycrimes，butIhave
neveryetseenonewhichwascommittedbyaflyingcreature。Aslong
asthecriminalremainsupontwolegssolongmusttherebesome
indentation，someabrasion，sometriflingdisplacementwhichcanbe
detectedbythescientificsearcher。Itisincrediblethatthis
blood-bespatteredroomcontainednotracewhichcouldhaveaidedus。I
understand，however，fromtheinquestthatthereweresomeobjects
whichyoufailedtooverlook？“
Theyounginspectorwincedatmycompanion”sironicalcomments。
“IwasafoolnottocallyouinatthetimeMr。Holmes。However，
that”spastprayingfornow。Yes，therewereseveralobjectsinthe
roomwhichcalledforspecialattention。Onewastheharpoonwith
whichthedeedwascommitted。Ithadbeensnatcheddownfromarackon
thewall。Twoothersremainedthere，andtherewasavacantplace
forthethird。Onthestockwasengraved”SS。SeaUnicorn，Dundee。”
Thisseemedtoestablishthatthecrimehadbeendoneinamomentof
fury，andthatthemurdererhadseizedthefirstweaponwhichcame
inhisway。Thefactthatthecrimewascommittedattwointhe
morning，andyetPeterCareywasfullydressed，suggestedthathe
hadanappointmentwiththemurderer，whichishomeoutbythefact
thatabottleofrumandtwodirtyglassesstooduponthetable。”
“Yes，“saidHolmes；“Ithinkthatbothinferencesarepermissible。
Wasthereanyotherspiritbutrumintheroom？“
“Yes，therewasatantaluscontainingbrandyandwhiskyonthe
sea-chest。Itisofnoimportancetous，however，sincethe
decanterswerefull，andithadthereforenotbeenused。”
“Forallthat，itspresencehassomesignificance，“saidHolmes。
“However，letushearsomemoreabouttheobjectswhichdoseemtoyou
tobearuponthecase。”
“Therewasthistobacco-pouchuponthetable。”
“Whatpartofthetable？“
“Itlayinthemiddle。Itwasofcoarsesealskin-the
straight-hairedskin，withaleatherthongtobindit。Insidewas”P。C。”ontheflap。Therewashalfanounceofstrongship”stobacco
init。”
“Excellent！Whatmore？“
StanleyHopkinsdrewfromhispocketadrab-coverednotebook。The
outsidewasroughandworn，theleavesdiscoloured。Onthefirst
pagewerewrittentheinitials“J。H。N。”andthedate“1883。”Holmes
laiditonthetableandexamineditinhisminuteway，while
HopkinsandIgazedovereachshoulder。Onthesecondpagewerethe
printedletters“C。P。R。，“andthencameseveralsheetsofnumbers。
Anotherheadingwas“Argentine，“another“CostaRica，“andanother
“SanPaulo，“eachwithpagesofsignsandfiguresafterit。
“Whatdoyoumakeofthese？“askedHolmes。
“TheyappeartobelistsofStockExchangesecurities。Ithought
that”J。H。N。”weretheinitialsofabroker，andthat”C。P。R。”may
havebeenhisclient。”
“TryCanadianPacificRailway，“saidHolmes。
StanleyHopkinssworebetweenhisteeth，andstruckhisthighwith
hisclenchedhand。
“WhatafoolIhavebeen！“hecried。“Ofcourse，itisasyousay。
Then”J。H。N。”aretheonlyinitialswehavetosolve。Ihavealready
examinedtheoldStockExchangelists，andIcanfindnoonein
1883，eitherinthehouseoramongtheoutsidebrokers，whoseinitials
correspondwiththese。YetIfeelthattheclueisthemost
importantonethatIhold。Youwilladmit，Mr。Holmes，thatthereisa
possibilitythattheseinitialsarethoseofthesecondpersonwhowas
present-inotherwords，ofthemurderer。Iwouldalsourgethatthe
introductionintothecaseofadocumentrelatingtolargemassesof
valuablesecuritiesgivesusforthefirsttimesomeindicationofa
motiveforthecrime。”
SherlockHolmes”sfaceshowedthathewasthoroughlytakenaback
bythisnewdevelopment。
“Imustadmitbothyourpoints，“saidhe。“Iconfessthatthis
notebook，whichdidnotappearattheinquest，modifiesanyviews
whichImayhaveformed。Ihadcometoatheoryofthecrimein
whichIcanfindnoplaceforthis。Haveyouendeavouredtotrace
anyofthesecuritiesherementioned？“
“Inquiriesarenowbeingmadeattheoffices，butIfearthatthe
completeregisterofthestockholdersoftheseSouthAmericanconcerns
isinSouthAmerica，andthatsomeweeksmustelapsebeforewecan
tracetheshares。”
Holmeshadbeenexaminingthecoverofthenotebookwithhis
magnifyinglens。
“Surelythereissomediscolourationhere，“saidhe。
“Yes，sir，itisablood-stain。ItoldyouthatIpickedthebook
offthefloor。”
“Wastheblood-stainaboveorbelow？“
“Onthesidenexttheboards。”
“Whichproves，ofcourse，thatthebookwasdroppedafterthe
crimewascommitted。”
“Exactly，Mr。Holmes。Iappreciatedthatpoint，andIconjectured
thatitwasdroppedbythemurdererinhishurriedflight。Itlaynear
thedoor。”
“Isupposethatnoneofthesesecuritieshavebeenfoundamongthe
propertyofthedeadman？“
“No，sir。”
“Haveyouanyreasontosuspectrobbery？“
“No，sir。Nothingseemedtohavebeentouched。”
“Dearme，itiscertainlyaveryinterestingcase。Thentherewas
aknife，wastherenot？“
“Asheath-knife，stillinitssheath。Itlayatthefeetofthedead
man。Mrs。Careyhasidentifieditasbeingherhusband”sproperty。”
Holmeswaslostinthoughtforsometime。
“Well，“saidhe，atlast，“IsupposeIshallhavetocomeoutand
havealookatit。”
StanleyHopkinsgaveacryofjoy。
“Thankyou，sir。Thatwill，indeed，beaweightoffmymind。”
Holmesshookhisfingerattheinspector。
“Itwouldhavebeenaneasiertaskaweekago，“saidhe。“Buteven
nowmyvisitmaynotbeentirelyfruitless。Watson，ifyoucanspare
thetime，Ishouldbeverygladofyourcompany。Ifyouwillcalla
four-wheeler，Hopkins，weshallbereadytostartforForestRowin
aquarterofanhour。”
Alightingatthesmallwaysidestation，wedroveforsomemiles
throughtheremainsofwidespreadwoods，whichwereoncepartof
thatgreatforestwhichforsolongheldtheSaxoninvadersatbay-
theimpenetrable“weald，“forsixtyyearsthebulwarkofBritain。Vast
sectionsofithavebeencleared，forthisistheseatofthefirst
iron-worksofthecountry，andthetreeshavebeenfelledtosmeltthe
ore。NowthericherfieldsoftheNorthhaveabsorbedthetrade，and
nothingsavetheseravagedgrovesandgreatscarsintheearthshow
theworkofthepast。Here，inaclearinguponthegreenslopeofa
hill，stoodalong，low，stonehouse，approachedbyacurvingdrive
runningthroughthefields。Nearertheroad，andsurroundedonthree
sidesbybushes，wasasmallouthouse，onewindowandthedoor
facinginourdirection。Itwasthesceneofthemurder。
StanleyHopkinsledusfirsttothehouse，whereheintroducedusto
ahaggard，gray-hairedwoman，thewidowofthemurderedman，whose
gauntanddeep-linedface，withthefurtivelookofterrorinthe
depthsofherred-rimmedeyes，toldoftheyearsofhardshipand
ill-usagewhichshehadendured。Withherwasherdaughter，apale，
fair-hairedgirl，whoseeyesblazeddefiantlyatusasshetoldus
thatshewasgladthatherfatherwasdead，andthatsheblessedthe
handwhichhadstruckhimdown。ItwasaterriblehouseholdthatBlack
PeterCareyhadmadeforhimself，anditwaswithasenseofrelief
thatwefoundourselvesinthesunlightagainandmakingourwayalong
apathwhichhadbeenwornacrossthefieldsbythefeetofthedead
man。
Theouthousewasthesimplestofdwellings，wooden-walled，
shingle-roofed，onewindowbesidethedoorandoneonthefarther
side。StanleyHopkinsdrewthekeyfromhispocketandhadstooped
tothelock，whenhepausedwithalookofattentionandsurpriseupon
hisface。
Somonehasbeentamperingwithit，“hesaid。
Therecouldbenodoubtofthefact。Thewoodworkwascut，andthe
scratchesshowedwhitethroughthepaint，asiftheyhadbeenthat
instantdone。Holmeshadbeenexaminingthewindow。
“Someonehastriedtoforcethisalso。Whoeveritwashasfailed
tomakehiswayin。Hemusthavebeenaverypoorburglar。”
“Thisisamostextraordinarything，“saidtheinspector，“Icould
swearthatthesemarkswerenothereyesterdayevening。”
“Somecuriouspersonfromthevillage，perhaps，“Isuggested。
“Veryunlikely。Fewofthemwoulddaretosetfootinthegrounds，
farlesstrytoforcetheirwayintothecabin。Whatdoyouthinkof
it，Mr。Holmes？“
“Ithinkthatfortuneisverykindtous。”
“Youmeanthatthepersonwillcomeagain？“
“Itisveryprobable。Hecameexpectingtofindthedooropen。He
triedtogetinwiththebladeofaverysmallpenknife。Hecould
notmanageit。Whatwouldhedo？“
“Comeagainnextnightwithamoreusefultool。”
“SoIshouldsay。Itwillbeourfaultifwearenotthereto
receivehim。Meanwhile，letmeseetheinsideofthecabin。”
Thetracesofthetragedyhadbeenremoved，butthefurniturewithin
thelittleroomstillstoodasithadbeenonthenightofthe
crime。Fortwohours，withmostintenseconcentration，Holmesexamined
everyobjectinturn，buthisfaceshowedthathisquestwasnota
successfulone。Onceonlyhepausedinhispatientinvestigation。
“Haveyoutakenanythingoffthisshelf，Hopkins？“
“No，Ihavemovednothing。”
“Somethinghasbeentaken。Thereislessdustinthiscornerof
theshelfthanelsewhere。Itmayhavebeenabooklyingonitsside。
Itmayhavebeenabox。Well，well，Icandonothingmore。Letuswalk
inthesebeautifulwoods，Watson，andgiveafewhourstothebirds
andtheflowers。Weshallmeetyouherelater，Hopkins，andseeif
wecancometocloserquarterswiththegentlemanwhohaspaidthis
visitinthenight。”
Itwaspasteleveno”clockwhenweformedourlittleambuscade。
Hopkinswasforleavingthedoorofthehutopen，butHolmeswasof
theopinionthatthiswouldrousethesuspicionsofthestranger。
Thelockwasaperfectlysimpleone，andonlyastrongbladewas
neededtopushitback。Holmesalsosuggestedthatweshouldwait，not
insidethehut，butoutsideit，amongthebusheswhichgrewround
thefartherwindow。Inthiswayweshouldbeabletowatchourman
ifhestruckalight，andseewhathisobjectwasinthisstealthy
nocturnalvisit。
Itwasalongandmelancholyvigil，andyetbroughtwithit
somethingofthethrillwhichthebunterfeelswhenheliesbesidethe
water-pool，andwaitsforthecomingofthethirstybeastofprey。
Whatsavagecreaturewasitwhichmightstealuponusoutofthe
darkness？Wasitafiercetigerofcrime，whichcouldonlybetaken
fightinghardwithflashingfangandclaw，orwoulditprovetobe
someskulkingjackal，dangerousonlytotheweakandunguarded？
Inabsolutesilencewecrouchedamongstthebushes，waitingfor
whatevermightcome。Atfirstthestepsofafewbelatedvillagers，or
thesoundofvoicesfromthevillage，lightenedourvigil，butone
byonetheseinterruptionsdiedaway，andanabsolutestillnessfell
uponus，saveforthechimesofthedistantchurch，whichtoldusof
theprogressofthenight，andfortherustleandwhisperofafine
rainfallingamidthefoliagewhichroofedusin。
Half-pasttwohadchimed，anditwasthedarkesthourwhichprecedes
thedawn，whenweallstartedasalowbutsharpclickcamefromthe
directionofthegate。Someonehadenteredthedrive。Againthere
wasalongsilence，andIhadbeguntofearthatitwasafalsealarm，
whenastealthystepwasheardupontheothersideofthehut，anda
momentlaterametallicscrapingandclinking。Themanwastryingto
forcethelock。Thistimehisskillwasgreaterorhistoolwas
better，fortherewasasuddensnapandthecreakofthehinges。
Thenamatchwasstruck，andnextinstantthesteadylightfroma
candlefilledtheinteriorofthehut。Throughthegauzecurtainour
eyeswereallriveteduponthescenewithin。
Thenocturnalvisitorwasayoungman，frailandthin，witha
blackmoustache，whichintensifiedthedeadlypallorofhisface。He
couldnothavebeenmuchabovetwentyyearsofage。Ihavenever
seenanyhumanbeingwhoappearedtobeinsuchapitiablefright，for
histeethwerevisiblychattering，andhewasshakingineverylimb。
Hewasdressedlikeagentleman，inNorfolkjacketandknickerbockers，
withaclothcapuponhishead。Wewatchedhimstaringroundwith
frightenedeyes。Thenhelaidthecandle-enduponthetableand
disappearedfromourviewintooneofthecorners。Hereturnedwith
alargebook，oneofthelogbookswhichformedalineuponthe
shelves。Leaningonthetable，herapidlyturnedovertheleavesof
thisvolumeuntilhecametotheentrywhichhesought。Then，with
anangrygestureofhisclenchedhand，heclosedthebook，replacedit
inthecorner，andputoutthelight。Hehadhardlyturnedtoleave
thehutwhenHopkins”shandwasonthefellow”scollar，andIheard
hisloudgaspofterrorasheunderstoodthathewastaken。Thecandle
wasrelit，andtherewasourwretchedcaptive，shiveringand
coweringinthegraspofthedetective。Hesankdownuponthe
sea-chest，andlookedhelplesslyfromoneofustotheother。
“Now，myfinefellow，“saidStanleyHopkins，“whoareyou，and
whatdoyouwanthere？“
Themanpulledhimselftogether，andfaceduswithaneffortat
self-composure。
“Youaredetectives，Isuppose？“saidhe。“YouimagineIam
connectedwiththedeathofCaptainPeterCarey。IassureyouthatI
aminnocent。”
“We”llseeaboutthat，“saidHopkins。“Firstofall，whatisyour
name？“
“ItisJohnHopleyNeligan。”
IsawHolmesandHopkinsexchangeaquickglance。
“Whatareyoudoinghere？“
“CanIspeakconfidentially？“
“No，certainlynot。”
“WhyshouldItellyou？“
“Ifyouhavenoanswer，itmaygobadlywithyouatthetrial。”
Theyoungmanwinced。
“Well，Iwilltellyou，“hesaid。“WhyshouldInot？AndyetI
hatetothinkofthisoldscandalgaininganewleaseoflife。Didyou
everhearofDawsonandNeligan？“
Icouldsee，fromHopkins”sface，thatheneverhad，butHolmes
waskeenlyinterested。
“YoumeantheWestCountrybankers，“saidhe。“Theyfailedfora
million，ruinedhalfthecountyfamiliesofCornwall，andNeligan
disappeared。”
“Exactly。Neliganwasmyfather。”
Atlastweweregettingsomethingpositive，andyetitseemedalong
gapbetweenanabscondingbankerandCaptainPeterCareypinned
againstthewallwithoneofhisownharpoons。Wealllistened
intentlytotheyoungman”swords。
“Itwasmyfatherwhowasreallyconcerned。Dawsonhadretired。I
wasonlytenyearsofageatthetime，butIwasoldenoughtofeel
theshameandhorrorofitall。Ithasalwaysbeensaidthatmyfather
stoleallthesecuritiesandfled。Itisnottrue。Itwashisbelief
thatifheweregiventimeinwhichtorealizethem，allwouldbewell
andeverycreditorpaidinfull。Hestartedinhislittleyachtfor
Norwayjustbeforethewarrantwasissuedforhisarrest。Ican
rememberthatlastnightwhenhebadefarewelltomymother。Heleft
usalistofthesecuritieshewastaking，andhesworethathe
wouldcomebackwithhishonourcleared，andthatnonewhohadtrusted
himwouldsuffer。Well，nowordwaseverheardfromhimagain。Both
theyachtandhevanishedutterly。Webelieved，mymotherandI，
thatheandit，withthesecuritiesthathehadtakenwithhim，were
atthebottomofthesea。Wehadafaithfulfriend，however，whois
abusinessman，anditwashewhodiscoveredsometimeagothatsome
ofthesecuritieswhichmyfatherhadwithhimhadreappearedonthe
Londonmarket。Youcanimagineouramazement。Ispentmonthsintrying
totracethem，andatlast，aftermanydoubtingsanddifficulties，I
discoveredthattheoriginalsellerhadbeenCaptainPeterCarey，
theownerofthishut。
“Naturally，Imadesomeinquiriesabouttheman。Ifoundthathehad
beenincommandofawhalerwhichwasduetoreturnfromtheArctic
seasattheverytimewhenmyfatherwascrossingtoNorway。The
autumnofthatyearwasastormyone，andtherewasalong
successionofsoutherlygales。Myfather”syachtmaywellhavebeen
blowntothenorth，andtheremetbyCaptainPeterCarey”sship。If
thatwereso，whathadbecomeofmyfather？Inanycase，ifIcould
provefromPeterCarey”sevidencehowthesesecuritiescameonthe
marketitwouldbeaproofthatmyfatherhadnotsoldthem，and
thathehadnoviewtopersonalprofitwhenhetookthem。
“IcamedowntoSussexwiththeintentionofseeingthecaptain，but
itwasatthismomentthathisterribledeathoccurred。Ireadat
theinquestadescriptionofhiscabin，inwhichitstatedthatthe
oldlogbooksofhisvesselwerepreservedinit。Itstruckmethat
ifIcouldseewhatoccurredinthemonthofAugust，1883，onboard
theSeaUnicorn，Imightsettlethemysteryofmyfather”sfate。I
triedlastnighttogetattheselogbooks，butwasunabletoopen
thedoor。To-nightItriedagainandsucceeded，butIfindthatthe
pageswhichdealwiththatmonthhavebeentornfromthebook。Itwas
atthatmomentIfoundmyselfaprisonerinyourhands。”
“Isthatall？“askedHopkins。
“Yes，thatisall。”Hiseyesshiftedashesaidit。
“Youhavenothingelsetotellus？“
Hehesitated。
“No，thereisnothing。”
“Youhavenotbeenherebeforelastnight？“
“No。
“Thenhowdoyouaccountforthat？“criedHopkins，asheheldupthe
damningnotebook，withtheinitialsofourprisoneronthefirst
leafandtheblood-stainonthecover。
Thewretchedmancollapsed。Hesankhisfaceinhishands，and
trembledallover。
“Wheredidyougetit？“hegroaned。“Ididnotknow。IthoughtIhad
lostitatthehotel。”
“Thatisenough，“saidHopkins，sternly。“Whateverelseyouhave
tosay，youmustsayincourt。Youwillwalkdownwithmenowtothe
police-station。Well，Mr。Holmes，Iamverymuchobligedtoyouandto
yourfriendforcomingdowntohelpme。Asitturnsoutyour
presencewasunnecessary，andIwouldhavebroughtthecasetothis
successfulissuewithoutyou，but，nonetheless，Iamgrateful。Rooms
havebeenreservedforyouattheBrambletyeHotel，sowecanallwalk
downtothevillagetogether。”
“Well，Watson，whatdoyouthinkofit？“askedHolmes，aswe
travelledbacknextmorning。
“Icanseethatyouarenotsatisfied。”
“Oh，yes，mydearWatson，Iamperfectlysatisfied。Atthesame
time，StanleyHopkins”smethodsdonotcommendthemselvestome。I
amdisappointedinStanleyHopkins。Ihadhopedforbetterthingsfrom
him。Oneshouldalwayslookforapossiblealternative，andprovide
againstit。Itisthefirstruleofcriminalinvestigation。”
“What，then，isthealternative？“
“ThelineofinvestigationwhichIhavemyselfbeenpursuing。Itmay
giveusnothing。Icannottell。ButatleastIshallfollowitto
theend。”
SeveralletterswerewaitingforHolmesatBakerStreet。Hesnatched
oneofthemup，openedit，andburstoutintoatriumphantchuckle
oflaughter。
“Excellent，Watson！Thealternativedevelops。Haveyoutelegraph
forms？Justwriteacoupleofmessagesforme：”Sumner，Shipping
Agent，RatcliffHighway。Sendthreemenon，toarrivetento-morrow
morning-Basil。”That”smynameinthoseparts。Theotheris：”InspectorStanleyHopkins，46LordStreet，Brixton。Comebreakfast
to-morrowatnine-thirty。Important。Wireifunabletocome-Sherlock
Holmes。”There，Watson，thisinfernalcasehashauntedmeforten
days。Iherebybanishitcompletelyfrommypresence。To-morrow，I
trustthatweshallhearthelastofitforever。”
SharpatthehournamedInspectorStanleyHopkinsappeared，andwe
satdowntogethertotheexcellentbreakfastwhichMrs。Hudsonhad
prepared。Theyoungdetectivewasinhighspiritsathissuccess。
“Youreallythinkthatyoursolutionmustbecorrect？“askedHolmes。
“Icouldnotimagineamorecompletecase。”
“Itdidnotseemtomeconclusive。”
“Youastonishme，Mr。Holmes。Whatmorecouldoneaskfor？“
“Doesyourexplanationcovereverypoint？“
“Undoubtedly。IfindthatyoungNeliganarrivedattheBrambletye
Hotelontheverydayofthecrime。Hecameonthepretenceofplaying
golf。Hisroomwasontheground-floor，andhecouldgetoutwhenhe
liked。ThatverynighthewentdowntoWoodman”sLee，sawPeter
Careyatthehut，quarrelledwithhim，andkilledhimwiththe
harpoon。Then，horrifiedbywhathehaddone，hefledoutofthe
hut，droppingthenotebookwhichhehadbroughtwithhiminorderto
questionPeterCareyaboutthesedifferentsecurities。Youmayhave
observedthatsomeofthemweremarkedwithticks，andtheothers-the
greatmajority-werenot。Thosewhicharetickedhavebeentracedon
theLondonmarket，buttheothers，presumably，werestillinthe
possessionofCarey，andyoungNeligan，accordingtohisown
account，wasanxioustorecovertheminordertodotherightthingby
hisfather”screditors。Afterhisflighthedidnotdaretoapproach
thehutagainforsometime，butatlastheforcedhimselftodosoin
ordertoobtaintheinformationwhichheneeded。Surelythatisall
simpleandobvious？“
Holmessmiledandshookhishead。
“Itseemstometohaveonlyonedrawback，Hopkins，andthatis
thatitisintrinsicallyimpossible。Haveyoutriedtodriveaharpoon
throughabody？No？Tut，tutmydearsir，youmustreallypay
attentiontothesedetails。MyfriendWatsoncouldtellyouthatI
spentawholemorninginthatexercise。Itisnoeasymatter，and
requiresastrongandpractisedarm。Butthisblowwasdelivered
withsuchviolencethattheheadoftheweaponsankdeepintothe
wall。Doyouimaginethatthisanaemicyouthwascapableofso
frightfulanassault？Ishethemanwhohobnobbedinrumandwater
withBlackPeterinthedeadofthenight？Wasithisprofilethatwas
seenontheblindtwonightsbefore？No，no，Hopkins，itisanother
andmoreformidablepersonforwhomwemustseek。”
Thedetective”sfacehadgrownlongerandlongerduringHolmes”s
speech。Hishopesandhisambitionswereallcrumblingabouthim。
Buthewouldnotabandonhispositionwithoutastruggle。
“Youcan”tdenythatNeliganwaspresentthatnight，Mr。Holmes。The
bookwillprovethat。IfancythatIhaveevidenceenoughtosatisfya
jury，evenifyouareabletopickaholeinit。Besides，Mr。
Holmes，Ihavelaidmyhanduponmyman。Astothisterriblepersonof
yours，whereishe？“
“Iratherfancythatheisonthestair，“saidHolmes，serenely。
“Ithink，Watson，thatyouwoulddowelltoputthatrevolverwhere
youcanreachit。”Heroseandlaidawrittenpaperuponaside-table。
“Nowweareready，“saidhe。
Therehadbeensometalkingingruffvoicesoutside，andnowMrs。
Hudsonopenedthedoortosaythattherewerethreemeninquiring
forCaptainBasil。
“Showtheminonebyone，“saidHolmes。
“ThefirstwhoenteredwasalittleRibstonpippinofaman，with
ruddycheeksandfluffywhiteside-whiskers。Holmeshaddrawnaletter
fromhispocket。
“Whatname？“heasked。
“JamesLancaster。”
“Iamsorry，Lancaster，buttheberthisfull。Hereishalfa
sovereignforyourtrouble。Juststepintothisroomandwaitthere
forafewminutes。”
Thesecondmanwasalong，dried-upcreature，withlankhairand
sallowcheeks。HisnamewasHughPattins。Healsoreceivedhis
dismissal，hishalf-sovereign，andtheordertowait。
Thethirdapplicantwasamanofremarkableappearance。Afierce
bull-dogfacewasframedinatangleofhairandbeard，andtwo
bold，darkeyesgleamedbehindthecoverofthick，tufted，overhung
eyebrows。Hesalutedandstoodsailor-fashion，turninghiscapround
inhishands。
“Yourname？“askedHolmes。
“PatrickCairns。”
“Harpooner？“
“Yes，sir。Twenty-sixvoyages。”
“Dundee，Isuppose？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Andreadytostartwithanexploringship？“
“Yes，sir。”
“Whatwages？“
“Eightpoundsamonth。”
“Couldyoustartatonce？“
“AssoonasIgetmykit。”
“Haveyouyourpapers？“
“Yes，sir。”Hetookasheafofwornandgreasyformsfromhis
pocket。Holmesglancedoverthemandreturnedthem。
“YouarejustthemanIwant，“saidhe。“Here”stheagreementonthe
sidetable。Ifyousignitthewholematterwillbesettled。”
Theseamanlurchedacrosstheroomandtookupthepen。
“ShallIsignhere？“heasked，stoopingoverthetable。
Holmesleanedoverhisshoulderandpassedbothhandsoverhisneck。
“Thiswilldo，“saidhe。
Iheardaclickofsteelandabellowlikeanenragedbull。Thenext
instantHolmesandtheseamanwererollingonthegroundtogether。
Hewasamanofsuchgiganticstrengththat，evenwiththehandcuffs
whichHolmeshadsodeftlyfasteneduponhiswrists，hewouldhave
veryquicklyoverpoweredmyfriendhadHopkinsandInotrushedtohis
rescue。OnlywhenIpressedthecoldmuzzleoftherevolvertohis
templedidheatlastunderstandthatresistancewasvain。Welashed
hisankleswithcord，androsebreathlessfromthestruggle。
“Imustreallyapologize，Hopkins，“saidSherlockHolmes。“Ifear
thatthescrambledeggsarecold。However，youwillenjoytherest
ofyourbreakfastallthebetter，willyounot，forthethoughtthat
youhavebroughtyourcasetoatriumphantconclusion。”
StanleyHopkinswasspeechlesswithamazement。
“Idon”tknowwhattosay，Mr。Holmes，“heblurtedoutatlast，with
averyredface。“ItseemstomethatIhavebeenmakingafoolof
myselffromthebeginning。Iunderstandnow，whatIshouldnever
haveforgotten，thatIamthepupilandyouarethemaster。EvennowI
seewhatyouhavedone，butIdon”tknowhowyoudiditorwhatit
signifies。”
“Well，well，“saidHolmes，good-humouredly。“Wealllearnby
experience，andyourlessonthistimeisthatyoushouldneverlose
sightofthealternative。YouweresoabsorbedinyoungNeliganthat
youcouldnotspareathoughttoPatrickCairns，thetruemurderer
ofPeterCarey。”
Thehoarsevoiceoftheseamanbrokeinonourconversation。
“Seehere，mister，“saidhe，“Imakenocomplaintofbeing
man-handledinthisfashion，butIwouldhaveyoucallthingsbytheir
rightnames。YousayImurderedPeterCarey，IsayIkilledPeter
Carey，andthere”sallthedifference。Maybeyoudon”tbelievewhat
Isay。MaybeyouthinkIamjustslingingyouayarn。”
“Notatall，“saidHolmes。“Letushearwhatyouhavetosay。”
“It”ssoontold，and，bytheLord，everywordofitistruth。Iknew
BlackPeter，andwhenhepulledouthisknifeIwhippedaharpoon
throughhimsharp，forIknewthatitwashimorme。That”showhe
died。Youcancallitmurder。Anyhow，I”dassoondiewitharope
roundmyneckaswithBlackPeter”sknifeinmyheart。”
“Howcameyouthere？“askedHolmes。
“I”lltellityoufromthebeginning。justsitmeupalittle，soas
Icanspeakeasy。Itwasin”83thatithappened-Augustofthatyear。
PeterCareywasmasteroftheSeaUnicorn，andIwasspare
harpooner。Wewerecomingoutoftheice-packonourwayhome，with
headwindsandaweek”ssoutherlygale，whenwepickedupalittle
craftthathadbeenblownnorth。Therewasonemanonher-alandsman。
Thecrewhadthoughtshewouldfounderandhadmadeforthe
Norwegiancoastinthedinghy。Iguesstheywerealldrowned。Well，we
tookhimonboard，thisman，andheandtheskipperhadsomelong
talksinthecabin。Allthebaggagewetookoffwithhimwasonetin
box。SofarasIknow，theman”snamewasnevermentioned，andon
thesecondnighthedisappearedasifhehadneverbeen。Itwas
givenoutthathehadeitherthrownhimselfoverboardorfallen
overboardintheheavyweatherthatwewerehaving。Onlyoneman
knewwhathadhappenedtohim，andthatwasme，for，withmyowneyes，
Isawtheskippertipuphisheelsandputhimovertherailinthe
middlewatchofadarknight，twodaysbeforewesightedthe
ShetlandLights。
“Well，Ikeptmyknowledgetomyself，andwaitedtoseewhatwould
comeofitWhenwegotbacktoScotlanditwaseasilyhushedup，and
nobodyaskedanyquestions。Astrangerdiedbyaccidentanditwas
nobody”sbusinesstoinquire。ShortlyafterPeterCareygaveupthe
sea，anditwaslongyearsbeforeIcouldfindwherehewas。Iguessed
thathehaddonethedeedforthesakeofwhatwasinthattinbox，
andthathecouldaffordnowtopaymewellforkeepingmymouthshut。
“Ifoundoutwherehewasthroughasailormanthathadmethimin
London，anddownIwenttosqueezehim。Thefirstnighthewas
reasonableenough，andwasreadytogivemewhatwouldmakemefreeof
theseaforlife。Weweretofixitalltwonightslater。WhenIcame，
Ifoundhimthreepartsdrunkandinaviletemper。Wesatdownandwe
drankandweyarnedaboutoldtimes，butthemorehedranktheless
Ilikedthelookonhisface。Ispottedthatharpoonuponthewall，
andIthoughtImightneeditbeforeIwasthrough。Thenatlasthe
brokeoutatme，spittingandcursing，withmurderinhiseyesanda
greatclasp-knifeinhishand。Hehadnottimetogetitfromthe
sheathbeforeIhadtheharpoonthroughhim。Heavens！whatayellhe
gave！andhisfacegetsbetweenmeandmysleep。Istoodthere，with
hisbloodsplashingroundme，andIwaitedforabit，butallwas
quiet，soItookheartoncemore。Ilookedround，andtherewasthe
tinboxontheshelf。IhadasmuchrighttoitasPeterCarey，
anyhow，soItookitwithmeandleftthehut。LikeafoolIleftmy
baccy-pouchuponthetable。
“NowI”lltellyouthequeerestpartofthewholestory。Ihad
hardlygotoutsidethehutwhenIheardsomeonecoming，andIhid
amongthebushes。Amancameslinkingalong，wentintothehut，gavea
cryasifhehadseenaghost，andleggeditashardashecouldrun
untilhewasoutofsight。WhohewasorwhathewantedismorethanI
cantell。FormypartIwalkedtenmiles，gotatrainatTunbridge
Wells，andsoreachedLondon，andnoonethewiser。
“Well，whenIcametoexaminetheboxIfoundtherewasnomoney
init，andnothingbutpapersthatIwouldnotdaretosell。Ihad
lostmyholdonBlackPeterandwasstrandedinLondonwithouta
shilling。Therewasonlymytradeleft。Isawtheseadvertisements
aboutharpooners，andhighwages，soIwenttotheshippingagents，
andtheysentmehere。That”sallIknow，andIsayagainthatifI
killedBlackPeter，thelawshouldgivemethanks，forIsavedthem
thericeofahempenrope。”
“AveryclearstatementsaidHolmes，risingandlightinghispipe。
“Ithink，Hopkins，thatyoushouldlosenotimeinconveyingyour
prisonertoaplaceofsafety。Thisroomisnotwelladaptedfora
cell，andMr。PatrickCairnsoccupiestoolargeaproportionofour
carpet。”
“Mr。Holmes，“saidHopkins，“Idonotknowhowtoexpressmy
gratitude。EvennowIdonotunderstandhowyouattainedthisresult。”
“Simplybyhavingthegoodfortunetogettherightcluefromthe
beginning。ItisverypossibleifIhadknownaboutthisnotebookit
mighthaveledawaymythoughts，asitdidyours。ButallIheard
pointedintheonedirection。Theamazingstrength，theskillinthe
useoftheharpoon，therumandwater，thesealskintobacco-pouchwith
thecoarsetobacco-allthesepointedtoaseaman，andonewhohadbeen
awhaler。Iwasconvincedthattheinitials”P。C。”uponthepouchwere
acoincidence，andnotthoseofPeterCarey，sinceheseldomsmoked，
andnopipewasfoundinhiscabin。YourememberthatIasked
whetherwhiskyandbrandywereinthecabin。Yousaidtheywere。How
manylandsmenaretherewhowoulddrinkrumwhentheycouldget
theseotherspirits？Yes，Iwascertainitwasaseaman。”
“Andhowdidyoufindhim？“
“Mydearsir，theproblemhadbecomeaverysimpleone。Ifitwerea
seaman，itcouldonlybeaseamanwhohadbeenwithhimontheSea
Unicorn。SofarasIcouldlearnhehadsailedinnoothership。I
spentthreedaysinwiringtoDundee，andattheendofthattimeI
hadascertainedthenamesofthecrewoftheSeaUnicornin1883。When
IfoundPatrickCairnsamongtheharpooners，myresearchwasnearing
itsend。IarguedthatthemanwasprobablyinLondon，andthathe
woulddesiretoleavethecountryforatime。Ithereforespentsome
daysintheEastEnd，devisedanArcticexpedition，putforthtempting
termsforharpoonerswhowouldserveunderCaptainBasil-andbehold
theresult！“
“Wonderful！“criedHopkins。“Wonderful！“
“YoumustobtainthereleaseofyoungNeliganassoonas
possible，“saidHolmes。“IconfessthatIthinkyouowehimsome
apology。Thetinboxmustbereturnedtohim，but，ofcourse，the
securitieswhichPeterCareyhassoldarelostforever。There”sthe
cab，Hopkins，andyoucanremoveyourman。Ifyouwantmeforthe
trial，myaddressandthatofWatsonwillbesomewhereinNorway-I”ll
sendparticularslater。”-
THEEND。
1904
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFCHARLESAUGUSTUSMILVERTON
bySirArthurConanDoyle
THEADVENTUREOFCHARLESAUGUSTUSMILVERTON
ItisyearssincetheincidentsofwhichIspeaktookplace，andyet
itiswithdiffidencethatIalludetothem。Foralongtime，even
withtheutmostdiscretionandreticence，itwouldhavebeen
impossibletomakethefactspublic，butnowtheprincipalperson
concernedisbeyondthereachofhumanlaw，andwithduesuppression
thestorymaybetoldinsuchfashionastoinjurenoone。It
recordsanabsolutelyuniqueexperienceinthecareerbothofMr。
SherlockHolmesandofmyself。ThereaderwillexcusemeifI
concealthedateoranyotherfactbywhichhemighttracethe
actualoccurrence。
Wehadbeenoutforoneofoureveningrambles，HolmesandI，and
hadreturnedaboutsixo”clockonacold，frostywinter”sevening。
AsHolmesturnedupthelampthelightfelluponacardonthe
table。Heglancedatit，andthen，withanejaculationofdisgust，
threwitonthefloor。Ipickeditupandread：
CHARLESAUGUSTUSMILVERTON，
AppledoreTowers，
Hampstead。
Agent。
“Whoishe？“Iasked。
“TheworstmaninLondon，“Holmesanswered，ashesatdownand
stretchedhislegsbeforethefire。“Isanythingonthebackofthe
card？“
Iturneditover。
“Willcallat6：30-C。A。M。，“Iread。
“Hum！He”saboutdue。Doyoufeelacreeping，shrinkingsensation，
Watson，whenyoustandbeforetheserpentsintheZoo，andseethe
slithery，gliding，venomouscreatures，withtheirdeadlyeyesand
wicked，flattenedfaces？Well，that”showMilvertonimpressesme。I”ve
hadtodowithfiftymurderersinmycareer，buttheworstofthem
nevergavemetherepulsionwhichIhaveforthisfellow。AndyetI
can”tgetoutofdoingbusinesswithhim-indeed，heishereatmy
invitation。”
“Butwhoishe？“
“I”lltellyou，Watson。Heisthekingofalltheblackmailers。
Heavenhelptheman，andstillmorethewoman，whosesecretand
reputationcomeintothepowerofMilverton！Withasmilingfaceanda
heartofmarble，hewillsqueezeandsqueezeuntilhehasdrainedthem
dry。Thefellowisageniusinhisway，andwouldhavemadehismark
insomemoresavourytrade。Hismethodisasfollows：Heallowsit
tobeknownthatheispreparedtopayveryhighsumsforletters
whichcompromisepeopleofwealthandposition。Hereceivesthese
waresnotonlyfromtreacherousvaletsormaids，butfrequentlyfrom
genteelruffians，whohavegainedtheconfidenceandaffectionof
trustingwomen。Hedealswithnoniggardhand。Ihappentoknowthat
hepaidsevenhundredpoundstoafootmanforanotetwolinesin
length，andthattheruinofanoblefamilywastheresult。Everything
whichisinthemarketgoestoMilverton，andtherearehundredsin
thisgreatcitywhoturnwhiteathisname。Nooneknowswherehis
gripmayfall，forheisfartoorichandfartoocunningtoworkfrom
handtomouth。Hewillholdacardbackforyearsinordertoplay
itatthemomentwhenthestakeisbestworthwinning。Ihavesaid
thatheistheworstmaninLondon，andIwouldaskyouhowcould
onecomparetheruffian，whoinhotbloodbludgeonshismate，with
thisman，whomethodicallyandathisleisuretorturesthesouland
wringsthenervesinordertoaddtohisalreadyswollenmoney-bags？“
Ihadseldomheardmyfriendspeakwithsuchintensityoffeeling。
“Butsurely，“saidI，“thefellowmustbewithinthegraspofthe
law？“