“Wearehuntingtogether，Mr。Holmes，andourtraillayinthis
direction。”Heturnedhisbulldogeyesuponourvisitor。“AreYou
Mr。JohnScottEccles，ofPophamHouse，Lee？“
“Iam。”
“Wehavebeenfollowingyouaboutallthemorning。”
“Youtracedhimthroughthetelegram，nodoubt，“saidHolmes。
Exactly，Mr。Holmes。WepickedupthescentatCharingCross
Post-Officeandcameonhere。”
“Butwhydoyoufollowme？Whatdoyouwant？“
“Wewishastatement，Mr。ScottEccles，astotheeventswhichled
uptothedeathlastnightofMr。AloysiusGarcia，ofWisteria
Lodge，nearEsher。”
Ourclienthadsatupwithstaringeyesandeverytingeofcolour
struckfromhisastonishedface。
“Dead？Didyousayhewasdead？“
“Yes，sir，heisdead。”
“Buthow？Anaccident？“
“Murder，ifevertherewasoneuponearth。”
“GoodGod！Thisisawful！Youdon”tmean-youdon”tmeanthatIam
suspected？“
“Aletterofyourswasfoundinthedeadman”spocket，andweknow
byitthatyouhadplannedtopasslastnightathishouse。”
“SoIdid。”
“Oh，youdid，didyou？“
Outcametheofficialnotebook。
“WaitabitGregson，“saidSherlockHolmes。“Allyoudesireisa
plainstatementisitnot？“
“AnditismydutytowarnMr。ScottEcclesthatitmaybeused
againsthim。”
“Mr。Eccleswasgoingtotellusaboutitwhenyouenteredtheroom。
Ithink，Watson，abrandyandsodawoulddohimnoharm。Now，sir，I
suggestthatyoutakenonoticeofthisadditiontoyouraudience，and
thatyouproceedwithyournarrativeexactlyasyouwouldhavedone
hadyouneverbeeninterrupted。”
Ourvisitorhadgulpedoffthebrandyandthecolourhadreturnedto
hisface。Withadubiousglanceattheinspector”snotebook，he
plungedatonceintohisextraordinarystatement。
“Iamabachelor，“saidhe，“andbeingofasociableturnI
cultivatealargenumberoffriends。Amongthesearethefamilyofa
retiredbrewercalledMelville，livingatAlbemarleMansion，
Kensington。ItwasathistablethatImetsomeweeksagoayoung
fellownamedGarcia。Hewas，Iunderstood，ofSpanishdescentand
connectedinsomewaywiththeembassy。HespokeperfectEnglish，
waspleasinginhismanners，andasgood-lookingamanaseverIsaw
inmylife。
“Insomewaywestruckupquiteafriendship，thisyoungfellow
andI。Heseemedtotakeafancytomefromthefirst，andwithin
twodaysofourmeetinghecametoseemeatLee。Onethingledto
another，anditendedinhisinvitingmeouttospendafewdaysat
hishouse，WisteriaLodge，betweenEsherandOxshott。Yesterday
eveningIwenttoEshertofulfilthisengagement。
“HehaddescribedhishouseholdtomebeforeIwentthere。He
livedwithafaithfulservant，acountrymanofhisown，wholooked
afterallhisneeds。ThisfellowcouldspeakEnglishanddidhis
housekeepingforhim。Thentherewasawonderfulcook，hesaid，a
half-breedwhomhehadpickedupinhistravels，whocouldservean
excellentdinner。Irememberthatheremarkedwhataqueerhousehold
itwastofindintheheartofSurrey，andthatIagreedwithhim，
thoughithasprovedagooddealqueererthanIthought。
“Idrovetotheplace-abouttwomilesonthesouthsideofEsher。
Thehousewasafair-sizedone，standingbackfromtheroad，witha
curvingdrivewhichwasbankedwithhighevergreenshrubs。Itwasan
old，tumble-downbuildinginacrazystateofdisrepair。Whenthetrap
pulleduponthegrass-growndriveinfrontoftheblotchedand
weather-staineddoor，Ihaddoubtsastomywisdominvisitingaman
whomIknewsoslightly。Heopenedthedoorhimself，however，and
greetedmewithagreatshowofcordiality。Iwashandedovertothe
manservantamelancholy，swarthyindividual，wholedtheway，mybag
inhishand，tomybedroom。Thewholeplacewasdepressing。Ourdinner
wastete-a-tete，andthoughmyhostdidhisbesttobeentertaining，
histhoughtsseemedtocontinuallywander，andhetalkedsovaguely
andwildlythatIcouldhardlyunderstandhim。Hecontinually
drummedhisfingersonthetable，gnawedhisnails，andgaveother
signsofnervousimpatience。Thedinneritselfwasneitherwellserved
norwellcooked，andthegloomypresenceofthetaciturnservantdid
nothelptoenlivenus。Icanassureyouthatmanytimesinthecourse
oftheeveningIwishedthatIcouldinventsomeexcusewhichwould
takemebacktoLee。
“Onethingcomesbacktomymemorywhichmayhaveabearinguponthe
businessthatyoutwogentlemenareinvestigating。Ithoughtnothing
ofitatthetime。Neartheendofdinneranotewashandedinby
theservant。Inoticedthataftermyhosthadreaditheseemedeven
moredistraitandstrangethanbefore。Hegaveupallpretenceat
conversationandsatsmokingendlesscigarettes，lostinhisown
thoughts，buthemadenoremarkastothecontents。AboutelevenIwas
gladtogotobed。SometimelaterGarcialookedinatmydoor-the
roomwasdarkatthetime-andaskedmeifIhadrung。IsaidthatI
hadnot。Heapologizedforhavingdisturbedmesolate，sayingthatit
wasnearlyoneo”clock。Idroppedoffafterthisandsleptsoundlyall
night。
“AndnowIcometotheamazingpartofmytale。WhenIwokeitwas
broaddaylight。Iglancedatmywatch，andthetimewasnearlynine。I
hadparticularlyaskedtobecalledateight，soIwasverymuch
astonishedatthisforgetfulness。Isprangupandrangforthe
servant。Therewasnoresponse。Irangagainandagain，withthe
sameresult。ThenIcametotheconclusionthatthebellwasoutof
order。Ihuddledonmyclothesandhurrieddownstairsinan
exceedinglybadtempertoordersomehotwater。Youcanimaginemy
surprisewhenIfoundthattherewasnoonethere。Ishoutedinthe
hall。Therewasnoanswer。ThenIranfromroomtoroom。Allwere
deserted。Myhosthadshownmewhichwashisbedroomthenightbefore，
soIknockedatthedoor。Noreply。Iturnedthehandleandwalkedin。
Theroomwasempty，andthebedhadneverbeensleptin。Hehadgone
withtherest。Theforeignhost，theforeignfootman，theforeign
cook，allhadvanishedinthenight！Thatwastheendofmyvisitto
WisteriaLodge。”
SherlockHolmeswasrubbinghishandsandchucklingasheaddedthis
bizarreincidenttohiscollectionofstrangeepisodes。
“Yourexperienceis，sofarasIknow，perfectlyunique！“saidhe。
“MayIask，sir，whatyoudidthen？“
“Iwasfurious。MyfirstideawasthatIhadbeenthevictimofsome
absurdpracticaljoke。Ipackedmythings，bangedthehalldoorbehind
me，andsetoffforEsher，withmybaginmyhand。IcalledatAllan
Brothers”，thechieflandagentsinthevillage，andfoundthatitwas
fromthisfirmthatthevillahadbeenrented。Itstruckmethatthe
wholeproceedingcouldhardlybeforthepurposeofmakingafoolof
me，andthatthemainobjectmustbetogetoutoftherent。Itis
lateinMarch，soquarter-dayisathand。Butthistheorywouldnot
work。Theagentwasobligedtomeformywarning，buttoldmethatthe
renthadbeenpaidinadvance。ThenImademywaytotownandcalled
attheSpanishembassy。Themanwasunknownthere。AfterthisIwent
toseeMelville，atwhosehouseIhadfirstmetGarcia，butIfound
thathereallyknewratherlessabouthimthanIdid。FinallywhenI
gotyourreplytomywireIcameouttoyou，sinceIgatherthatyou
areapersonwhogivesadviceindifficultcases。Butnow，Mr。
Inspector，Iunderstand，fromwhatyousaidwhenyouenteredtheroom，
thatyoucancarrythestoryon，andthatsometragedyhasoccurred。I
canassureyouthateverywordIhavesaidisthetruth，andthat
outsideofwhatIhavetoldyou，Iknowabsolutelynothingaboutthe
fateofthisman。Myonlydesireistohelpthelawinevery
possibleway。”
“IamsureofitMr。ScottEccles-Iamsureofit，“said
InspectorGregsoninaveryamiabletone。“Iamboundtosaythat
everythingwhichyouhavesaidagreesverycloselywiththefactsas
theyhavecometoournotice。Forexample，therewasthatnotewhich
arrivedduringdinner。Didyouchancetoobservewhatbecameofit？“
“Yes，Idid。Garciarolleditupandthrewitintothefire。”
“Whatdoyousaytothat，Mr。Baynes？“
Thecountrydetectivewasastout，puffy，redman，whosefacewas
onlyredeemedfromgrossnessbytwoextraordinarilybrighteyes，
almosthiddenbehindtheheavycreasesofcheekandbrow。Witha
slowsmilehedrewafoldedanddiscolouredscrapofpaperfromhis
pocket。
“Itwasadog-grate，Mr。Holmes，andheoverpitchedit。Ipicked
thisoutunburnedfromthebackofit。”
Holmessmiledhisappreciation。
“Youmusthaveexaminedthehouseverycarefullytofindasingle
pelletofpaper。”
“Idid，Mr。Holmes。It”smyway。ShallIreadit，Mr。Gregson？“
TheLondonernodded。
“Thenoteiswrittenuponordinarycream-laidpaperwithout
watermark。Itisaquarter-sheet。Thepaperiscutoffintwosnips
withashort-bladedscissors。Ithasbeenfoldedoverthreetimes
andsealedwithpurplewax，putonhurriedlyandpresseddownwith
someflatovalobject。ItisaddressedtoMr。Garcia，Wisteria
Lodge。Itsays：
“Ourowncolours，greenandwhite。Greenopen，whiteshut。Main
stair，firstcorridor，seventhright，greenbaize。Godspeed。D。
Itisawoman”swriting，donewithasharp-pointedpen，butthe
addressiseitherdonewithanotherpenorbysomeoneelse。Itis
thickerandbolder，asyousee。”
“Averyremarkablenote，“saidHolmes，glancingitover。“Imust
complimentyou，Mr。Baynes，uponyourattentiontodetailinyour
examinationofit。Afewtriflingpointsmightperhapsbeadded。The
ovalsealisundoubtedlyaplainsleeve-link-whatelseisofsucha
shape？Thescissorswerebentnailscissors。Shortasthetwosnips
are，youcandistinctlyseethesameslightcurveineach。”
Thecountrydetectivechuckled。
“IthoughtIhadsqueezedallthejuiceoutofit，butIseethere
wasalittleover，“hesaid。“I”mboundtosaythatImakenothing
ofthenoteexceptthattherewassomethingonhand，andthatawoman，
asusual，wasatthebottomofit。”
Mr。ScottEccleshadfidgetedinhisseatduringthisconversation。
“Iamgladyoufoundthenote，sinceitcorroboratesmystory，“said
he。“ButIbegtopointoutthatIhavenotyetheardwhathas
happenedtoMr。Garcia，norwhathasbecomeofhishousehold。”
“AstoGarcia，“saidGregson，“thatiseasilyanswered。Hewasfound
deadthismorninguponOxshottCommon，nearlyamilefromhishome。
Hisheadhadbeensmashedtopulpbyheavyblowsofasandbagor
somesuchinstrument，whichhadcrushedratherthanwounded。Itisa
lonelycorner，andthereisnohousewithinaquarterofamileofthe
spot。Hehadapparentlybeenstruckdownfirstfrombehind，buthis
assailanthadgoneonbeatinghimlongafterhewasdead。Itwasa
mostfuriousassault。Therearenofootstepsnoranycluetothe
criminals。”
“Robbed？“
“No，therewasnoattemptatrobbery。”
“Thisisverypainful-verypainfulandterrible，“saidMr。Scott
Ecclesinaquerulousvoice，“butitisreallyuncommonlyhardupon
me。Ihadnothingtodowithmyhostgoingoffuponanocturnal
excursionandmeetingsosadanend。HowdoIcometobemixedupwith
thecase？“
“Verysimply，sir，“InspectorBaynesanswered。“Theonlydocument
foundinthepocketofthedeceasedwasaletterfromyousaying
thatyouwouldbewithhimonthenightofhisdeath。Itwasthe
envelopeofthisletterwhichgaveusthedeadman”snameandaddress。
Itwasafterninethismorningwhenwereachedhishouseandfound
neitheryounoranyoneelseinsideit。IwiredtoMr。Gregsontorun
youdowninLondonwhileIexaminedWisteriaLodge。ThenIcameinto
town，joinedMr。Gregson，andhereweare。”
“Ithinknow，“saidGregson，rising，“wehadbestputthismatter
intoanofficialshape。Youwillcomeroundwithustothestation，
Mr。ScottEccles，andletushaveyourstatementinwriting。”
“Certainly，Iwillcomeatonce。ButIretainyourservices，Mr。
Holmes。Idesireyoutosparenoexpenseandnopainstogetatthe
truth。”
Myfriendturnedtothecountryinspector。
“Isupposethatyouhavenoobjectiontomycollaboratingwith
you，Mr。Baynes？“
“Highlyhonoured，sir，Iamsure。”
“Youappeartohavebeenverypromptandbusiness-likeinallthat
youhavedone。Wasthereanyclue，mayIask，astotheexacthour
thatthemanmethisdeath？“
“Hehadbeentheresinceoneo”clock。Therewasrainaboutthat
time，andhisdeathhadcertainlybeenbeforetherain。”
“Butthatisperfectlyimpossible，Mr。Baynes，“criedourclient。
“Hisvoiceisunmistakable。Icouldsweartoitthatitwashewho
addressedmeinmybedroomatthatveryhour。”
“Remarkable，butbynomeansimpossible，“saidHolmes，smiling。
“Youhaveaclue？“askedGregson。
“Onthefaceofitthecaseisnotaverycomplexone，thoughit
certainlypresentssomenovelandinterestingfeatures。Afurther
knowledgeoffactsisnecessarybeforeIwouldventuretogiveafinal
anddefiniteopinion。Bytheway，Mr。Baynes，didyoufindanything
remarkablebesidesthisnoteinyourexaminationofthehouse？“
Thedetectivelookedatmyfriendinasingularway。
“Therewere，“saidhe，“oneortwoveryremarkablethings。Perhaps
whenIhavefinishedatthepolice-stationyouwouldcaretocome
outandgivemeyouropinionofthem。”
“Iamentirelyatyourservice，“saidSherlockHolmes，ringingthe
bell。“Youwillshowthesegentlemenout，Mrs。Hudson，andkindlysend
theboywiththistelegram。Heistopayafive-shillingreply。”
Wesatforsometimeinsilenceafterourvisitorshadleft。
Holmessmokedhard，withhisbrowsdrawndownoverhiskeeneyes，
andhisheadthrustforwardintheeagerwaycharacteristicofthe
man。
“Well，Watson，“heasked，turningsuddenlyuponme，“Whatdoyou
makeofit？“
“IcanmakenothingofthismystificationofScottEccles。”
“Butthecrime？“
“Well，takenwiththedisappearanceoftheman”scompanions，I
shouldsaythattheywereinsomewayconcernedinthemurderand
hadfledfromjustice。”
“Thatiscertainlyapossiblepointofview。Onthefaceofityou
mustadmit，however，thatitisverystrangethathistwoservants
shouldhavebeeninaconspiracyagainsthimandshouldhave
attackedhimontheonenightwhenhehadaguest。Theyhadhim
aloneattheirmercyeveryothernightintheweek。”
“Thenwhydidtheyfly？“
“Quiteso。Whydidtheyfly？Thereisabigfact。Anotherbigfact
istheremarkableexperienceofourclient，ScottEccles。Now，mydear
Watson，isitbeyondthelimitsofhumaningenuitytofurnishan
explanationwhichwouldcoverboththesebigfacts？Ifitwereone
whichwouldalsoadmitofthemysteriousnotewithitsverycurious
phraseology，why，thenitwouldbeworthacceptingasatemporary
hypothesis。Ifthefreshfactswhichcometoourknowledgeallfit
themselvesintothescheme，thenourhypothesismaygraduallybecomea
solution。”
“Butwhatisourhypothesis？“
Holmesleanedbackinhischairwithhalf-closedeyes。
“YoumustadmitmydearWatson，thattheideaofajokeis
impossible。Thereweregraveeventsafoot。asthesequelshowed，and
thecoaxingofScottEcclestoWisteriaLodgehadsomeconnectionwith
them。”
“Butwhatpossibleconnection？“
“Letustakeitlinkbylink。Thereis，onthefaceofit，something
unnaturalaboutthisstrangeandsuddenfriendshipbetweentheyoung
SpaniardandScottEccles。Itwastheformerwhoforcedthepace。He
calleduponEcclesattheotherendofLondonontheverydayafterhe
firstmethim，andhekeptinclosetouchwithhimuntilhegothim
downtoEsher。Now，whatdidhewantwithEccles？WhatcouldEccles
supply？Iseenocharmintheman。Heisnotparticularlyintelligent-
notamanlikelytobecongenialtoaquick-wittedLatin。Why，then，
washepickedoutfromalltheotherpeoplewhomGarciametas
particularlysuitedtohispurpose？Hasheanyoneoutstanding
quality？Isaythathehas。Heistheverytypeofconventional
Britishrespectability，andtheverymanasawitnesstoimpress
anotherBriton。Yousawyourselfhowneitheroftheinspectorsdreamed
ofquestioninghisstatement，extraordinaryasitwas。”
“Butwhatwashetowitness？“
“Nothing，asthingsturnedout，buteverythinghadtheygoneanother
way。ThatishowIreadthematter。”
“Isee，hemighthaveprovedanalibi。”
“Exactly，mydearWatson；hemighthaveprovedanalibi。Wewill
suppose，forargumentssake，thatthehouseholdofWisteriaLodge
areconfederatesinsomedesign。Theattempt，whateveritmaybe，is
tocomeoff，wewillsay，beforeoneo”clock。Bysomejugglingof
theclocksitisquitepossiblethattheymayhavegotScottEcclesto
bedearlierthanhethoughtbutinanycaseitislikelythatwhen
Garciawentoutofhiswaytotellhimthatitwasoneitwasreally
notmorethantwelve。IfGarciacoulddowhateverhehadtodoand
bebackbythehourmentionedhehadevidentlyapowerfulreplytoany
accusation。HerewasthisirreproachableEnglishmanreadytoswear
inanycourtoflawthattheaccusedwasinhishouseallthetime。It
wasaninsuranceagainsttheworst。”
“Yes，yes，Iseethat。Buthowaboutthedisappearanceofthe
others？“
“IhavenotallmyfactsyetbutIdonotthinkthereareany
insuperabledifficulties。Still，itisanerrortoargueinfrontof
yourdata。Youfindyourselfinsensiblytwistingthemroundtofit
yourtheories。”
“Andthemessage？“
“Howdiditrun？”Ourowncolours，greenandwhite。”Soundslike
racing。”Greenopen，whiteshut。”thatisclearlyasignal。”Main
stair，firstcorridor，seventhright，greenbaize。”Thisisan
assignation。Wemayfindajealoushusbandatthebottomofitall。It
wasclearlyadangerousquest。Shewouldnothavesaid”Godspeed”
haditnotbeenso。”D”-thatshouldbeaguide。”
“ThemanwasaSpaniard。Isuggestthat”D”standsforDolores，a
commonfemalenameinSpain。”
“Good，Watson，verygood-butquiteinadmissible。ASpaniardwould
writetoaSpaniardinSpanish。Thewriterofthisnoteiscertainly
English。Well，wecanonlypossessoursoulsinpatienceuntilthis
excellentinspectorcomesbackforus。Meanwhilewecanthankour
luckyfatewhichhasrescuedusforafewshorthoursfromthe
insufferablefatiguesofidleness。”
AnanswerhadarrivedtoHolmes”stelegrambeforeourSurreyofficer
hadreturned。Holmesreaditandwasabouttoplaceitinhisnotebook
whenhecaughtaglimpseofmyexpectantface。Hetosseditacross
withalaugh。
“Wearemovinginexaltedcircles，“saidhe。
Thetelegramwasalistofnamesandaddresses：
LordHarringby，TheDingle；SirGeorgeFfolliott，OxshottTowers；
Mr。HynesHynes，J。P。，PurdeyPlace；Mr。JamesBakerWilliams，Forton
OldHall；Mr。Henderson，HighGable；Rev。JoshuaStone，Nether
Walsling。
“Thisisaveryobviouswayoflimitingourfieldofoperations，“
saidHolmes。“NodoubtBaynes，withhismethodicalmind，hasalready
adoptedsomesimilarplan。”
“Idon”tquiteunderstand。”
“Well，mydearfellow，wehavealreadyarrivedattheconclusion
thatthemessagereceivedbyGarciaatdinnerwasanappointmentoran
assignation。Now，iftheobviousreadingofitiscorrectandinorder
tokeepthistrystonehastoascendamainstairandseektheseventh
doorinacorridor，itisperfectlyclearthatthehouseisavery
largeone。Itisequallycertainthatthishousecannotbemorethana
mileortwofromOxshott，sinceGarciawaswalkinginthatdirection
andhoped，accordingtomyreadingofthefacts，tobebackin
WisteriaLodgeintimetoavailhimselfofanalibi，whichwould
onlybevaliduptooneo”clock。Asthenumberoflargehousesclose
toOxshottmustbelimited，Iadoptedtheobviousmethodofsendingto
theagentsmentionedbyScottEcclesandobtainingalistofthem。
Heretheyareinthistelegram，andtheotherendofourtangledskein
mustlieamongthem。”
Itwasnearlysixo”clockbeforewefoundourselvesinthepretty
SurreyvillageofEsher，withInspectorBaynesasourcompanion。
HolmesandIhadtakenthingsforthenight，andfoundcomfortable
quartersattheBull。Finallywesetoutinthecompanyofthe
detectiveonourvisittoWisteriaLodge。Itwasacold，darkMarch
evening，withasharpwindandafinerainbeatinguponourfaces，a
fitsettingforthewildcommonoverwhichourroadpassedandthe
tragicgoaltowhichitledus。
2。TheTigerofSanPedro
Acoldandmelancholywalkofacoupleofmilesbroughtustoahigh
woodengate，whichopenedintoagloomyavenueofchestnuts。The
curvedandshadoweddriveledustoalow，darkhouse，pitch-black
againstaslate-colouredsky。Fromthefrontwindowupontheleftof
thedoortherepeepedaglimmerofafeeblelight。
“There”saconstableinpossession，“saidBaynes。“I”llknockatthe
window。”Hesteppedacrossthegrassplotandtappedwithhishand
onthepane。ThroughthefoggedglassIdimlysawamanspringupfrom
achairbesidethefire，andheardasharpcryfromwithintheroom。
Aninstantlaterawhite-faced，hard-breathingpolicemanhadopened
thedoor，thecandlewaveringinhistremblinghand。
“What”sthematter，Walters？“askedBaynessharply。
Themanmoppedhisforeheadwithhishandkerchiefandgavealong
sighofrelief。
“Iamgladyouhavecome，sir。Ithasbeenalongevening，andI
don”tthinkmynerveisasgoodasitwas。”
“Yournerve，Walters？Ishouldnothavethoughtyouhadanervein
yourbody。”
“Well，sir，it”sthislonely，silenthouseandthequeerthingin
thekitchen。ThenwhenyoutappedatthewindowIthoughtithad
comeagain。”
“Thatwhathadcomeagain？“
“Thedevil，sir，forallIknow。Itwasatthewindow。”
“Whatwasatthewindow，andwhen？“
“Itwasjustabouttwohoursago。Thelightwasjustfading。Iwas
sittingreadinginthechair。Idon”tknowwhatmademelookup，but
therewasafacelookinginatmethroughthelowerpane。Lord，sir，
whatafaceitwas！I”llseeitinmydreams。”
“Tut，tut，Walters。Thisisnottalkforapolice-constable。”
“Iknow，sir，Iknow；butitshookme，sir，andthere”snouseto
denyit。Itwasn”tblack，sir，norwasitwhite，noranycolourthatI
know，butakindofqueershadelikeclaywithasplashofmilkinit。
Thentherewasthesizeofit-itwastwiceyours，sir。Andthelook
ofit-thegreatstaringgoggleeyes，andthelineofwhiteteethlike
ahungrybeast。Itellyou，sir，Icouldn”tmoveafinger，norget
mybreath，tillitwhiskedawayandwasgone。OutIranandthrough
theshrubbery，butthankGodtherewasnoonethere。”
“IfIdidn”tknowyouwereagoodman，Walters，Ishouldputablack
markagainstyouforthis。Ifitwerethedevilhimselfaconstableon
dutyshouldneverthankGodthathecouldnotlayhishandsupon
him。Isupposethewholethingisnotavisionandatouchofnerves？“
“That，atleast，isveryeasilysettled，“saidHolmes，lighting
hislittlepocketlantern。“Yes，“hereported，afterashort
examinationofthegrassbed，“anumbertwelveshoe，Ishouldsay。
Ifhewasallonthesamescaleashisfoothemustcertainlyhave
beenagiant。”
“Whatbecameofhim？“
“Heseemstohavebrokenthroughtheshrubberyandmadeforthe
road。”
“Well“saidtheinspectorwithagraveandthoughtfulface，“whoever
hemayhavebeen，andwhateverhemayhavewanted，he”sgoneforthe
presentandwehavemoreimmediatethingstoattendto。Now，Mr。
Holmes，withyourpermission，Iwillshowyouroundthehouse。”
Thevariousbedroomsandsitting-roomshadyieldednothingtoa
carefulsearch。Apparentlythetenantshadbroughtlittleornothing
withthem，andallthefurnituredowntothesmallestdetailhad
beentakenoverwiththehouse。Agooddealofclothingwiththestamp
ofMarxandCo。，HighHolborn，hadbeenleftbehind。Telegraphic
inquirieshadbeenalreadymadewhichshowedthatMarxknewnothingof
hiscustomersavethathewasagoodpayer。Oddsandends，somepipes，
afewnovels，twooftheminSpanish，anold-fashionedpinfire
revolver，andaguitarwereamongthepersonalproperty。
“Nothinginallthis“saidBaynes，stalking，candleinhand，from
roomtoroom。“Butnow，Mr。Holmes，Iinviteyourattentiontothe
kitchen。”
Itwasagloomy，high-ceilingedroomatthebackofthehouse，
withastrawlitterinonecorner，whichservedapparentlyasabed
forthecook。Thetablewaspiledwithhalf-eatendishesanddirty
plates，thedebrisoflastnight”sdinner。
“Lookatthis，“saidBaynes。“Whatdoyoumakeofit？“
Hehelduphiscandlebeforeanextraordinaryobjectwhichstood
atthebackofthedresser。Itwassowrinkledandshrunkenand
witheredthatitwasdifficulttosaywhatitmighthavebeen。One
couldbutsaythatitwasblackandleatheryandthatitboresome
resemblancetoadwarfish，humanfigure。Atfirst，asIexaminedit，I
thoughtthatitwasamummifiednegrobaby，andthenitseemeda
verytwistedandancientmonkey。FinallyIwasleftindoubtasto
whetheritwasanimalorhuman。Adoublebandofwhiteshellswas
strungroundthecentreofit。
“Veryinteresting-veryinteresting，indeed！“saidHolmes，peering
atthissinisterrelic。“Anythingmore？“
InsilenceBaynesledthewaytothesinkandheldforwardhis
candle。Thelimbsandbodyofsomelarge，whitebird，tornsavagelyto
pieceswiththefeathersstillon，werelitteredalloverit。Holmes
pointedtothewattlesontheseveredhead。
“Awhitecock，“saidhe。“Mostinteresting！Itisreallyavery
curiouscase。”
ButMr。Bayneshadkepthismostsinisterexhibittothelast。From
underthesinkhedrewazincpailwhichcontainedaquantityof
blood。Thenfromthetablehetookaplatterheapedwithsmall
piecesofcharredbone。
“Somethinghasbeenkilledandsomethinghasbeenburned。Weraked
alltheseoutofthefire。Wehadadoctorinthismorning。Hesays
thattheyarenothuman。”
Holmessmiledandrubbedhishands。
“Imustcongratulateyou，Inspector，onhandlingsodistinctive
andinstructiveacase。Yourpowers，ifImaysaysowithout
offence，seemsuperiortoyouropportunities。”
InspectorBaynes”ssmalleyestwinkledwithpleasure。
“You”reright，Mr。Holmes。Westagnateintheprovinces。Acaseof
thissortgivesamanachance，andIhopethatIshalltakeit。
Whatdoyoumakeofthesebones？“
“Alamb，Ishouldsay，orakid。”
“Andthewhitecock？“
“Curious，Mr。Baynes，verycurious。Ishouldsayalmostunique。”
“Yes，sir，theremusthavebeensomeverystrangepeoplewithsome
verystrangewaysinthishouse。Oneofthemisdead。Didhis
companionsfollowhimandkillhim？Iftheydidweshouldhavethem，
foreveryportiswatched。Butmyownviewsaredifferent。Yes，sir，
myownviewsareverydifferent。”
“Youhaveatheorythen？“
“AndI”llworkitmyself，Mr。Holmes。It”sonlyduetomyowncredit
todoso。Yournameismade，butIhavestilltomakemine。Ishould
begladtobeabletosayafterwardsthatIhadsolveditwithoutyour
help。”
Holmeslaughedgood-humouredly。
“Well，well，Inspector，“saidhe。“DoyoufollowyourpathandI
willfollowmine。Myresultsarealwaysverymuchatyourserviceif
youcaretoapplytomeforthem。IthinkthatIhaveseenallthat
Iwishinthishouse，andthatmytimemaybemoreprofitablyemployed
elsewhere。Aurevoirandgoodluck！“
Icouldtellbynumeroussubtlesigns，whichmighthavebeenlost
uponanyonebutmyself，thatHolmeswasonahotscent。Asimpassive
asevertothecasualobserver，therewerenonethelessasubdued
eagernessandsuggestionoftensioninhisbrightenedeyesandbrisker
mannerwhichassuredmethatthegamewasafoot。Afterhishabithe
saidnothing，andaftermineIaskednoquestions。Sufficientforme
tosharethesportandlendmyhumblehelptothecapturewithout
distractingthatintentbrainwithneedlessinterruption。Allwould
comeroundtomeinduetime。
Iwaited，therefore-buttomyever-deepeningdisappointmentI
waitedinvain。Daysucceededday，andmyfriendtooknostepforward。
Onemorninghespentintown，andIlearnedfromacasualreference
thathehadvisitedtheBritishMuseum。Saveforthisoneexcursion，
hespenthisdaysinlongandoftensolitarywalks，orinchatting
withanumberofvillagegossipswhoseacquaintancehehadcultivated。
“I”msure，Watson，aweekinthecountrywillbeinvaluabletoyou，“
heremarked。“Itisverypleasanttoseethefirstgreenshootsupon
thehedgesandthecatkinsonthehazelsonceagain。Withaspud，a
tinbox，andanelementarybookonbotany，thereareinstructive
daystobespent。”Heprowledaboutwiththisequipmenthimself，but
itwasapoorshowofplantswhichhewouldbringbackofanevening。
OccasionallyinourrambleswecameacrossInspectorBaynes。His
fat，redfacewreatheditselfinsmilesandhissmalleyesglittered
ashegreetedmycompanion。Hesaidlittleaboutthecase，butfrom
thatlittlewegatheredthathealsowasnotdissatisfiedatthe
courseofevents。Imustadmit，however，thatIwassomewhatsurprised
when，somefivedaysafterthecrime，Iopenedmymorningpaperto
findinlargeletters：
THEOXSHOTTMYSTERY
ASOLUTION
ARRESTOFSUPPOSEDASSASSIN
HolmesspranginhischairasifhehadbeenstungwhenIreadthe
headlines。
“ByJove！“hecried。“Youdon”tmeanthatBayneshasgothim？“
“Apparently，“saidIasIreadthefollowingreport：
“GreatexcitementwascausedinEsherandtheneighbouring
districtwhenitwaslearnedlatelastnightthatanarresthadbeen
effectedinconnectionwiththeOxshottmurder。Itwillbe
rememberedthatMr。Garcia，ofWisteriaLodge，wasfounddeadon
OxshottCommon，hisbodyshowingsignsofextremeviolence，andthat
onthesamenighthisservantandhiscookfled，whichappearedto
showparticipationinthecrime。Itwassuggested，butneverproved，
thatthegentlemanmayhavehadvaluablesinthehouse，andthattheir
abstractionwasthemotiveofthecrime。Everyeffortwasmadeby
InspectorBaynes，whohasthecaseinhand，toascertainthehiding
placeofthefugatives，andhehadgoodreasontobelievethatthey
hadnotgonefarbutwerelurkinginsomeretreatwhichhadbeen
alreadyprepared。Itwascertainfromthefirst，however，thatthey
wouldeventuallybedetected，asthecook，fromtheevidenceofoneor
twotrades-peoplewhohavecaughtaglimpseofhimthroughthewindow，
wasamanofmostremarkableappearance-beingahugeandhideous
mulatto，withyellowishfeaturesofapronouncednegroidtype。This
manhasbeenseensincethecrime，forhewasdetectedandpursued
byConstableWaltersonthesameevening，whenhehadtheaudacity
torevisitWisteriaLodge。InspectorBaynes，consideringthatsucha
visitmusthavesomepurposeinviewandwaslikely，therefore，to
berepeated，abandonedthehousebutleftanambuscadeinthe
shrubbery。Themanwalkintothetrapandwascapturedlastnight
afterastruggleinwhichConstableDowningwasbadlybittenbythe
savage。Weunderstandthatwhentheprisonerisbroughtbeforethe
magistratesaremandwillbeappliedforbythepolice，andthatgreat
developmentsarehopedfromhiscapture。”
“ReallywemustseeBaynesatonce，“criedHolmes，pickinguphis
hat。“Wewilljustcatchhimbeforehestarts。”Wehurrieddownthe
villagestreetandfound，aswehadexpected，thattheinspectorwas
justleavinghislodgings。
“You”veseenthepaper，Mr。Holmes？“heasked，holdingoneoutto
us。
“Yes，Baynes，I”veseenit。Praydon”tthinkitalibertyifI
giveyouawordoffriendlywarning。
“Ofwarning。Mr。Holmes？“
“Ihavelookedintothiscasewithsomecare，andIamnotconvinced
thatyouareontherightlines。Idon”twantyoutocommityourself
toofarunlessyouaresure。”
“You”reverykind，Mr。Holmes。”
“IassureyouIspeakforyourgood。”
Itseemedtomethatsomethinglikeawinkquiveredforaninstant
overoneofMr。Baynes”stinyeyes。
“Weagreedtoworkonourownlines，Mr。Holmes。That”swhatIam
doing。”
“Oh，verygood，“saidHolmes。“Don”tblameme。”
“No，sir；Ibelieveyoumeanwellbyme。Butweallhaveourown
systems，Mr。Holmes。Youhaveyours，andmaybeIhavemine。”
“Letussaynomoreaboutit。”
“You”rewelcomealwaystomynews。Thisfellowisaperfect
savage，asstrongasacart-horseandasfierceasthedevil。He
chewedDowning”sthumbnearlyoffbeforetheycouldmasterhim。He
hardlyspeaksawordofEnglish，andwecangetnothingoutofhimbut
grunts。”
“Andyouthinkyouhaveevidencethathemurderedhislatemaster？“
“Ididn”tsayso，Mr。Holmes；Ididn”tsayso。Weallhaveour
littleways。YoutryyoursandIwilltrymine。That”stheagreement。”
Holmesshruggedhisshouldersaswewalkedawaytogether。“Ican”t
makethemanout。Heseemstoberidingforafall。Well，ashe
says，wemusteachtryourownwayandseewhatcomesofit。But
there”ssomethinginInspectorBayneswhichIcan”tquiteunderstand。”
“Justsitdowninthatchair，Watson，“saidSherlockHolmeswhen
wehadreturnedtoourapartmentattheBull。“Iwanttoputyouin
touchwiththesituation，asImayneedyourhelpto-night。Letme
showyoutheevolutionofthiscasesofarasIhavebeenableto
followit。Simpleasithasbeeninitsleadingfeatures，ithas
nonethelesspresentedsurprisingdifficultiesinthewayofan
arrest。Therearegapsinthatdirectionwhichwehavestilltofill。
“WewillgobacktothenotewhichwashandedintoGarciaupon
theeveningofhisdeath。WemayputasidethisideaofBaynes”s
thatGarcia”sservantswereconcernedinthematter。Theproofofthis
liesinthefactthatitwashewhohadarrangedforthepresenceof
ScottEccles，whichcouldonlyhavebeendoneforthepurposeofan
alibi。ItwasGarcia，then，whohadanenterprise，andapparentlya
criminalenterprise，inhandthatnightinthecourseofwhichhe
methisdeath。Isay”criminal”becauseonlyamanwithacriminal
enterprisedesirestoestablishanalibi。Who，then，ismostlikelyto
havetakenhislife？Surelythepersonagainstwhomthecriminal
enterprisewasdirected。Sofaritseemstomethatweareonsafe
ground。
“WecannowseeareasonforthedisappearanceofGarcia”s
household。Theywereallconfederatesinthesameunknowncrime。Ifit
cameoffwhenGarciareturned，anypossiblesuspicionwouldbe
wardedoffbytheEnglishman”sevidence，andallwouldbewell。But
theattemptwasadangerousone，andifGarciadidnotreturnbya
certainhouritwasprobablethathisownlifehadbeensacrificed。It
hadbeenarranged，therefore，thatinsuchacasehistwosubordinates
weretomakeforsomeprearrangedspotwheretheycouldescape
investigationandbeinapositionafterwardstorenewtheir
attempt。Thatwouldfullyexplainthefacts，woulditnot？“
Thewholeinexplicabletangleseemedtostraightenoutbeforeme。
Iwondered，asIalwaysdid，howithadnotbeenobvioustomebefore。
“Butwhyshouldoneservantreturn？“
“Wecanimaginethatintheconfusionofflightsomething
precious，somethingwhichhecouldnotbeartopartwith，hadbeen
leftbehind。Thatwouldexplainhispersistence，woulditnot？“
“Well，whatisthenextstep？“
“ThenextstepisthenotereceivedbyGarciaatthedinner。It
indicatesaconfederateattheotherend。Now，wherewastheother
end？Ihavealreadyshownyouthatitcouldonlylieinsomelarge
house，andthatthenumberoflargehouses，islimited。Myfirst
daysinthisvillageweredevotedtoaseriesofwalksinwhichinthe
intervalsofmybotanicalresearchesImadeareconnaissanceofall
thelargehousesandanexaminationofthefamilyhistoryofthe
occupants。Onehouse，andonlyone，rivetedmyattention。Itisthe
famousoldJacobeangrangeofHighGable，onemileonthefartherside
ofOxshott，andlessthanhalfamilefromthesceneofthetragedy。
Theothermansionsbelongedtoprosaicandrespectablepeoplewholive
faralooffromromance。ButMr。Henderson，ofHighGable，wasbyall
accountsacuriousmantowhomcuriousadventuresmightbefall。I
concentratedmyattention，therefore，uponhimandhishousehold。
“Asingularsetofpeople，Watson-themanhimselfthemostsingular
ofthemall。Imanagedtoseehimonaplausiblepretext，butIseemed
toreadinhisdark，deep-set，broodingeyesthathewasperfectly
awareofmytruebusiness。Heisamanoffifty，strong，active，
withiron-grayhair，greatbunchedblackeyebrows，thestepofadeer，
andtheairofanemperor-afierce，masterfulman，withared-hot
spiritbehindhisparchmentface。Heiseitheraforeignerorhas
livedlonginthetropics，forheisyellowandsapless，buttough
aswhipcord。Hisfriendandsecretary，Mr。Lucas，isundoubtedlya
foreigner，chocolatebrown，wily，suave，andcatlike，withapoisonous
gentlenessofspeech。Yousee，Watson，wehavecomealreadyupontwo
setsofforeigners-oneatWisteriaLodgeandoneatHighGable-so
ourgapsarebeginningtoclose。
“Thesetwomen，closeandconfidentialfriends，arethecentreof
thehousehold；butthereisoneotherpersonwhoforourimmediate
purposemaybeevenmoreimportant。Hendersonhastwochildren-
girlsofelevenandthirteen。TheirgovernessisaMissBurnet，an
Englishwomanoffortyorthereabouts。Thereisalsooneconfidential
manservant。Thislittlegroupformstherealfamily，fortheytravel
abouttogether，andHendersonisagreattraveller，alwaysonthe
move。Itisonlywithinthelastfewweeksthathehasreturned，after
ayear”sabsence，toHighGable。Imayaddthatheisenormouslyrich，
andwhateverhiswhimsmaybehecanveryeasilysatisfythem。Forthe
rest，hishouseisfullofbutlers，footmen，maidservants，andthe
usualoverfed，underworkedstaffofalargeEnglishcountry-house。
“SomuchIlearnedpartlyfromvillagegossipandpartlyfrommyown
observation。Therearenobetterinstrumentsthandischarged
servantswithagrievance，andIwasluckyenoughtofindone。I
callitluck，butitwouldnothavecomemywayhadInotbeenlooking
outforit。AsBaynesremarks，weallhaveoursystems。Itwasmy
systemwhichenabledmetofindJohnWarner，lategardenerofHigh
Gable，sackedinamomentoftemperbyhisimperiousemployer。Hein
turnhadfriendsamongtheindoorservantswhouniteintheirfearand
dislikeoftheirmaster。SoIhadmykeytothesecretsofthe
establishment。
“Curiouspeople，Watson！Idon”tpretendtounderstanditallyet，
butverycuriouspeopleanyway。It”sadouble-wingedhouse，andthe
servantsliveononeside，thefamilyontheother。There”snolink
betweenthetwosaveforHenderson”sownservant，whoservesthe
family”smeals。Everythingiscarriedtoacertaindoor，whichforms
theoneconnection。Governessandchildrenhardlygooutatall，
exceptintothegarden。Hendersonneverbyanychancewalksalone。His
darksecretaryislikehisshadow。Thegossipamongtheservantsis
thattheirmasteristerriblyafraidofsomething。”Soldhissoulto
thedevilinexchangeformoney”saysWarner，”andexpectshis
creditortocomeupandclaimhisown。”Wheretheycamefrom，orwho
theyare，nobodyhasanidea。Theyareveryviolent。TwiceHenderson
haslashedatfolkwithhisdog-whip，andonlyhislongpurseand
heavycompensationhavekepthimoutofthecourts。
“Well，now，Watson，letusjudgethesituationbythisnew
information。Wemaytakeitthatthelettercameoutofthisstrange
householdandwasaninvitationtoGarciatocarryoutsomeattempt
whichhadalreadybeenplanned。Whowrotethenote？Itwassomeone
withinthecitadel，anditwasawoman。WhothenbutMissBurnet，
thegoverness？Allourreasoningseemstopointthatway。Atanyrate，
wemaytakeitasahypothesisandseewhatconsequencesitwould
entail。ImayaddthatMissBurnet”sageandcharactermakeitcertain
thatmyfirstideathattheremightbealoveinterestinourstoryis
outofthequestion。
“Ifshewrotethenoteshewaspresumablythefriendandconfederate
ofGarcia。What，then，mightshebeexpectedtodoifsheheardofhis
death？Ifhemetitinsomenefariousenterpriseherlipsmightbe
sealed。Still，inherheart，shemustretainbitternessandhatred
againstthosewhohadkilledhimandwouldpresumablyhelpsofaras
shecouldtohaverevengeuponthem。Couldweseeher，then，andtry
touseher？Thatwasmyfirstthought。Butnowwecometoasinister
fact。MissBurnethasnotbeenseenbyanyhumaneyesincethenight
ofthemurder。Fromthateveningshehasutterlyvanished。Isshe
alive？Hassheperhapsmetherendonthesamenightasthefriend
whomshehadsummoned？Orisshemerelyaprisoner？Thereisthepoint
whichwestillhavetodecide。
“Youwillappreciatethedifficultyofthesituation，Watson。
Thereisnothinguponwhichwecanapplyforawarrant。Ourwhole
schememightseemfantasticiflaidbeforeamagistrate。Thewoman”s
disappearancecountsfornothing，sinceinthatextraordinary
householdanymemberofitmightbeinvisibleforaweek。Andyet
shemayatthepresentmomentbeindangerofherlife。AllIcando
istowatchthehouseandleavemyagent，Warner，onguardatthe
gates。Wecan”tletsuchasituationcontinue。Ifthelawcando
nothingwemusttaketheriskourselves。”
“Whatdoyousuggest？“
“Iknowwhichisherroom。Itisaccessiblefromthetopofan
outhouse。MysuggestionisthatyouandIgoto-nightandseeifwe
canstrikeattheveryheartofthemystery。”
Itwasnot，Imustconfess，averyalluringprospect。Theold
housewithitsatmosphereofmurder，thesingularandformidable
inhabitants，theunknowndangersoftheapproach，andthefactthatwe
wereputtingourselveslegallyinafalsepositionallcombinedto
dampmyardour。Buttherewassomethingintheice-coldreasoningof
Holmeswhichmadeitimpossibletoshrinkfromanyadventurewhich
hemightrecommend。Oneknewthatthus，andonlythus，coulda
solutionbefound。Iclaspedhishandinsilence，andthediewas
cast。
Butitwasnotdestinedthatourinvestigationshouldhaveso
adventurousanending。Itwasaboutfiveo”clock，andtheshadowsof
theMarcheveningwerebeginningtofall，whenanexcitedrustic
rushedintoourroom。
“They”vegone，Mr。Holmes。Theywentbythelasttrain。Thelady
brokeaway，andI”vegotherinacabdownstairs。”
“Excellent，Warner！“criedHolmes，springingtohisfeet。“Watson，
thegapsareclosingrapidly。”
Inthecabwasawoman，half-collapsedfromnervousexhaustion。
Sheboreuponheraquilineandemaciatedfacethetracesofsome
recenttragedy。Herheadhunglistlesslyuponherbreastbutasshe
raiseditandturnedherduneyesuponusIsawthatherpupilswere
darkdotsinthecentreofthebroadgrayiris。Shewasdruggedwith
opium。
“Iwatchedatthegate，sameasyouadvised，Mr。Holmes，“saidour
emissary，thedischargedgardener。“WhenthecarriagecameoutI
followedittothestation。Shewaslikeonewalkinginhersleep，but
whentheytriedtogetherintothetrainshecametolifeand
struggled。Theypushedherintothecarriage。Shefoughtherwayout
again。Itookherpart，gotherintoacab，andhereweare。I
shan”tforgetthefaceatthecarriagewindowasIledheraway。I”d
haveashortlifeifhehadhisway-theblack-eyed，scowling，
yellowdevil。”
Wecarriedherupstairs，laidheronthesofa，andacoupleof
cupsofthestrongestcoffeesoonclearedherbrainfromthemists
ofthedrug。BayneshadbeensummonedbyHolmes，andthesituation
rapidlyexplainedtohim。
“Why，sir，you”vegotmetheveryevidenceIwant，“saidthe
inspectorwarmly，shakingmyfriendbythehand。“Iwasonthesame
scentasyoufromthefirst。”
“What！YouwereafterHenderson？“
“Why，Mr。Holmes，whenyouwerecrawlingintheshrubberyatHigh
GableIwasuponeofthetreesintheplantationandsawyoudown
below。Itwasjustwhowouldgethisevidencefirst。”
“Thenwhydidyouarrestthemulatto？“
Bayneschuckled。
“IwassureHenderson，ashecallshimself，feltthathewas
suspected，andthathewouldlielowandmakenomovesolongashe
thoughthewasinanydanger。Iarrestedthewrongmantomakehim
believethatoureyeswereoffhim。Iknewhewouldbelikelytoclear
offthenandgiveusachanceofgettingatMissBurnet。”
Holmeslaidhishandupontheinspector”sshoulder。
“Youwillrisehighinyourprofession。Youhaveinstinctand
intuition，“saidhe。
Baynesflushedwithpleasure。
“I”vehadaplain-clothesmanwaitingatthestationalltheweek。
WherevertheHighGablefolkgohewillkeeptheminsight。Buthe
musthavebeenhardputtoitwhenMissBurnetbrokeaway。However，
yourmanpickedherup，anditallendswell。Wecan”tarrest
withoutherevidence，thatisclear，sothesoonerwegeta
statementthebetter。”
“Everyminuteshegetsstronger，“saidHolmes，glancingatthe
governess。“Buttellme，Baynes。whoisthismanHenderson？“
“Henderson，“theinspectoranswered，“isDonMurillo，oncecalled
theTigerofSanPedro。”
TheTigerofSanPedro！Thewholehistoryofthemancamebacktome
inaflash。Hehadmadehisnameasthemostlewdandbloodthirsty
tyrantthathadevergovernedanycountrywithapretenceto
civilization。Strong，fearless，andenergetic，hehadsufficient
virtuetoenablehimtoimposehisodiousvicesuponacoweringpeople
fortenortwelveyears。HisnamewasaterrorthroughallCentral
America。Attheendofthattimetherewasauniversalrising
againsthim。Buthewasascunningashewascruel，andatthefirst
whisperofcomingtroublehehadsecretlyconveyedhistreasures
aboardashipwhichwasmannedbydevotedadherents。Itwasanempty
palacewhichwasstormedbytheinsurgentsnextday。Thedictator，his
twochildren，hissecretary，andhiswealthhadallescapedthem。From
thatmomenthehadvanishedfromtheworld，andhisidentityhad
beenafrequentsubjectforcommentintheEuropeanpress。
“Yes，sir，DonMurillo，theTigerofSanPedro，“saidBaynes。“If
youlookitupyouwillfindthattheSanPedrocoloursaregreen
andwhite，sameasinthenote，Mr。Holmes。Hendersonhecalled
himself，butItracedhimback，ParisandRomeandMadridto
Barcelona，wherehisshipcameinin”86。They”vebeenlookingforhim
allthetimefortheirrevenge，butitisonlynowthattheyhave
beguntofindhimout。”
“Theydiscoveredhimayearago，“saidMissBurnet，whohadsatup
andwasnowintentlyfollowingtheconversation。“Oncealreadyhis
lifehasbeenattempted，butsomeevilspiritshieldedhim。Now，
again，itisthenoble，chivalrousGarciawhohasfallen，whilethe
monstergoessafe。Butanotherwillcome，andyetanother，until
somedayjusticewillbedone，thatisascertainastheriseof
to-morrow”ssun。”Herthinhandsclenched，andherwornface
blanchedwiththepassionofherhatred。
“Buthowcomeyouintothismatter，MissBurnet？“askedHolmes。“How
cananEnglishladyjoininsuchamurderousaffair？“
“Ijoininitbecausethereisnootherwayintheworldbywhich
justicecanbegained。WhatdoesthelawofEnglandcareforthe
riversofbloodshedyearsagoinSanPedro，orfortheshiploadof
treasurewhichthismanhasstolen？Toyoutheyarelikecrimes
committedinsomeotherplanet。Butweknow。Wehavelearnedthetruth
insorrowandinsuffering。Tousthereisnofiendinhelllike
JuanMurillo，andnopeaceinlifewhilehisvictimsstillcryfor
vengeance。”
“Nodoubt“saidHolmes，“hewasasyousay。Ihaveheardthathewas
atrocious。Buthowareyouaffected？“
“Iwilltellyouitall。Thisvillain”spolicywastomurder，onone
pretextoranother，everymanwhoshowedsuchpromisethathemightin
timecometobeadangerousrival。Myhusband-yes，myrealnameis
SiporaVictorDurando-wastheSanPedroministerinLondon。Hemetme
andmarriedmethere。Anoblermanneverliveduponearth。
Unhappily，Murilloheardofhisexcellence，recalledhimonsome
pretext，andhadhimshot。Withapremonitionofhisfatehehad
refusedtotakemewithhim。Hisestateswereconfiscated，andIwas
leftwithapittanceandabrokenheart。
“Thencamethedownfallofthetyrant。Heescapedasyouhavejust
described。Butthemanywhoseliveshehadmined，whosenearestand
dearesthadsufferedtortureanddeathathishands，wouldnotletthe
matterrest。Theybandedthemselvesintoasocietywhichshould
neverbedissolveduntiltheworkwasdone。Itwasmypartafterwe
haddiscoveredinthetransformedHendersonthefallendespot，to
attachmyselftohishouseholdandkeeptheothersintouchwithhis
movements。ThisIwasabletodobysecuringthepositionofgoverness
inhisfamily。Helittleknewthatthewomanwhofacedhimatevery
mealwasthewomanwhosehusbandhehadhurriedatanhour”snotice
intoeternity。Ismiledonhim，didmydutytohischildren，andbided
mytime。AnattemptwasmadeinParisandfailed。Wezig-zagged
swiftlyhereandthereoverEuropetothrowoffthepursuersand
finallyreturnedtothishouse，whichhehadtakenuponhisfirst
arrivalinEngland。
“Butherealsotheministersofjusticewerewaiting。Knowingthat
hewouldreturnthere，Garcia，whoisthesonoftheformerhighest
dignitaryinSanPedro，waswaitingwithtwotrustycompanionsof
humblestation，allthreefiredwiththesamereasonsforrevenge。
Hecoulddolittleduringtheday，forMurillotookeveryprecaution
andneverwentoutsavewithhissatelliteLucas，orLopezashewas
knowninthedaysofhisgreatness。Atnight，however，hesleptalone，
andtheavengermightfindhim。Onacertainevening，whichhadbeen
prearranged，Isentmyfriendfinalinstructions，forthemanwas
foreveronthealertandcontinuallychangedhisroom。Iwastosee
thatthedoorswereopenandthesignalofagreenorwhitelightina
windowwhichfacedthedrivewastogivenoticeifallwassafeor
iftheattempthadbetterbepostponed。
“Buteverythingwentwrongwithus。InsomewayIhadexcitedthe
suspicionofLopez，thesecretary。Hecreptupbehindmeandsprang
uponmejustasIhadfinishedthenote。Heandhismasterdragged
metomyroomandheldjudgmentuponmeasaconvictedtraitress。Then
andtheretheywouldhaveplungedtheirknivesintomecouldtheyhave
seenhowtoescapetheconsequencesofthedeed。Finally，aftermuch
debate，theyconcludedthatmymurderwastoodangerous。Butthey
determinedtogetridforeverofGarcia。Theyhadgaggedme，and
MurillotwistedmyarmrounduntilIgavehimtheaddress。Iswear
thathemighthavetwisteditoffhadIunderstoodwhatitwould
meantoGarcia。LopezaddressedthenotewhichIhadwritten，scaled
itwithhissleeve-link，andsentitbythehandoftheservant
Jose。HowtheymurderedhimIdonotknow，savethatitwas
Murillo”shandthatstruckhimdown，forLopezhadremainedtoguard
me。Ibelievehemusthaveawaitedamongthegorsebushesthrough
whichthepathwindsandstruckhimdownashepassed。Atfirstthey
wereofamindtolethimenterthehouseandkillhimasadetected
burglar，buttheyarguedthatiftheyweremixedupinaninquiry
theirownidentitywouldatoncebepubliclydisclosedandthey
wouldbeopentofurtherattacks。WiththedeathofGarcia，the
pursuitmightcease，sincesuchadeathmightfrightenothersfromthe
task。
“Allwouldnowhavebeenwellforthemhaditnotbeenformy
knowledgeofwhattheyhaddone。Ihavenodoubtthatthereweretimes
whenmylifehunginthebalance。Iwasconfinedtomyroom，
terrorizedbythemosthorriblethreats，cruellyill-usedtobreak
myspirit-seethisstabonmyshoulderandthebruisesfromendto
endofmyarms-andagagwasthrustintomymouthontheoneoccasion
whenItriedtocallfromthewindow。Forfivedaysthiscruel
imprisonmentcontinued，withhardlyenoughfoodtoholdbodyand
soultogether。Thisafternoonagoodlunchwasbroughtme，butthe
momentafterItookitIknewthatIhadbeendrugged。Inasortof
dreamIrememberbeinghalf-led，half-carriedtothecarriage，in
thesamestateIwasconveyedtothetrain。Onlythen，whenthewheels
werealmostmoving，didIsuddenlyrealizethatmylibertylayinmy
ownhands。Isprangout，theytriedtodragmeback，andhaditnot
beenforthehelpofthisgoodman，wholedmetothecab，Ishould
neverhavebrokenaway。Now，thankGod，Iambeyondtheirpower
forever。”