“Well，well，givehimthatmessage。Hecancomeinthemorning，or
hecanstayaway。Myworkmustnotbehindered。”
IthoughtofHolmestossinguponhisbedofsicknessandcounting
theminutes，perhaps，untilIcouldbringhelptohim。Itwasnota
timetostanduponceremony。Hislifedependeduponmypromptness。
BeforetheapologeticbutlerhaddeliveredhismessageIhadpushed
pasthimandwasintheroom。
Withashrillcryofangeramanrosefromarecliningchair
besidethefire。Isawagreatyellowface，coarse-grainedandgreasy，
withheavy，double-chin，andtwosullen，menacinggrayeyeswhich
glaredatmefromundertuftedandsandybrows。Ahighbaldheadhada
smallvelvetsmoking-cappoisedcoquettishlyupononesideofitspink
curve。Theskullwasofenormouscapacity，andyetasIlookeddown
Isawtomyamazementthatthefigureofthemanwassmalland
frail，twistedintheshouldersandbacklikeonewhohassuffered
fromricketsinhischildhood。
“What”sthis？“hecriedinahigh，screamingvoice。“Whatisthe
meaningofthisintrusion？Didn”tIsendyouwordthatIwouldseeyou
to-morrowmorning？“
“Iamsorry，“saidI，“butthemattercannotbedelayed。Mr。
SherlockHolmes-“
Thementionofmyfriend”snamehadanextraordinaryeffectuponthe
littleman。Thelookofangerpassedinaninstantfromhisface。
Hisfeaturesbecametenseandalert。
“HaveyoucomefromHolmes？“heasked。
“Ihavejustlefthim。”
“WhataboutHolmes？Howishe？“
“Heisdesperatelyill。ThatiswhyIhavecome。”
Themanmotionedmetoachair，andturnedtoresumehisown。As
hedidsoIcaughtaglimpseofhisfaceinthemirroroverthe
mantelpiece。Icouldhaveswornthatitwassetinamaliciousand
abominablesmile。YetIpersuadedmyselfthatitmusthavebeensome
nervouscontractionwhichIhadsurprised，forheturnedtomean
instantlaterwithgenuineconcernuponhisfeatures。
“Iamsorrytohearthis，“saidhe。“IonlyknowMr。Holmes
throughsomebusinessdealingswhichwehavehad，butIhaveevery
respectforhistalentsandhischaracter。Heisanamateurof
crime，asIamofdisease。Forhimthevillain，formethemicrobe。
Therearemyprisons，“hecontinued，pointingtoarowofbottles
andjarswhichstooduponasidetable。“Amongthosegelatine
cultivationssomeoftheveryworstoffendersintheworldarenow
doingtime。”
“ItwasonaccountofyourspecialknowledgethatMr。Holmesdesired
toseeyou。Hehasahighopinionofyouandthoughtthatyouwerethe
onemaninLondonwhocouldhelphim。”
Thelittlemanstarted，andthejauntysmoking-capslidtothe
floor。
“Why？“heasked。“WhyshouldMr。HolmesthinkthatIcouldhelp
himinhistrouble？“
“BecauseofyourknowledgeofEasterndiseases。”
“Butwhyshouldhethinkthatthisdiseasewhichhehascontracted
isEastern？“
“Because，insomeprofessionalinquiry，hehasbeenworkingamong
Chinesesailorsdowninthedocks。”
Mr。CulvertonSmithsmiledpleasantlyandpickeduphissmoking-cap。
“Oh，that”sit-isit？“saidhe。“Itrustthematterisnotsograve
asyousuppose。Howlonghashebeenill？“
“Aboutthreedays。”
“Ishedelirious？“
“Occasionally。”
“Tut，tut！Thissoundsserious。Itwouldbeinhumannottoanswer
hiscall。Iverymuchresentanyinterruptiontomywork，Dr。
Watson，butthiscaseiscertainlyexceptional。Iwillcomewithyou
atonce。”
IrememberedHolmes”sinjunction。
“Ihaveanotherappointment，“saidI。
“Verygood。Iwillgoalone。IhaveanoteofMr。Holmes”s
address。Youcanrelyuponmybeingtherewithinhalfanhourat
most。”
ItwaswithasinkingheartthatIreenteredHolmes”sbedroom。For
allthatIknewtheworstmighthavehappenedinmyabsence。Tomy
enormousrelief，hehadimprovedgreatlyintheinterval。His
appearancewasasghastlyasever，butalltraceofdeliriumhad
lefthimandhespokeinafeeblevoice，itistrue，butwitheven
morethanhisusualcrispnessandlucidity。
“Well，didyouseehim，Watson？“
“Yes；heiscoming。”
“Admirable，Watson！Admirable！Youarethebestofmessengers。”
“Hewishedtoreturnwithme。”
“Thatwouldneverdo，Watson。Thatwouldbeobviouslyimpossible。
Didheaskwhatailedme？“
“ItoldhimabouttheChineseintheEastEnd。”
“Exactly！Well，Watson，youhavedoneallthatagoodfriend
could。Youcannowdisappearfromthescene。”
“Imustwaitandhearhisopinion，Holmes。”
“Ofcourseyoumust。ButIhavereasonstosupposethatthisopinion
wouldbeverymuchmorefrankandvaluableifheimaginesthatwe
arealone。Thereisjustroombehindtheheadofmybed，Watson。”
“MydearHolmes！“
“Ifearthereisnoalternative，Watson。Theroomdoesnotlend
itselftoconcealment，whichisaswell，asitisthelesslikelyto
arousesuspicion。Butjustthere，Watson，Ifancythatitcouldbe
done。”Suddenlyhesatupwitharigidintentnessuponhishaggard
face。“Therearethewheels，Watson。Quick，man，ifyouloveme！And
don”tbudge，whateverhappens-whateverhappens，doyouhear？Don”t
speak！Don”tmove！Justlistenwithallyourears。”Theninaninstant
hissuddenaccessofstrengthdeparted，andhismasterful，
purposefultalkdronedawayintothelow，vaguemurmuringsofa
semi-deliriousman。
Fromthehiding-placeintowhichIhadbeensoswiftlyhustledI
heardthefootfallsuponthestair，withtheopeningandtheclosing
ofthebedroomdoor。“Then，tomysurprise，therecamealongsilence，
brokenonlybytheheavybreathingsandgaspingsofthesickman。I
couldimaginethatourvisitorwasstandingbythebedsideandlooking
downatthesufferer。Atlastthatstrangehushwasbroken。
“Holmes！“hecried。“Holmes！“intheinsistenttoneofonewho
awakensasleeper。“Can”tyouhearme，Holmes？“Therewasa
rustling，asifhehadshakenthesickmanroughlybytheshoulder。
“Isthatyou，Mr。Smith？“Holmeswhispered。“Ihardlydaredhope
thatyouwouldcome。”
Theotherlaughed。
“Ishouldimaginenot，“hesaid。“Andyet，yousee，Iamhere。Coals
offire，Holmes-coalsoffire！“
“Itisverygoodofyou-verynobleofyou。Iappreciateyour
specialknowledge。”
Ourvisitorsniggered，“Youdo。Youare，fortunately，theonlyman
inLondonwhodoes。Doyouknowwhatisthematterwithyou？“
“Thesame，“saidHolmes。
“Ah！Yourecognizethesymptoms？“
“Onlytoowell。”
“Well，Ishouldn”tbesurprised，Holmes。Ishouldn”tbesurprisedif
itwerethesame。Abadlookoutforyouifitis。PoorVictorwasa
deadmanonthefourthday-astrong，heartyyoungfellow。Itwas
certainly，asyousaid，verysurprisingthatheshouldhavecontracted
anout-of-the-wayAsiaticdiseaseintheheartofLondon-adisease，
too，ofwhichIhadmadesuchaveryspecialstudy。Singular
coincidence，Holmes。Verysmartofyoutonoticeit，butrather
uncharitabletosuggestthatitwascauseandeffect。”
“Iknewthatyoudidit。”
“Oh，youdid，didyou？Well，youcouldn”tproveit，anyhow。Butwhat
doyouthinkofyourselfspreadingreportsaboutmelikethat，and
thencrawlingtomeforhelpthemomentyouareintrouble？What
sortofagameisthat-eh？“
Iheardtherasping，labouredbreathingofthesickman。“Giveme
thewater！“hegasped。
“You”repreciousnearyourend，myfriend，butIdon”twantyouto
gotillIhavehadawordwithyou。That”swhyIgiveyouwater。
There，don”tslopitabout！That”sright。CanyouunderstandwhatI
say？“
Holmesgroaned。
“Dowhatyoucanforme。Letbygonesbebygones，“hewhispered。
“I”llputthewordsoutofmyhead-IswearIwill。Onlycureme，
andI”llforgetit。”
“Forgetwhat？“
“Well，aboutVictorSavage”sdeath。Youasgoodasadmittedjustnow
thatyouhaddoneit。I”llforgetit。”
“Youcanforgetitorrememberit，justasyoulike。Idon”tseeyou
inthewitnessbox。Quiteanothershapedbox，mygoodHolmes，I
assureyou。Itmattersnothingtomethatyoushouldknowhowmy
nephewdied。It”snothimwearetalkingabout。It”syou。”
“Yes，yes。”
“Thefellowwhocameforme-I”veforgottenhisname-saidthat
youcontracteditdownintheEastEndamongthesailors。”
“Icouldonlyaccountforitso。”
“Youareproudofyourbrains，Holmes，areyounot？Thinkyourself
smart，don”tyou？Youcameacrosssomeonewhowassmarterthistime。
Nowcastyourmindback，Holmes。Canyouthinkofnootherwayyou
couldhavegotthisthing？“
“Ican”tthink。Mymindisgone。Forheaven”ssakehelpme！“
“Yes，Iwillhelpyou。I”llhelpyoutounderstandjustwhereyou
areandhowyougotthere。I”dlikeyoutoknowbeforeyoudie。”
“Givemesomethingtoeasemypain。”
“Painful，isit？Yes，thecooliesusedtodosomesquealing
towardstheend。Takesyouascramp，Ifancy。”
“Yes，yes；itiscramp。”
“Well，youcanhearwhatIsay，anyhow。Listennow！Canyouremember
anyunusualincidentinyourlifejustaboutthetimeyoursymptoms
began？“
“No，no；nothing。”
“Thinkagain。”
“I”mtooilltothink。”
“Well，then，I”llhelpyou。Didanythingcomebypost？“
“Bypost？“
“Aboxbychance？“
“I”mfainting-I”mgone！“
“Listen，Holmes！“Therewasasoundasifhewasshakingthedying
man，anditwasallthatIcoulddotoholdmyselfquietinmy
hiding-place。“Youmusthearme。Youshallhearme。Doyouremember
abox-anivorybox？ItcameonWednesday。Youopenedit-doyou
remember？“
“Yes，yes，Iopenedit。Therewasasharpspringinsideit。Some
joke-“
“Itwasnojoke，asyouwillfindtoyourcost。Youfool，you
wouldhaveitandyouhavegotit。Whoaskedyoutocrossmypath？
IfyouhadleftmealoneIwouldnothavehurtyou。”
“Iremember，“Holmesgasped。“Thespring！Itdrewblood。Thisbox-
thisonthetable。”
“Theveryone，byGeorge！Anditmayaswellleavetheroominmy
pocket。Theregoesyourlastshredofevidence。Butyouhavethetruth
now，Holmes，andyoucandiewiththeknowledgethatIkilledyou。You
knewtoomuchofthefateofVictorSavage，soIhavesentyouto
shareit。Youareverynearyourend，Holmes。IwillsithereandI
willwatchyoudie。”
Holmes”svoicehadsunktoanalmostinaudiblewhisper。
“Whatisthat？“saidSmith。“Turnupthegas？Ah，theshadows
begintofall，dothey？Yes，Iwillturnitup，thatImayseeyouthe
better。”Hecrossedtheroomandthelightsuddenlybrightened。“Is
thereanyotherlittleservicethatIcandoyou，myfriend？“
“Amatchandacigarette。”
Inearlycalledoutinmyjoyandmyamazement。Hewasspeakingin
hisnaturalvoice-alittleweak，perhaps，buttheveryvoiceI
knew。Therewasalongpause，andIfeltthatCulvertonSmithwas
standinginsilentamazementlookingdownathiscompanion。
“What”sthemeaningofthis？“Iheardhimsayatlastinadry，
raspingtone。
“Thebestwayofsuccessfullyactingapartistobeit，“said
Holmes。“IgiveyoumywordthatforthreedaysIhavetasted
neitherfoodnordrinkuntilyouweregoodenoughtopourmeout
thatglassofwater。ButitisthetobaccowhichIfindmost
irksome。Ah，herearesomecigarettes。”Iheardthestrikingofa
match。Thatisverymuchbetter。Halloa！halloa！DoIhearthestepof
afriend？“
Therewerefootfallsoutside，thedooropened，andInspector
Mortonappeared。
“Allisinorderandthisisyourman，“saidHolmes。
Theofficergavetheusualcautions。
“IarrestyouonthechargeofthemurderofoneVictorSavage，“
heconcluded。
“AndyoumightaddoftheattemptedmurderofoneSherlock
Holmes，“remarkedmyfriendwithachuckle。“Tosaveaninvalid
trouble，Inspector，Mr。CulvertonSmithwasgoodenoughtogiveour
signalbyturningupthegas。Bytheway，theprisonerhasasmallbox
intheright-handpocketofhiscoatwhichitwouldbeaswellto
remove。Thankyou。IwouldhandleitgingerlyifIwereyou。Putit
downhere。Itmayplayitspartinthetrial。”
Therewasasuddenrushandascuffle，followedbytheclashofiron
andacryofpain。
“You”llonlygetyourselfhurt，“saidtheinspector。“Standstill，
willyou？“Therewastheclickoftheclosinghandcuffs。
“Anicetrap！“criedthehigh，snarlingvoice。“Itwillbringyou
intothedock，Holmes，notme。Heaskedmetocomeheretocurehim。I
wassorryforhimandIcame。Nowhewillpretend，nodoubt，thatI
havesaidanythingwhichhemayinventwhichwillcorroboratehis
insanesuspicions。Youcanlieasyoulike，Holmes。Mywordis
alwaysasgoodasyours。”
“Goodheavens！“criedHolmes。“Ihadtotallyforgottenhim。My
dearWatson，Ioweyouathousandapologies。TothinkthatIshould
haveoverlookedyou！IneednotintroduceyoutoMr。Culverton
Smith，sinceIunderstandthatyoumetsomewhatearlierinthe
evening。Haveyouthecabbelow？IwillfollowyouwhenIam
dressed，forImaybeofsomeuseatthestation。
“Ineverneededitmore，“saidHolmesasherefreshedhimselfwitha
glassofclaretandsomebiscuitsintheintervalsofhistoilet。
“However，asyouknow，myhabitsareirregular，andsuchafeat
meanslesstomethantomostmen。ItwasveryessentialthatIshould
impressMrs。Hudsonwiththerealityofmycondition，sinceshewasto
conveyittoyou，andyouinturntohim。Youwon”tbeoffended，
Watson？Youwillrealizethatamongyourmanytalentsdissimulation
findsnoplace，andthatifyouhadsharedmysecretyouwouldnever
havebeenabletoimpressSmithwiththeurgentnecessityofhis
presence，whichwasthevitalpointofthewholescheme。Knowinghis
vindictivenature，Iwasperfectlycertainthathewouldcometo
lookuponhishandiwork。”
“Butyourappearance，Holmes-yourghastlyface？“
“Threedaysofabsolutefastdoesnotimproveone”sbeauty，
Watson。Fortherest，thereisnothingwhichaspongemaynotcure。
Withvaselineuponone”sforehead，belladonnainone”seyes，rouge
overthecheek-bones，andcrustsofbeeswaxroundone”slips，avery
satisfyingeffectcanbeproduced。Malingeringisasubjectuponwhich
Ihavesometimesthoughtofwritingamonograph。Alittleoccasional
talkabouthalf-crowns，oysters，oranyotherextraneoussubject
producesapleasingeffectofdelirium。”
“Butwhywouldyounotletmenearyou，sincetherewasintruth
noinfection？“
“Canyouask，mydearWatson？DoyouimaginethatIhaveno
respectforyourmedicaltalents？CouldIfancythatyourastute
judgmentwouldpassadyingmanwho，howeverweak，hadnoriseof
pulseortemperature？Atfouryards，Icoulddeceiveyou。IfI
failedtodoso，whowouldbringmySmithwithinmygrasp？No，Watson，
Iwouldnottouchthatbox。Youcanjustseeifyoulookatit
sidewayswherethesharpspringlikeaviper”stoothemergesasyou
openit。IdaresayitwasbysomesuchdevicethatpoorSavage，who
stoodbetweenthismonsterandareversion，wasdonetodeath。My
correspondence，however，is，asyouknow，avariedone，andIam
somewhatuponmyguardagainstanypackageswhichreachme。Itwas
cleartome，however，thatmypretendingthathehadreally
succeededinhisdesignImightsurpriseaconfession。ThatpretenceI
havecarriedoutwiththethoroughnessofthetrueartist。Thank
you，Watson，youmusthelpmeonwithmycoat。Whenwehavefinished
atthepolicestationIcanthinkthatsomethingnutritiousat
Simpson”swouldnotbeoutofplace。”-
THEEND。
1903
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEEMPTYHOUSE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Itwasinthespringoftheyear1894thatallLondonwas
interested，andthefashionableworlddismayed，bythemurderofthe
HonourableRonaldAdairundermostunusualandinexplicable
circumstances。Thepublichasalreadylearnedthoseparticularsofthe
crimewhichcameoutinthepoliceinvestigation，butagooddeal
wassuppresseduponthatoccasion，sincethecaseforthe
prosecutionwassooverwhelminglystrongthatitwasnotnecessary
tobringforwardallthefacts。Onlynow，attheendofnearlyten
years，amIallowedtosupplythosemissinglinkswhichmakeupthe
wholeofthatremarkablechain。Thecrimewasofinterestinitself，
butthatinterestwasasnothingtomecomparedtotheinconceivable
sequel，whichaffordedmethegreatestshockandsurpriseofanyevent
inmyadventurouslife。Evennow，afterthislonginterval，Ifind
myselfthrillingasIthinkofit，andfeelingoncemorethatsudden
floodofjoy，amazement，andincredulitywhichutterlysubmergedmy
mind。Letmesaytothatpublic，whichhasshownsomeinterestin
thoseglimpseswhichIhaveoccasionallygiventhemofthethoughts
andactionsofaveryremarkableman，thattheyarenottoblamemeif
Ihavenotsharedmyknowledgewiththem，forIshouldhaveconsidered
itmyfirstdutytodoso，hadInotbeenbarredbyapositive
prohibitionfromhisownlips，whichwasonlywithdrawnuponthethird
oflastmonth。
ItcanbeimaginedthatmycloseintimacywithSherlockHolmeshad
interestedmedeeplyincrime，andthatafterhisdisappearanceI
neverfailedtoreadwithcarethevariousproblemswhichcame
beforethepublic。AndIevenattempted，morethanonce，formyown
privatesatisfaction，toemployhismethodsintheirsolution，
thoughwithindifferentsuccess。Therewasnone，however，which
appealedtomelikethistragedyofRonaldAdair。AsIreadthe
evidenceattheinquest，whichleduptoaverdictofwillfulmurder
againstsomepersonorpersonsunknown，IrealizedmoreclearlythanI
hadeverdonethelosswhichthecommunityhadsustainedbythe
deathofSherlockHolmes。Therewerepointsaboutthisstrange
businesswhichwould，Iwassure，havespeciallyappealedtohim，
andtheeffortsofthepolicewouldhavebeensupplemented，ormore
probablyanticipated，bythetrainedobservationandthealertmindof
thefirstcriminalagentinEurope。Allday，asIdroveuponmyround，
Iturnedoverthecaseinmymindandfoundnoexplanationwhich
appearedtometobeadequate。Attheriskoftellingatwice-told
tale，Iwillrecapitulatethefactsastheywereknowntothepublic
attheconclusionoftheinquest。
TheHonourableRonaldAdairwasthesecondsonoftheEarlof
Maynooth，atthattimegovernorofoneoftheAustraliancolonies。
Adair”smotherhadreturnedfromAustraliatoundergotheoperation
forcataract，andshe，hersonRonald，andherdaughterHildawere
livingtogetherat427ParkLane。Theyouthmovedinthebestsociety-
had，sofaraswasknown，noenemiesandnoparticularvices。Hehad
beenengagedtoMissEdithWoodley，ofCarstairs，buttheengagement
hadbeenbrokenoffbymutualconsentsomemonthsbefore，andthere
wasnosignthatithadleftanyveryprofoundfeelingbehindit。
Fortherestoftheman”slifemovedinanarrowandconventional
circle，forhishabitswerequietandhisnatureunemotional。Yetit
wasuponthiseasy-goingyoungaristocratthatdeathcame，inmost
strangeandunexpectedform，betweenthehoursoftenand
eleven-twentyonthenightofMarch30，1894。
RonaldAdairwasfondofcards-playingcontinually，butneverfor
suchstakesaswouldhurthim。HewasamemberoftheBaldwin，the
Cavendish，andtheBagatellecardclubs。Itwasshownthat，after
dinneronthedayofhisdeath，hehadplayedarubberofwhistatthe
latterclub。Hehadalsoplayedthereintheafternoon。Theevidence
ofthosewhohadplayedwithhim-Mr。Murray，SirJohnHardy，and
ColonelMoran-showedthatthegamewaswhist，andthattherewasa
fairlyequalfallofthecards。Adairmighthavelostfivepounds，but
notmore。Hisfortunewasaconsiderableone，andsuchalosscould
notinanywayaffecthim。Hehadplayednearlyeverydayatone
cluborother，buthewasacautiousplayer，andusuallyrosea
winner。Itcameoutinevidencethat，inpartnershipwithColonel
Moran，hehadactuallywonasmuchasfourhundredandtwentypounds
inasitting，someweeksbefore，fromGodfreyMilnerandLord
Balmoral。Somuchforhisrecenthistoryasitcameoutatthe
inquest。
Ontheeveningofthecrime，hereturnedfromtheclubexactlyat
ten。Hismotherandsisterwereoutspendingtheeveningwitha
relation。Theservantdeposedthatsheheardhimenterthefront
roomonthesecondfloor，generallyusedashissittingroom。Shehad
litafirethere，andasitsmokedshehadopenedthewindow。Nosound
washeardfromtheroomuntileleven-twenty，thehourofthereturnof
LadyMaynoothandherdaughter。Desiringtosaygood-night，she
attemptedtoenterherson”sroom。Thedoorwaslockedonthe
inside，andnoanswercouldbegottotheircriesandknocking。Help
wasobtained，andthedoorforced。Theunfortunateyoungmanwasfound
lyingnearthetable。Hisheadhadbeenhorriblymutilatedbyan
expandingrevolverbullet，butnoweaponofanysortwastobefound
intheroom。Onthetablelaytwobanknotesfortenpoundseachand
seventeenpoundsteninsilverandgold，themoneyarrangedin
littlepilesofvaryingamount。Thereweresomefiguresalsoupona
sheetofpaper，withthenamesofsomeclubfriendsoppositeto
them，fromwhichitwasconjecturedthatbeforehisdeathhewas
endeavouringtomakeouthislossesorwinningsatcards。
Aminuteexaminationofthecircumstancesservedonlytomakethe
casemorecomplex。Inthefirstplace，noreasoncouldbegivenwhy
theyoungmanshouldhavefastenedthedoorupontheinside。Therewas
thepossibilitythatthemurdererhaddonethis，andhadafterwards
escapedbythewindow。Thedropwasatleasttwentyfeet，however，and
abedofcrocusesinfullbloomlaybeneath。Neithertheflowersnor
theearthshowedanysignofhavingbeendisturbed，norwerethereany
marksuponthenarrowstripofgrasswhichseparatedthehousefrom
theroad。Apparently，therefore，itwastheyoungmanhimselfwho
hadfastenedthedoor。Buthowdidhecomebyhisdeath？Noone
couldhaveclimbeduptothewindowwithoutleavingtraces。Suppose
amanhadfiredthroughthewindow，hewouldindeedbearemarkable
shotwhocouldwitharevolverinflictsodeadlyawound。Again，
Parklaneisafrequentedthoroughfare，thereisacabstandwithin
ahundredyardsofthehouse。Noonehadheardashot。Andyetthere
wasthedeadmanandtheretherevolverbullet，whichhadmushroomed
out，assoft-nosedbulletswill，andsoinflictedawoundwhichmust
havecausedinstantaneousdeath。Suchwerethecircumstancesofthe
ParkLaneMystery，whichwerefurthercomplicatedbyentireabsenceof
motive，since，asIhavesaid，youngAdairwasnotknowntohaveany
enemy，andnoattempthadbeenmadetoremovethemoneyorvaluables
intheroom。
AlldayIturnedthesefactsoverinmymind，endeavouringtohit
uponsometheorywhichcouldreconcilethemall，andtofindthatline
ofleastresistancewhichmypoorfriendhaddeclaredtobethe
starting-pointofeveryinvestigation。IconfessthatImadelittle
progress。IntheeveningIstrolledacrossthePark，andfound
myselfaboutsixo”clockattheOxfordStreetendofParkLane。A
groupofloafersuponthepavements，allstaringupataparticular
window，directedmetothehousewhichIhadcometosee。Atall，thin
manwithcolouredglasses，whomIstronglysuspectedofbeinga
plain-clothesdetective，waspointingoutsometheoryofhisown，
whiletheotherscrowdedroundtolistentowhathesaid。Igotas
nearhimasIcould，buthisobservationsseemedtometobeabsurd，
soIwithdrewagaininsomedisgust。AsIdidsoIstruckagainstan
elderly，deformedman，whohadbeenbehindme，andIknockeddown
severalbookswhichhewascarrying。IrememberthatasIpicked
themup，Iobservedthetitleofoneofthem，TheOriginofTree
Worship，anditstruckmethatthefellowmustbesomepoor
bibliophile，who，eitherasatradeorasahobby，wasacollector
ofobscurevolumes。Iendeavouredtoapologizefortheaccident，but
itwasevidentthatthesebookswhichIhadsounfortunately
maltreatedwereverypreciousobjectsintheeyesoftheirowner。With
asnarlofcontemptheturneduponhisheel，andIsawhiscurvedback
andwhiteside-whiskersdisappearamongthethrong。
MyobservationsofNo。427ParkLanedidlittletoclearupthe
probleminwhichIwasinterested。Thehousewasseparatedfromthe
streetbyalowwallandrailing，thewholenotmorethanfivefeet
high。Itwasperfectlyeasy，therefore，foranyonetogetintothe
garden，butthewindowwasentirelyinaccessible，sincetherewasno
waterpipeoranythingwhichcouldhelpthemostactivemantoclimb
it。Morepuzzledthanever，IretracedmystepstoKensington。Ihad
notbeeninmystudyfiveminuteswhenthemaidenteredtosaythat
apersondesiredtoseeme。Tomyastonishmentitwasnoneother
thanmystrangeoldbookcollector，hissharp，wizenedfacepeering
outfromaframeofwhitehair，andhispreciousvolumes，adozenof
thematleast，wedgedunderhisrightarm。
“You”resurprisedtoseeme，sir，“saidhe，inastrange，croaking
voice。
IacknowledgedthatIwas。
“Well，I”veaconscience，sir，andwhenIchancedtoseeyougointo
thishouse，asIcamehobblingafteryou，Ithoughttomyself，I”ll
juststepinandseethatkindgentleman，andtellhimthatifIwasa
bitgruffinmymannertherewasnotanyharmmeant，andthatIam
muchobligedtohimforpickingupmybooks。”
“Youmaketoomuchofatrifle，“saidI。“MayIaskhowyouknewwho
Iwas？“
“Well，sir，ifitisn”ttoogreataliberty，Iamaneighbourof
yours，foryou”llfindmylittlebookshopatthecornerofChurch
Street，andveryhappytoseeyou，Iamsure。Maybeyoucollect
yourself，sir。Here”sBritishBirds，andCatullus，andTheHolyWar-a
bargain，everyoneofthem。Withfivevolumesyoucouldjustfillthat
gaponthatsecondshelf。Itlooksuntidy，doesitnot，sir？“
Imovedmyheadtolookatthecabinetbehindme。WhenIturned
again，SherlockHolmeswasstandingsmilingatmeacrossmystudy
table。Irosetomyfeet，staredathimforsomesecondsinutter
amazement，andthenitappearsthatImusthavefaintedforthe
firstandthelasttimeinmylife。Certainlyagraymistswirled
beforemyeyes，andwhenitclearedIfoundmycollar-endsundone
andthetinglingafter-tasteofbrandyuponmylips。Holmeswas
bendingovermychair，hisflaskinhishand。
“MydearWatson，“saidthewell-rememberedvoice，“Ioweyoua
thousandapologies。Ihadnoideathatyouwouldbesoaffected。”
Igrippedhimbythearms。
“Holmes！“Icried。“Isitreallyyou？Canitindeedbethatyou
arealive？Isitpossiblethatyousucceededinclimbingoutofthat
awfulabyss？“
“Waitamoment，“saidhe。“Areyousurethatyouarereallyfitto
discussthings？Ihavegivenyouaseriousshockbymyunnecessarily
dramaticreappearance。”
“Iamallright，butindeed，Holmes，Icanhardlybelievemyeyes。
Goodheavens！tothinkthatyou-youofallmen-shouldbestandingin
mystudy。”AgainIgrippedhimbythesleeve，andfeltthethin，
sinewyarmbeneathit。“Well，you”renotaspiritanyhow，“saidI。“My
dearchap，I”moverjoyedtoseeyou。Sitdown，andtellmehowyou
camealiveoutofthatdreadfulchasm。”
Hesatoppositetome，andlitacigaretteinhisold，nonchalant
manner。Hewasdressedintheseedyfrockcoatofthebookmerchant，
buttherestofthatindividuallayinapileofwhitehairandold
booksuponthetable。Holmeslookedeventhinnerandkeenerthanof
old，buttherewasadead-whitetingeinhisaquilinefacewhich
toldmethathisliferecentlyhadnotbeenahealthyone。
“Iamgladtostretchmyself，Watson，“saidhe。“Itisnojoke
whenatallmanhastotakeafootoffhisstatureforseveralhours
onend。Now，mydearfellow，inthematteroftheseexplanations，we
have，ifImayaskforyourcooperation，ahardanddangerous
night”sworkinfrontofus。PerhapsitwouldbebetterifIgave
youanaccountofthewholesituationwhenthatworkisfinished。”
“Iamfullofcuriosity。Ishouldmuchprefertohearnow。”
“You”llcomewithmeto-night？“
“Whenyoulikeandwhereyoulike。”
“Thisis，indeed，liketheolddays。Weshallhavetimefora
mouthfulofdinnerbeforeweneedgo。Well，then，aboutthatchasm。
Ihadnoseriousdifficultyingettingoutofit，forthevery
simplereasonthatIneverwasinit。”
“Youneverwereinit？“
“No，Watson，Ineverwasinit。Mynotetoyouwasabsolutely
genuine。IhadlittledoubtthatIhadcometotheendofmycareer
whenIperceivedthesomewhatsinisterfigureofthelateProfessor
Moriartystandinguponthenarrowpathwaywhichledtosafety。I
readaninexorablepurposeinhisgrayeyes。Iexchangedsome
remarkswithhim，therefore，andobtainedhiscourteouspermission
towritetheshortnotewhichyouafterwardsreceived。Ileftit
withmycigarette-boxandmystick，andIwalkedalongthepathway，
Moriartystillatmyheels。WhenIreachedtheendIstoodatbay。
Hedrewnoweapon，butherushedatmeandthrewhislongarms
aroundme。Heknewthathisowngamewasup，andwasonlyanxiousto
revengehimselfuponme。Wetotteredtogetheruponthebrinkofthe
fall。Ihavesomeknowledge，however，ofbaritsu，ortheJapanese
systemofwrestling，whichhasmorethanoncebeenveryusefulto
me。Islippedthroughhisgrip，andhewithahorriblescreamkicked
madlyforafewseconds，andclawedtheairwithbothhishands。But
forallhiseffortshecouldnotgethisbalance，andoverhewent。
Withmyfaceoverthebrink，Isawhimfallforalongway。Thenhe
struckarock，boundedoff，andsplashedintothewater。”
Ilistenedwithamazementtothisexplanation，whichHolmes
deliveredbetweenthepuffsofhiscigarette。
“Butthetracks！“Icried。“Isaw，withmyowneyes，thattwowent
downthepathandnonereturned。”
“Itcameaboutinthisway。TheinstantthattheProfessorhad
disappeared，itstruckmewhatareallyextraordinarilyluckychance
Fatehadplacedinmyway。IknewthatMoriartywasnottheonlyman
whohadswornmydeath。Therewereatleastthreeotherswhose
desireforvengeanceuponmewouldonlybeincreasedbythedeathof
theirleader。Theywereallmostdangerousmen。Oneorotherwould
certainlygetme。Ontheotherhand，ifalltheworldwasconvinced
thatIwasdeadtheywouldtakeliberties，thesemen，theywould
soonlaythemselvesopen，andsoonerorlaterIcoulddestroythem。
ThenitwouldbetimeformetoannouncethatIwasstillinthe
landoftheliving。SorapidlydoesthebrainactthatIbelieveIhad
thoughtthisalloutbeforeProfessorMoriartyhadreachedthe
bottomoftheReichenbachFall。
“Istoodupandexaminedtherockywallbehindme。Inyour
picturesqueaccountofthematter，whichIreadwithgreatinterest
somemonthslater，youassertthatthewallwassheer。Thatwasnot
literallytrue。Afewsmallfootholdspresentedthemselves，and
therewassomeindicationofaledge。Thecliffissohighthatto
climbitallwasanobviousimpossibility，anditwasequally
impossibletomakemywayalongthewetpathwithoutleavingsome
tracks。Imight，itistrue，havereversedmyboots，asIhavedoneon
similaroccasions，butthesightofthreesetsoftracksinone
directionwouldcertainlyhavesuggestedadeception。Onthewhole，
then，itwasbestthatIshouldrisktheclimb。Itwasnota
pleasantbusiness，Watson。Thefallroaredbeneathme。Iamnota
fancifulperson，butIgiveyoumywordthatIseemedtohear
Moriarty”svoicescreamingatmeoutoftheabyss。Amistakewould
havebeenfatal。Morethanonce，astuftsofgrasscameoutinmyhand
ormyfootslippedinthewetnotchesoftherock，IthoughtthatI
wasgone。ButIstruggledupward，andatlastIreachedaledge
severalfeetdeepandcoveredwithsoftgreenmoss，whereIcould
lieunseen，inthemostperfectcomfort。ThereIwasstretched，when
you，mydearWatson，andallyourfollowingwereinvestigatingin
themostsympatheticandinefficientmannerthecircumstancesofmy
death。
“Atlast，whenyouhadallformedyourinevitableandtotally
erroneousconclusions，youdepartedforthehotel，andIwasleft
alone。IhadimaginedthatIhadreachedtheendofmyadventures，but
averyunexpectedoccurrenceshowedmethatthereweresurprisesstill
instoreforme。Ahugerock，fallingfromabove，boomedpastme，
struckthepath，andboundedoverintothechasm。ForaninstantI
thoughtthatitwasanaccident，butamomentlater，lookingup，Isaw
aman”sheadagainstthedarkeningsky，andanotherstonestruckthe
veryledgeuponwhichIwasstretched，withinafootofmyhead。Of
course，themeaningofthiswasobvious。Moriartyhadnotbeen
alone。Aconfederate-andeventhatoneglancehadtoldmehow
dangerousamanthatconfederatewas-hadkeptguardwhilethe
Professorhadattackedme。Fromadistance，unseenbyme，hehad
beenawitnessofhisfriend”sdeathandofmyescape。Hehad
waited，andthenmakinghiswayroundtothetopofthecliff，he
hadendeavouredtosucceedwherehiscomradehadfailed。
“Ididnottakelongtothinkaboutit，Watson。AgainIsawthat
grimfacelookoverthecliff，andIknewthatitwastheprecursorof
anotherstone。Iscrambleddownontothepath。Idon”tthinkI
couldhavedoneitincoldblood。Itwasahundredtimesmore
difficultthangettingup。ButIhadnotimetothinkofthedanger，
foranotherstonesangpastmeasIhungbymyhandsfromtheedge
oftheledge。HalfwaydownIslipped，but，bytheblessingofGod，I
landed，tornandbleeding，uponthepath。Itooktomyheels，did
tenmilesoverthemountainsinthedarkness，andaweeklaterIfound
myselfinFlorence，withthecertaintythatnooneintheworldknew
whathadbecomeofme。
“Ihadonlyoneconfidant-mybrotherMycroft。Ioweyoumany
apologies，mydearWatson，butitwasall-importantthatitshould
bethoughtIwasdead，anditisquitecertainthatyouwouldnothave
writtensoconvincinganaccountofmyunhappyendhadyounot
yourselfthoughtthatitwastrue。Severaltimesduringthelastthree
yearsIhavetakenupmypentowritetoyou，butalwaysIfearedlest
youraffectionateregardformeshouldtemptyoutosome
indiscretionwhichwouldbetraymysecret。ForthatreasonIturned
awayfromyouthiseveningwhenyouupsetmybooks，forIwasin
dangeratthetime，andanyshowofsurpriseandemotionuponyour
partmighthavedrawnattentiontomyidentityandledtothemost
deplorableandirreparableresults。AstoMycroft，Ihadtoconfidein
himinordertoobtainthemoneywhichIneeded。Thecourseof
eventsinLondondidnotrunsowellasIhadhoped，forthetrial
oftheMoriartyganglefttwoofitsmostdangerousmembers，myown
mostvindictiveenemies，atliberty。Itravelledfortwoyearsin
Tibet，therefore，andamusedmyselfbyvisitingLhassa，andspending
somedayswiththeheadlama。Youmayhavereadoftheremarkable
explorationsofaNorwegiannamedSigerson，butIamsurethatit
neveroccurredtoyouthatyouwerereceivingnewsofyourfriend。I
thenpassedthroughPersia，lookedinatMecca，andpaidashortbut
interestingvisittotheKhalifaatKhartoumtheresultsofwhichI
havecommunicatedtotheForeignOffice。ReturningtoFrance，I
spentsomemonthsinaresearchintothecoal-tarderivatives，whichI
conductedinalaboratoryatMontpellier，inthesouthofFrance。
Havingconcludedthistomysatisfactionandlearningthatonlyoneof
myenemieswasnowleftinLondonIwasabouttoreturnwhenmy
movementswerehastenedbythenewsofthisveryremarkablePark
LaneMystery，whichnotonlyappealedtomebyitsownmerits，but
whichseemedtooffersomemostpeculiarpersonalopportunities。I
cameoveratoncetoLondon，calledinmyownpersonatBaker
Street，threwMrs。Hudsonintoviolenthysterics，andfoundthat
Mycrofthadpreservedmyroomsandmypapersexactlyastheyhad
alwaysbeen。Soitwas，mydearWatson，thatattwoo”clockto-dayI
foundmyselfinmyoldarmchairinmyownoldroom，andonlywishing
thatIcouldhaveseenmyoldfriendWatsonintheotherchairwhich
hehassooftenadorned。”
SuchwastheremarkablenarrativetowhichIlistenedonthat
Aprilevening-anarrativewhichwouldhavebeenutterlyincredibleto
mehaditnotbeenconfirmedbytheactualsightofthetall，spare
figureandthekeen，eagerface，whichIhadneverthoughttosee
again。Insomemannerhehadlearnedofmyownsadbereavement，and
hissympathywasshowninhismannerratherthaninhiswords。“Work
isthebestantidotetosorrow，mydearWatson，“saidhe；“andI
haveapieceofworkforusbothto-nightwhich，ifwecanbringitto
asuccessfulconclusion，willinitselfjustifyaman”slifeonthis
planet。”InvainIbeggedhimtotellmemore。“Youwillhearand
seeenoughbeforemorning，“heanswered。“Wehavethreeyearsofthe
pasttodiscuss。Letthatsufficeuntilhalf-pastnine，whenwe
startuponthenotableadventureoftheemptyhouse。”
Itwasindeedlikeoldtimeswhen，atthathour，Ifoundmyself
seatedbesidehiminahansom，myrevolverinmypocket，andthe
thrillofadventureinmyheart。Holmeswascoldandsternandsilent。
Asthegleamofthestreet-lampsflasheduponhisausterefeatures，
Isawthathisbrowsweredrawndowninthoughtandhisthinlips
compressed。Iknewnotwhatwildbeastwewereabouttohuntdownin
thedarkjungleofcriminalLondon，butIwaswellassured，fromthe
bearingofthismasterhuntsman，thattheadventurewasamostgrave
one-whilethesardonicsmilewhichoccasionallybrokethroughhis
asceticgloombodedlittlegoodfortheobjectofourquest。
IhadimaginedthatwewereboundforBakerStreet，butHolmes
stoppedthecabatthecornerofCavendishSquare。Iobservedthat
ashesteppedouthegaveamostsearchingglancetorightandleft，
andateverysubsequentstreetcornerhetooktheutmostpainsto
assurethathewasnotfollowed。Ourroutewascertainlyasingular
one。Holmes”sknowledgeofthebywaysofLondonwasextraordinary，and
onthisoccasionhepassedrapidlyandwithanassuredstepthrough
anetworkofmewsandstables，theveryexistenceofwhichIhadnever
known。Weemergedatlastintoasmallroad，linedwithold，gloomy
houses，whichledusintoManchesterStreet，andsotoBlandford
Street。Hereheturnedswiftlydownanarrowpassage，passedthrougha
woodengateintoadesertedyard，andthenopenedwithakeythe
backdoorofahouse。Weenteredtogether，andhecloseditbehindus。
Theplacewaspitchdark，butitwasevidenttomethatitwasan
emptyhouse。Ourfeetcreakedandcrackledoverthebareplanking，and
myoutstretchedhandtouchedawallfromwhichthepaperwashanging
inribbons。Holmes”scold，thinfingersclosedroundmywristand
ledmeforwarddownalonghall，untilIdimlysawthemurky
fanlightoverthedoor。HereHolmesturnedsuddenlytotherightand
wefoundourselvesinalarge，square，emptyroom，heavilyshadowedin
thecorners，butfaintlylitinthecentrefromthelightsofthe
streetbeyond。Therewasnolampnear，andthewindowwasthickwith
dust，sothatwecouldonlyjustdiscerneachother”sfigures
within。Mycompanionputhishanduponmyshoulderandhislips
closetomyear。
“Doyouknowwhereweare？“hewhispered。
“SurelythatisBakerStreet“Ianswered，staringthroughthedim
window。
“Exactly。WeareinCamdenHouse，whichstandsoppositetoourown
oldquarters。”
“Butwhyarewehere？“
“Becauseitcommandssoexcellentaviewofthatpicturesquepile。
MightItroubleyou，mydearWatson，todrawalittlenearertothe
window，takingeveryprecautionnottoshowyourself，andthentolook
upatouroldrooms-thestartingpointofsomanyofyourlittle
fairy-tales？Wewillseeifmythreeyearsofabsencehaveentirely
takenawaymypowertosurpriseyou。”
Icreptforwardandlookedacrossatthefamiliarwindow。Asmyeyes
felluponit，Igaveagaspandacryofamazement。Theblindwas
down，andastronglightwasburningintheroom。Theshadowofa
manwhowasseatedinachairwithinwasthrowninhard，blackoutline
upontheluminousscreenofthewindow。Therewasnomistakingthe
poiseofthehead，thesquarenessoftheshoulders，thesharpnessof
thefeatures。Thefacewasturnedhalf-round，andtheeffectwas
thatofoneofthoseblacksilhouetteswhichourgrandparentslovedto
frame。ItwasaperfectreproductionofHolmes。SoamazedwasIthatI
threwoutmyhandtomakesurethatthemanhimselfwasstanding
besideme。Hewasquiveringwithsilentlaughter。
“Well？“saidhe。
“Goodheavens！“Icried。“Itismarvellous。”
“Itrustthatagedothnotwithernorcustomstalemyinfinite
variety，“saidhe，andIrecognizedinhisvoicethejoyandpride
whichtheartisttakesinhisowncreation。“Itreallyisrather
likeme，isitnot？“
“Ishouldbepreparedtoswearthatitwasyou。”
“ThecreditoftheexecutionisduetoMonsieurOscarMeunier，of
Grenoble，whospentsomedaysindoingthemoulding。Itisabustin
wax。TherestIarrangedmyselfduringmyvisittoBakerStreetthis
afternoon。”
“Butwhy？“
“Because，mydearWatson，Ihadthestrongestpossiblereasonfor
wishingcertainpeopletothinkthatIwastherewhenIwasreally
elsewhere。”
“Andyouthoughttheroomswerewatched？“
“Iknewthattheywerewatched。”
“Bywhom？“
“Bymyoldenemies，Watson。Bythecharmingsocietywhoseleader
liesintheReichenbachFall。Youmustrememberthattheyknew，and
onlytheyknew，thatIwasstillalive。Soonerorlaterthey
believedthatIshouldcomebacktomyrooms。Theywatchedthem
continuously，andthismorningtheysawmearrive。”
“Howdoyouknow？“
“BecauseIrecognizedtheirsentinelwhenIglancedoutofmy
window。Heisaharmlessenoughfellow，Parkerbyname，agarroter
bytrade，andaremarkableperformeruponthejew”s-harp。Icared
nothingforhim。ButIcaredagreatdealforthemuchmoreformidable
personwhowasbehindhim，thebosomfriendofMoriarty，themanwho
droppedtherocksoverthecliff，themostcunninganddangerous
criminalinLondon。Thatisthemanwhoisaftermeto-nightWatson，
andthatisthemanwhoisquiteunawarethatweareafterhim。”
Myfriend”splansweregraduallyrevealingthemselves。Fromthis
convenientretreat，thewatcherswerebeingwatchedandthetrackers
tracked。Thatangularshadowupyonderwasthebait，andwewerethe
hunters。Insilencewestoodtogetherinthedarknessandwatched
thehurryingfigureswhopassedandrepassedinfrontofus。Holmes
wassilentandmotionless；butIcouldtellthathewaskeenly
alert，andthathiseyeswerefixedintentlyuponthestreamof
passers-by。Itwasableakandboisterousnightandthewind
whistledshrillydownthelongstreet。Manypeopleweremovingto
andfro，mostofthemmuffledintheircoatsandcravats。Onceor
twiceitseemedtomethatIhadseenthesamefigurebefore，andI
especiallynoticedtwomenwhoappearedtobeshelteringthemselves
fromthewindinthedoorwayofahousesomedistanceupthestreet。I
triedtodrawmycompanion”sattentiontothem；buthegavealittle
ejaculationofimpatience，andcontinuedtostareintothestreet。
Morethanoncehefidgetedwithhisfeetandtappedrapidlywithhis
fingersuponthewall。Itwasevidenttomethathewasbecoming
uneasy，andthathisplanswerenotworkingoutaltogetherashehad
hoped。Atlast，asmidnightapproachedandthestreetgradually
cleared，hepacedupanddowntheroominuncontrollableagitation。
Iwasabouttomakesomeremarktohim，whenIraisedmyeyestothe
lightedwindow，andagainexperiencedalmostasgreatasurpriseas
before。IclutchedHolmes”sarm，andpointedupward。
“Theshadowhasmoved！“Icried。
Itwasindeednolongertheprofile，buttheback，whichwas
turnedtowardsus。
Threeyearshadcertainlynotsmoothedtheasperitiesofhis
temperorhisimpatiencewithalessactiveintelligencethanhisown。
“Ofcourseithasmoved，“saidhe。“AmIsuchafarcicalbungler，
Watson，thatIshoulderectanobviousdummy，andexpectthatsome
ofthesharpestmeninEuropewouldbedeceivedbyit？Wehavebeenin
thisroomtwohours，andMrs。Hudsonhasmadesomechangeinthat
figureeighttimes，oronceineveryquarterofanhour。Sheworks
itfromthefront，sothathershadowmayneverbeseen。Ah！“He
drewinhisbreathwithashrill，excitedintake。InthedimlightI
sawhisheadthrownforward，hiswholeattituderigidwith
attention。Outsidethestreetwasabsolutelydeserted。Thosetwomen
mightstillbecrouchinginthedoorway，butIcouldnolongersee
them。Allwasstillanddark，saveonlythatbrilliantyellowscreen
infrontofuswiththeblackfigureoutlineduponitscentre。Again
intheuttersilenceIheardthatthin，sibilantnotewhichspokeof
intensesuppressedexcitement。Aninstantlaterhepulledmebackinto
theblackestcorneroftheroom，andIfelthiswarninghanduponmy
lips。Thefingerswhichclutchedmewerequivering。NeverhadI
knownmyfriendmoremoved，andyetthedarkstreetstillstretched
lonelyandmotionlessbeforeus。
ButsuddenlyIwasawareofthatwhichhiskeenersenseshadalready
distinguished。Alow，stealthysoundcametomyears，notfromthe
directionofBakerStreet，butfromthebackoftheveryhousein
whichwelayconcealed。Adooropenedandshut。Aninstantlatersteps
creptdownthepassage-stepswhichweremeanttobesilent，butwhich
reverberatedharshlythroughtheemptyhouse。Holmescrouchedback
againstthewall，andIdidthesame，myhandclosinguponthe
handleofmyrevolver。Peeringthroughthegloom，Isawthevague
outlineofaman，ashadeblackerthantheblacknessoftheopendoor。
Hestoodforaninstant，andthenhecreptforward，crouching，
menacing，intotheroom。Hewaswithinthreeyardsofus，this
sinisterfigure，andIhadbracedmyselftomeethisspring，before
Irealizedthathehadnoideaofourpresence。Hepassedclosebeside
us，stoleovertothewindow，andverysoftlyandnoiselesslyraised
itforhalfafoot。Ashesanktothelevelofthisopening，thelight
ofthestreet，nolongerdimmedbythedustyglass，fellfulluponhis
face。Themanseemedtobebesidehimselfwithexcitement。Histwo
eyesshonelikestars，andhisfeatureswereworkingconvulsively。
Hewasanelderlyman，withathin，projectingnose，ahigh，bald
forehead，andahugegrizzledmoustache。Anoperahatwaspushedto
thebackofhishead，andaneveningdressshirt-frontgleamedout
throughhisopenovercoat。Hisfacewasgauntandswarthy，scoredwith
deep，savagelines。Inhishandhecarriedwhatappearedtobea
stick，butashelaiditdownupontheflooritgaveametallicclang。
Thenfromthepocketofhisovercoathedrewabulkyobject，andhe
busiedhimselfinsometaskwhichendedwithaloud，sharpclick，as
ifaspringorbolthadfallenintoitsplace。Stillkneelinguponthe
floorhebentforwardandthrewallhisweightandstrengthupon
somelever，withtheresultthattherecamealong，whirling，grinding
noise，endingoncemoreinapowerfulclick。Hestraightenedhimself
then，andIsawthatwhatheheldinhishandwasasortofgun，
withacuriouslymisshapenbutt。Heopeneditatthebreech，put
somethingin，andsnappedthebreech-lock。Then，crouchingdown，he
restedtheendofthebarrelupontheledgeoftheopenwindow，and
Isawhislongmoustachedroopoverthestockandhiseyegleamas
itpeeredalongthesights。Iheardalittlesighofsatisfactionas
hecuddledthebuttintohisshoulder；andsawthatamazingtarget，
theblackmanontheyellowground，standingclearattheendofhis
foresight。Foraninstanthewasrigidandmotionless。Thenhisfinger
tightenedonthetrigger。Therewasastrange，loudwhizandalong，
silverytinkleofbrokenglass。AtthatinstantHolmesspranglikea
tigerontothemarksman”sback，andhurledhimflatuponhisface。He
wasupagaininamoment，andwithconvulsivestrengthheseized
Holmesbythethroat，butIstruckhimontheheadwiththebuttofmy
revolver，andhedroppedagainuponthefloor。Ifelluponhim，andas
Iheldhimmycomradeblewashrillcalluponawhistle。Therewasthe
clatterofrunningfeetuponthepavement，andtwopolicemenin
uniform，withoneplain-clothesdetective，rushedthroughthefront
entranceandintotheroom。
“Thatyou，Lestrade？“saidHolmes。
“Yes，Mr。Holmes。Itookthejobmyself。It”sgoodtoseeyouback
inLondon，sir。”
“Ithinkyouwantalittleunofficialhelp。Threeundetectedmurders
inoneyearwon”tdo，Lestrade。ButyouhandledtheMoleseyMystery
withlessthanyourusual-that”stosay，youhandleditfairlywell。”
Wehadallrisentoourfeet，ourprisonerbreathinghard，witha
stalwartconstableoneachsideofhim。Alreadyafewloiterershad
beguntocollectinthestreet。Holmessteppeduptothewindow，
closedit，anddroppedtheblinds。Lestradehadproducedtwo
candles，andthepolicemenhaduncoveredtheirlanterns。Iwasableat
lasttohaveagoodlookatourprisoner。
Itwasatremendouslyvirileandyetsinisterfacewhichwas
turnedtowardsus。Withthebrowofaphilosopheraboveandthejawof
asensualistbelow，themanmusthavestartedwithgreatcapacities
forgoodorforevil。Butonecouldnotlookuponhiscruelblueeyes，
withtheirdrooping，cynicallids，oruponthefierce，aggressivenose
andthethreatening，deep-linedbrow，withoutreadingNature”s
plainestdanger-signals。Hetooknoheedofanyofus，buthiseyes
werefixeduponHolmes”sfacewithanexpressioninwhichhatredand
amazementwereequallyblended。“Youfiend！“hekeptonmuttering。
“Youclever，cleverfiend！“
“Ah，Colonel！“saidHolmes，arranginghisrumpledcollar。“`Journeys
endinlovers”meetings”astheoldplaysays。Idon”tthinkIhave
hadthepleasureofseeingyousinceyoufavouredmewiththose
attentionsasIlayontheledgeabovetheReichenbachFall。”
Thecolonelstillstaredatmyfriendlikeamaninatrance。“You
cunning，cunningfiend！“wasallthathecouldsay。
“Ihavenotintroducedyouyet，“saidHolmes。“This，gentlemen，is
ColonelSebastianMoran，onceofHerMajesty”sIndianArmy，andthe
bestheavy-gameshotthatourEasternEmpirehaseverproduced。I
believeIamcorrectColonel，insayingthatyourbagoftigers
stillremainsunrivalled？“
Thefierceoldmansaidnothing，butstillglaredatmycompanion。
Withhissavageeyesandbristlingmoustachehewaswonderfullylikea
tigerhimself。
“Iwonderthatmyverysimplestratagemcoulddeceivesoolda
shikari，“saidHolmes。“Itmustbeveryfamiliartoyou。Haveyou
nottetheredayoungkidunderatree，lainaboveitwithyour
rifle，andwaitedforthebaittobringupyourtiger？Thisempty
houseismytree，andyouaremytiger。Youhavepossiblyhadother
gunsinreserveincasethereshouldbeseveraltigers，orinthe
unlikelysuppositionofyourownarmfailingyou。These，“hepointed
around，“aremyotherguns。Theparallelisexact。”
ColonelMoransprangforwardwithasnarlofrage，butthe
constablesdraggedhimback。Thefuryuponhisfacewasterribleto
lookat。
“Iconfessthatyouhadonesmallsurpriseforme，“saidHolmes。
“Ididnotanticipatethatyouwouldyourselfmakeuseofthisempty
houseandthisconvenientfrontwindow。Ihadimaginedyouas
operatingfromthestreet，wheremyfriend，Lestradeandhismerrymen
wereawaitingyou。Withthatexception，allhasgoneasIexpected。”
ColonelMoranturnedtotheofficialdetective。
“Youmayormaynothavejustcauseforarrestingme，“saidhe，“but
atleasttherecanbenoreasonwhyIshouldsubmittothegibesof
thisperson。IfIaminthehandsofthelaw，letthingsbedonein
alegalway。”
“Well，that”sreasonableenough，“saidLestrade。“Nothingfurther
youhavetosay，Mr。Holmes，beforewego？“
Holmeshadpickedupthepowerfulair-gunfromthefloor，andwas
examiningitsmechanism。
“Anadmirableanduniqueweapon，“saidhe，“noiselessandof
tremendouspower：IknewVonHerder，theblindGermanmechanic，who
constructedittotheorderofthelateProfessorMoriarty。For
yearsIhavebeenawareofitsexistancethoughIhaveneverbefore
hadtheopportunityofhandlingit。Icommenditveryspeciallyto
yourattention，Lestradeandalsothebulletswhichfitit。”
“Youcantrustustolookafterthat，Mr。Holmes，“saidLestrade，as
thewholepartymovedtowardsthedoor。“Anythingfurthertosay？“
“Onlytoaskwhatchargeyouintendtoprefer？“
“Whatcharge，sir？Why，ofcourse，theattemptedmurderofMr。
SherlockHolmes。”
“Notso，Lestrade。Idonotproposetoappearinthematterat
all。Toyou，andtoyouonly，belongsthecreditoftheremarkable
arrestwhichyouhaveeffected。Yes，Lestrade，Icongratulateyou！
Withyourusualhappymixtureofcunningandaudacity，youhavegot
him。”