“Gothim！Gotwhom，Mr。Holmes？“
“Themanthatthewholeforcehasbeenseekinginvain-Colonel
SebastianMoran，whoshottheHonourableRonaldAdairwithan
expandingbulletfromanair-gunthroughtheopenwindowofthe
second-floorfrontofNo。427ParkLane，uponthethirtiethoflast
month。That”sthecharge，Lestrade。Andnow，Watson，ifyoucanendure
thedraughtfromabrokenwindow，Ithinkthathalfanhourinmy
studyoveracigarmayaffordyousomeprofitableamusement。”
Ouroldchambershadbeenleftunchangedthroughthesupervision
ofMycroftHolmesandtheimmediatecareofMrs。Hudson。AsI
enteredIsaw，itistrue，anunwontedtidiness，buttheoldlandmarks
wereallintheirplace。Therewerethechemicalcornerandthe
acid-stained，deal-toppedtable。Thereuponashelfwastherowof
formidablescrap-booksandbooksofreferencewhichmanyofour
fellow-citizenswouldhavebeensogladtoburn。Thediagrams，the
violin-case，andthepipe-rack-eventhePersianslipperwhich
containedthetobacco-allmetmyeyesasIglancedroundme。There
weretwooccupantsoftheroom-one，Mrs。Hudson，whobeameduponus
bothasweentered-theother，thestrangedummywhichhadplayedso
importantapartintheevening”sadventures。Itwasawaxcoloured
modelofmyfriend，soadmirablydonethatitwasaperfectfacsimile。
Itstoodonasmallpedestaltablewithanolddressing-gownof
Holmes”ssodrapedrounditthattheillusionfromthestreetwas
absolutelyperfect。
“Ihopeyouobservedallprecautions，Mrs。Hudson？“saidHolmes。
“Iwenttoitonmyknees，sir，justasyoutoldme。”
“Excellent。Youcarriedthethingoutverywell。Didyouobserve
wherethebulletwent？“
“Yes，sir。I”mafraidithasspoiltyourbeautifulbust，forit
passedrightthroughtheheadandflatteneditselfonthewall。I
pickeditupfromthecarpet。Hereitis！“
Holmeshelditouttome。“Asoftrevolverbullet，asyou
perceive，Watson。There”sgeniusinthat，forwhowouldexpecttofind
suchathingfiredfromanairgun？Allright，Mrs。Hudson。Iammuch
obligedforyourassistance。Andnow，Watson，letmeseeyouinyour
oldseatoncemore，forthereareseveralpointswhichIshouldlike
todiscusswithyou。”
Hehadthrownofftheseedyfrockcoat，andnowhewastheHolmes
ofoldinthemouse-coloureddressing-gownwhichhetookfromhis
effigy。
“Theoldshikari”snerveshavenotlosttheirsteadiness，norhis
eyestheirkeenness，“saidhe，withalaugh，asheinspectedthe
shatteredforeheadofhisbust。
“Plumbinthemiddleofthebackoftheheadandsmackthroughthe
brain。HewasthebestshotinIndia，andIexpectthatthereare
fewbetterinLondon。Haveyouheardthename？“
“No，Ihavenot。”
“Well，well，suchisfame！But，then，ifIrememberright，youhad
notheardthenameofProfessorJamesMoriarty，whohadoneofthe
greatbrainsofthecentury。Justgivemedownmyindexofbiographies
fromtheshelf。”
Heturnedoverthepageslazily，leaningbackinhischairand
blowinggreatcloudsfromhiscigar。
“MycollectionofM”sisafineone，“saidhe。“Moriartyhimself
isenoughtomakeanyletterillustrious，andhereisMorganthe
poisoner，andMerridewofabominablememory，andMathews，who
knockedoutmyleftcanineinthewaitingroomatCharingCross，
and，finally，hereisourfriendofto-night。”
Hehandedoverthebook，andIread：
Moran，Sebastian，Colonel。Unemployed。Formerly1stBangalore
Pioneers。BornLondon，1840。SonofSirAugustusMoran，C。B。，once
BritishMinistertoPersia。EducatedEtonandOxford。ServedinJowaki
Campaign，AfghanCampaign，Charasiabdespatches，Sherpur，andCabul。
AuthorofHeavyGameoftheWesternHimalayas1881；ThreeMonths
intheJungle1884。Address：ConduitStreet。Clubs：The
Anglo-Indian，theTankerville，theBagatelleCardClub。Onthemarginwaswritten，inHolmes”sprecisehand：ThesecondmostdangerousmaninLondon。
“Thisisastonishing，“saidI，asIhandedbackthevolume。“The
man”scareeristhatofanhonourablesoldier。”
“Itistrue，“Holmesanswered。“Uptoacertainpointhedidwell。
Hewasalwaysamanofironnerve，andthestoryisstilltoldin
Indiahowhecrawleddownadrainafterawoundedman-eatingtiger。
Therearesometrees，Watson，whichgrowtoacertainheight，andthen
suddenlydevelopsomeunsightlyeccentricity。Youwillseeitoftenin
humans。Ihaveatheorythattheindividualrepresentsinhis
developmentthewholeprocessionofhisancestors，andthatsucha
suddenturntogoodorevilstandsforsomestronginfluencewhich
cameintothelineofhispedigree。Thepersonbecomes，asitwere，
theepitomeofthehistoryofhisownfamily。”
“Itissurelyratherfanciful。”
“Well，Idon”tinsistuponit。Whateverthecause，ColonelMoran
begantogowrong。Withoutanyopenscandal，hestillmadeIndiatoo
hottoholdhim。Heretired，cametoLondon，andagainacquiredan
evilname。ItwasatthistimethathewassoughtoutbyProfessor
Moriarty，towhomforatimehewaschiefofthestaff。Moriarty
suppliedhimliberallywithmoney，andusedhimonlyinoneortwo
veryhigh-classjobs，whichnoordinarycriminalcouldhave
undertaken。YoumayhavesomerecollectionofthedeathofMrs。
Stewart，ofLauder，in1887。Not？Well，IamsureMoranwasatthe
bottomofit，butnothingcouldbeproved。Socleverlywasthecolonel
concealedthat，evenwhentheMoriartygangwasbrokenup，wecould
notincriminatehim。Yourememberatthatdate，whenIcalleduponyou
inyourrooms，howIputuptheshuttersforfearofair-guns？No
doubtyouthoughtmefanciful。IknewexactlywhatIwasdoing，for
Iknewoftheexistenceofthisremarkablegun，andIknewalsothat
oneofthebestshotsintheworldwouldbebehindit。Whenwewerein
SwitzerlandhefolloweduswithMoriarty，anditwasundoubtedlyhe
whogavemethatevilfiveminutesontheReichenbachledge。
“YoumaythinkthatIreadthepaperswithsomeattentionduring
mysojourninFrance，onthelook-outforanychanceoflayinghim
bytheheels。SolongashewasfreeinLondon，mylifewouldreally
nothavebeenworthliving。Nightanddaytheshadowwouldhavebeen
overme，andsoonerorlaterhischancemusthavecome。WhatcouldI
do？Icouldnotshoothimatsight，orIshouldmyselfbeinthedock。
Therewasnouseappealingtoamagistrate。Theycannotinterfereon
thestrengthofwhatwouldappeartothemtobeawildsuspicion。SoI
coulddonothing。ButIwatchedthecriminalnews，knowingthatsooner
orlaterIshouldgethim。ThencamethedeathofthisRonaldAdair。
Mychancehadcomeatlast。KnowingwhatIdid，wasitnotcertain
thatColonelMoranhaddoneit？Hehadplayedcardswiththelad，he
hadfollowedhimhomefromtheclub，hehadshothimthroughthe
openwindow。Therewasnotadoubtofit。Thebulletsaloneareenough
toputhisheadinanoose。Icameoveratonce。Iwasseenbythe
sentinel，whowould，Iknew，directthecolonel”sattentiontomy
presence。Hecouldnotfailtoconnectmysuddenreturnwithhis
crime，andtobeterriblyalarmed。Iwassurethathewouldmakean
attempttogetmeoutofthewayatonce，andwouldbringroundhis
murderousweaponforthatpurpose。Ilefthimanexcellentmarkinthe
window，and，havingwarnedthepolicethattheymightbeneeded-by
theway，Watson，youspottedtheirpresenceinthatdoorwaywith
unerringaccuracy-Itookupwhatseemedtometobeajudicious
postforobservation，neverdreamingthathewouldchoosethesame
spotforhisattack。Now，mydearWatson，doesanythingremainfor
metoexplain？“
“Yes，“saidI。“YouhavenotmadeitclearwhatwasColonel
Moran”smotiveinmurderingtheHonourableRonaldAdair？“
“Ah！mydearWatson，therewecomeintothoserealmsof
conjecture，wherethemostlogicalmindmaybeatfault。Eachmayform
hisownhypothesisuponthepresentevidence，andyoursisaslikely
tobecorrectasmine。”
“Youhaveformedone，then？“
“Ithinkthatitisnotdifficulttoexplainthefacts。Itcame
outinevidencethatColonelMoranandyoungAdairhad，between
them，wonaconsiderableamountofmoney。Now，undoubtedlyplayed
foul-ofthatIhavelongbeenaware。Ibelievethatonthedayofthe
murderAdairhaddiscoveredthatMoranwascheating。Verylikelyhe
hadspokentohimprivately，andhadthreatenedtoexposehimunless
hevoluntarilyresignedhismembershipoftheclub，andpromisednot
toplaycardsagain。ItisunlikelythatayoungsterlikeAdair
wouldatoncemakeahideousscandalbyexposingawellknownmanso
mucholderthanhimself。ProbablyheactedasIsuggest。Theexclusion
fromhisclubswouldmeanruintoMoran，wholivedbyhisill-gotten
card-gains。HethereforemurderedAdair，whoatthetimewas
endeavouringtoworkouthowmuchmoneyheshouldhimselfreturn，
sincehecouldnotprofitbyhispartner”sfoulplay。Helockedthe
doorlesttheladiesshouldsurprisehimandinsistuponknowing
whathewasdoingwiththesenamesandcoins。Willitpass？“
“Ihavenodoubtthatyouhavehituponthetruth。”
“Itwillbeverifiedordisprovedatthetrial。Meanwhile，comewhat
may，ColonelMoranwilltroubleusnomore。Thefamousair-gunof
VonHerderwillembellishtheScotlandYardMuseum，andonceagainMr。
SherlockHolmesisfreetodevotehislifetoexaminingthose
interestinglittleproblemswhichthecomplexlifeofLondonso
plentifullypresents。”-
THEEND。
1892
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEENGINEER”STHUMB
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Ofalltheproblemswhichhavebeensubmittedtomyfriend，Mr。
SherlockHolmes，forsolutionduringtheyearsofourintimacy，
therewereonlytwowhichIwasthemeansofintroducingtohis
notice-thatofMr。Hatherley”sthumb，andthatofColonel
Warburton”smadness。Ofthesethelattermayhaveaffordedafiner
fieldforanacuteandoriginalobserver，buttheotherwassostrange
initsinceptionandsodramaticinitsdetailsthatitmaybethe
moreworthyofbeingplaceduponrecord，evenifitgavemyfriend
feweropeningsforthosedeductivemethodsofreasoningbywhichhe
achievedsuchremarkableresults。Thestoryhas，Ibelieve，been
toldmorethanonceinthenewspapers，but，likeallsuch
narratives，itseffectismuchlessstrikingwhensetforthenblocin
asinglehalf-columnofprintthanwhenthefactsslowlyevolvebefore
yourowneyes，andthemysteryclearsgraduallyawayaseachnew
discoveryfurnishesastepwhichleadsontothecompletetruth。At
thetimethecircumstancesmadeadeepimpressionuponme，andthe
lapseoftwoyearshashardlyservedtoweakentheeffect。
Itwasinthesummerof”89，notlongaftermymarriage，thatthe
eventsoccurredwhichIamnowabouttosummarize。Ihadreturnedto
civilpracticeandhadfinallyabandonedHolmesinhisBakerStreet
rooms，althoughIcontinuallyvisitedhimandoccasionallyeven
persuadedhimtoforegohisBohemianhabitssofarastocomeand
visitus。Mypracticehadsteadilyincreased，andasIhappenedto
liveatnoverygreatdistancefromPaddingtonStation，Igotafew
patientsfromamongtheofficials。Oneofthese，whomIhadcuredofa
painfulandlingeringdisease，wasneverwearyofadvertisingmy
virtuesandofendeavouringtosendmeoneverysuffereroverwhom
hemighthaveanyinfluence。
Onemorning，atalittlebeforeseveno”clock，Iwasawakenedbythe
maidtappingatthedoortoannouncethattwomenhadcomefrom
Paddingtonandwerewaitingintheconsulting-room。Idressed
hurriedly，forIknewbyexperiencethatrailwaycaseswereseldom
trivial，andhasteneddownstairs。AsIdescended，myoldally，the
guard，cameoutoftheroomandclosedthedoortightlybehindhim。
“I”vegothimhere，“hewhispered，jerkinghisthumboverhis
shoulder；“he”sallright。”
“Whatisit，then？”Iasked，forhismannersuggestedthatitwas
somestrangecreaturewhichhehadcagedupinmyroom。
“It”sanewpatient，“hewhispered。“IthoughtI”dbringhimround
myself；thenhecouldn”tslipaway。Thereheis，allsafeandsound。I
mustgonow，Doctor；Ihavemyduties，justthesameasyou。”And
offhewent，thistrustytout，withoutevengivingmetimetothank
him。
Ienteredmyconsulting-roomandfoundagentlemanseatedbythe
table。Hewasquietlydressedinasuitofheathertweed，witha
softclothcapwhichhehadlaiddownuponmybooks。Roundoneof
hishandshehadahandkerchiefwrapped，whichwasmottledallover
withbloodstains。Hewasyoung，notmorethanfive-and-twenty，I
shouldsay，withastrong，masculineface；butbewasexceedinglypale
andgavemetheimpressionofamanwhowassufferingfromsomestrong
agitation，whichittookallhisstrengthofmindtocontrol。
“Iamsorrytoknockyouupsoearly，Doctor，“saidhe，“butI
havehadaveryseriousaccidentduringthenight。Icameinby
trainthismorning，andoninquiringatPaddingtonastowhereImight
findadoctor，aworthyfellowverykindlyescortedmehere。Igave
themaidacard，butIseethatshehasleftitupontheside-table。”
Itookitupandglancedatit。“Mr。VictorHatherley，hydraulic
engineer，16A，VictoriaStreet3d。floor。”Thatwasthename，style，
andabodeofmymorningvisitor。“IregretthatIhavekeptyou
waiting，“saidI，sittingdowninmylibrarychair。“Youarefresh
fromanightjourney，Iunderstand，whichisinitselfamonotonous
occupation。”
“Oh，mynightcouldnotbecalledmonotonous，“saidhe，andlaughed。
Helaughedveryheartily，withahigh，ringingnote，leaningbackin
hischairandshakinghissides。Allmymedicalinstinctsroseup
againstthatlaugh。
“Stopit！“Icried；“pullyourselftogether！“andIpouredout
somewaterfromacarafe。
Itwasuseless，however。Hewasoffinoneofthosehysterical
outburstswhichcomeuponastrongnaturewhensomegreatcrisisis
overandgone。Presentlyhecametohimselfoncemore，veryweary
andpale-looking。
“Ihavebeenmakingafoolofmyself，“hegasped。
“Notatall。Drinkthis。”Idashedsomebrandyintothewater，and
thecolourbegantocomebacktohisbloodlesscheeks。
“That”sbetter！“saidhe。“Andnow，Doctor，perhapsyouwouldkindly
attendtomythumb，orrathertotheplacewheremythumbusedtobe。”
Heunwoundthehandkerchiefandheldouthishand。Itgaveevenmy
hardenednervesashuddertolookatit。Therewerefourprotruding
fingersandahorridred，spongysurfacewherethethumbshouldhave
been。Ithadbeenhackedortornrightoutfromtheroots。
“Goodheavens！“Icried，“thisisaterribleinjury。Itmusthave
bledconsiderably。”
“Yes，itdid。Ifaintedwhenitwasdone，andIthinkthatImust
havebeensenselessforalongtime。ThenIcametoIfoundthatit
wasstillbleeding，soItiedoneendofmyhandkerchiefvery
tightlyroundthewristandbraceditupwithatwig。”
“Excellent！Youshouldhavebeenasurgeon。”
“Itisaquestionofhydraulics，yousee，andcamewithinmyown
province。”
“Thishasbeendone，“saidI，examiningthewound，“byavery
heavyandsharpinstrument。”
“Athinglikeacleaver，“saidhe。
“Anaccident，Ipresume？“
“Bynomeans。”
“What！amurderousattack？“
“Verymurderousindeed。”
“Youhorrifyme。”
Ispongedthewound，cleanedit，dressedit，andfinallycovered
itoverwithcottonwaddingandcarbolizedbandages。Helayback
withoutwincing，thoughhebithislipfromtimetotime。
“Howisthat？“IaskedwhenIhadfinished。
“Capital！Betweenyourbrandyandyourbandage，Ifeelanewman。
Iwasveryweak，butIhavehadagooddealtogothrough。”
“Perhapsyouhadbetternotspeakofthematter。Itisevidently
tryingtoyournerves。”
“Oh，no，notnow。Ishallhavetotellmytaletothepolice；but，
betweenourselves，ifitwerenotfortheconvincingevidenceof
thiswoundofmine，Ishouldbesurprisediftheybelievedmy
statement；foritisaveryextraordinaryone，andIhavenotmuch
inthewayofproofwithwhichtobackitup；and，evenifthey，
believeme，theclueswhichIcangivethemaresovaguethatitis
aquestionwhetherjusticewillbedone。”
“Ha！“criedI，“ifitisanythinginthenatureofaproblemwhich
youdesiretoseesolved，Ishouldstronglyrecommendyoutocometo
myfriend，Mr。SherlockHolmes，beforeyougototheofficialpolice。”
“Oh，Ihaveheardofthatfellow，“answeredmyvisitor，“andI
shouldbeverygladifhewouldtakethematterup，thoughofcourseI
mustusetheofficialpoliceaswell。Wouldyougivemean
introductiontohim？“
“I”lldobetter。I”lltakeyouroundtohimmyself。”
“Ishouldbeimmenselyobligedtoyou。”
“Wellcallacabandgotogether。Weshalljustbeintimetohavea
littlebreakfastwithhim。Doyoufeelequaltoit？“
“Yes；IshallnotfeeleasyuntilIhavetoldmystory。”
“Thenmyservantwillcallacab，andIshallbewithyouinan
instant。”Irushedupstairs，explainedthemattershortlytomy
wife，andinfiveminuteswasinsideahansom，drivingwithmynew
acquaintancetoBakerStreet。
SherlockHolmeswas，asIexpected，loungingabouthis
sitting-roominhisdressing-gown，readingtheagonycolumnofThe
Timesandsmokinghisbefore-breakfastpipe，whichwascomposedofall
theplugsanddottlesleftfromhissmokesofthedaybefore，all
carefullydriedandcollectedonthecornerofthemantelpiece。He
receivedusinhisquietlygenialfashion，orderedfreshrashersand
eggs，andjoinedusinaheartymeal。Whenitwasconcludedhesettled
ournewacquaintanceuponthesofa，placedapillowbeneathhis
head，andlaidaglassofbrandyandwaterwithinhisreach。
“Itiseasytoseethatyourexperiencehasbeennocommonone，
Mr。Hatherley，“saidhe。“Pray，liedownthereandmakeyourself
absolutelyathome。Telluswhatyoucan，butstopwhenyouare
tiredandkeepupyourstrengthwithalittlestimulant。”
“Thankyou，“saidmypatient，“butIhavefeltanothermansincethe
doctorbandagedme，andIthinkthatyourbreakfasthascompleted
thecure。Ishalltakeupaslittleofyourvaluabletimeaspossible，
soIshallstartatonceuponmypeculiarexperiences。”
Holmessatinhisbigarmchairwiththeweary，heavy-lidded
expressionwhichveiledhiskeenandeagernature，whileIsat
oppositetohim，andwelistenedinsilencetothestrangestorywhich
ourvisitordetailedtous。
“Youmustknow，“saidhe，“thatIamanorphanandabachelor，
residingaloneinlodgingsinLondon。ByprofessionIamahydraulic
engineer，andIhavehadconsiderableexperienceofmyworkduringthe
sevenyearsthatIwasapprenticedtoVenner&Matheson，the
well-knownfirm，ofGreenwich。Twoyearsago，havingservedmytime，
andhavingalsocomeintoafairsumofmoneythroughmypoorfather”s
death，Ideterminedtostartinbusinessformyselfandtook
professionalchambersinVictoriaStreet。
“Isupposethateveryonefindshisfirstindependentstartin
businessadrearyexperience。Tomeithasbeenexceptionallyso。
DuringtwoyearsIhavehadthreeconsultationsandonesmalljob，and
thatisabsolutelyallthatmyprofessionhasbroughtme。Mygross
takingsamounttoL2710s。Everyday，fromnineinthemorninguntil
fourintheafternoon，Iwaitedinmylittleden，untilatlast：my
heartbegantosink，andIcametobelievethatIshouldneverhave
anypracticeatall。
“Yesterday，however，justasIwasthinkingofleavingtheoffice，
myclerkenteredtosaytherewasagentlemanwaitingwhowishedto
seemeuponbusiness。Hebroughtupacard，too，withthenameof”ColonelLysanderStark”engraveduponit。Closeathisheelscamethe
colonelhimself，amanratheroverthemiddlesize，butofan
exceedingthinness。IdonotthinkthatIhaveeverseensothina
man。Hiswholefacesharpenedawayintonoseandchin，andtheskinof
hischeekswasdrawnquitetenseoverhisoutstandingbones。Yet
thisemaciationseemedtobehisnaturalhabit，andduetonodisease，
forhiseyewasbrighthisstepbrisk，andhisbearingassured。Hewas
plainlybutneatlydressed，andhisage，Ishouldjudge，wouldbe
nearerfortythanthirty。
“”Mr。Hatherley？”saidhe，withsomethingofaGermanaccent。”You
havebeenrecommendedtome，Mr。Hatherley，asbeingamanwhois
notonlyproficientinhisprofessionbutisalsodiscreetandcapable
ofpreservingasecret。”
“Ibowed，feelingasflatteredasanyyoungmanwouldatsuchan
address。”MayIaskwhoitwaswhogavemesogoodacharacter？”
“”Well，perhapsitisbetterthatIshouldnottellyouthatjustat
thismoment。Ihaveitfromthesamesourcethatyouarebothan
orphanandabachelorandareresidingaloneinLondon。”
“”Thatisquitecorrect”Ianswered；”butyouwillexcusemeifI
saythatIcannotseehowallthisbearsuponmyprofessional
qualifications。Iunderstandthatitwasonaprofessionalmatterthat
youwishedtospeaktome？”
“”Undoubtedlyso。ButyouwillfindthatallIsayisreallyto
thepoint。Ihaveaprofessionalcommissionforyou，butabsolute
secrecyisquiteessential-absolutesecrecy，youunderstand，andof
coursewemayexpectthatmorefromamanwhoisalonethanfromone
wholivesinthebosomofhisfamily。”
“”IfIpromisetokeepasecret”saidI，”youmayabsolutelydepend
uponmydoingso。”
“HelookedveryhardatmeasIspoke，anditseemedtomethatI
hadneverseensosuspiciousandquestioninganeye。
“”Doyoupromise，then？”saidheatlast。
“”Yes，Ipromise。”
“”Absoluteandcompletesilencebefore，during，andafter？No
referencetothematteratall，eitherinwordorwriting？”
“”Ihavealreadygivenyoumyword。”
“”Verygood。”Hesuddenlysprangup，anddartinglikelightning
acrosstheroomheflungopenthedoor。Thepassageoutsidewasempty。
“”That”sallright”saidhe，comingback。”Iknowtheclerksare
sometimescuriousastotheirmaster”saffairs。Nowwecantalkin
safety。”Hedrewuphischairveryclosetomineandbegantostareat
meagainwiththesamequestioningandthoughtfullook。
“Afeelingofrepulsion，andofsomethingakintofearhadbegun
torisewithinmeatthestrangeanticsofthisfleshlessman。Evenmy
dreadoflosingaclientcouldnotrestrainmefromshowingmy
impatience。
“”Ibegthatyouwillstateyourbusiness，sir”saidI；”mytimeis
ofvalue。”Heavenforgivemeforthatlastsentence，butthewords
cametomylips。
“”Howwouldfiftyguineasforanight”sworksuityou？”heasked。
“”Mostadmirably。”
“”Isayanight”swork，butanhour”swouldbenearerthemark。I
simplywantyouropinionaboutahydraulicstampingmachinewhich
hasgotoutofgear。Ifyoushowuswhatiswrongweshallsoonsetit
rightourselves。Whatdoyouthinkofsuchacommissionasthat？”
“”Theworkappearstobelightandthepaymunificent。”
“”Preciselyso。Weshallwantyoutocometo-nightbythelast
train。”
“”Whereto？”
“”ToEyford，inBerkshire。Itisalittleplaceneartheborders
ofOxfordshire，andwithinsevenmilesofReading。Thereisatrain
fromPaddingtonwhichwouldbringyouthereatabout11：15。”
“”Verygood。”
“”Ishallcomedowninacarriagetomeetyou。”
“”Thereisadrive，then？”
“”Yes，ourlittleplaceisquiteoutinthecountry。Itisagood
sevenmilesfromEyfordStation。”
“”Thenwecanhardlygettherebeforemidnight。Isupposethere
wouldbenochanceofatrainback。Ishouldbecompelledtostop
thenight。”
“”Yes，wecouldeasilygiveyouashake-down。”
“”Thatisveryawkward。CouldInotcomeatsomemoreconvenient
hour？”
“”Wehavejudgeditbestthatyoushouldcomelate。Itisto
recompenseyouforanyinconveniencethatwearepayingtoyou，a
youngandunknownman，afeewhichwouldbuyanopinionfromthe
veryheadsofyourprofession。Still，ofcourse，ifyouwouldlike
todrawoutofthebusiness，thereisplentyoftimetodoso。”
“Ithoughtofthefiftyguineas，andofhowveryusefultheywould
betome。”Notatall”saidI，”Ishallbeveryhappyto
accommodatemyselftoyourwishes。Ishouldlike，however，to
understandalittlemoreclearlywhatitisthatyouwishmetodo。”
“”Quiteso。Itisverynaturalthatthepledgeofsecrecywhichwe
haveexactedfromyoushouldhavearousedyourcuriosity。Ihaveno
wishtocommityoutoanythingwithoutyourhavingitalllaid
beforeyou。Isupposethatweareabsolutelysafefromeavesdroppers？”
“”Entirely。”
“”Thenthematterstandsthus。Youareprobablyawarethat
fuller”s-earthisavaluableproduct。andthatitisonlyfoundinone
ortwoplacesinEngland？”
“”Ihaveheardso。”
“”SomelittletimeagoIboughtasmallplace-averysmall
place-withintenmilesofReading。Iwasfortunateenoughto
discoverthattherewasadepositoffuller”s-earthinoneofmy
fields。Onexaminingit，however，Ifoundthatthisdepositwasa
comparativelysmallone，andthatitformedalinkbetweentwovery
muchlargeronesupontherightandleft-bothofthem，however，inthe
groundsofmyneighbours。Thesegoodpeoplewereabsolutelyignorant
thattheirlandcontainedthatwhichwasquiteasvaluableasa
gold-mine。Naturally，itwastomyinteresttobuytheirlandbefore
theydiscovereditstruevalue，butunfortunatelyIhadnocapital
bywhichIcoulddothis。Itookafewofmyfriendsintothe
secret，however，andtheysuggestedthatweshouldquietlyand
secretlyworkourownlittledeposit，andthatinthiswayweshould
earnthemoneywhichwouldenableustobuytheneighbouringfields。
Thiswehavenowbeendoingforsometime，andinordertohelpus
inouroperationsweerectedahydraulicpress。Thispress，asI
havealreadyexplained，hasgotoutoforder，andwewishyour
adviceuponthesubject。Weguardoursecretveryjealously，
however，andifitoncebecameknownthatwehadhydraulicengineers
comingtoourlittlehouse，itwouldsoonrouseinquiry，andthen，
ifthefactscameout，itwouldbegood-byetoanychanceofgetting
thesefieldsandcarryingoutourplans。ThatiswhyIhavemadeyou
promisemethatyouwillnottellahumanbeingthatyouaregoing
toEyfordto-night。IhopethatImakeitallplain？”
“”Iquitefollowyou”saidI。”TheonlypointwhichIcouldnot
quiteunderstandwaswhatuseyoucouldmakeofahydraulicpressin
excavatingfuller”s-earth，which，asIunderstand，isdugoutlike
gravelfromapit。”
“”Ah！”saidhecarelessly，”wehaveourownprocess。Wecompressthe
earthintobricks，soastoremovethemwithoutrevealingwhatthey
are。Butthatisameredetail。Ihavetakenyoufullyintomy
confidencenow，Mr。Hatherley，andIhaveshownyouhowItrust
you。”Heroseashespoke。”Ishallexpectyou，then，atEyfordat
11：15。”
“”Ishallcertainlybethere。”
“”Andnotawordtoasoul。”Helookedatmewithalast，long，
questioninggaze，andthen，pressingmybandinacold，dankgrasp，he
hurriedfromtheroom。
“Well，whenIcametothinkitalloverincoolbloodIwasvery
muchastonished，asyoumayboththink，atthissuddencommission
whichhadbeenintrustedtome。Ontheonehand，ofcourse，Iwas
glad，forthefeewasatleasttenfoldwhatIshouldhaveaskedhad
Isetapriceuponmyownservices，anditwaspossiblethatthis
ordermightleadtootherones。Ontheotherhand，thefaceandmanner
ofmypatronhadmadeanunpleasantimpressionuponme，andIcould
notthinkthathisexplanationofthefullers-earthwassufficient
toexplainthenecessityformycomingatmidnight，andhisextreme
anxietylestIshouldtellanyoneofmyerrand。However，Ithrewall
fearstothewinds，ateaheartysupper，drovetoPaddington，and
startedoff，havingobeyedtothelettertheinjunctionasto
holdingmytongue。
“AtReadingIhadtochangenotonlymycarriagebutmystation。
However，IwasintimeforthelasttraintoEyford，andIreachedthe
littledim-litstationaftereleveno”clock。Iwastheonly
passengerwhogotoutthere，andtherewasnooneupontheplatform
saveasinglesleepyporterwithalanter。AsIpassedoutthroughthe
wicketgate，however，Ifoundmyacquaintanceofthemorningwaiting
intheshadowupontheotherside。Withoutawordhegraspedmyarm
andhurriedmeintoacarriage，thedoorofwhichwasstandingopen。
Hedrewupthewindowsoneitherside，tappedonthewood-work，and
awaywewentasfastasthehorsecouldgo。”
“Onehorse？“interjectedHolmes。
“Yes，onlyone。”
“Didyouobservethecolour？“
“Yes，Isawitbytheside-lightswhenIwassteppingintothe
carriage。Itwasachestnut。”
“Tired-lookingorfresh？“
“Oh，freshandglossy。”
“Thankyou。Iamsorrytohaveinterruptedyou。Praycontinueyour
mostinterestingstatement。”
“Awaywewentthen，andwedroveforatleastanhour。Colonel
LysanderStarkhadsaidthatitwasonlysevenmiles，butIshould
think，fromtheratethatweseemedtogo，andfromthetimethatwe
took，thatitmusthavebeennearertwelve。Hesatatmysidein
silenceallthetime，andIwasaware，morethanoncewhenIglanced
inhisdirection，thathewaslookingatmewithgreatintensity。
Thecountryroadsseemtobenotverygoodinthatpartofthe
world，forwelurchedandjoltedterribly。Itriedtolookoutof
thewindowstoseesomethingofwherewewere，buttheyweremadeof
frostedglass，andIcouldmakeoutnothingsavetheoccasionalbright
blurofapassinglight。NowandthenIhazardedsomeremarkto
breakthemonotonyofthejourney，butthecolonelansweredonlyin
monosyllables，andtheconversationsoonflagged。Atlast，however，
thebumpingoftheroadwasexchangedforthecrispsmoothnessofa
gravel-drive，andthecarriagecametoastand。ColonelLysanderStark
sprangout，and，asIfollowedafterhim，pushedmeswiftlyintoa
porchwhichgapedinfrontofus。Westepped，asitwere，rightoutof
thecarriageandintothehall，sothatIfailedtocatchthemost
fleetingglanceofthefrontofthehouse。TheinstantthatIhad
crossedthethresholdthedoorslammedheavilybehindus，andI
heardfaintlytherattleofthewheelsasthecarriagedroveaway。
“Itwaspitchdarkinsidethehouse，andthecolonelfumbledabout
lookingformatchesandmutteringunderhisbreath。Suddenlyadoor
openedattheotherendofthepassage，andalong，goldenbarof
lightshotoutinourdirection。Itgrewbroader，andawomanappeared
withalampinherhand，whichsheheldaboveherhead，pushingher
faceforwardandpeeringatus。Icouldseethatshewaspretty，and
fromtheglosswithwhichthelightshoneuponherdarkdressIknew
thatitwasarichmaterial。Shespokeafewwordsinaforeigntongue
inatoneasthoughaskingaquestion，andwhenmycompanion
answeredinagruffmonosyllableshegavesuchastartthatthelamp
nearlyfellfromherhand。ColonelStarkwentuptoher，whispered
somethinginherear，andthen，pushingherbackintotheroomfrom
whenceshehadcome，hewalkedtowardsmeagainwiththelampinhis
hand。
“”Perhapsyouwillhavethekindnesstowaitinthisroomfora
fewminutes”saidhe，throwingopenanotherdoor。Itwasaquiet，
little，plainlyfurnishedroom，witharoundtableinthecentre，on
whichseveralGermanbookswerescattered。ColonelStarklaiddownthe
lamponthetopofaharmoniumbesidethedoor。”Ishallnotkeep
youwaitinganinstant”saidhe，andvanishedintothedarkness。
“Iglancedatthebooksuponthetable，andinspiteofmyignorance
ofGermanIcouldseethattwoofthemweretreatisesonscience，
theothersbeingvolumesofpoetry。ThenIwalkedacrosstothe
window，hopingthatImightcatchsomeglimpseofthecountry-side，
butanoakshutter，heavilybarred，wasfoldedacrossit。Itwasa
wonderfullysilenthouse。Therewasanoldclocktickingloudly
somewhereinthepassage，butotherwiseeverythingwasdeadlystill。A
vaguefeelingofuneasinessbegantostealoverme。Whowerethese
Germanpeople，andwhatweretheydoinglivinginthisstrange，
out-of-the-wayplace？Andwherewastheplace？Iwastenmilesorso
fromEyford，thatwasallIknew，butwhethernorth，south，east，or
westIhadnoidea。Forthatmatter，Reading，andpossiblyotherlarge
towns，werewithinthatradius，sotheplacemightnotbesosecluded，
afterall。Yetitwasquitecertain，fromtheabsolutestillness，that
wewereinthecountry。Ipacedupanddowntheroom，hummingatune
undermybreathtokeepupmyspiritsandfeelingthatIwas
thoroughlyearningmyfifty-guineafee。
“Suddenly，withoutanypreliminarysoundinthemidstoftheutter
stillness，thedoorofmyroomswungslowlyopen。Thewomanwas
standingintheaperture，thedarknessofthehallbehindher，the
yellowlightfrommylampbeatinguponhereagerandbeautifulface。I
couldseeataglancethatshewassickwithfear，andthesight
sentachilltomyownheart。Shehelduponeshakingfingertowarn
metobesilent，andsheshotafewwhisperedwordsofbroken
Englishatme，hereyesglancingback，likethoseofafrightened
horse，intothegloombehindher。
“”Iwouldgo”saidshe，tryinghard，asitseemedtome，tospeak
calmly，”Iwouldgo。Ishouldnotstayhere。Thereisnogoodfor
youtodo。”
“”But，madam”saidI，”IhavenotyetdonewhatIcamefor。I
cannotpossiblyleaveuntilIhaveseenthemachine。”
“”Itisnotworthyourwhiletowait”shewenton。”Youcanpass
throughthedoor；noonehinders。”Andthen，seeingthatIsmiled
andshookmyhead，shesuddenlythrewasideherconstraintandmade
astepforward，withherhandswrangtogether。”Fortheloveof
Heaven！”shewhispered，”getawayfromherebeforeitistoolate！”
“ButIamsomewhatheadstrongbynature，andthemorereadyto
engageinanaffairwhenthereissomeobstacleintheway。I
thoughtofmyfifty-guineafee，ofmywearisomejourney，andofthe
unpleasantnightwhichseemedtobebeforeme。Wasitalltogofor
nothing？WhyshouldIslinkawaywithouthavingcarriedoutmy
commission，andwithoutthepaymentwhichwasmydue？Thiswoman
might，forallIknew，beamonomaniac。Withastoutbearing，
therefore，thoughhermannerhadshakenmemorethanIcaredto
confess，Istillshookmyheadanddeclaredmyintentionof
remainingwhereIwas。Shewasabouttorenewherentreatieswhena
doorslammedoverhead，andthesoundofseveralfootstepswasheard
uponthestairs。Shelistenedforaninstant，threwupherhands
withadespairinggesture，andvanishedassuddenlyandasnoiselessly
asshehadcome。
“ThenewcomerswereColonelLysanderStarkandashortthickman
withachinchillabeardgrowingoutofthecreasesofhisdoublechin，
whowasintroducedtomeasMr。Ferguson。
“”Thisismysecretaryandmanager”saidthecolonel。”Bythe
way，IwasundertheimpressionthatIleftthisdoorshutjustnow。I
fearthatyouhavefeltthedraught。”
“”Onthecontrary”saidI，”IopenedthedoormyselfbecauseIfelt
theroomtobealittleclose。”
“Heshotoneofhissuspiciouslooksatme。”Perhapswehadbetter
proceedtobusiness，then”saidhe。”Mr。FergusonandIwilltakeyou
uptoseethemachine。”
“”Ihadbetterputmyhaton，Isuppose。”
“”Oh，no，itisinthehouse。”
“”What，youdigfuller”s-earthinthehouse？”
“”No，no。Thisisonlywherewecompressit。Butnevermindthat。
Allwewishyoutodoistoexaminethemachineandtoletusknow
whatiswrongwithit。”
“Wewentupstairstogether，thecolonelfirstwiththelamp，thefat
managerandIbehindhim。Itwasalabyrinthofanoldhouse，with
corridors，passages，narrowwindingstaircases，andlittlelow
doors，thethresholdsofwhichwerehollowedoutbythegenerations
whohadcrossedthem。Therewerenocarpetsandnosignsofany
furnitureabovethegroundfloor，whiletheplasterwaspeelingoff
thewalls，andthedampwasbreakingthroughingreen，unhealthy
blotches。Itriedtoputonasunconcernedanairaspossible，butI
hadnotforgottenthewarningsofthelady，eventhoughI
disregardedthem，andIkeptakeeneyeuponmytwocompanions。
Fergusonappearedtobeamoroseandsilentman，butIcouldsee
fromthelittlethathesaidthathewasatleastafellow-countryman。
“ColonelLysanderStarkstoppedatlastbeforealowdoor，which
heunlocked。Withinwasasmall，squareroom，inwhichthethreeofus
couldhardlygetatonetime。Fergusonremainedoutside，andthe
colonelusheredmein。
“”Wearenow”saidhe，”actuallywithinthehydraulicpress，andit
wouldbeaparticularlyunpleasantthingforusifanyoneweretoturn
iton。Theceilingofthissmallchamberisreallytheendofthe
descendingpiston，anditcomesdownwiththeforceofmanytons
uponthismetalfloor。Therearesmalllateralcolumnsofwater
outsidewhichreceivetheforce，andwhichtransmitandmultiplyitin
themannerwhichisfamiliartoyou。Themachinegoesreadily
enough，butthereissomestiffnessintheworkingofit，andithas
lostalittleofitsforce。Perhapsyouwillhavethegoodnesstolook
itoverandtoshowushowwecansetitright。”
“Itookthelampfromhim，andIexaminedthemachinevery
thoroughly。Itwasindeedagiganticone，andcapableofexercising
enormouspressure。WhenIpassedoutside，however，andpresseddown
theleverswhichcontrolledit，Iknewatoncebythewhishingsound
thattherewasaslightleakage，whichallowedaregurgitationof
waterthroughoneofthesidecylinders。Anexaminationshowedthat
oneoftheindia-rubberbandswhichwasroundtheheadofa
driving-rodhadshrunksoasnotquitetofillthesocketalong
whichitworked。Thiswasclearlythecauseofthelossofpower，
andIpointeditouttomycompanions，whofollowedmyremarksvery
carefullyandaskedseveralpracticalquestionsastohowthey
shouldproceedtosetitright。WhenIhadmadeitcleartothem，I
returnedtothemainchamberofthemachineandtookagoodlookatit
tosatisfymyowncuriosity。Itwasobviousataglancethatthestory
ofthefuller”s-earthwasthemerestfabrication，foritwouldbe
absurdtosupposethatsopowerfulanenginecouldbedesignedfor
soinadequateapurpose。Thewallswereofwood，butthefloor
consistedofalargeirontrough，andwhenIcametoexamineitI
couldseeacrustofmetallicdepositalloverit。Ihadstoopedand
wasscrapingatthistoseeexactlywhatitwaswhenIhearda
mutteredexclamationinGermanandsawthecadaverousfaceofthe
colonellookingdownatme。
“”Whatareyoudoingthere？”heasked。
“Ifeltangryathavingbeentrickedbysoelaborateastoryasthat
whichhehadtoldme。”Iwasadmiringyourfuller”s-earth”saidI；”I
thinkthatIshouldbebetterabletoadviseyouastoyourmachineif
Iknewwhattheexactpurposewasforwhichitwasused。”
“TheinstantthatIutteredthewordsIregrettedtherashnessofmy
speech。Hisfacesethard，andabalefullightsprangupinhisgray
eyes。
“”Verywell”saidhe，”youshallknowallaboutthemachine。”He
tookastepbackward，slammedthelittledoor，andturnedthekeyin
thelock。Irushedtowardsitandpulledatthehandle，butitwas
quitesecure，anddidnotgiveintheleasttomykicksandshoves。”Hello！”Iyelled。”Hello！Colonel！Letmeout！”
“AndthensuddenlyinthesilenceIheardasoundwhichsentmy
heartintomymouth。Itwastheclankoftheleversandtheswishof
theleakingcylinder。Hehadsettheengineatwork。Thelampstill
stooduponthefloorwhereIhadplaceditwhenexaminingthe
trough。ByitslightIsawthattheblackceilingwascomingdownupon
me，slowly，jerkily，butasnoneknewbetterthanmyself，withaforce
whichmustwithinaminutegrindmetoashapelesspulp。Ithrew
myself，screaming，againstthedoor，anddraggedwithmynailsat
thelock。Iimploredthecoloneltoletmeout，buttheremorseless
clankingoftheleversdrownedmycries。Theceilingwasonlyafoot
ortwoabovemyhead，andwithmyhandupraisedIcouldfeelitshard，
roughsurface。Thenitflashedthroughmymindthatthepainofmy
deathwoulddependverymuchuponthepositioninwhichImetit。IfI
layonmyfacetheweightwouldcomeuponmyspine，andIshudderedto
thinkofthatdreadfulsnap。Easiertheotherway，perhaps；andyet，
hadIthenervetolieandlookupatthatdeadlyblackshadow
waveringdownuponme？AlreadyIwasunabletostanderect，whenmy
eyecaughtsomethingwhichbroughtagushofhopebacktomyheart。
“Ihavesaidthatthoughthefloorandceilingwereofiron，the
wallswereofwood。AsIgavealasthurriedglancearound，Isawa
thinlineofyellowlightbetweentwooftheboards，whichbroadened
andbroadenedasasmallpanelwaspushedbackward。ForaninstantI
couldhardlybelievethatherewasindeedadoorwhichledawayfrom
death。ThenextinstantIthrewmyselfthrough，andlay
half-faintingupontheotherside。thepanelhadclosedagainbehind
me，butthecrashofthelamp，andafewmomentsafterwardsthe
clangofthetwoslabsofmetal，toldmehownarrowhadbeenmy
escape。
“Iwasrecalledtomyselfbyafranticpluckingatmywrist，andI
foundmyselflyinguponthestonefloorofanarrowcorridor，while
awomanbentovermeandtuggedatmewithherlefthand，whileshe
heldacandleinherright。Itwasthesamegoodfriendwhose
warningIhadsofoolishlyrejected。
“”Come！come！”shecriedbreathlessly。”Theywillbehereina
moment。Theywillseethatyouarenotthere。Oh，donotwastethe
so-precioustime，butcome！”
“Thistime，atleast，Ididnotscornheradvice。Istaggeredto
myfeetandranwithheralongthecorridoranddownawinding
stair。Thelatterledtoanotherbroadpassage，andjustaswereached
itweheardthesoundofrunningfeetandtheshoutingoftwo
voices，oneansweringtheotherfromtheflooronwhichwewereand
fromtheonebeneath。Myguidestoppedandlookedaboutherlikeone
whoisatherwit”send。Thenshethrewopenadoorwhichledintoa
bedroom，throughthewindowofwhichthemoonwasshiningbrightly。
“”Itisyouronlychance”saidshe。”Itishigh，butitmaybethat
youcanjumpit。”
“Asshespokealightsprangintoviewatthefurtherendofthe
passage，andIsawtheleanfigureofColonelLysanderStarkrushing
forwardwithalanterninonehandandaweaponlikeabutchers
cleaverintheother。Irushedacrossthebedroom，flungopenthe
window，andlookedout。Howquietandsweetandwholesomethegarden
lookedinthemoonlight，anditcouldnotbemorethanthirtyfeet
down。Iclamberedoutuponthesill，butIhesitatedtojumpuntilI
shouldhaveheardwhatpassedbetweenmysaviourandtheruffianwho
pursuedme。Ifshewereill-used，thenatanyrisksIwasdetermined
togobacktoherassistance。Thethoughthadhardlyflashedthrough
mymindbeforebewasatthedoor，pushinghiswaypasther；butshe
threwherarmsroundhimandtriedtoholdhimback。
“”Fritz！Fritz！”shecriedinEnglish，”rememberyourpromise
afterthelasttime。Yousaiditshouldnotbeagain。Hewillbe
silent！Oh，hewillbesilent！”
“”Youaremad，Elise！”heshouted，strugglingtobreakawayfrom
her。”Youwillbetheruinofus。Hehasseentoomuch。Letmepass，I
say！”Hedashedhertooneside，and，rushingtothewindow，cutatme
withhisheavyweapon。Ihadletmyselfgo，andwashangingbythe
handstothesill，whenhisblowfell。Iwasconsciousofadullpain，
mygriploosened，andIfellintothegardenbelow。
“Iwasshakenbutnothurtbythefall；soIpickedmyselfupand
rushedoffamongthebushesashardasIcouldrun，forIunderstood
thatIwasfarfrombeingoutofdangeryet。Suddenly，however，asI
ran，adeadlydizzinessandsicknesscameoverme。Iglanceddownat
myhand，whichwasthrobbingpainfully，andthen，forthefirst
time，sawthatmythumbhadbeencutoffandthatthebloodwas
pouringfrommywound。Iendeavouredtotiemyhandkerchiefround
it，buttherecameasuddenbuzzinginmyears，andnextmomentIfell
inadeadfaintamongtherose-bushes。
“HowlongIremainedunconsciousIcannottell。Itmusthavebeen
averylongtime，forthemoonhadsunk，andabrightmorningwas
breakingwhenIcametomyself。Myclotheswereallsoddenwithdew，
andmycoat-sleevewasdrenchedwithbloodfrommywoundedthumb。
Thesmartingofitrecalledinaninstantalltheparticularsofmy
night”sadventure，andIsprangtomyfeetwiththefeelingthatI
mighthardlyyetbesafefrommypursuers。Buttomyastonishment，
whenIcametolookroundme，neitherhousenorgardenweretobe
seen。Ihadbeenlyinginanangleofthehedgeclosebythehighroad，
andjustalittlelowerdownwasalongbuilding，whichproved，upon
myapproachingit，tobetheverystationatwhichIhadarrived
uponthepreviousnight。Wereitnotfortheuglywounduponmy
hand，allthathadpassedduringthosedreadfulhoursmighthave
beenanevildream。
“Halfdazed，Iwentintothestationandaskedaboutthemorning
train。TherewouldbeonetoReadinginlessthananhour。Thesame
porterwasonduty，Ifound，ashadbeentherewhenIarrived。I
inquiredofhimwhetherhehadeverheardofColonelLysanderStark。
Thenamewasstrangetohim。Hadheobservedacarriagethenight
beforewaitingforme？No，hehadnot。Wasthereapolicestation
anywherenear？Therewasoneaboutthreemilesoff。
“Itwastoofarformetogo，weakandillasIwas。Ideterminedto
waituntilIgotbacktotownbeforetellingmystorytothepolice。
ItwasalittlepastsixwhenIarrived，soIwentfirsttohavemy
wounddressed，andthenthedoctorwaskindenoughtobringmealong
here。Iputthecaseintoyourhandsandshalldoexactlywhatyou
advise。”
Webothsatinsilenceforsomelittletimeafterlisteningto
thisextraordinarynarrative。ThenSherlockHolmespulleddownfrom
theshelfoneoftheponderouscommonplacebooksinwhichheplaced
hiscuttings。
“Hereisanadvertisementwhichwillinterestyou，“saidhe。“It
appearedinallthepapersaboutayearago。Listentothis：
“Lost，onthe9thinst。，Mr。JeremiahHayling，agedtwenty-six，a
hydraulicengineer。Lefthislodgingsatteno”clockatnight，andhas
notbeenheardofsince。Wasdressedin-
etc。，etc。Ha！Thatrepresentsthelasttimethatthecolonelneeded
tohavehismachineoverhauled，Ifancy。”
“Goodheavens！“criedmypatient。“Thenthatexplainswhatthe
girlsaid。”
“Undoubtedly。Itisquiteclearthatthecolonelwasacooland
desperateman，whowasabsolutelydeterminedthatnothingshouldstand
inthewayofhislittlegame，likethoseout-and-outpirateswhowill
leavenosurvivorfromacapturedship。Well，everymomentnowis
precious，soifyoufeelequaltoitweshallgodowntoScotlandYard
atonceasapreliminarytostartingforEyford。”
Somethreehoursorsoafterwardswewereallinthetraintogether，
boundfromReadingtothelittleBerkshirevillage。Therewere
SherlockHolmes，thehydraulicengineer，InspectorBradstreet，of
ScotlandYard，aplain-clothesman，andmyself。Bradstreethad
spreadanordnancemapofthecountyoutupontheseatandwasbusy
withhiscompassesdrawingacirclewithEyfordforitscentre。
“Thereyouare，“saidhe。“Thatcircleisdrawnataradiusoften
milesfromthevillage。Theplacewewantmustbesomewherenear
thatline。Yousaidtenmiles，Ithink，sir。”
“Itwasanhour”sgooddrive。”
“Andyouthinkthattheybroughtyoubackallthatwaywhenyouwere
unconscious？“
“Theymusthavedoneso。Ihaveaconfusedmemory，too，ofhaving
beenliftedandconveyedsomewhere。”
“WhatIcannotunderstand，“saidI，“iswhytheyshouldhave
sparedyouwhentheyfoundyoulyingfaintinginthegarden。Perhaps
thevillainwassoftenedbythewoman”sentreaties。”
“Ihardlythinkthatlikely。Ineversawamoreinexorablefacein
mylife。”
“Oh，weshallsoonclearupallthat，“saidBradstreet。“Well，I
havedrawnmycircle，andIonlywishIknewatwhatpointuponitthe
folkthatweareinsearchofaretobefound。”
“IthinkIcouldlaymyfingeronit，“saidHolmesquietly。
“Really，now！“criedtheinspector，“youhaveformedyouropinion！
Come，now，weshallseewhoagreeswithyou。Isayitissouth，for
thecountryismoredesertedthere。”
“AndIsayeast，“saidmypatient。
“Iamforwest，“remarkedtheplain-clothesman。“Thereare
severalquietlittlevillagesupthere。”
“AndIamfornorth，“saidI，“becausetherearenohillsthere，and
ourfriendsaysthathedidnotnoticethecarriagegoupany。”
“Come，“criedtheinspector，laughing，“it”saveryprettydiversity
ofopinion。“Wehaveboxedthecompassamongus。Whodoyougive
yourcastingvoteto？“
“Youareallwrong。”
“Butwecan”tallbe。”
“Oh，yes，youcan。Thisismypoint。”Heplacedhisfingerinthe
centreofthecircle。“Thisiswhereweshallfindthem。”
“Butthetwelve-miledrive？“gaspedHatherley。
“Sixoutandsixback。Nothingsimpler。Yousayyourselfthatthe
horsewasfreshandglossywhenyougotin。Howcoulditbethatifit
hadgonetwelvemilesoverheavyroads？“
“Indeed，itisalikelyruseenough，“observedBradstreet
thoughtfully。“Ofcoursetherecanbenodoubtastothenatureof
thisgang。”
“Noneatall，“saidHolmes。“Theyarecoinersonalargescale，
andhaveusedthemachinetoformtheamalgamwhichhastakenthe
placeofsilver。”
“Wehaveknownforsometimethataclevergangwasatwork，“said
theinspector。“Theyhavebeenturningouthalf-crownsbythe
thousand。WeeventracedthemasfarasReading，butcouldgetno
farther，fortheyhadcoveredtheirtracesinawaythatshowedthat
theywereveryoldhands。Butnow，thankstothisluckychance，I
thinkthatwehavegotthemrightenough。”
Buttheinspectorwasmistaken，forthosecriminalswerenot
destinedtofallintothehandsofjustice。AswerolledintoEyford
Stationwesawagiganticcolumnofsmokewhichstreamedupfrom
behindasmallclumpoftreesintheneighbourhoodandhunglikean
immenseostrichfeatheroverthelandscape。
“Ahouseonfire？“askedBradstreetasthetrainsteamedoffagain
onitsway。
“Yes，sir！“saidthestation-master。
“Whendiditbreakout？“
“Ihearthatitwasduringthenight，sir，butithasgotworse，and
thewholeplaceisinablaze。”
“Whosehouseisit？“
“Dr。Becher”s。”
“Tellme，“brokeintheengineer，“isDr。BecheraGerman，very
thin，withalong，sharpnose？“
Thestation-masterlaughedheartily。“No，sir，Dr。Becherisan
Englishman，andthereisn”tamanintheparishwhohasabetter-lined
waistcoat。Buthehasagentlemanstayingwithhim，apatient，asI
understand，whoisaforeigner，andhelooksasifalittlegood
Berkshirebeefwoulddohimnoharm。”
Thestation-masterhadnotfinishedhisspeechbeforewewereall
hasteninginthedirectionofthefire。Theroadtoppedalowhill，
andtherewasagreatwidespreadwhitewashedbuildinginfrontof
us，spoutingfireateverychinkandwindow，whileinthegardenin
frontthreefire-engineswerevainlystrivingtokeeptheflames
under。
“That”sit！“criedHatherley，inintenseexcitement。“Thereisthe
gravel-drive，andtherearetherose-busheswhereIlay。Thatsecond
windowistheonethatIjumpedfrom。”
“Well，atleast，“saidHolmes，“youhavehadyourrevengeuponthem。
Therecanbenoquestionthatitwasyouroillampwhich，whenitwas
crushedinthePress，setfiretothewoodenwalls，thoughnodoubt
theyweretooexcitedinthechaseafteryoutoobserveitatthe
time。Nowyoureyesopeninthiscrowdforyourfriendsoflastnight，
thoughIverymuchfearthattheyareagoodhundredmilesoffby
now。”