Iwasnotsurprised。Indeed，myonlywonderwasthathehadnotalreadybeenmixeduponthisextraordinarycase，whichwastheonetopicofconversationthroughthelengthandbreadthofEngland。Forawholedaymycompanionhadrambledabouttheroomwithhischinuponhischestandhisbrowsknitted，chargingandrecharginghispipewiththestrongestblacktobacco，andabsolutelydeaftoanyofmyquestionsorremarks。
Fresheditionsofeverypaperhadbeensentupbyournewsagent，onlytobeglancedoverandtosseddownintoacorner。Yet，silentashewas，Iknewperfectlywellwhatitwasoverwhichhewasbrooding。
Therewasbutoneproblembeforethepublicwhichcouldchallengehispowersofanalysis，andthatwasthesingulardisappearanceofthefavoritefortheWessexCup，andthetragicmurderofitstrainer。
When，therefore，hesuddenlyannouncedhisintentionofsettingoutforthesceneofthedramaitwasonlywhatIhadbothexpectedandhopedfor。”IshouldbemosthappytogodownwithyouifI
shouldnotbeintheway，”saidI。”MydearWatson，youwouldconferagreatfavoruponmebycoming。AndIthinkthatyourtimewillnotbemisspent，fortherearepointsaboutthecasewhichpromisetomakeitanabsolutelyuniqueone。Wehave，Ithink，justtimetocatchourtrainatPaddington，andIwillgofurtherintothematteruponourjourney。Youwouldobligemebybringingwithyouyourveryexcellentfield-glass。”
AndsoithappenedthatanhourorsolaterIfoundmyselfinthecornerofafirst-classcarriageflyingalongenrouteforExeter，whileSherlockHolmes，withhissharp，eagerfaceframedinhisear-flappedtravelling-cap，dippedrapidlyintothebundleoffreshpaperswhichhehadprocuredatPaddington。WehadleftReadingfarbehindusbeforehethrustthelastoneofthemundertheseat，andofferedmehiscigar-case。”Wearegoingwell，”saidhe，lookingoutthewindowandglancingathiswatch。”Ourrateatpresentisfifty-threeandahalfmilesanhour。””Ihavenotobservedthequarter-mileposts，”saidI。”NorhaveI。Butthetelegraphpostsuponthislinearesixtyyardsapart，andthecalculationisasimpleone。IpresumethatyouhavelookedintothismatterofthemurderofJohnStrakerandthedisappearanceofSilverBlaze?””IhaveseenwhattheTelegraphandtheChroniclehavetosay。””Itisoneofthosecaseswheretheartofthereasonershouldbeusedratherforthesiftingofdetailsthanfortheacquiringoffreshevidence。Thetragedyhasbeensouncommon，socompleteandofsuchpersonalimportancetosomanypeople，thatwearesufferingfromaplethoraofsurmise，conjecture，andhypothesis。Thedifficultyistodetachtheframeworkoffact——ofabsoluteundeniablefact——fromtheembellishmentsoftheoristsandreporters。Then，havingestablishedourselvesuponthissoundbasis，itisourdutytoseewhatinferencesmaybedrawnandwhatarethespecialpointsuponwhichthewholemysteryturns。OnTuesdayeveningIreceivedtelegramsfrombothColonelRoss，theownerofthehorse，andfromInspectorGregory，whoislookingafterthecase，invitingmycooperation。”Tuesdayevening！”Iexclaimed。”AndthisisThursdaymorning。Whydidn’tyougodownyesterday?””BecauseImadeablunder，mydearWatson——whichis，I
amafraid，amorecommonoccurrencethananyonewouldthinkwhoonlyknewmethroughyourmemoirs。ThefactisthatIcouldnotbelieveispossiblethatthemostremarkablehorseinEnglandcouldlongremainconcealed，especiallyinsosparselyinhabitedaplaceasthenorthofDartmoor。FromhourtohouryesterdayIexpectedtohearthathehadbeenfound，andthathisabductorwasthemurdererofJohnStraker。When，however，anothermorninghadcome，andIfoundthatbeyondthearrestofyoungFitzroySimpsonnothinghadbeendone，Ifeltthatitwastimeformetotakeaction。YetinsomewaysIfeelthatyesterdayhasnotbeenwasted。””Youhaveformedatheory，then?””AtleastIhavegotagripoftheessentialfactsofthecase。Ishallenumeratethemtoyou，fornothingclearsupacasesomuchasstatingittoanotherperson，andIcanhardlyexpectyourco-operationifI
donotshowyouthepositionfromwhichwestart。”
Ilaybackagainstthecushions，puffingatmycigar，whileHolmes，leaningforward，withhislong，thinforefingercheckingoffthepointsuponthepalmofhislefthand，gavemeasketchoftheeventswhichhadledtoourjourney。”SilverBlaze，”saidhe，”isfromtheSomomystock，andholdsasbrilliantarecordashisfamousancestor。Heisnowinhisfifthyear，andhasbroughtinturneachoftheprizesoftheturftoColonelRoss，hisfortunateowner。UptothetimeofthecatastrophehewasthefirstfavoritefortheWessexCup，thebettingbeingthreetooneonhim。Hehasalways，however，beenaprimefavoritewiththeracingpublic，andhasneveryetdisappointedthem，sothatevenatthoseoddsenormoussumsofmoneyhavebeenlaiduponhim。Itisobvious，therefore，thatthereweremanypeoplewhohadthestrongestinterestinpreventingSilverBlazefrombeingthereatthefalloftheflagnextTuesday。”Thefactwas，ofcourse，appreciatedatKing’sPyland，wheretheColonel’straining-stableissituated。Everyprecautionwastakentoguardthefavorite。Thetrainer，JohnStraker，isaretiredjockeywhorodeinColonelRoss’scolorsbeforehebecametooheavyfortheweighing-chair。HehasservedtheColonelforfiveyearsasjockeyandforsevenastrainer，andhasalwaysshownhimselftobeazealousandhonestservant。Underhimwerethreelads；fortheestablishmentwasasmallone，containingonlyfourhorsesinall。Oneoftheseladssatupeachnightinthestable，whiletheotherssleptintheloft。Allthreeboreexcellentcharacters。JohnStraker，whoisamarriedman，livedinasmallvillaabouttowhundredyardsfromthestables。Hehasnochildren，keepsonemaid-servant，andiscomfortablyoff。Thecountryroundisverylonely，butabouthalfamiletothenorththereisasmallclusterofvillaswhichhavebeenbuiltbyaTavistockcontractorfortheuseofinvalidsandotherswhomaywishtoenjoythepureDartmoorair。
Tavistockitselfliestwomilestothewest，whileacrossthemoor，alsoabouttwomilesdistant，isthelargertrainingestablishmentofMapleton，whichbelongstoLordBackwater，andismanagedbySilasBrown。Ineveryotherdirectionthemoorisacompletewilderness，inhabitedonlybeafewroaminggypsies。SuchwasthegeneralsituationlastMondaynightwhenthecatastropheoccurred。”Onthateveningthehorseshadbeenexercisedandwateredasusual，andthestableswerelockedupatnineo’clock。Twooftheladswalkeduptothetrainer’shouse，wheretheyhadsupperinthekitchen，whilethethird，NedHunter，remainedonguard。Atafewminutesafterninethemaid，EdithBaxter，carrieddowntothestableshissupper，whichconsistedofadishofcurriedmutton。Shetooknoliquid，astherewasawater-tapinthestables，anditwastherulethattheladondutyshoulddrinknothingelse。Themaidcarriedalanternwithher，asitwasverydarkandthepathranacrosstheopenmoor。”EdithBaxterwaswithinthirtyyardsofthestables，whenamanappearedoutofthedarknessandcalledtohertostop。Ashesteppedintothecircleofyellowlightthrownbythelanternshesawthathewasapersonofgentlemanlybearing，dressedinagraysuitoftweeds，withaclothcap。Heworegaiters，andcarriedaheavystickwithaknobtoit。Shewasmostimpressed，however，bytheextremepallorofhisfaceandbythenervousnessofhismanner。Hisage，shethought，wouldberatheroverthirtythanunderit。”’CanyoutellmewhereIam?’heasked。’Ihadalmostmadeupmymindtosleeponthemoor，whenIsawthelightofyourlantern。’”’YouareclosetotheKing’sPylandtraining-stables，’saidshe。”’Oh，indeed！Whatastrokeofluck！’hecried。’I
understandthatastable-boysleepstherealoneeverynight。Perhapsthatishissupperwhichyouarecarryingtohim。NowIamsurethatyouwouldnotbetooproudtoearnthepriceofanewdress，wouldyou?’Hetookapieceofwhitepaperfoldedupoutofhiswaistcoatpocket。’Seethattheboyhasthisto-night，andyoushallhavetheprettiestfrockthatmoneycanbuy。’”Shewasfrightenedbytheearnestnessofhismanner，andranpasthimtothewindowthroughwhichshewasaccustomedtohandthemeals。Itwasalreadyopened，andHunterwasseatedatthesmalltableinside。Shehadbeguntotellhimofwhathadhappened，whenthestrangercameupagain。”’Good-evening，’saidhe，lookingthroughthewindow。
’Iwantedtohaveawordwithyou。’Thegirlhasswornthatashespokeshenoticedthecornerofthelittlepaperpacketprotrudingfromhisclosedhand。”’Whatbusinesshaveyouhere?’askedthelad。”’It’sbusinessthatmayputsomethingintoyourpocket，’saidtheother。’You’vetwohorsesinfortheWessexCup——SilverBlazeandBayard。Letmehavethestraighttipandyouwon’tbealoser。IsitafactthatattheweightsBayardcouldgivetheotherahundredyardsinfivefurlongs，andthatthestablehaveputtheirmoneyonhim?’”’So，you’reoneofthosedamnedtouts！’criedthelad。’I’llshowyouhowweservetheminKing’sPyland。’Hesprangupandrushedacrossthestabletounloosethedog。Thegirlfledawaytothehouse，butassheranshelookedbackandsawthatthestrangerwasleaningthroughthewindow。Aminutelater，however，whenHunterrushedoutwiththehoundhewasgone，andthoughheranallroundthebuildingshefailedtofindanytraceofhim。””Onemoment，”Iasked。”Didthestable-boy，whenheranoutwiththedog，leavethedoorunlockedbehindhim?””Excellent，Watson，excellent！”murmuredmycompanion。”TheimportanceofthepointstruckmesoforciblythatIsentaspecialwiretoDartmooryesterdaytoclearthematterup。Theboylockedthedoorbeforeheleftit。Thewindow，Imayadd，wasnotlargeenoughforamantogetthrough。”Hunterwaiteduntilhisfellow-groomshadreturned，whenhesentamessagetothetrainerandtoldhimwhathadoccurred。Strakerwasexcitedathearingtheaccount，althoughhedoesnotseemtohavequiterealizeditstruesignificance。Itlefthim，however，vaguelyuneasy，andMrs。Straker，wakingatoneinthemorning，foundthathewasdressing。Inreplytoherinquiries，hesaidthathecouldnotsleeponaccountofhisanxietyaboutthehorses，andthatheintendedtowalkdowntothestablestoseethatallwaswell。
Shebeggedhimtoremainathome，asshecouldheartherainpatteringagainstthewindow，butinspiteofherentreatieshepulledonhislargemackintoshandleftthehouse。”Mrs。Strakerawokeatseveninthemorning，tofindthatherhusbandhadnotyetreturned。Shedressedherselfhastily，calledthemaid，andsetoffforthestables。Thedoorwasopen；inside，huddledtogetheruponachair，Hunterwassunkinastateofabsolutestupor，thefavorite’sstallwasempty，andtherewerenosignsofhistrainer。”Thetwoladswhosleptinthechaff-cuttingloftabovetheharness-roomwerequicklyaroused。Theyhadheardnothingduringthenight，fortheyarebothsoundsleepers。Hunterwasobviouslyundertheinfluenceofsomepowerfuldrug，andasnosensecouldbegotoutofhim，hewaslefttosleepitoffwhilethetwoladsandthetwowomenranoutinsearchoftheabsentees。Theystillhadhopesthatthetrainerhadforsomereasontakenoutthehorseforearlyexercise，butonascendingtheknollnearthehouse，fromwhichalltheneighboringmoorswerevisible，theynotonlycouldseenosignsofthemissingfavorite，buttheyperceivedsomethingwhichwarnedthemthattheywereinthepresenceofatragedy。