”Yes，Ihavehisassurance，”saidtheColonel，withashrugofhisshoulders。”Ishouldprefertohavethehorse。”Iwasabouttomakesomereplyindefenceofmyfriendwhenheenteredtheroomagain。”Now，gentlemen，”saidhe，”IamquitereadyforTavistock。”
Aswesteppedintothecarriageoneofthestable-ladsheldthedooropenforus。AsuddenideaseemedtooccurtoHolmes，forheleanedforwardandtouchedtheladuponthesleeve。”Youhaveafewsheepinthepaddock，”hesaid。”Whoattendstothem?””Ido，sir。””Haveyounoticedanythingamisswiththemoflate?””Well，sir，notofmuchaccount；butthreeofthemhavegonelame，sir。”
IcouldseethatHolmeswasextremelypleased，forhechuckledandrubbedhishandstogether。”Alongshot，Watson；averylongshot，”saidhe，pinchingmyarm。”Gregory，letmerecommendtoyourattentionthissingularepidemicamongthesheep。
Driveon，coachman！”
ColonelRossstillworeanexpressionwhichshowedthepooropinionwhichhehadformedofmycompanion’sability，butIsawbytheInspector’sfacethathisattentionhadbeenkeenlyaroused。”Youconsiderthattobeimportant?”heasked。”Exceedinglyso。””Isthereanypointtowhichyouwouldwishtodrawmyattention?””Tothecuriousincidentofthedoginthenight-time。””Thedogdidnothinginthenight-time。””Thatwasthecuriousincident，”remarkedSherlockHolmes。
FourdayslaterHolmesandIwereagaininthetrain，boundforWinchestertoseetheracefortheWessexCup。ColonelRossmetusbyappointmentoutsidethestation，andwedroveinhisdragtothecoursebeyondthetown。Hisfacewasgrave，andhismannerwascoldintheextreme。”Ihaveseennothingofmyhorse，”saidhe。”Isupposethatyouwouldknowhimwhenyousawhim?”
askedHolmes。
TheColonelwasveryangry。”Ihavebeenontheturffortwentyyears，andneverwasaskedsuchaquestionasthatbefore，”saidhe。”AchildwouldknowSilverBlaze，withhiswhiteforeheadandhismottledoff-foreleg。””Howisthebetting?””Well，thatisthecuriouspartofit。Youcouldhavegotfifteentooneyesterday，butthepricehasbecomeshorterandshorter，untilyoucanhardlygetthreetoonenow。””Hum！”saidHolmes。”Somebodyknowssomething，thatisclear。”
AsthedragdrewupintheenclosurenearthegrandstandIglancedatthecardtoseetheentries。
WessexPlate[itran]50sovseachhftwith1000sovsaddedforfourandfiveyearolds。Second，L300。
Third，L200。Newcourseonemileandfivefurlongs。
Mr。HeathNewton’sTheNegro。Redcap。Cinnamonjacket。
ColonelWardlaw’sPugilist。Pinkcap。Blueandblackjacket。
LordBackwater’sDesborough。Yellowcapandsleeves。
ColonelRoss’sSilverBlaze。Blackcap。Redjacket。
DukeofBalmoral’sIris。Yellowandblackstripes。
LordSingleford’sRasper。Purplecap。Blacksleeves。”Wescratchedourotherone，andputallhopesonyourword，”saidtheColonel。”Why，whatisthat?SilverBlazefavorite?””FivetofouragainstSilverBlaze！”roaredthering。”FivetofouragainstSilverBlaze！FivetofifteenagainstDesborough！Fivetofouronthefield！””Therearethenumbersup，”Icried。”Theyareallsixthere。””Allsixthere?Thenmyhorseisrunning，”criedtheColonelingreatagitation。”ButIdon’tseehim。Mycolorshavenotpassed。””Onlyfivehavepassed。Thismustbehe。”
AsIspokeapowerfulbayhorsesweptoutfromtheweightingenclosureandcanteredpastus，bearingonitbackthewell-knownblackandredoftheColonel。”That’snotmyhorse，”criedtheowner。”Thatbeasthasnotawhitehairuponitsbody。Whatisthisthatyouhavedone，Mr。Holmes?””Well，well，letusseehowhegetson，”saidmyfriend，imperturbably。Forafewminuteshegazedthroughmyfield-glass。”Capital！Anexcellentstart！”hecriedsuddenly。”Theretheyare，comingroundthecurve！”
Fromourdragwehadasuperbviewastheycameupthestraight。Thesixhorsesweresoclosetogetherthatacarpetcouldhavecoveredthem，buthalfwayuptheyellowoftheMapletonstableshowedtothefront。
Beforetheyreachedus，however，Desborough’sboltwasshot，andtheColonel’shorse，comingawaywitharush，passedthepostagoodsixlengthsbeforeitsrival，theDukeofBalmoral’sIrismakingabadthird。”It’smyrace，anyhow，”gaspedtheColonel，passinghishandoverhiseyes。”IconfessthatIcanmakeneitherheadnortailofit。Don’tyouthinkthatyouhavekeptupyourmysterylongenough，Mr。Holmes?””Certainly，Colonel，youshallknoweverything。Letusallgoroundandhavealookatthehorsetogether。
Hereheis，”hecontinued，aswemadeourwayintotheweighingenclosure，whereonlyownersandtheirfriendsfindadmittance。”Youhaveonlytowashhisfaceandhisleginspiritsofwine，andyouwillfindthatheisthesameoldSilverBlazeasever。””Youtakemybreathaway！””Ifoundhiminthehandsofafakir，andtookthelibertyofrunninghimjustashewassentover。””Mydearsir，youhavedonewonders。Thehorselooksveryfitandwell。Itneverwentbetterinitslife。
Ioweyouathousandapologiesforhavingdoubtedyourability。Youhavedonemeagreatservicebyrecoveringmyhorse。YouwoulddomeagreaterstillifyoucouldlayyourhandsonthemurdererofJohnStraker。””Ihavedoneso，”saidHolmesquietly。
TheColonelandIstaredathiminamazement。”Youhavegothim！Whereishe，then?””Heishere。””Here！Where?””Inmycompanyatthepresentmoment。”
TheColonelflushedangrily。”IquiterecognizethatIamunderobligationstoyou，Mr。Holmes，”saidhe，”butImustregardwhatyouhavejustsaidaseitheraverybadjokeoraninsult。”
SherlockHolmeslaughed。”IassureyouthatIhavenotassociatedyouwiththecrime，Colonel，”saidhe。”Therealmurdererisstandingimmediatelybehindyou。”Hesteppedpastandlaidhishandupontheglossyneckofthethoroughbred。”Thehorse！”criedboththeColonelandmyself。”Yes，thehorse。AnditmaylessenhisguiltifIsaythatitwasdoneinself-defence，andthatJohnStrakerwasamanwhowasentirelyunworthyofyourconfidence。Buttheregoesthebell，andasIstandtowinalittleonthisnextrace，Ishalldeferalengthyexplanationuntilamorefittingtime。”
WehadthecornerofaPullmancartoourselvesthateveningaswewhirledbacktoLondon，andIfancythatthejourneywasashortonetoColonelRossaswellastomyself，aswelistenedtoourcompanion’snarrativeoftheeventswhichhadoccurredattheDartmoortraining-stablesupontheMondaynight，andthemeansbywhichhehadunravelledthem。”Iconfess，”saidhe，”thatanytheorieswhichIhadformedfromthenewspaperreportswereentirelyerroneous。Andyettherewereindicationsthere，hadtheynotbeenoverlaidbyotherdetailswhichconcealedtheirtrueimport。IwenttoDevonshirewiththeconvictionthatFitzroySimpsonwasthetrueculprit，although，ofcourse，Isawthattheevidenceagainsthimwasbynomeanscomplete。ItwaswhileI
wasinthecarriage，justaswereachedthetrainer’shouse，thattheimmensesignificanceofthecurriedmuttonoccurredtome。YoumayrememberthatIwasdistrait，andremainedsittingafteryouhadallalighted。IwasmarvellinginmyownmindhowIcouldpossiblyhaveoverlookedsoobviousaclue。”