”Inthefirstplace，”saidHolmes，”Ishouldlikeyoutoofferareward——comingfromyourself，fortheofficialsmaytakealittletimebeforetheywouldagreeuponthesum，andthesethingscannotbedonetoopromptly。Ihavejotteddowntheformhere，ifyouwouldnotmindsigningit。Fiftypoundwasquiteenough，Ithought。””Iwouldwillinglygivefivehundred，”saidtheJ。P。，takingtheslipofpaperandthepencilwhichHolmeshandedtohim。”Thisisnotquitecorrect，however，”headded，glancingoverthedocument。”Iwroteitratherhurriedly。””Youseeyoubegin，’Whereas，ataboutaquartertooneonTuesdaymorninganattemptwasmade，’andsoon。Itwasataquartertotwelve，asamatteroffact。”
Iwaspainedatthemistake，forIknewhowkeenlyHolmeswouldfeelanyslipofthekind。Itwashisspecialtytobeaccurateastofact，buthisrecentillnesshadshakenhim，andthisonelittleincidentwasenoughtoshowmethathewasstillfarfrombeinghimself。Hewasobviouslyembarrassedforaninstant，whiletheInspectorraisedhiseyebrows，andAlecCunninghamburstintoalaugh。Theoldgentlemancorrectedthemistake，however，andhandedthepaperbacktoHolmes。”Getitprintedassoonaspossible，”hesaid；”I
thinkyourideaisanexcellentone。”
Holmesputtheslipofpapercarefullyawayintohispocket-book。”Andnow，”saidhe，”itreallywouldbeagoodthingthatweshouldallgooverthehousetogetherandmakecertainthatthisrathererraticburglardidnot，afterall，carryanythingawaywithhim。”
Beforeentering，Holmesmadeanexaminationofthedoorwhichhadbeenforced。Itwasevidentthatachiselorstrongknifehadbeenthrustin，andthelockforcedbackwithit。Wecouldseethemarksinthewoodwhereithadbeenpushedin。”Youdon’tusebars，then?”heasked。”Wehaveneverfounditnecessary。””Youdon’tkeepadog?””Yes，butheischainedontheothersideofthehouse。””Whendotheservantsgotobed?””Aboutten。””IunderstandthatWilliamwasusuallyinbedalsoatthathour。””Yes。””Itissingularthatonthisparticularnightheshouldhavebeenup。Now，Ishouldbeverygladifyouwouldhavethekindnesstoshowusoverthehouse，Mr。Cunningham。”
Astone-flaggedpassage，withthekitchensbranchingawayfromit，ledbyawoodenstaircasedirectlytothefirstfloorofthehouse。Itcameoutuponthelandingoppositetoasecondmoreornamentalstairwhichcameupfromthefronthall。Outofthislandingopenedthedrawing-roomandseveralbedrooms，includingthoseofMr。Cunninghamandhisson。Holmeswalkedslowly，takingkeennoteofthearchitectureofthehouse。Icouldtellfromhisexpressionthathewasonahotscent，andyetIcouldnotintheleastimagineinwhatdirectionhisinferenceswereleadinghim。”Mygoodsir，”saidMr。Cunninghamwithsomeimpatience，”thisissurelyveryunnecessary。Thatismyroomattheendofthestairs，andmyson’sistheonebeyondit。Ileaveittoyourjudgmentwhetheritwaspossibleforthethieftohavecomeupherewithoutdisturbingus。””Youmusttryroundandgetonafreshscent，I
fancy，”saidthesonwitharathermalicioussmile。”Still，Imustaskyoutohumormealittlefurther。
Ishouldlike，forexample，toseehowfarthewindowsofthebedroomscommandthefront。This，Iunderstandisyourson’sroom”——hepushedopenthedoor——”andthat，Ipresume，isthedressing-roominwhichhesatsmokingwhenthealarmwasgiven。Wheredoesthewindowofthatlookoutto?”Hesteppedacrossthebedroom，pushedopenthedoor，andglancedroundtheotherchamber。”Ihopethatyouaresatisfiednow?”saidMr。
Cunningham，tartly。”Thankyou，IthinkIhaveseenallthatIwished。””Thenifitisreallynecessarywecangointomyroom。””Ifitisnottoomuchtrouble。”
TheJ。P。shruggedhisshoulders，andledthewayintohisownchamber，whichwasaplainlyfurnishedandcommonplaceroom。Aswemovedacrossitinthedirectionofthewindow，HolmesfellbackuntilheandIwerethelastofthegroup。Nearthefootofthebedstoodadishoforangesandacarafeofwater。AswepasseditHolmes，tomyunutterableastonishment，leanedoverinfrontofmeanddeliberatelyknockedthewholethingover。Theglasssmashedintoathousandpiecesandthefruitrolledaboutintoeverycorneroftheroom。”You’vedoneitnow，Watson，”saidhe，coolly。”A
prettymessyou’vemadeofthecarpet。”
Istoopedinsomeconfusionandbegantopickupthefruit，understandingforsomereasonmycompaniondesiredmetotaketheblameuponmyself。Theothersdidthesame，andsetthetableonitslegsagain。”Hullo！”criedtheInspector，”where’shegotto?”
Holmeshaddisappeared。”Waithereaninstant，”saidyoungAlecCunningham。”Thefellowisoffhishead，inmyopinion。Comewithme，father，andseewherehehasgotto！”
Theyrushedoutoftheroom，leavingtheInspector，theColonel，andmestaringateachother。”’Ponmyword，IaminclinedtoagreewithMasterAlec，”saidtheofficial。”Itmaybetheeffectofthisillness，butitseemstomethat——”
Hiswordswerecutshortbyasuddenscreamof”Help！
Help！Murder！”WithathrillIrecognizedthevoiceofthatofmyfriend。Irushedmadlyfromtheroomontothelanding。Thecries，whichhadsunkdownintoahoarse，inarticulateshouting，camefromtheroomwhichwehadfirstvisited。Idashedin，andonintothedressing-roombeyond。ThetwoCunninghamswerebendingovertheprostratefigureofSherlockHolmes，theyoungerclutchinghisthroatwithbothhands，whiletheelderseemedtobetwistingoneofhiswrists。Inaninstantthethreeofushadtornthemawayfromhim，andHolmesstaggeredtohisfeet，verypaleandevidentlygreatlyexhausted。”Arrestthesemen，Inspector，”hegasped。”Onwhatcharge?””Thatofmurderingtheircoachman，WilliamKirwan。”
TheInspectorstaredabouthiminbewilderment。”Oh，comenow，Mr。Holmes，”saidheatlast，”I’msureyoudon’treallymeanto——””Tut，man，lookattheirfaces！”criedHolmes，curtly。
NevercertainlyhaveIseenaplainerconfessionofguiltuponhumancountenances。Theoldermanseemednumbedanddazedwithaheavy，sullenexpressionuponhisstrongly-markedface。Theson，ontheotherhand，haddroppedallthatjaunty，dashingstylewhichhadcharacterizedhim，andtheferocityofadangerouswildbeastgleamedinhisdarkeyesanddistortedhishandsomefeatures。TheInspectorsaidnothing，but，steppingtothedoor，heblewhiswhistle。Twoofhisconstablescameatthecall。”Ihavenoalternative，Mr。Cunningham，”saidhe。”I
trustthatthismayallprovetobeanabsurdmistake，butyoucanseethat——Ah，wouldyou?Dropit！”Hestruckoutwithhishand，andarevolverwhichtheyoungermanwasintheactofcockingclattereddownuponthefloor。”Keepthat，”saidHolmes，quietlyputtinghisfootuponit；”youwillfinditusefulatthetrial。Butthisiswhatwereallywanted。”Heheldupalittlecrumpledpieceofpaper。”Theremainderofthesheet！”criedtheInspector。”Precisely。””Andwherewasit?””WhereIwassureitmustbe。I’llmakethewholemattercleartoyoupresently。Ithink，Colonel，thatyouandWatsonmightreturnnow，andIwillbewithyouagaininanhouratthefurthest。TheInspectorandImusthaveawordwiththeprisoners，butyouwillcertainlyseemebackatluncheontime。”
SherlockHolmeswasasgoodashisword，foraboutoneo’clockherejoinedusintheColonel’ssmoking-room。
Hewasaccompaniedbyalittleelderlygentleman，whowasintroducedtomeastheMr。Actonwhosehousehadbeenthesceneoftheoriginalburglary。”IwishedMr。ActontobepresentwhileIdemonstratedthissmallmattertoyou，”saidHolmes，”foritisnaturalthatheshouldtakeakeeninterestinthedetails。Iamafraid，mydearColonel，thatyoumustregretthehourthatyoutookinsuchastormypetrelasIam。””Onthecontrary，”answeredtheColonel，warmly，”I
consideritthegreatestprivilegetohavebeenpermittedtostudyyourmethodsofworking。Iconfessthattheyquitesurpassmyexpectations，andthatIamutterlyunabletoaccountforyouresult。Ihavenotyetseenthevestigeofaclue。””Iamafraidthatmyexplanationmaydisillusionyoubutithasalwaysbeenmyhabittohidenoneofmymethods，eitherfrommyfriendWatsonorfromanyonewhomighttakeanintelligentinterestinthem。But，first，asIamrathershakenbytheknockingaboutwhichIhadinthedressing-room，IthinkthatIshallhelpmyselftoadashofyourbrandy，Colonel。Mystrengthhadbeenrathertriedoflate。””Itrustthatyouhadnomoreofthosenervousattacks。”
SherlockHolmeslaughedheartily。”Wewillcometothatinitsturn，”saidhe。”Iwilllayanaccountofthecasebeforeyouinitsdueorder，showingyouthevariouspointswhichguidedmeinmydecision。Prayinterruptmeifthereisanyinferencewhichisnotperfectlycleartoyou。”Itisofthehighestimportanceintheartofdetectiontobeabletorecognize，outofanumberoffacts，whichareincidentalandwhichvital。
Otherwiseyourenergyandattentionmustbedissipatedinsteadofbeingconcentrated。Now，inthiscasetherewasnottheslightestdoubtinmymindfromthefirstthatthekeyofthewholemattermustbelookedforinthescrapofpaperinthedeadman’shand。”Beforegoingintothis，Iwoulddrawyourattentiontothefactthat，ifAlecCunningham’snarrativewascorrect，andiftheassailant，aftershootingWilliamKirwan，hadinstantlyfled，thenitobviouslycouldnotbehewhotorethepaperfromthedeadman’shand。