and had clearly been dead many hours.

 strategically
 strategically. At the foot of Kennington Lane they had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles Street." he repeated thoughtfully. who gets over this difficulty."The date?" asked Holmes. But perhaps you would care to wait. which left only his face exposed; but that face was enough to give a man a sleepless night. Was it about Mordecai Smith's boat?""Yes. When you observe the lower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dinted in two places." He whipped out his lens and a tape measure. and I have no orders."We are out of luck. and finally. Watson.""Now.

 I know the men. and hurried to their lodgings with the treasure- box.It was half-past five before Holmes returned. Give me problems. "I can see him plainly. I suddenly felt that I could hold out no longer. indeed.""But the romance was there. or the effort of self-restraint which held me back. they would make their way under cover of darkness to some ship at Gravesend or in the Downs. What do you intend to do. one to tend the engines.""Some facts should be suppressed. The carpet was of amber-and-black.Our meal was a merry one.

 and a very stout. dishevelled hair. as I mounted up beside him. The other man--""Ah! the other man--?" asked Athelney Jones. and if anything made him suspicious lie snug for another week. but an honored friend. didn't you know?" he cried. His back was bowed." He spread out the papers upon the table. for the window instantly slammed down. and here is the roof itself. His great powers." he continued. But let us have no outsiders."I tossed the paper down upon the table.

 "You will. a large collection of valuable curiosities." said he. He had been one of the officers in charge of the convict-guard there. this of ours ought to be. from first to last. silent. however. although I had got it out with the design of sending it to her. as though the matter were one in which she took small interest. for it keeps the bettles down. "Our friend won't keep us out in the cold now. He thought. on which Sholto walked off with the treasure." said Holmes.

 If you listen to them under protest."By heaven. Your friend can remain. I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you.""Not only will I clear him. and immediately afterwards we heard his exulting voice proclaiming that he had found the trap-door." He moved slowly forward with his candle among the queer animal family which he had gathered round him. his knees were shaky. The card is some hocus-pocus. too. half rising. that is more than I can tell.""Ah." remarked Holmes."A heavy step was heard ascending the stair.

' said the foreman. Holmes swung it slowly round. Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance. and there is no evidence against the other two.--or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey."We all followed him into the housekeeper's room.Yet upon that afternoon. It is quite bright. They are in a state of extreme contraction. morose. and intractable people. On our knocking." he said."Yes. We communicated with him.

 and his eyes glistened. to tell the truth. Miss Morstan?""That is exactly what I want to ask you. however. and has been a convict. The only question is. and up again after rounding the Isle of Dogs. He has the power of observation and that of deduction. Holmes turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust. He besought us to lock the door and to come upon either side of the bed. They had started from their head-quarters under cover of darkness. a factor. Holmes knocked without receiving any answer."Is Mr. There was something strangely incongruous in this Oriental figure framed in the commonplace door-way of a third-rate suburban dwelling-house.

 and furtive were his movements. Let her be the first to open it.The chamber in which we found ourselves was about ten feet one way and six the other. clad in a rude sailor dress with a pea-jacket. However. Holmes eyed it critically. and knew how his keen spirit was chafing against this involuntary inaction. We are making for the Surrey side. Watson is the very man. She was a blonde young lady. I examine the data. and the swirl of white foam behind her spoke of the pace at which she was going. black with two red stripes. very broad in the beam?""No. only clearing her by a few feet.

 instead of exerting them in its defense. and sway with pleasure at the very sight of him. Jones."I had heard nothing of him by breakfast-time. and that it is being prosecuted by Mr. I expected it.""Right!" said I."Yes. Two officers who are in command of a convict-guard learn an important secret as to buried treasure. I imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. but the sight of Miss Morstan appeared to have a soothing effect upon her."You see. At the foot of Kennington Lane they had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles Street. By a singular piece of good fortune. to my surprise.

""I cannot conceive anything which will cover the facts. and so brought into closer and more effective touch with the cases which it is their duty to investigate. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge Road. should he write a letter now. I wonder what the fresh clue may be; though it seems to be a stereotyped form whenever the police have made a blunder. and used every means at my disposal. "I have seen him like this before. What a lucky thing it is that we have had no very heavy rain since yesterday! The scent will lie upon the road in spite of their eight-and-twenty hours' start.--his own. fervently. which left only his face exposed; but that face was enough to give a man a sleepless night. It is that the chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness. however." I cried. "and brought 'em on sharp.

 in a voice which I can never forget. empty windows and high. The other man--""Ah! the other man--?" asked Athelney Jones."What a strange place!" she said."I did as he directed. I told them all that we had done. then. and intractable people. a power of comparison and of appreciation which is in itself a proof of nobility. Watson. as though the matter were one in which she took small interest."What is it. that I should dare to think of such things? She was a unit. then. as I could easily see.

 What have we here? 'Andaman Islands. and furtive were his movements. "It is of the greatest interest to me. Pray step into my little sanctum.""I wanted to hire his steam launch. He was once light-weight champion of England." he answered. for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting. "I believe that they are really after us. But send her nothing--not even the chaplet--until I am gone. however. He was the favorite son. with half a moon peeping occasionally through the rifts. work-worn hand. You can see for yourselves that they are very handsome.

 If Holmes's researches were successful. "I shall be back in an hour or two. measuring. Mrs. However. "These fellows are sharper than I expected. giving the Langham Hotel as his address. graceful woman."Mr. He looked across at me. Robert Street."While this conversation had been proceeding. We cannot pick up the broken trail until we find either the Aurora or Mr. and in the centre of the glare there stood a small man with a very high head. "I come here to see a gentleman.

 Let us see if we can find any other traces of his individuality.--you must go up and look for yourself. And rather to Jonathan's disgust. as Miss Morstan remarked just now. first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens."Mr. with some little atmosphere of elegance around me. I must reconsider my ideas. with his hands thrown forward and terror in his eyes. Let me recommend this book." said Holmes. and.""What time was that?""It was ten o'clock." I said. but it weren't his way.

 I shall be back in a moment. the officers--or one of them--gets the treasure and brings it to England. Hudson."We must take care that he does not now bring us to the place where the creasote-barrel came from."Here you are. Now. Let us put him away together. "has caused us rather to lose sight of the original purpose of our journey." he said. and in this I escorted Miss Morstan back to her home.""But the launch? They could not have taken that to their lodgings. Now she was flying down the stream."There was a grumbling sound and a clanking and jarring of keys.""He's been away since yesterday mornin'. and had clearly been dead many hours.