1926
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHELION”SMANE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
Itisamostsingularthingthataproblemwhichwascertainlyas
abstruseandunusualasanywhichIhavefacedinmylongprofessional
careershouldhavecometomeaftermyretirement，andbebrought，
asitwere，tomyverydoor。Itoccurredaftermywithdrawaltomy
littleSussexhome，whenIhadgivenmyselfupentirelytothat
soothinglifeofNatureforwhichIhadsooftenyearnedduringthe
longyearsspentamidthegloomofLondon。Atthisperiodofmylife
thegoodWatsonhadpassedalmostbeyondmyken。Anoccasional
week-endvisitwasthemostthatIeversawofhim。ThusImustactas
myownchronicler。Ah！hadhebutbeenwithme，howmuchhemighthave
madeofsowonderfulahappeningandofmyeventualtriumphagainst
everydifficulty！Asitis，however，Imustneedstellmytaleinmy
ownplainway，showingbymywordseachstepuponthedifficultroad
whichlaybeforemeasIsearchedforthemysteryoftheLion”sMane。
Myvillaissituateduponthesouthernslopeofthedowns，
commandingagreatviewoftheChannel。Atthispointthecoast-line
isentirelyofchalkcliffs，whichcanonlybedescendedbya
single，long，tortuouspath，whichissteepandslippery。Atthe
bottomofthepathlieahundredyardsofpebblesandshingle，even
whenthetideisatfull。Hereandthere，however，therearecurves
andhollowswhichmakesplendidswimming-poolsfilledafreshwitheach
flow。Thisadmirablebeachextendsforsomemilesineachdirection，
saveonlyatonepointwherethelittlecoveandvillageofFulworth
breaktheline。
Myhouseislonely。I，myoldhousekeeper，andmybeeshavethe
estatealltoourselves。Halfamileoff，however，isHarold
Stackhurst”swell-knowncoachingestablishment，TheGables，quitea
largeplace，whichcontainssomescoreofyoungfellowspreparing
forvariousprofessions，withastaffofseveralmasters。Stackhurst
himselfwasawell-knownrowingBlueinhisday，andanexcellent
all-roundscholar。HeandIwerealwaysfriendlyfromthedayIcame
tothecoast，andhewastheonemanwhowasonsuchtermswithme
thatwecoulddropinoneachotherintheeveningswithoutan
invitation。
TowardstheendofJuly，1907，therewasaseveregale，thewind
blowingupchannel，heapingtheseastothebaseofthecliffsand
leavingalagoonattheturnofthetide。OnthemorningofwhichI
speakthewindhadabated，andallNaturewasnewlywashedand
fresh。Itwasimpossibletoworkuponsodelightfuladay，andI
strolledoutbeforebreakfasttoenjoytheexquisiteair。Iwalked
alongthecliffpathwhichledtothesteepdescenttothebeach。AsI
walkedIheardashoutbehindme，andtherewasHaroldStackhurst
wavinghishandincheerygreeting。
“Whatamorning，Mr。Holmes！IthoughtIshouldseeyouout。”
“Goingforaswim，Isee。”
“Atyouroldtricksagain，“helaughed，pattinghisbulging
pocket。“Yes。McPhersonstartedearly，andIexpectImayfindhim
there。”
FitzroyMcPhersonwasthesciencemaster，afineupstandingyoung
fellowwhoselifehadbeencrippledbyhearttroublefollowing
rheumaticfever。Hewasanaturalathlete，however，andexcelledin
everygamewhichdidnotthrowtoogreatastrainuponhim。Summerand
winterhewentforhisswim，and，asIamaswimmermyself，Ihave
oftenjoinedhim。
Atthismomentwesawthemanhimself。Hisheadshowedabovethe
edgeofthecliffwherethepathends。Thenhiswholefigure
appearedatthetop，staggeringlikeadrunkenman。Thenextinstant
hethrewuphishandsand，withaterriblecry，felluponhisface。
StackhurstandIrushedforward-itmayhavebeenfiftyyards-and
turnedhimonhisback。Hewasobviouslydying。Thoseglazedsunken
eyesanddreadfullividcheekscouldmeannothingelse。Oneglimmerof
lifecameintohisface：foraninstant，andheutteredtwoorthree
wordswithaneagerairofwarning。Theywereslurredand
indistinct，buttomyearthelistofthem，whichburstinashriek
fromhislips，were“theLion”sMane。”Itwasutterlyirrelevantand
unintelligible，andyetIcouldtwistthesoundintonoothersense。
Thenhehalfraisedhimselffromtheground，threwhisarmsintothe
air，andfellforwardonhisside。Hewasdead。
Mycompanionwasparalyzedbythesuddenhorrorofit，butI，asmay
wellbeimagined，hadeverysenseonthealert。AndIhadneed，forit
wasspeedilyevidentthatwewere，inthepresenceofanextraordinary
case。ThemanwasdressedonlyinhisBurberryovercoat，histrousers，
andanunlacedpairofcanvasshoes。Ashefellover，hisBurberry，
whichhadbeensimplythrownroundhisshoulders，slippedoff，
exposinghistrunk。Westaredatitinamazement。Hisbackwascovered
withdarkredlinesasthoughhehadbeenterriblyfloggedbyathin
wirescourge。Theinstrumentwithwhichthispunishmenthadbeen
inflictedwasclearlyflexible，forthelong，angrywealscursedround
hisshouldersandribs。Therewasblooddrippingdownhischin，forhe
hadbittenthroughhislowerlipintheparoxysmofhisagony。His
drawnanddistortedfacetoldhowterriblethatagonyhadbeen。
IwaskneelingandStackhurststandingbythebodywhenashadow
fellacrossus，andwefoundthatIanMurdochwasbyourside。Murdoch
wasthemathematicalcoachattheestablishment，atall，dark，thin
man，sotaciturnandaloofthatnonecanbesaidtohavebeenhis
friend。Heseemedtoliveinsomehigh，abstractregionofsurdsand
conicsections，withlittletoconnecthimwithordinarylife。He
waslookeduponasanodditybythestudents，andwouldhavebeen
theirbutt，buttherewassomestrangeoutlandishbloodintheman，
whichshoweditselfnotonlyinhiscoal-blackeyesandswarthyface
butalsoinoccasionaloutbreaksoftemper，whichcouldonlybe
describedasferocious。Ononeoccasion，beingplaguedbyalittledog
belongingtoMcPherson，hehadcaughtthecreatureupandburledit
throughtheplate-glasswindow，anactionforwhichStackhurstwould
certainlyhavegivenhimhisdismissalhadhenotbeenaveryvaluable
teacher。Suchwasthestrangecomplexmanwhonowappearedbeside
us。Heseemedtobehonestlyshockedatthesightbeforehim，though
theincidentofthedogmayshowthattherewasnogreatsympathy
betweenthedeadmanandhimself。
“Poorfellow！Poorfellow！WhatcanIdo？HowcanIhelp？“
“Wereyouwithhim？Canyoutelluswhathashappened？“
“No，no，Iwaslatethismorning。Iwasnotonthebeachatall。I
havecomestraightfromTheGables。WhatcanIdo？“
“Youcanhurrytothepolice-stationatFulworth。Reportthe
matteratonce。”
Withoutawordhemadeoffattopspeed，andIproceededtotakethe
matterinhand，whileStackhurst，dazedatthistragedy，remainedby
thebody。Myfirsttasknaturallywastonotewhowasonthebeach。
FromthetopofthepathIcouldseethewholesweepofit，anditwas
absolutelydesertedsavethattwoorthreedarkfigurescouldbe
seenfarawaymovingtowardsthevillageofFulworth。Havingsatisfied
myselfuponthispoint，Iwalkedslowlydownthepath。Therewas
clayorsoftmarlmixedwiththechalk，andeveryhereandthereIsaw
thesamefootstep，bothascendinganddescending。Nooneelsehadgone
downtothebeachbythistrackthatmorning。AtoneplaceI
observedtheprintofanopenhandwiththefingerstowardsthe
incline。ThiscouldonlymeanthatpoorMcPhersonhadfallenashe
ascended。Therewereroundeddepressions，too，whichsuggestedthathe
hadcomedownuponhiskneesmorethanonce。Atthebottomofthepath
wastheconsiderablelagoonleftbytheretreatingtide。Attheside
ofitMcPhersonhadundressed，fortherelayhistowelonarock。It
wasfoldedanddry，sothatitwouldseemthat，afterall，hehad
neverenteredthewater。OnceortwiceasIhuntedroundamidthehard
shingleIcameonlittlepatchesofsandwheretheprintofhiscanvas
shoe，andalsoofhisnakedfoot，couldbeseen。Thelatterfact
provedthathehadmadeallreadytobathe，thoughthetowelindicated
thathehadnotactuallydoneso。
Andherewastheproblemclearlydefined-asstrangeaoneashad
everconfrontedme。Themanhadnotbeenonthebeachmorethana
quarterofanhouratthemost。StackhursthadfollowedhimfromThe
Gables，sotherecouldbenodoubtaboutthat。Hehadgonetobathe
andhadstripped，asthenakedfootstepsshowed。Thenhehad
suddenlyhuddledonhisclothesagain-theywerealldishevelledand
unfastened-andhehadreturnedwithoutbathing，oratany，rate
withoutdryinghimself。Andthereasonforhischangeofpurposehad
beenthathehadbeenscourgedinsonicsavage，inhumanfashion，
tortureduntilhebithislipthroughinhisagony，andwasleft
withonlystrengthenoughtocrawlawayandtodie。Whohaddone
thisbarbarousdeed？Therewere，itistrue，smallgrottosandcaves
inthebaseofthecliffs，butthelowsunshonedirectlyintothem，
andtherewasnoplaceforconcealment。Then，again，therewere
thosedistantfiguresonthebeach。Theyseemedtoofarawaytohave
beenconnectedwiththecrime，andthebroadlagooninwhichMcPherson
hadintendedtobathelaybetweenhimandthem，lappingtiptothe
rocks。Ontheseatwoorthreefishing-boatswereatnogreat
distance。Theiroccupantsmightbeexaminedatourleisure。Therewere
severalroadsforinquiry，butnonewhichledtoanyveryobvious
goal。
WhenIatlastreturnedtothebodyIfoundthatalittlegroupof
wonderingfolkhadgatheredroundit。Stackhurstwas，ofcourse，still
there，andIanMurdochhadjustarrivedwithAnderson，thevillage
constable，abig，ginger-moustachedmanoftheslow，solidSussex
breed-abreedwhichcoversmuchgoodsenseunderaheavy，silent
exterior。Helistenedtoeverything，tooknoteofallwesaid，and
finallydrewmeaside。
“I”dbegladofyouradvice，Mr。Holmes。Thisisabigthingfor
metohandle，andI”llhearofitfromLewesifIgowrong。”
Iadvisedhimtosendforhisimmediatesuperior，andfora
doctor；alsotoallownothingtobemoved，andasfewfresh
footmarksaspossibletobemade，untiltheycame。InthemeantimeI
searchedthedeadman”spockets。Therewerehishandkerchief，a
largeknife，andasmallfoldingcard-case。Fromthisprojectedaslip
ofpaper，whichIunfoldedandhandedtotheconstable。Therewas
writtenonitinascrambling，femininehand：
Iwillbethere，youmaybesure。
MAUDIE。
Itreadlikealoveaffair，anassignation，thoughwhenandwhere
wereablank。Theconstablereplaceditinthecard-caseand
returneditwiththeotherthingstothepocketsoftheBurberry。
Then，asnothingmoresuggesteditself，Iwalkedbacktomyhouse
forbreakfast，havingfirstarrangedthatthebaseofthecliffs
shouldbethoroughlysearched。
Stackhurstwasroundinanhourortwototellmethatthebody
hadbeenremovedtoTheGables，wheretheinquestwouldbeheld。He
broughtwithhimsomeseriousanddefinitenews。AsIexpected，
nothinghadbeenfoundinthesmallcavesbelowthecliff，buthe
hadexaminedthepapersinMcPherson”sdesk，andtherewereseveral
whichshowedanintimatecorrespondencewithacertainMissMaud
Bellamy，ofFulworth。Wehadthenestablishedtheidentityofthe
writerofthenote。
“Thepolicehavetheletters，“heexplained。“Icouldnotbring
them。Butthereisnodoubtthatitwasaseriousloveaffair。Isee
noreason，however，toconnectitwiththathorriblehappeningsave，
indeed，thattheladyhadmadeanappointmentwithhim。”
“Buthardlyatabathing-poolwhichallofyouwereinthehabit
ofusing，“Iremarked。
“Itismerechance，“saidhe，“thatseveralofthestudentswerenot
withMcPherson。”
“Wasitmerechance？“
Stackhurstknithisbrowsinthought。
“IanMurdochheldthemback，“saidhe。“Hewouldinsistuponsome
algebraicdemonstrationbeforebreakfast。Poorchap，heis
dreadfullycutupaboutitall。”
“AndyetIgatherthattheywerenotfriends。”
“Atonetimetheywerenot。ButforayearormoreMurdochhas
beenasneartoMcPhersonasheevercouldbetoanyone。Heisnot
ofaverysympatheticdispositionbynature。”
“SoIunderstand。Iseemtorememberyourtellingmeonceabouta
quarrelovertheill-usageofadog。”
“Thatblewoverallright。”
“Butleftsomevindictivefeeling，perhaps。”
“No，no，Iamsuretheywererealfriends。”
“Well，then，wemustexplorethematterofthegirl。Doyouknow
her？“
“Everyoneknowsher。Sheisthebeautyoftheneighbourhood-a
realbeauty，Holmes，whowoulddrawattentioneverywhere。Iknew
thatMcPhersonwasattractedbyher，butIhadnonotionthatithad
gonesofarastheseletterswouldseemtoindicate。”
“Butwhoisshe？“
“SheisthedaughterofoldTomBellamy，whoownsalltheboats
andbathing-cotsatFulworth。Hewasafishermantostartwith，butis
nowamanofsomesubstance。HeandhissonWilliamrunthebusiness。”
“ShallwewalkintoFulworthandseethem？“
“Onwhatpretext？“
“Oh，wecaneasilyfindapretext。Afterall，thispoormandid
notill-usehimselfinthisoutrageousway。Somehumanhandwasonthe
handleofthatscourge，ifindeeditwasascourgewhichinflictedthe
injuries。Hiscircleofacquaintancesinthislonelyplacewas
surelylimited。Letusfollowitupineverydirectionandwecan
hardlyfailtocomeuponthemotive，whichinturnshouldleadusto
thecriminal。”
Itwouldhavebeenapleasantwalkacrossthethyme-scenteddowns
hadourmindsnotbeenpoisonedbythetragedywehadwitnessed。The
villageofFulworthliesinahollowcurvinginasemicircleroundthe
bay。Behindtheold-fashionedhamletseveralmodernhouseshavebeen
builtupontherisingground。ItwastooneofthesethatStackhurst
guidedme。
“That”sTheHaven，asBellamycalledit。Theonewiththecorner
towerandslateroof。Notbadforamanwhostartedwithnothing
but-ByJove，lookatthat！“
ThegardengateofTheHavenhadopenedandamanhademerged。There
wasnomistakingthattall，angular，stragglingfigure。ItwasIan
Murdoch，themathematician。Amomentlaterweconfrontedhimupon
theroad。
“Hullo！“saidStackhurst。Themannodded，gaveusasideways
glancefromhiscuriousdarkeyes，andwouldhavepassedus，buthis
principalpulledhimup。
“Whatwereyoudoingthere？“heasked。
Murdoch”sfaceflushedwithanger。“Iamyoursubordinate，sir，
underyourroof。IamnotawarethatIoweyouanyaccountofmy
privateactions。”
Stackhurst”snerve；werenearthesurfaceafterallhehad
endured。Otherwise，perhaps，hewouldhavewaited。Nowhelosthis
tempercompletely。
“Inthecircumstancesyouranswerispureimpertinence，Mr。
Murdoch。”
“Yourownquestionmightperhapscomeunderthesameheading。”
“ThisisnotthefirsttimethatIhavehadtooverlookyour
insubordinateways。Itwillcertainlybethelast。Youwillkindly
makefresharrangementsforyourfutureasspeedilyasyoucan。”
“Ihadintendedtodoso。Ihavelostto-daytheonlypersonwho
madeTheGableshabitable。”
Hestrodeoffuponhisway，whileStackhurst，withangryeyes，stood
glaringafterhim。“Ishenotanimpossible，intolerableman“he
cried。
Theonethingthatimpresseditselfforciblyuponmymindwasthat
Mr。IanMurdochwastakingthefirstchancetoopenapathofescape
fromthesceneofthecrime。Suspicion，vagueandnebulous，wasnow
beginningtotakeoutlineinmymind。Perhapsthevisittothe
Bellamysmightthrowsomefurtherlightuponthematter。Stackhurst
pulledhimselftogether，andwewentforwardtothehouse。
Mr。Bellamyprovedtobeamiddle-agedmanwithaflamingredbeard。
Heseemedtobeinaveryangrymood，andhisfacewassoonas
floridashishair。
“No，sir，Idonotdesireanyparticulars。Mysonhere“-
indicatingapowerfulyoungman，withaheavy，sullenface，inthe
cornerofthesitting-room-“isofonemindwithmethatMr。
McPherson”sattentionstoMaudwereinsulting。Yes，sir，theword”marriage”wasnevermentioned，andyettherewerelettersand
meetings，andagreatdealmoreofwhichneitherofuscould
approve。Shehasnomother，andweareheronlyguardians。Weare
determined-“
Butthewordsweretakenfromhismouthbytheappearanceofthe
ladyherself。Therewasnogainsayingthatshewouldhavegracedany
assemblyintheworld。Whocouldhaveimaginedthatsorareaflower
wouldgrowfromsucharootandinsuchanatmosphere？Womenhave
seldombeenanattractiontome，formybrainhasalwaysgovernedmy
heart，butIcouldnotlookuponherperfectclear-cutface，with
allthesoftfreshnessofthedownlandsinherdelicatecolouring，
withoutrealizingthatnoyoungmanwouldcrossherpathunscathed。
Suchwasthegirlwhohadpushedopenthedoorandstoodnow，
wide-eyedandintense，infrontofHaroldStackhurst。
“IknowalreadythatFitzroyisdead，“shesaid。“Donotbeafraid
totellmetheparticulars。”
“Thisothergentlemanofyoursletusknowthenews，“explained
thefather。
“Thereisnoreasonwhymysistershouldbebroughtintothe
matter，“growledtheyoungerman。
Thesisterturnedasharp，fiercelookuponhim。“Thisismy
business，William。Kindlyleavemetomanageitinmyownway。By
allaccountstherehasbeenacrimecommitted。IfIcanhelptoshow
whodidit，itistheleastIcandoforhimwhoisgone。”
Shelistenedtoashortaccountfrommycompanion，withacomposed
concentrationwhichshowedmethatshepossessedstrongcharacteras
wellasgreatbeauty。MaudBellamywillalwaysremaininmymemory
asamostcompleteandremarkablewoman。Itseemsthatshealready
knewmebysight，forsheturnedtomeattheend。
“Bringthemtojustice，Mr。Holmes。Youhavemysympathyandmy
help，whoevertheymaybe。”Itseemedtomethatsheglanceddefiantly
atherfatherandbrotherasshespoke。
“Thankyou，“saidI。“Ivalueawoman”sinstinctinsuchmatters。
Youusetheword”they。”Youthinkthatmorethanonewasconcerned？“
“IknewMr。McPhersonwellenoughtobeawarethathewasabrave
andastrongman。Nosinglepersoncouldeverhaveinflictedsuchan
outrageuponhim。”
“MightIhaveonewordwithyoualone？“
“Itellyou，Maud，nottomixyourselfupinthematter，“cried
herfatherangrily。
Shelookedatmehelplessly。“WhatcanIdo？“
“Thewholeworldwillknowthefactspresently，sotherecanbeno
harmifIdiscussthemhere，“saidI。“Ishouldhavepreferred
privacy，butifyourfatherwillnotallowithemustsharethe
deliberations。”ThenIspokeofthenotewhichhadbeenfoundinthe
deadman”spocket。“Itissuretobeproducedattheinquest。MayI
askyoutothrowanylightuponitthatyoucan？“
“Iseenoreasonformystery，“sheanswered。“Wewereengagedto
bemarried，andweonlykeptitsecretbecauseFitzroy”suncle，whois
veryoldandsaidtobedying，mighthavedisinheritedhimifhehad
marriedagainsthiswish。Therewasnootherreason。”
“Youcouldhavetoldus，“growledMr。Bellamy。
“SoIwould，father，ifyouhadevershownsympathy。”
“Iobjecttomygirlpickingupwithmenoutsideherownstation。”
“Itwasyourprejudiceagainsthimwhichpreventedusfromtelling
you。Astothisappointment“-shefumbledinherdressandproduced
acrumplednote“itwasinanswertothis。”
DEAREST[ranthemessage]：
TheoldplaceonthebeachjustaftersunsetonTuesday。Itisthe
onlytimeIcangetaway。
F。M。
“Tuesdaywasto-day，andIhadmeanttomeethimto-night。”
Iturnedoverthepaper。“Thisnevercamebypost。Howdidyouget
it？“
“Iwouldrathernotanswerthatquestion。Ithasreallynothingto
dowiththematterwhichyouareinvestigating。Butanythingwhich
bearsuponthatIwillmostfreelyanswer。”
Shewasasgoodasherword，buttherewasnothingwhichwashelpful
inourinvestigation。Shehadnoreasontothinkthatherfiancehad
anyhiddenenemy，butsheadmittedthatshehadhadseveralwarm
admirers。
“MayIaskifMr。IanMurdochwasoneofthem？“
Sheblushedandseemedconfused。
“TherewasatimewhenIthoughthewas。Butthatwasallchanged
whenheunderstoodtherelationsbetweenFitzroyandmyself。”
Againtheshadowroundthisstrangemanseemedtometobetaking
moredefiniteshape。Hisrecordmustbeexamined。Hisroomsmustbe，
privatelysearched。Stackhurstwasawillingcollaborator，forin
hismindalsosuspicionswereforming。Wereturnedfromourvisitto
Thehavenwiththehopethatonefreeendofthistangledskeinwas
alreadyinourhands。
Aweekpassed。Theinquesthadthrownnolightuponthematterand
hadbeenadournedforfurtherevidence。Stackhursthadmadediscreet
inquiryabouthissubordinate，andtherehadbeenasuperficialsearch
ofhisroom，butwithoutresult。Personally，Ihadgoneoverthewhole
groundagain，bothphysicallyandmentally，butwithnonew
conclusions。Inallmychroniclesthereaderwillfindnocasewhich
broughtmesocompletelytothelimitofmypowers。Evenmy
imaginationcouldconceivenosolutiontothemystery。Andthen
therecametheincidentofthedog。
Itwasmyoldhousekeeperwhoheardofitfirstbythatstrange
wirelessbywhichsuchpeoplecollectthenewsofthecountryside。
“Sadstorythis，sir，aboutMr。McPherson”sdog，“saidsheone
evening。
Idonotencouragesuchconversations，butthewordsarrestedmy
attention。
“WhatofMr。McPherson”sdog？“
“Dead，sir。Diedofgriefforitsmaster。”
“Whotoldyouthis？“
“Why，sir，everyoneistalkingofit。Ittookonterrible，andhas
eatennothingforaweek。Thento-daytwooftheyounggentlemen
fromTheGablesfounditdead-downonthebeach，sir，atthevery
placewhereitsmastermethisend。”
“Attheveryplace。”Thewordsstoodoutclearinmymemory。Some
dimperceptionthatthematterwasvitalroseinmymind。Thatthedog
shoulddiewasafterthebeautiful，faithfulnatureofdogs。But“in
theveryplace“！Whyshouldthislonelybeachbefataltoit？Wasit
possiblethatitalsohadbeensacrificedtosomerevengefulfeud？Was
itpossible-？Yes，theperceptionwasdim，butalreadysomethingwas
buildingupinmymind。InafewminutesIwasonmywaytoThe
Gables，whereIfoundStackhurstinhisstudy。Atmyrequesthesent
forSudburyandBlount，thetwostudentswhohadfoundthedog。
“Yes，itlayontheveryedgeofthepool，“saidoneofthem。“It
musthavefollowedthetrailofitsdeadmaster。”
Isawthefaithfullittlecreature，anAiredaleterrier，laidout
uponthematintheball。Thebodywasstiffandrigid，theeyes
projecting，andthelimbscontorted。Therewasagonyineveryline
ofit。
FromTheGablesIwalkeddowntothebathing-pool。Thesunhad
sunkandtheshadowofthegreatclifflayblackacrossthewater，
whichglimmereddullylikeasheetoflead。Theplacewasdesertedand
therewasnosignoflifesavefortwosea-birdscirclingand
screamingoverhead。InthefadinglightIcoulddimlymakeoutthe
littledog”sspooruponthesandroundtheveryrockonwhichhis
master”stowelhadbeenlaid。ForalongtimeIstoodindeep
meditationwhiletheshadowsgrewdarkeraroundme。Mymindwasfilled
withracingthoughts。Youhaveknownwhatitwastobeina
nightmareinwhichyoufeelthatthereissomeall-importantthingfor
whichyousearchandwhichyouknowisthere，thoughitremains
foreverjustbeyondyourreach。ThatwashowIfeltthateveningas
Istoodalonebythatplaceofdeath。ThenatlastIturnedandwalked
slowlyhomeward。
Ihadjustreachedthetopofthepathwhenitcametome。Likea
flash，IrememberedthethingforwhichIhadsoeagerlyandvainly
grasped。Youwillknow，orWatsonhaswritteninvain，thatIholda
vaststoreofout-of-the-wayknowledgewithoutscientificsystem，
butveryavailablefortheneedsofmywork。Mymindislikeacrowded
box-roomwithpacketsofallsortsstowedawaytherein-somanythatI
maywellhavebutavagueperceptionofwhatwasthere。Ihadknown
thattherewassomethingwhichmightbearuponthismatter。Itwas
stillvague，butatleastIknewhowIcouldmakeitclear。Itwas
monstrous，incredible，andyetitwasalwaysapossibility。Iwould
testittothefull。
Thereisagreatgarretinmylittlehousewhichisstuffedwith
books。ItwasintothisthatIplungedandrummagedforallhour。At
theendofthattimeIemergedwithalittlechocolateandsilver
volume。EagerlyIturnedupthechapterofwhichIhadadim
remembrance。Yes，itwasindeedafar-fetchedandunlikely
proposition，andyetIcouldnotbeatrestuntilIhadmadesureif
itmight，indeed，beso。ItwaslatewhenIretired，withmymind
eagerlyawaitingtheworkofthemorrow。
Butthatworkmetwithanannoyinginterruption。Ihadhardly
swallowedmyearlycupofteaandwasstartingforthebeachwhenI
hadacallfromInspectorBardleoftheSussexConstabulary-asteady，
solid，bovinemanwiththoughtfuleyes，whichlookedatmenowwith
averytroubledexpression。
“Iknowyourimmenseexperience，sir，“saidhe。“Thisisquite
unofficial，ofcourse，andneedgonofarther。ButIamfairlyup
againstitinthisMcPhersoncase。Thequestionis，shallImakean
arrest，orshallInot？“
“MeaningMr。IanMurdoch？“
“Yes，sir。Thereisreallynooneelsewhenyoucometothinkofit。
That”stheadvantageofthissolitude。Wenarrowitdowntoavery
smallcompass。Ifhedidnotdoit，thenwhodid？“
“Whathaveyouagainsthim？“
HehadgleanedalongthesamefurrowsasIhad。Therewas
Murdoch”scharacterandthemysterywhichseemedtohangroundthe
man。Hisfuriousburstsoftemper，asshownintheincidentofthe
dog。ThefactthathehadquarrelledwithMcPhersoninthepast，and
thattherewassomereasontothinkthathemighthaveresentedhis
attentionstoMissBellamy。Hehadallmypoints，butnofreshones，
savethatMurdochseemedtobemakingeverypreparationfordeparture。
“WhatwouldmypositionbeifIlethimslipawaywithallthis
evidenceagainsthim？“Theburly，phlegmaticmanwassorelytroubled
inhismind。
“Consider，“Isaid，“alltheessentialgapsinyourcase。Onthe
morningofthecrimehecansurelyproveanalibi。Hehadbeenwith
hisscholarstillthelastmoment，andwithinafewminutesof
McPherson”sappearancehecameuponusfrombehind。Thenbearin
mindtheabsoluteimpossibilitythathecouldsinglehandedhave
inflictedthisoutrageuponamanquiteasstrongashimself。Finally，
thereisthisquestionoftheinstrumentwithwhichtheseinjuries
wereinflicted。”
“Whatcoulditbebutascourgeorflexiblewhipofsomesort？“
“Haveyouexaminedthemarks？“Iasked。
“Ihaveseenthem。Sohasthedoctor。”
“ButIhaveexaminedthemverycarefullywithalens。Theyhave
peculiarities。”
“Whatarethey，Mr。Holmes？“
Isteppedtomybureauandbroughtoutanenlargedphotograph。“This
ismymethodinsuchcases，“Iexplained。
“Youcertainlydothingsthoroughly，Mr。Holmes。”
“IshouldhardlybewhatIamifIdidnot。Nowletusconsiderthis
wealwhichextendsroundtherightshoulder。Doyouobservenothing
remarkable？“
“Ican”tsayIdo。”
“Surelyitisevidentthatitisunequalinitsintensity。There
isadotofextravasatedbloodhere，andanotherthere。Thereare
similarindicationsinthisotherwealdownhere。Whatcanthatmean？“
“Ihavenoidea。Haveyou？“
“PerhapsIhave。PerhapsIhaven”t。Imaybeabletosaymore
soon。Anythingwhichwilldefinewhatmadethatmarkwillbringusa
longwaytowardsthecriminal。”
“Itis，ofcourse，inabsurdidea，“saidthepoliceman，“butifa
red-hotnetofwirehadbeenlaidacrosstheback，thenthesebetter
markedpointswouldrepresentwherethemeshescrossedeachother。”
“Amostingeniouscomparison。Orshallwesayaverystiff
cat-o”-nine-tailswithsmallhardknotsuponit？“
“ByJove，Mr。Holmes，Ithinkyouhavehitit。”
“Ortheremaybesomeverydifferentcause，Mr。Bardle。Butyour
caseisfartooweakforanarrest。Besides，wehavethoselastwords-
the”Lion”sMane。”“
IhavewonderedwhetherIan-“
“Yes，Ihaveconsideredthat。Ifthesecondwordhadborneany
resemblancetoMurdoch-butitdidnot。Hegaveitalmostinashriek。
Iamsurethatitwas”Mane。”“
“Haveyounoalternative，Mr。Holmes？“
“PerhapsIhave。ButIdonotcaretodiscussituntilthereis
somethingmoresolidtodiscuss。”
“Andwhenwillthatbe？“
“Inallhour-possiblyless。”
Theinspectorrubbedhischinandlookedatmewithdubiouseyes。
“IwishIcouldseewhatwasinyourmind，Mr。Holmes。Perhaps
it”sthosefishing-boats。”
“No，no，theyweretoofarout。”
“Well，then，isitBellamyandthatbigsonofhis？Theywerenot
toosweetuponMr。McPherson。Couldtheyhavedonehimamischief？“
“No，no，youwon”tdrawmeuntilIamready，“saidIwithasmile。
“Now，Inspector，weeachhaveourownworktodo。Perhapsifyou
weretomeetmehereatmidday-“
Sofarwehadgotwhentherecamethetremendousinterruption
whichwasthebeginningoftheend。
Myouterdoorwasflungopen，therewereblunderingfootstepsinthe
passage，andIanMurdochstaggeredintotheroom，pallid，dishevelled，
hisclothesinwilddisorder，clawingwithhisbonyhandsatthe
furnituretoholdhimselfgreat。“Brandy！Brandy！“hegasped，andfell
groaninguponthesofa。
Hewasnotalone。BehindhimcameStackhurst，hatlessandpanting，
almostasdistraitashiscompanion。
“Yes，yes，brandy！“hecried。“Themanisathislastgasp。Itwas
allIcoulddotobringhimhere。Hefaintedtwiceupontheway。”
Halfatumbleroftherawspiritbroughtaboutawondrouschange。He
pushedhimselfupononearmandswunghiscoatfromhisshoulder“For
God”ssake，oil，opium，morphia！“hecried。“Anythingtoeasethis
infernalagony！“TheinspectorandIcriedoutatthesight。There，
crisscrossedupontheman”snakedshoulder，wasthesamestrange
reticulatedpatternofred，inflamedlineswhichhadbeenthe
death-markofFitzroy，McPherson。
Thepainwasevidentlyterribleandwasmorethanlocal，forthe
sufferer”sbreathingwouldstopforatime，hisfacewouldturnblack，
andthenwithloudgaspshewouldclaphishandtohisheart，while
hisbrowdroppedbeadsofsweat。Atanymomenthemightdie。More
andmorebrandywaspoureddownhisthroat，eachfreshdosebringing
himbacktolife。Padsofcotton-woolsoakedinsalad-oilseemedto
taketheagonyfromthestrangewounds。Atlasthisheadfell
heavilyuponthecushion。ExhaustedNaturehadtakenrefugeinits
laststorehouseofvitality。Itwashalfasleepandhalfafaint，but
atleastitwaseasefrompain。
Toquestionhimhadbeenimpossible，butthemomentwewere
assuredofhisconditionStackhurstturneduponme。
“MyGod！“hecried，“whatisit，Holmes？Whatisit？“
“Wheredidyoufindhim？“
“Downonthebeach。ExactlywherepoorMcPhersonmethisend。If
thisman”shearthadbeenweakasMcPherson”swas，hewouldnotbe
herenow。MorethanonceIthoughthewasgoneasIbroughthimup。It
wastoofartoTheGables，soImadeforyou。”
“Didyouseehimonthebeach？“
“IwaswalkingonthecliffwhenIheardhiscry。Hewasattheedge
ofthewater，reelingaboutlikeadrunkenman。Irandown，threwsome
clothesabouthim，andbroughthimup。Forheaven”ssake，Holmes，
useallthepowersyouhaveandsparenopainstoliftthecurse
fromthisplace，forlifeisbecomingunendurable。Canyou，withall
yourworld-widereputation，donothingforus？“
“IthinkIcan，Stackhurst。Comewithmenow！Andyou，Inspector，
comealong！Wewillseeifwecannotdeliverthismurdererintoyour
hands。”
Leavingtheunconsciousmaninthechargeofmyhousekeeper，we
allthreewentdowntothedeadlylagoon。Ontheshingletherewas
piledalittleheapoftowelsandclothesleftbythestrickenman。
SlowlyIwalkedroundtheedgeofthewater，mycomradesinIndian
filebehindme。Mostofthepoolwasquiteshallow，butunderthe
cliffwherethebeachwashollowedoutitwasfourorfivefeet
deep。Itwastothispartthataswimmerwouldnaturallygo，forit
formedabeautifulpellucidgreenpoolasclearascrystal。Aline
ofrockslayaboveitatthebaseofthecliff，andalongthisIled
theway，peeringeagerlyintothedepthsbeneathme。Ihadreachedthe
deepestandstillestpoolwhenmyeyescaughtthatforwhichtheywere
searching，andIburstintoashoutoftriumph。
“Cyanea！“Icried。“Cyanea！BeholdtheLion”sMane！“
ThestrangeobjectatwhichIpointeddidindeedlooklikeatangled
masstornfromthemaneofalion。Itlayuponarockyshelfsome
threefeetunderthewater，acuriouswaving，vibrating，hairy
creaturewithstreaksofsilveramongitsyellowtresses。It
pulsatedwithaslow，heavydilationandcontraction。
“Ithasdonemischiefenough。Itsdayisover！“Icried。“Helpme，
Stackhurst！Letusendthemurdererforever。”
Therewasabigboulderjustabovetheledge，andwepushedituntil
itfellwithatremendoussplashintothewater。Whentheripples
hadclearedwesawthatithadsettledupontheledgebelow。One
flappingedgeofyellowmembraneshowedthatourvictimwasbeneath
it。Athickoilyscumoozedoutfrombelowthestoneandstainedthe
waterround，risingslowlytothesurface。
“Well，thisgetsme！“criedtheinspector。“Whatwasit，Mr。Holmes？
I”mbornandbredintheseparts，butIneversawsuchathing。It
don”tbelongtoSussex。”
“JustaswellforSussex，“Iremarked。“Itmayhavebeenthe
southwestgalethatbroughtitup。Comebacktomyhouse，bothofyou，
andIwillgiveyoutheterribleexperienceofonewhohasgoodreason
torememberhisownmeetingwiththesameperiloftheseas。”
WhenwereachedmystudywefoundthatMurdochwassofar
recoveredthathecouldsitup。Hewasdazedinmind，andeverynow
andthenwasshakenbyaparoxysmofpain。Inbrokenwordshe
explainedthathehadnonotionwhathadoccurredtohim，savethat
terrificpangshadsuddenlyshotthroughhim，andthatithadtaken
allhisfortitudetoreachthebank。
“Hereisabook，“Isaid，takingupthelittlevolume，“which
firstbroughtlightintowhatmighthavebeenforeverdark。Itis
OutofDoors，bythefamousobserver，J。G。Wood。Woodhimselfvery
nearlyperishedfromcontactwiththisvilecreature，sohewrotewith
averyfullknowledge。Cyaneacapillataisthemiscreant”sfull
name，andhecanbeasdangeroustolifeas，andfarmorepainful
than，thebiteofthecobra。Letmebrieflygivethisextract。
“Ifthebathershouldseealooseroundishmassoftawnymembranes
andfibres，somethinglikeverylargehandfulsoflion”smaneand
silverpaper，lethimbeware，forthisisthefearfulstinger，
Cyaneacapillata。
Couldoursinisteracquaintancebemoreclearlydescribed？
“Hegoesontotellofhisownencounterwithonewhenswimming
offthecoastofKent。Hefoundthatthecreatureradiatedalmost
invisiblefilamentstothedistanceoffiftyfeet，andthatanyone
withinthatcircumferencefromthedeadlycentrewasindangerof
death。EvenatadistancetheeffectuponWoodwasalmostfatal。
“Themultitudinousthreadscausedlightscarletlinesuponthe
skinwhichoncloserexaminationresolvedintominutedotsor
pustules，eachdotchargedasitwerewithared-hotneedlemakingits
waythroughthenerves。
“Thelocalpainwas，asheexplains，theleastpartoftheexquisite
torment。
“Pangsshotthroughthechest，causingmetofallasifstruckby
abullet。Thepulsationwouldcease，andthentheheartwouldgivesix
orsevenleapsasifitwouldforceitswaythroughthechest。
“Itnearlykilledhim，althoughhehadonlybeenexposedtoitin
thedisturbedoceanandnotinthenarrowcalmwatersofa
bathing-pool。Hesaysthathecouldhardlyrecognizehimself
afterwards，sowhite，wrinkledandshrivelledwashisface。He
gripeddownbrandy，awholebottleful，anditseemstohavesaved
hislife。Thereisthebook，Inspector。Ileaveitwithyou，andyou
cannotdoubtthatitcontainsafullexplanationofthetragedyof
poorMcPherson。”
“Andincidentallyexoneratesme，“remarkedIanMurdochwithawry
smile。“Idonotblameyou，Inspector，noryou，Mr。Holmes，foryour
suspicionswerenatural。IfeelthatontheveryeveofmyarrestI
haveonlyclearedmyselfbysharingthefateofmypoorfriend。”
“No，Mr。Murdoch。Iwasalreadyuponthetrack，andhadIbeenout
asearlyasIintendedImightwellhavesavedyoufromthis
terrificexperience。”
“Buthowdidyouknow，Mr。Holmes？“
“Iamanomnivorousreaderwithastrangelyretentivememoryfor
trifles。Thatphrase”theLion”sMane”hauntedmymind。Iknewthat
Ihadseenitsomewhereinanunexpectedcontext。Youhaveseenthat
itdoesdescribethecreature。Ihavenodoubtthatitwasfloatingon
thewaterwhenMcPhersonsawit，andthatthisphrasewastheonlyone
bywhichhecouldconveytousawarningastothecreaturewhich
hadbeenhisdeath。”
“ThenI，atleast，amcleared，“saidMurdoch，risingslowlytohis
feet。“ThereareoneortwowordsofexplanationwhichIshould
give，forIknowthedirectioninwhichyourinquirieshaverun。Itis
truethatIlovedthislady，butfromthedaywhenshechosemyfriend
McPhersonmyonedesirewastohelphertohappiness。Iwaswell
contenttostandasideandactastheirgo-between。OftenIcarried
theirmessages，anditwasbecauseIwasintheirconfidenceand
becauseshewassodeartomethatIhastenedtotellherofmy
friend”sdeath，lestsomeoneshouldforestallmeinamoresudden
andheartlessmanner。Shewouldnottellyou，sir，ofourrelations
lestyoushoulddisapproveandImightsuffer。ButwithyourleaveI
musttrytogetbacktoTheGables，formybedwillbeverywelcome。”
Stackhurstheldouthishand。“Ournerveshaveallbeenat
concert-pitch，“saidbe。“Forgivewhatispast，Murdoch。Weshall
understandeachotherbetterinthefuture。”Theypassedout
togetherwiththeirarmslinkedinfriendlyfashion。Theinspector
remained，staringatmeinsilencewithhisox-likeeyes。
“Well，you”vedoneit！“hecriedatlast。“Ihadreadofyou，but
Ineverbelievedit。It”swonderful！“
Iwasforcedtoshakemyhead。Toacceptsuchpraisewastolower
one”sownstandards。
“Iwasslowattheoutset-culpablyslow。Hadthebodybeenfoundin
thewaterIcouldhardlyhavemissedit。Itwasthetowelwhichmisled
me。Thepoorfellowhadneverthoughttodryhimself，andsoIinturn
wasledtobelievethathehadneverbeeninthewater。Why，then，
shouldtheattackofanywatercreaturesuggestitselftome？Thatwas
whereIwentastray。Well，well，Inspector，Ioftenventuredto
chaffyougentlemenofthepoliceforce，butCyaneacapillatavery
nearlyavengedScotlandYard。”-
THEEND。
1921
SHERLOCKHOLMES
THEADVENTUREOFTHEMAZARINSTONE
bySirArthurConanDoyle
ItwaspleasanttoDr。Watsontofindhimselfoncemoreinthe
untidyroomofthefirstfloorinBakerStreetwhichhadbeenthe
starting-pointofsomanyremarkableadventures。Helookedroundhim
atthescientificchartsuponthewall，theacid-charredbenchof
chemicals，theviolin-caseleaninginthecorner，thecoal-scuttle，
whichcontainedofoldthepipesandtobacco。Finally，hiseyescame
roundtothefreshandsmilingfaceofBilly，theyoungbutvery
wiseandtactfulpage，whohadhelpedalittletofillupthegapof
lonelinessandisolationwhichsurroundedthesaturninefigureof
thegreatdetective。
“Itallseemsveryunchanged，Billy。Youdon”tchange，either。I
hopethesamecanbesaidofhim？“
Billyglancedwithsomesolicitudeatthecloseddoorofthe
bedroom。
“Ithinkhe”sinbedandasleep，“hesaid。
Itwassevenintheeveningofalovelysummer”sday，butDr。Watson
wassufficientlyfamiliarwiththeirregularityofhisoldfriend”s
hourstofeelnosurpriseattheidea。
“Thatmeansacase，Isuppose？“
“Yes，sir，heisveryhardatitjustnow。I”mfrightenedforhis
health。Hegetspalerandthinner，andheeatsnothing。”Whenwillyou
bepleasedtodine，Mr。Holmes？”Mrs。Hudsonasked。”Seven-thirty，the
dayafterto-morrow”saidhe。Youknowhiswaywhenheiskeenona
case。”
“Yes，Billy，Iknow。”
“He”sfollowingsomeone。Yesterdayhewasoutasaworkmanlooking
forajob。To-dayhewasanoldwoman。Fairlytookmein，hedid，
andIoughttoknowhiswaysbynow。”Billypointedwithagrintoa
verybaggyparasolwhichleanedagainstthesofa。“That”spartof
theoldwoman”soutfit，“hesaid。
“Butwhatisitallabout，Billy？“
Billysankhisvoice，asonewhodiscussesgreatsecretsofState。
“Idon”tmindtellingyou，sir，butitshouldgonofarther。It”sthis
caseoftheCrowndiamond。”
“What！-thehundred-thousand-poundburglary？“
“Yes，sir。Theymustgetitback，sir。Why，wehadthePrime
MinisterandtheHomeSecretarybothsittingonthatverysofa。Mr。
Holmeswasverynicetothem。Hesoonputthemattheireaseand
promisedhewoulddoallhecould。ThenthereisLordCantlemere-“
“Ah！“
“Yes，sir，youknowwhatthatmeans。He”sastiff”un，sir，ifImay
sayso。IcangetalongwiththePrimeMinister，andI”venothing
againsttheHomeSecretary，whoseemedacivil，obligingsortof
man，butIcan”tstandhisLordship。NeithercanMr。Holmes，sir。
Yousee，hedon”tbelieveinMr。Holmesandhewasagainstemploying
him。He”dratherhefailed。”
“AndMr。Holmesknowsit？“
“Mr。Holmesalwaysknowswhateverthereistoknow。”
“Well，we”llhopehewon”tfailandthatLordCantlemerewillbe
confounded。ButIsay，Billy，whatisthatcurtainforacrossthe
window？“
“Mr。Holmeshaditputuptherethreedaysago。We”vegot
somethingfunnybehindit。”
Billyadvancedanddrewawaythedraperywhichscreenedthealcove
ofthebowwindow。
Dr。Watsoncouldnotrestrainacryofamazement。Therewasa
facsimileofhisoldfriend，dressing-gownandall，thefaceturned
three-quarterstowardsthewindowanddownward，asthoughreadingan
invisiblebook，whilethebodywassunkdeepinanarmchair。Billy
detachedtheheadandhelditintheair。
“Weputitatdifferentangles，sothatitmayseemmorelifelike。I
wouldn”tdaretouchitiftheblindwerenotdown。Butwhenit”sup
youcanseethisfromacrosstheway。”
“Weusedsomethingofthesortoncebefore。”
“Beforemytime，“saidBilly。Hedrewthewindowcurtainsapart
andlookedoutintothestreet。“Therearefolkwhowatchusfromover
yonder。Icanseeafellownowatthewindow。Havealookfor
yourself。”
Watsonhadtakenastepforwardwhenthebedroomdooropened，and
thelong，thinformofHolmesemerged，hisfacepaleanddrawnbuthis
stepandbearingasactiveasever。Withasinglespringhewasatthe
window，andhaddrawntheblindoncemore。
“Thatwilldo，Billy，“saidhe。“Youwereindangerofyourlife
then，myboy，andIcan”tdowithoutyoujustyet。Well，Watson，itis
goodtoseeyouinyouroldquartersonceagain。Youcomeata
criticalmoment。”
“SoIgather。”
“Youcango，Billy。Thatboyisaproblem，Watson。HowfaramI
justifiedinallowinghimtobeindanger？“
“Dangerofwhat，Holmes？“
“Ofsuddendeath。I”mexpectingsomethingthisevening。”
“Expectingwhat？“
“Tobemurdered，Watson。”
“No，no，youarejoking，Holmes！“
“Evenmylimitedsenseofhumourcouldevolveabetterjokethan
that。Butwemaybecomfortableinthemeantime，maywenot？Is
alcoholpermitted？Thegasogeneandcigarsareintheoldplace。Let
meseeyouoncemoreinthecustomaryarmchair。Youhavenot，I
hope，learnedtodespisemypipeandmylamentabletobacco？Ithas
totaketheplaceoffoodthesedays。”
“Butwhynoteat？“
“Becausethefacultiesbecomerefinedwhenyoustarvethem。Why，
surely，asadoctor，mydearWatson，youmustadmitthatwhatyour
digestiongainsinthewayofbloodsupplyissomuchlosttothe
brain。Iamabrain，Watson。Therestofmeisamereappendix。
Therefore，itisthebrainImustconsider。”
“Butthisdanger，Holmes？“
“Ah，yes，incaseitshouldcomeoff，itwouldperhapsbeaswell
thatyoushouldburdenyourmemorywiththenameandaddressofthe
murderer。YoucangiveittoScotlandYard，withmyloveandaparting
blessing。Sylviusisthename-CountNegrettoSylvius。Writeit
down，man，writeitdown！136MoorsideGardens，N。W。Gotit？“
Watson”shonestfacewastwitchingwithanxiety。Heknewonlytoo
welltheimmenseriskstakenbyHolmesandwaswellawarethatwhathe
saidwasmorelikelytobeunder-statementthanexaggeration。Watson
wasalwaysthemanofaction，andherosetotheoccasion。
“Countmein，Holmes。Ihavenothingtodoforadayortwo。”
“Yourmoralsdon”timprove，Watson。Youhaveaddedfibbingtoyour
othervices。Youbeareverysignofthebusymedicalman，withcalls
onhimeveryhour。”
“Notsuchimportantones。Butcan”tyouhavethisfellowarrested？“
“Yes，Watson，Icould。That”swhatworrieshimso。”
“Butwhydon”tyou？“
“BecauseIdon”tknowwherethediamondis。”
“Ah！Billytoldme-themissingCrownjewel！“
“Yes，thegreatyellowMazarinstone。I”vecastmynetandIhavemy
fish。ButIhavenotgotthestone。Whatistheuseoftakingthem？We
canmaketheworldabetterplacebylayingthembytheheels。But
thatisnotwhatIamoutfor。It”sthestoneIwant。”
“AndisthisCountSylviusoneofyourfish？“
“Yes，andhe”sashark。Hebites。TheotherisSamMerton，the
boxer。Notabadfellow，Sam，buttheCounthasusedhim。Sam”snot
ashark。Heisagreatbigsillybull-headedgudgeon。Butheis
floppingaboutinmynetallthesame。”
“WhereisthisCountSylvius？“
“I”vebeenathisveryelbowallthemorning。You”veseenmeasan
oldlady，Watson。Iwasnevermoreconvincing。Heactuallypickedup
myparasolformeonce。”Byyourleave，madame”saidhe-
half-Italian，youknow，andwiththeSoutherngracesofmannerwhenin
themood，butadevilincarnateintheothermood。Lifeisfullof
whimsicalhappenings，Watson。”
“Itmighthavebeentragedy。”
“Well，perhapsitmight。IfollowedhimtooldStraubenzee”s
workshopintheMinories。Straubenzeemadetheair-gun-avery
prettybitofwork，asIunderstand，andIratherfancyitisinthe
oppositewindowatthepresentmoment。Haveyouseenthedummy？Of
course，Billyshowedittoyou。Well，itmaygetabulletthrough
itsbeautifulheadatanymoment。Ah，Billy，whatisit？“
Theboyhadreappearedintheroomwithacarduponatray。Holmes
glancedatitwithraisedeyebrowsandanamusedsmile。
“Themanhimself。Ihadhardlyexpectedthis。Graspthenettle，
Watson！Amanofnerve。Possiblyyouhaveheardofhisreputationasa
shooterofbiggame。Itwouldindeedbeatriumphantendingtohis
excellentsportingrecordifheaddedmetohisbag。Thisisaproof
thathefeelsmytoeveryclosebehindhisheel。”
“Sendforthepolice。”
“Iprobablyshall。Butnotjustyet。Wouldyouglancecarefully
outofthewindow，Watson，andseeifanyoneisbangingaboutinthe
street？“
Watsonlookedwarilyroundtheedgeofthecurtain。
“Yes，thereisoneroughfellownearthedoor。”
“ThatwillbeSamMerton-thefaithfulbutratherfatuousSam。Where
isthisgentleman，Billy？“
“Inthewaiting-room，sir。”
“ShowhimupwhenIring。”
“Yes，sir。”
“IfIamnotintheroom，showhiminallthesame。”
“Yes，sir。”
Watsonwaiteduntilthedoorwasclosed，andthenheturned
earnestlytohiscompanion。
“Lookhere，Holmes，thisissimplyimpossible。Thisisadesperate
man，whosticksatnothing。Hemayhavecometomurderyou。
“Ishouldnotbesurprised。”
“Iinsistuponstayingwithyou。”
“Youwouldbehorriblyintheway。”
“Inhisway？“
“No，mydearfellow-inmyway。”
“Well，Ican”tpossiblyleaveyou。”
“Yes，youcan，Watson。Andyouwill，foryouhaveneverfailedto
playthegame。Iamsureyouwillplayittotheend。Thismanhas
comeforhisownpurpose，buthemaystayformine。”Holmestookout
hisnotebookandscribbledafewlines。“TakeacabtoScotlandYard
andgivethistoYoughaloftheC。I。D。Comebackwiththepolice。
Thefellow”sarrestwillfollow。”
“I”lldothatwithjoy。”
“BeforeyoureturnImayhavejusttimeenoughtofindoutwherethe
stoneis。”Hetouchedthebell。“Ithinkwewillgooutthroughthe
bedroom。Thissecondexitisexceedinglyuseful。Iratherwantto
seemysharkwithouthisseeingme，andIhave，asyouwill
remember，myownwayofdoingit。”
Itwas，therefore，anemptyroomintowhichBilly，aminutelater，
usheredCountSylvius。Thefamousgame-shot，sportsman，and
man-about-townwasabig，swarthyfellow，withaformidabledark
moustacheshadingacruel，thin-lippedmouth，andsurmountedbya
long，curvednoselikethebeakofaneagle。Hewaswelldressed，
buthisbrilliantnecktie，shiningpin，andglitteringringswere
flamboyantintheireffect。Asthedoorclosedbehindhimhelooked
roundhimwithfierce，startledeyes，likeonewhosuspectsatrap
ateveryturn。Thenhegaveaviolentstartashesawtheimpassive
headandthecollarofthedressing-gownwhichprojectedabovethe
armchairinthewindow。Atfirsthisexpressionwasoneofpure
amazement。Thenthelightofahorriblehopegleamedinhisdark，
murderouseyes。Hetookonemoreglanceroundtoseethattherewere
nowitnesses，andthen，ontiptoe，histhickstickhalfraised，he
approachedthesilentfigure。Hewascrouchingforhisfinalspring
andblowwhenacool，sardonicvoicegreetedhimfromtheopenbedroom
door：
“Don”tbreakit，Count！Don”tbreakit！“
Theassassinstaggeredback，amazementinhisconvulsedface。Foran
instanthehalfraisedhisloadedcaneoncemore，asifhewould
turnhisviolencefromtheeffigytotheoriginal；buttherewas
somethinginthatsteadygrayeyeandmockingsmilewhichcausedhis
handtosinktohisside。
“It”saprettylittlething，“saidHolmes，advancingtowardsthe
image。“Tavernier，theFrenchmodeller，madeit。Heisasgoodat
waxworksasyourfriendStraubenzeeisatair-guns。”
“Air-guns，sir！Whatdoyoumean？“
“Putyourhatandstickontheside-table。Thankyou！Praytakea
seat。Wouldyoucaretoputyourrevolveroutalso？Oh，verygood，
ifyouprefertosituponit。Yourvisitisreallymostopportune，for
Iwantedbadlytohaveafewminutes”chatwithyou。”
TheCountscowled，withheavy，threateningeyebrows。
“I，too，wishedtohavesomewordswithyou，Holmes。ThatiswhyI
amhere。Iwon”tdenythatIintendedtoassaultyoujustnow。”
Holmesswunghislegontheedgeofthetable。
“Irathergatheredthatyouhadsomeideaofthesortinyourhead，“
saidhe。“Butwhythesepersonalattentions？“
“Becauseyouhavegoneoutofyourwaytoannoyme。Becauseyouhave
putyourcreaturesuponmytrack。”
“Mycreatures！Iassureyouno！“
“Nonsense！Ihavehadthemfollowed。Twocanplayatthatgame，
Holmes。”
“Itisasmallpoint，CountSylvius，butperhapsyouwouldkindly
givememyprefixwhenyouaddressme。Youcanunderstandthat，with
my，routineofwork，Ishouldfindmyselfonfamiliartermswith
halftherogues”gallery，andyouwillagreethatexceptionsare
invidious。”