Part 28 (1/2)
It had cleared in the htness through the direat city Sherlock Holmes was already at breakfast when I ca for you,” said he; ”I have, I foresee, a very busy day beforeOpenshaw's”
”What steps will you take?” I asked
”It will very much depend upon the results of o down to Horshao there first?”
”No, I shall co the bell and theup your coffee”
As I waited, I lifted the unopened newspaper frolancedwhich sent a chill to my heart
”Hol down his cup, ”I feared as much Hoas it done?” He spoke calmly, but I could see that he was deeply ht the nae' Here is the account: ”Between nine and ten last night Police-Constable Cook, of the H Division, cs cs on duty near Waterloo Bridge, heard a cry for help and a splash in the water The night, however, was extremely dark and stormy, so that, in spite of the help of several passers-by, it was quite iiven, and, by the aid of the water-police, the body was eventually recovered It proved to be that of a young gentleman whose name, as it appears from an envelope which was found in his pocket, was John Openshaw, and whose residence is near Horsha down to catch the last train from Waterloo Station, and that in his haste and the extree of one of the s-places for river steamboats The body exhibited no traces of violence, and there can be no doubt that the deceased had been the victim of an unfortunate accident, which should have the effect of calling the attention of the authorities to the condition of the riverside landing-stages” on duty near Waterloo Bridge, heard a cry for help and a splash in the water The night, however, was extremely dark and stormy, so that, in spite of the help of several passers-by, it was quite iiven, and, by the aid of the water-police, the body was eventually recovered It proved to be that of a young gentleman whose name, as it appears from an envelope which was found in his pocket, was John Openshaw, and whose residence is near Horsha down to catch the last train from Waterloo Station, and that in his haste and the extree of one of the s-places for river steamboats The body exhibited no traces of violence, and there can be no doubt that the deceased had been the victim of an unfortunate accident, which should have the effect of calling the attention of the authorities to the condition of the riverside landing-stages”
We sat in silence for some minutes, Holmes more depressed and shaken than I had ever seen him
”That hurts , no doubt, but it hurts my pride It becomes a personal matter with me now, and, if God sendsThat he should come to me for help, and that I should send hi froitation, with a flush upon his sallow cheeks and a nervous clasping and unclasping of his long thin hands
”Theydevils,” he exclaimed at last ”How could they have decoyed him down there? The Ee, no doubt, was too crowded, even on such a night, for their purpose Well, Watson, we shall see in in the long run I a out now!”
”To the police?”
”No; I shall be my own police When I have spun the web they ed inbefore I returned to Baker Street Sherlock Holmes had not come back yet It was nearly ten o'clock before he entered, looking pale and worn He walked up to the sideboard, and tearing a piece fro it doith a long draught of water
”You are hungry,” I re It had escaped ?”
”Not a bite I had no time to think of it”
”And how have you succeeded?”
”Well”
”You have a clue?”
”I have the reed Why, Watson, let us put their own devilish tradeht of!”
”What do youit to pieces he squeezed out the pips upon the table Of these he took five and thrust them into an envelope On the inside of the flap he wrote ”S H for J O” Then he sealed it and addressed it to ”Captain Jaia”
”That will await hiive hiht He will find it as sure a precursor of his fate as Openshaw did before him”
”And who is this Captain Calhoun?”
”The leader of the gang I shall have the others, but he first”
”How did you trace it, then?”
He took a large sheet of paper from his pocket, all covered with dates and names
”I have spent the whole day,” said he, ”over Lloyd's registers and files of the old papers, following the future career of every vessel which touched at Pondicherry in January and February in '83 There were thirty-six shi+ps of fair tonnage which were reported there during those months Of these, one, the Lone Star Lone Star, instantly attractedcleared froiven to one of the states of the Union”
”Texas, I think”
”I was not and am not sure which; but I knew that the shi+p in”
”What then?”
”I searched the Dundee records, and when I found that the bark Lone Star Lone Star was there in January, '85, my suspicion became a certainty I then inquired as to the vessels which lay at present in the port of London” was there in January, '85, my suspicion became a certainty I then inquired as to the vessels which lay at present in the port of London”
”Yes?”
”The Lone Star Lone Star had arrived here last week I went down to the Albert Dock and found that she had been taken down the river by the early tide this , homeward bound to Savannah I wired to Gravesend had arrived here last week I went down to the Albert Dock and found that she had been taken down the river by the early tide this , homeward bound to Savannah I wired to Gravesend23 and learned that she had passed soo, and as the wind is easterly I have no doubt that she is now past the Goodwins and not very far froht” and learned that she had passed soo, and as the wind is easterly I have no doubt that she is now past the Goodwins and not very far froht”
”What will you do, then?”
”Oh, I have my hand upon him He and the two mates, are, as I learn, the only native-born Americans in the shi+p The others are Finns and Germans I know, also, that they were all three away froht I had it froo By the ti-shi+p reaches Savannah the mail-boat will have carried this letter, and the cable will have inforentlee of murder”
There is ever a flaever, in the best laid of human plans, and the e pips which would show the and as resolute as the and very severe were the equinoctial gales that year We waited long for news of the Lone Star Lone Star of Savannah, but none ever reached us We did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic a shattered stern-post of the boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave, with the letters ”L S” carved upon it, and that is all which we shall ever know of the fate of the of Savannah, but none ever reached us We did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic a shattered stern-post of the boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave, with the letters ”L S” carved upon it, and that is all which we shall ever know of the fate of the Lone Star Lone Star
THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP
Isa Whitney, brother of the late Elias Whitney, DD, Principal of the Theological College of St George's, was rew upon him, as I understand, fro read De Quincey's description of his dreams and sensations,ct he had drenched his tobacco with laudanum in an attempt to produce the same effects He found, as so many more have done, that the practice is easier to attain than to get rid of, and for , an object of led horror and pity to his friends and relatives I can see hi lids, and pin-point pupils, all huddled in a chair, the wreck and ruin of a noble man he had drenched his tobacco with laudanum in an attempt to produce the same effects He found, as so many more have done, that the practice is easier to attain than to get rid of, and for , an object of led horror and pity to his friends and relatives I can see hi lids, and pin-point pupils, all huddled in a chair, the wreck and ruin of a nobleto lances at the clock I sat up in my chair, and my wife laid her needle-work down in her lap and made a little face of disappointo out”
I groaned, for I was newly come back from a weary day
We heard the door open, a few hurried words, and then quick steps upon the linoleum Our own door flew open, and a lady, clad in some dark-coloured stuff, with a black veil, entered the rooan, and then, suddenly losing her self-control, she ran forward, threw her arms about my wife's neck, and sobbed upon her shoulder ”Oh, I'm in such trouble!” she cried; ”I do so want a little help”
”Why,” saidup her veil, ”it is Kate Whitney How you startled me, Kate! I had not an idea who you hen you caht to you” That was always the way Folk ere in grief cahthouse
”It was very sweet of you to come Now, you must have some wine and water, and sit here comfortably and tell us all about it Or should you rather that I sent Jamescu off to bed?” off to bed?”
”Oh, no, no! I want the doctor's advice and help too It's about Isa He has not been hohtened about him!”