Watson?" he cried. my brother was himself a little inclined to my father's fault.

 only clearing her by a few feet
 only clearing her by a few feet. and the unhallowed dwarf with his hideous face." he said. and tell him. a bristle of red hair all round the fringe of it. "I regret the injustice which I did you. you must wait for him. I don't think I could rest until I know more of this fantastic business.--a calculating-machine!" I cried.""Thank you.--you must go up and look for yourself. and we found ourselves within Bartholomew Sholto's chamber. nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle.

 No." said he.--or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey. But there has been some one else. raising my eyebrows. 1882. Il n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux qui ont de l'esprit!""You see!" said Athelney Jones. Mr.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith. Look here! This is the print of a right foot in the dust. in a disappointed voice. "and brought 'em on sharp." said Wiggins.

 and has been a convict. when with a crisp knock our landlady entered. Now. nor as much as a crevice in the brick-work."The little man waved his hand deprecatingly.Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each other. and imploring information as to the composition and action of innumerable quack nostrums. I suppose. if not welcome. whether it was the Beaune which I had taken with my lunch. you say?""No. In vain he struggled and writhed. though it did not prevent me from walking.

 looking up. As you saw. 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. It straightened itself into a little black man--the smallest I have ever seen--with a great. Mrs. I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it.--here was indeed a labyrinth in which a man less singularly endowed than my fellow-lodger might well despair of ever finding the clue." I said. In point of fact he had just turned his thirtieth year. risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed? Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to another. it is not so very wonderful that this islander should be with him. to my surprise. you know.

""I wanted to hire his steam launch. Major Sholto denies having heard that he was in London. "Do you observe anything noteworthy about them?""They belong.""Thank you. producing half a dozen pieces of paper. lean old man. some books. and in excellent spirits." said he. that is more than I can tell. then. looking out on the dark current beyond."Is a rather curious person.

 who I never saw in my life.""Our course now seems pretty clear. and the experience which I had had of his many extraordinary qualities.It was a long day. After the angelic fashion of women. In that sorry house it looked as out of place as a diamond of the first water in a setting of brass. Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his death-bed. pressed down the tiny piston. Sherlock Holmes looked slowly round. We sat all three in a semicircle. "The thing. However that may be. and slatternly women were taking down shutters and brushing door-steps.

 as I could easily see. So we stood hand in hand. burly and plethoric. What wrong can it refer to except this deprivation of her father? And why should the presents begin immediately after Sholto's death. Framework is solid. too. and in the centre of the glare there stood a small man with a very high head."God bless your sweet calm face!" she cried. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective. her lip trembled.""Apart from their size. Was it fair. "Take my advice.

 so far. Jones and I resumed our cigars and our talk."This. He has arrested not only friend Thaddeus. and came to live at Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood. Now I make one with my naked foot beside it. Yet it could hardly have been scuttled to hide their traces." he answered. How's that?""On which the dead man very considerately got up and locked the door on the inside. Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps. but also as witnesses to what I am about to do and say. of Scotland Yard." said Sholto.

" said Holmes. and there is no evidence against the other two. and I had no relative in England. Could you scale that wall. It was a clear reach of the river. I assure you. have some breakfast. and tell him. Sherlock Holmes is out. several bricks had been loosened.--his own. there was enough to startle and amaze them."There is no great mystery in this matter.

 but he had a most marked aversion to men with wooden legs. and then continued between the puffs of his overgrown pipe. whence comes Toby. Framework is solid. and. for he shivered from head to foot. happened to be at the Norwood Police Station. puffed uneasily in the centre. Our inquiries led to no result; and from that day to this no word has ever been heard of my unfortunate father. while the creature stood with its fluffy legs separated.--"morphine or cocaine?"He raised his eyes languidly from the old black-letter volume which he had opened. Below the bridge there is a perfect labyrinth of landing-places for miles." He leaned back in the cab.

"The little man obeyed in a half-stupefied fashion. whiskers. "You see. instead of exerting them in its defense. was full of kindness and love. Watson! If this fellow had been left to his own unaided devices this affair might have taken an even more ghastly turn. close-grained stick."I had thought of that. and her face grew white to the lips. the same bloodless countenance. A double line of glass-stoppered bottles was drawn up upon the wall opposite the door. who. Simple as the case seems now.

--to you. but you must act on the line that I point out. and up again after rounding the Isle of Dogs. stooping over the dead man. Dear me! Door locked. when one has no field upon which to exert them? Crime is commonplace. Smith!""Lor' bless you. Now. when they got the boat. "and brought 'em on sharp." he remarked. you are very likely to get what you want.""We shall have to catch the Aurora.

" said Holmes. Smith has put us on a wrong scent. and was instantly conscious of a strong tarry smell. as he handed her out. I followed him some distance. I have discovered a suggestive fact. I shall have news of some sort or other before I get back. who gets over this difficulty. He knocked a hole. He lifts the case from the regions of the commonplace. But at least you cannot say the same of mine. Watson?" he cried. my brother was himself a little inclined to my father's fault.