The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, October 09, 1913, Image 4
I
A STUDY IN
SCARLET.
By Sir A. ( \>nan Doyle.
Chapter X 11 1.
lio found evil tidings awaiting him.
There had boon a schism among tlie
Oh even People a few months before,
me of the younger members of the
church having rebelled against the
nut! ority of the elders, and the result
v w >.\uoo o\ i oiiuumu puq j?>qqoj<j
Veq 't)9)j(KLu jouiu^j '.nioi pr.q aoqi
jvimq.w a\oun olio oil puu uosioijut.'i^j
had been the secession ol a certain
raw her cf the malcontents, who had
, 10(4. I'tah i ml become ('.entiles.
A?*ong these had be ui Drebber and
I "Man led yesterday ? that's what
those flags are lor on the Endowment
House. There was some words between
young Probber and young
Stanperson as to which was to have
her. They'd both been in the party
hat followed them, and Stanperson
had shot her fatlnr, which seemed to
give him the best claim; hut when
!they argued it out in council 1 bobber's
party was the stronger, so the
prophet gave her over to him. No
* one won't have her very long, though,
j for 1 -aw death in her face y> sterday.
frhc Is more like a ghost than a wo
i tii.ii. f\ 1e yuu on, men: '
"V? s. I'm off," said Je ferson Hope,
who lir?el vis "1 from his sent.
Mis fsyo might hes boon chiseled
out of in irhlo, i > hard and so sot ,
* as its r\- resslon, wh'le his eyei; I
glowed with a b.uiiui light.
"Where aro you going?"
"Never mind," he answered; and,
slinging his weapon on his shoulder,
strodo off down the gorge and so
away into the heart of the mountains
to the haunts of the wild beasts.
Among them all there was none so
fierce and so dangerous as himself.
The prediction of the Mormon was
only too well fulfilled. Whether it
was the terrible death of her father
or the effects of the hateful marriage
into which she had been forced, poor
[J-iiicy never held up her head again,
but pined away and died within a
month. Her sottish husband, who
1 1 ! ^ '
nau married nor principally for tlio
sake of John Forrior's property, did
not atToct any groat grief at his bereavemont;
but his , otlier wives
mourned over lior and sat up with
lier the night before the burial, as is
the Mormon custom. They were
grouped round the bier in the early
hours of the morning, when, to their
inexpressible fear and astonishment,
the door was flung open, and a savnge
loking, weather-beaten man in
tattered garments strode into the
room. Without a glance or a word
to the cowering women he walked up
to the white, silent figure which had
once contained the pure soul of Lucy
Ferrier. Stooping over her, he pressed
his lips reverently to her cold
forehead, and then, smithing up her
hand, he took the wedding-ring from
her finger.
"She shall not he buried in that,"
lie cried with a fierce snarl, and before
an alarm could he raised sprang
down the stairs and was gone. So
strange and so brief was the episode
that the watchers might have found
it hard to believe it themselves or
persuade other people of it, had it
not been for the undeniable fact that
the circlet of gold which marked her
as having been a bride had disappeared.
For some months Jefferson Hope
11 "* ?
nugereu among me mountains, loading
a strange, wild life, and nursing
in his heart the fierce desire for vengeance
which possessed him. Tales
were told in the city of the wierd figure
which was seen prowling about
the suburbs, and which haunted the
lonely mountain gorges. Once a bullet
whistled through Stangerson's
window and flattened Itself upon the
wall within a foot of him. On another
occasion, as Drebber passed under
a cliff, a great bowlder crashed down
on him, and he only escaped a terrible
death by throwing himself upon
bis face. The two young Mormons
were not long in discovering the reason
of these attempts upon their
lives, and led repeated expeditions
into the mountains in the hope of
capturing or killing their enemy, but
always without success. Then they
adopted the precaution of never going
out alone or after nightfall, and
of having their houses guarded. After
a time they were able to relax
these measures, for nothing was either
heard or seen of their opponent,
and they hoped that time had cooled
bis vindictiveness.
? r i i- - * * - -
i in Hum uoing so, 11 naa, 11 anything,
augmented it. Tlio hunter's
mind was of a hard unyielding nature,
and the predominant idea of
revenge had taken such complete possession
of it that there was no room
for any other emotion. He was, however,
above all things practical. He
soon realized that even his iron constitution
could not stand the incessant
strain which Jie was putting upon
it. Exposure and want of wholesome
food were wearing him out. If
he died like a dog among the mountains,
what was to become of his revenge
then? And yet such a death
was sure to overtake him if ho persisted.
He felt that that was to play
his enemy's game, so he reluctantly
returned to the old Nevada mines,
there to recruit his health and to
amass money enough to allow him to
pursue his object without privation.
His intention had been to bo absent
a year at the most, but a combination
I
of unforeseen circumstances prevented
his leaving the mines for nearly
Ave. At the end of that time, however,
his memory of his wrongs and
his cravings for revenge were quite
as keen as on that memorable night
when he hud stood by John Ferrler's
grave. Disguised, and under an assumed
name, lie returned to Salt
Lake City, careless what became of
his own life as long as he obtained
what he knew to be justice. There
large part of his property into money,
and that he had departed u wealthy
man, while his companion, Staugerson,
was comparatively poor. There
was 110 clow ut nil, however as to
their whereabouts.
Many a man, however vindictive,
would have abandoned all thought of
revenge in the face of such a difllculty,
hut Jefferson Hope never faltered
for a moment. With the small
competence he possessed, eked out by
such employment as he could pick up,
he traveled from town to town thru
the United States in quest of his enemies.
Year passed into year, his
black hair turned to grizzled, but
still he wandered on, a human bloodhound,
with his mind wholly set upon
(lie one objeat to which lie had
devoted his life. At last his perseverance
was rewarded. It was but a
glance of a face in n window, but that
one glance told him 1 lint Cleveland,
in Ohio, possessed the men whom he
was in pursuit of. He returned to
his mi ( rahlo lodgings with his plan
of vengeance all arranged. It chanc
d, howovor, that Drebber, looking
from l'is window, had recognized the
vagrant in the street and had read
murder in his eyes, lie hurried before
a juctico of the peace, accompanied
by Stangerson, who had become
his private secretary, and represented
to him that they were in
danger of their lives from the jealousy
and hatred of an old rival.
That, evening Jefferson Hope was
taken into custody, and, not being
able to find sureties, was detained for
some weeks. When at last he was
liberated it was only to find that
Drebbor's bouse was deserted, and
that he and bis secretary had departed
for Europe.
Again the avenger had been foiled,
and again his concentrated hatred
urged him to continue the pursuit.
Funds were wanting, however, and
for some time he bad to return to
work, saving every dollar for his approaching
journey. At last, having
collected enough to keep life in him,
ho departed for Europe, and tracked
bis enmies from city to city, working
his way in any menial capacity, but
never overtaking tin1 fugitives. When
llA OA I* A t *1
u. nm iu*u 01. i cnTsuurg ilioy Mad
departed for Paris; and when lie followed
tlicm there he learned that
they had just set off for Copenhagen.
At the Danish capital he was again a
few days late, for they had journeyed
on to London, where he at last succeeded
in running them to earth. As
to what occurred there, we can not
do hotter than quote the old hunter's
own account, as duly recorded in Dr.
Watson's journal, to which we are
already under such obligations.
A Continuation of the Keniiniscences
of John II. Watson, M. I).
Our prisoner's furious resistance
did not apparently indicate any ferocity
in his disposition toward ourselves,
for, on finding himself powerless,
ho smiled in an affable manner,
and expressed his hopes that he had
not hurt any of us in the suffle.
"1 guess you're going to take me
to the police station," he remarked to
Sherlock Holmes. "My cab's at the
door; if you'll loose my legs I'll walk
down to it. I'm not so light to lift
as 1 used to be."
Gregson and Lestrade exchanged
glances as if they thought this proposition
rather a hold one; but Holmes
at once took the prisoner at his word,
and loosed the towel which he had
hound round his ankles. He rose
and stretched his legs, as though to
assure himself that they were free
once more. I remember that I thought
to mvself. as T eved htm th*f t tm/ii
seldom seen a more powerfully built
man; and bis dark, sunburned face
bore an expression of determination
and energy which was as formidable
as bis personal strength.
"If there's a vacant place for a
chief of the police, T reckon you are
the man for it," be said, gazing with
undisguised admiration at my fellowlodger.
"The way you kept on my
trail was a caution."
"You had better come with me,"
said Holmes to the two detectives.
"I can drive you," said Lestrade.
"C.ood! and flregson can come inside
with me. You too, doctor; you
have taken an interest in the case,
and may as well stick to us."
I assented gladly, and we all descended
together. Our prisoner
made no attempt at escape, but stepped
calmly into the cab which had
been his, and we followed him. Lestrade
mounted the box, whipped up
the horse, and brought us in a very
.short time to our destination. We
wore ushered into a small chamber,
where a police inspector noted down
our prisoner's name and the names of
the men with whoso murder he had
been charged. The official was a
white faced, unemotional man, who
went through his duties in a dull,
mechanical way. "The prisoner will
be put before the magistrates in the
course of tho week," ho said. "In
the meantime, Mr. Jefferson Hope,
have you anything that you wish to
say? I must warn you that your
words will bo taken down and may be
used against you."
"I've a good deal to say," our prisijj
; Jt' ' . i'fV wklttfoafe
oner said, slowly. "I want to tell
you gentlemen all about It."
"Hadn't you better reserve thnt for
your trial?" asked the inspector.
"I may never be tried," he answered.
"You needn't look startled. It
isn't suicide I am thinking of. Are
you a doctor?"
He turned his fierce, dark eyes
upon me as he asked this last question.
"Yes, T am," I answered.
"Then put your hand here." he
said, with a smile, motioning with his
manacled wrists toward his chest.
1 did so, and became at once conscious
of an extraordinary throbbing
and commotion which was going on
inside. The walls of his chest seemed
to thrill and quiver as a frail
building would do inside when some
powerful engine was at work. In the
silence of the room I could hear a
dull humming and buzzing noise
which proceeded from the same
source.
"Why." I cried, "you have aoitic
aneurism! "
"That's what they call it," ho said,
placidly. "I went to a doctor last
week about it, and he told me that it I
was hound to burst before many days
passed. It has been getting worse]
for years. I got it from over-exposuro
and underfeeding among the
Salt Lake mountains. I've done my
work now. and I don't care how soon
1 go, hut I should like to leave some
account of the business behind me.
1 don't want to be remembered as a
common cut-throat."
The inspector and the two detectives
had a hurried discussion as to
the advisability of allowing him to
tell his story.
"Do you consider, doctor, that
there is immediate danger?" the former
asked.
"Most certainly there is," T answered
.
"In that case it is clearly our duty,
in the Interests of justice, toke his'
statement," said the inspector. "You
are at, liberty, sir, to give your ac-1
count, which I again warn you will
he taken down."
"I'll sit. down, with your leave,"
the prisoner said, suiting the action
to the word. "This aneurism of mine
makes nie easily tired, and the tussle
we had half an hour ago has not
mended matters. I'm on the brink of
the grave, and I am not likely to lie
to you. Every word 1 say is the absolute
truth, and how you use it is a
matter of no consequence to me."
With these words Jefferson Hope
leaned back in his chair and began
the following remarkable statement,
lie spoke in a calm and methodical
manner, as though the events with
he narrated were commonplace
enough. I can vouch for the accuracy
of the subjoined account, for I
have had access to Lestrade's notebook.
in which the prisoner's words
were taken down exactly as they
wero uttered.
"It. doesn't matter much to you
why I bated these men," he said;
"it's enough that they were guilty of
the death of two human beings?a
father and a daughter?and t bev
had, therefore*, forfeited their own
lives. After the lapse of time that
has passed since their crime, it was
impossible for me to secure a conviction
against them in any court. I
knew of their guilt, though, and 1 determined
that I should he judge, jury,
and executioner all rolled into one.
You'd have done the same, if you
have any manhood in you, if you had
been in my place.
"That girl that 1 spoke of was to
have married mo twenty years ago
She was forced into marrying that
same Drebher, and broke her heart
over it. I took the marriage ring)
from her dead finger and 1 vowed
that his dying eyes should rest upon
that very ring, and that his last
thought should be of the crime for
which he was punished. I have carried
it about with me, and have followed
him and his accomplice over
two continents until I caught them.
They thought to tire me out, but they
could not do it. If I die to-morrow,
as is likely enough, 1 die knowing
that my work in this world is done,
and well done. They have perished,
and by my hand. There is nothing
left for me to hope for or to desire.
"They were rich and I was poor, so
that it was no easy matter for me to
follow thorn. When 1 got to London
my pocket was about empty, and I
found that I must turn my hand to
something for my living. Driving
and riding are as natural to me as
walking, so 1 applied at a cab-owner's
otlice and soon got employment. I
was to bring a certain sum a week to
the owner, and whatever was over
that I might keep for myself. There
was seldom much over, but I manag
eu to scrape along somehow. The
hardest job was to learn my way
about, for I reckon that of all the
mazes that were ever contrived, this
city is the most confusing. T had a
map beside me, though, and when
once T had spotted the" principal hotels
and stations I got on pretty well.
"It was some time before T found
out where my two gentlemen were
living; but T inquired and inquired
until at last I dropped across them.
They were at a hoarding house at
Camberwoll, over on the other side of
the river. When once T found them
out I knew that T had them at my
mercy. I had grown my heard, and
there was no chance of their recognizing
me. I would dog them and
follow them until T saw my opportunity.
I was determined that they
should not escape me again.
"They were very near doing it, for
all thnt. Do where they would about
I London. I was always at their heels.
Sometimes 1 followed theui on my
cab, and soinetimes on foot, but the
former was the best, for then they
could not pet away from me. It wus
only early in the morning or late at
night that I could earn anything, so
that 1 bogaa to got behindhand with
my employer. I did not mind that,
however, a* long as 1 could lay my
hand upon the men I wanted."
"They were very cunning, though.
They must have thought that there
was some chance of their being followed,
for they would never go out
alone, and never after nightfall. During
the two weeks I drovo behind
them every day, and never once Haw
thr m separate. Drebber himself was
drunk half the time, but Stangerson
was not to be caught napping. I
watched them late and early, but
never saw the ghost of u chance: but
T was not discouraged, for something
told me that the hour had almost
come. My only fear was that this
thing in my chest might burst a little
too soon and lonve my work undone.
"At last, one evening, ! was driving
up and down Torquay Terrace, as
the street was called In which they
hoarded, when I saw a cab drive up
to their door. Presently some luggage
was brought out. and after a
time Drebber and Stangerson followed
it and drove off. T whlnnnri nr.
? - r *. k
my horse and kept within sight of
thorn, fooling ill at ease, for T feared
that thoy wero going to shift their
quarters. At Huston Station thoy
pot out, and I loft a hoy to hold my
horso and followed thorn on to tho
platform. I hoard thorn ask for tho
Liverpool train, and tho guard answered
that one had lust, gone, and
tliero would not bo another for some
hours. Stangerson Boomed to ho put
out at that, hut Drebher was rather
pleased than otherwise. 1 got so
close to them in tho bustle that I
could hear every word that passed
between them. Drebher said that he
had a little business of his own to do,
and that if tho other would wait for
him lie would soon rejoin him. llis
companion remonstrated with him,
and reminded him that they had resolved
to stick together. Drebher answered
that the matter was a dellcafe
one, and that he must go alone.
I could not catch what Stangerson
said to that, but the other burst out
swearing and reminded him that ho
was nothing more than his paid serv:i
T1 t Mill] flint 1? n ill not ... -
.?% iiniot iiwt, J/I rnu im*
to dictate to him. On that the secretary
gave it up as a had job, and
simply bargained with him that, if lie
missed the last train he should rejoin
him at TTalliday's Private Hotel
to which Drebber answered that he
would he hack on the platform before
eleven, and made his way out of the
station.
Tho moment for which I had waited
so long had at last come. I had
my enemies within my power. Together
they could protect each other,
but singly they were at my mercy. I
did not act, however, with undue anticipation.
My plans were already
formed. There is no satisfaction in
vengeance unless the offender has
time to realize who it is that strikes
him, and why retribution has come
upon him. I had my plans arranged
by which I shoyld have the opportunity
of making the man who wronged
mo understand that his old sin had
found him out. It chanced that some
days before a gentleman who had
been engaged in looking over some
houses in the Brixton Koad had dropped
the key of one of them in my
carriage. It was claimed that same
evening and returned; but in the interval
I had taken a molding of it,
and had a duplicate constructed. By
means of this I had access to at least
one spot in this great city where 1
could rely upon being free from interruption.
How to get Drebber to
that house was the difficult problem
which 1 now had to solve.
"He walked down the road and
went into one or two liquor shops,
staying for nearly half an hour in the
last of them. When he came out he
staggered in his walk, and was evidentlv
pretty well on. There was a
hansom just in front of me, and he
hailed it. T followed it so close, that
the nose of my horse was within a
yard of his driver tho whole way.
We rattled across Waterloo Bridge
and through miles of streets, until, to
my astonishment, we found ourselves
hack in the terrace in which he had
hoarded. I could not imagine what
his intention was in returning there,
| but I went on and pulled up my cab
a hundred yards or so from the house.
He entered it and his hansom drove
away. Dive me a glass of water, if
j you please. My mouth gets dry with
the talking."
j T handed him the glass, and he
drank it down.
"That's bettor," he said. "Well,
T waited for a quarter of an hour or
more, when suddenly there came a
j noise like people struggling inside
the house. Next moment the door
j was flung open and two men appeared,
one of whom was Drobbor and the
other was a yoning chap whim I had
never seen before. This fellow had
Drobbor by the collar, and when they
came to the head of the steps he gave
him a shove and a kick which sent
him half ?.cross the road. 'You
hound" he cried, shaking his stick at
him, ^'11 teach you to insult an honest
girl!' He was so hot that T think
he would have thrashed Drobbor with
his cudgel only that the cur staggered
away down the road as fast as his
legs would carry him. He ran as far
as the corner, and then, seeing my
cab, he hailcil me and jumped in.
'Drive me to Halliday's Private
Hotel, aaid he.
"When I had him fairly Inside my
cab my heart Jumped so with joy that
I feared lent at this last moment my
aneurism might go wrong. I drove
along slowly, weighing in my own
mind what it was best to do. 1 might
take him right out into the country,
and there in some deserted lune have
my Inst interview with him. I had
almost decided upon this, when he
salved the problem for me. The
craze for drink had seized him again,
and he ordered me to pull up outside
a gin palace, lie went In. leaving
word that I should wait for him.
There he remained until closing time,
and when lie came out lie was so far
gone that I knew the game was in my
own hands.
"Don't imagine that 1 intended to
kill him in cold blood. It would only
have been rigid justice if I had done
so, hut I could not bring myself to do
it. I had long determined that lie
should have a show for his life if he
chose to take advantage of it. Among
tho many billets which I have filled
in America during my wandering life,
I was once a janitor and sweeper-out
of tho laboratory at Y'ork College.
One day the professor was lecturing
en poisons, and lie showed his students
some alkaloid, as he called it,
which ho had extracted from some
South American arrow poison, and
which was so powerful that the least
grain meant instant death. 1 spotted
the bottle in which this preparation
was kept, and when they were all
gone I helped myself to ^little of it.
1 was a fairly pood dispenser, so 1
worked this alkaloid into small, soluble
pills, and each pill 1 put in a box
with a similar pill wifhout poison. I
determined at the time that, when 1
had my chance, my pent lemon should
each have a draw out of one of these
boxes, while I eat the pill that remained.
It would be quite as deadly,
and a pood deal less less noisy than
firinp across a handkerchief. From
that day I had always my pill boxes
about with me, and the time had now
come when T was to use them.
'It was nearer one than twelve,
and a wild, bleak nipht, blowing hard
and raininp in torrents. Dismal as it
was outside, I was plad within?so
glad that I could have shouted out
from pure exultation. If any of you
gentlemen had ever pined for a thing
and longed for it during twenty long
years, and then suddenly found it
wjthin your reach, you would understand
my feelings. 1 lighted a cigar
and puffed at it to steady my nerves,
but my hands were trembling, and
mv temples throbbing with excitement.
As I drove T could see old
John Ferrier and sweet Lucy looking
at me out of the darkness and smiling
at me, just as plain as I see you
all in this room. All the way they
were ahead of me. one on nnoli
of the horse, until I pulled up at the
house In the Brixton Road.
"There was not a soul to he seen,
nor a sound to he heard, except the
dripping of the rain. When I looked
in at the window 1 found Drebher nil
huddled together in a drunken sleep.
1 shook him by the arm: 'It's time
to go out,' I said.
" 'All right, cabby,' said he.
"T suppose he thought we had
come to the hotel that he had mentioned,
for he got out without another
word and followed me down the
garden. T had to walk beside him to
keep him steady, for he was still a
little top-heavy. When he came to
the door I opened it and led him into
the front room. I give you my word
that,* all the way, the father and
daughter were walking in front of
us.
" 'It's infernally dark,' said he,
stamping about.
" 'We'll soon have a light,' I said,
striking a match and putting it to a
wax candle which 1 had brought with
me. 'Now, Enoch Drebher,' I continued,
turning to him and holding
the light to my own face, 'Who am
I?'
"lie gazed at me with bleared,
drunken eyes for a moment, and then
i saw a norror spring up in thorn and
convulse his whole features, which
showed me that he knew mo. lie
staggered hack with a livid face, and
I saw the perspiration break ont upon
his brow, while his teeth chattered.
At tho sight T leaned my back
against the door and laughed loud
nn.l long. I had always known th.it
vengeance would bo sweet, but had
never hoped for the contentment of
soul which now possessed me.
" 'You dog!' T said, 'I have hunted
you from Salt Lake City to St. Petersburg,
and you have always escaped
me. Now at last your wanderings
have come to an end, for either you
or I shall never see to-morrow's sun
rise.' Tie shrunk still further away
as I spoke, and I could see on his face
that he thought I was mad. So 1
was, for the time. The pulses in my
temples beat like sledgehammers,
and T believe T would have had a fit
of some sort if the blood had not
pushed from my^ nose and relieved
nie.
" 'What do you think of "Lucy Ferrier
now?' T cried, locking the door
and shaking the key in his face. 'Punishment
has been slow in coming, but
it has overtaken you at last.' T saw
his coward lips tremble as T spoke.
Ho would have hepped for his life,
but he knew well that it was useless.
" 'Would you murder me?' ho
stammered.
" 'There is no murder,' T answered.
'Who talks of murdering
a mad dog? What mercy had you
upon iny poor darling when you drag.
ged her from her slaughtered father
j and bore her away to your accursed
and shameless harem?'
" 'It was not I who killed lior father,'
ho cried.
" 'But it was you who broke her
innocent heart,' I shrieked, thrusting
j the box beforo him. Bet the high
j God judge between us. Choose and
; eat. There is death in one and life
! in the other. 1 shall take what you
' leave. I>et us see if there is justice
1 upon the earth, or if we are ruled by
chance.'
"lie cowered away with wild cries
and prayers for mercy, but I drew my
knife and held it to his throat until
he had obeyed me. Then I swallowed
the other, and we stood facing
each other in silence for a minute or
more, waiting to seo which was to
livo and which was to die. Shall I
ever forget the look which came over
his face when tlio first warning pangs
told him that tlio poison was in his
system? I laughed as I saw it, and
hold Lucy's marriage ring in front of
his eyes. It was but for a moment,
for the action of the alkaloid is rapid.
A spasm of pain contorted his features;
he threw his hands out in
front of him, staggered, and then,
with a hoarse cry, fell heavily upon
tlio iloor. 1 turned him over with
my foot and placed my hand upon his
heart. There was no movement. IIo
was dead!
"The blood had been streaming
from my nose, hut I had taken no notice
of it. I don't know what it was
that put it into my head to write
upon tlio wall with it. Perhaps it
i wns snifio mlfiHovnns Irion of settim*
- ~ * :->
tlio police upon a wrong track, for I
felt light-hearted and cheerful. I renioinhrred
a German being found in
New York with 'Radio' written upon
above him, and it was argued at the
time in the newspapers that the secret
societies must have done it. T
guessed that what puzzled the New
Yorkers would puzzle the Londoners,
so T dipped my finger in my own
blood and printed it on a convenient
place on the wall. When I walked
down to my cab and found that there
was nobody about, and that the night
was still very wild. I had driven
some distance, when I put my hand
into the pocket in which I usually
kept Lucy's ring, and found that it
was not there. T was thunderstruck
at this, for it was the only memento
that I had of her. Thinking that I
might have dropped it when I stooped
over Drebbcr's body, I drove back,
and leaving my cab in a side street,
I went boldly up to the house?for I
was ready to dare anything rather
than lose the ring. When I arrived
there I walked right into the arms of
a police officer who was coming out,
and only managed to disarm his suspicions
by pretending to bo hopelessly
drunk.
"That was how Enoch Drebber
came to his end. All I had to do then
was to do as much for Stangerson,
and so pay off John Ferricr's debt. I
knew that he was staying at llalliday's
Private Hotel, and I hung about
all day, hut he never came out. I
fancy that he suspected something
when Drebber failed to put in an appearance.
Ho was cunning, was StanPT>rKI"m
n tl /I nlu-nvo li < a rr,,n,wl TP
ho thought ho could keep me off by
staying indoors he was very much
mistaken. I soon found out which
was the window of Ids bedroom, and
early next, morning I took advantage
of some ladders which were lying in
tho lane behind the hotel, and so
made my way into his room in tho
gray of tho dawn. I woke him up,
and told him that the hour had come
when ho was to answer for tho life
he had taken so long before. I described
Drebber's death to him, and
I gave him tho same choice of tho
poisoned pills. Instead of grasping
at. the chance of safety which that offered
him, he sprang from his bod
and (lew at my throat. Tn self-defense
I stabbed him to the heart. It
would have been the same in any
case, for Providence would never
have allowed his guilty hand Jo pick
out anything but the poison.
"I have little more to say, and it's
as well, for I am about done up. I
wont on cabbing it for a day or so, in
tending to keep at it until I could
save enough to take mo back to
America. I was standing in the yard
when a ragged youngster asked if
there was a cabby there called Jefferson
IT ope, and said that his cab was
wanted by a gentleman at 2221 R
Raker Street. 1 went round, suspecting
no harm, and the next thing I
knew this young man hero had the
bracelets on my wrists, and as neatly
shackled as ever I was in my life.
That's the whole of my story, gentlemen.
You may consider mo to be a
murderer, but I hold that I am just
as much an otlicer of justice as you
are.'
So thrilling had the man's narra
tivo boon, and his matin or was so impressive,
that wo had sat silent and
absorbed. Even the professional detectives,
blaso as they were in every
detail of crime, appeared to be keenly
Interested In the man's story.
When be finished we sat for somo
minutes In a stillness which was only
broken by the scratching of I,estrade's
pencil as he gavo the finishing
touches to bis shorthand account.
"There is only ono point on which
I should like a little more Information,"
Sherlock Holmes said at last.
"Who was your accomplice who eaino
for the ring which I advertised?"
The prisoner winked at. my friend
jocosely.
, (To Ik: continued.)