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Presumably he at once concealed his cycle among the laurels where it was found, and possibly lurked there himself, with his eye on the house, waiting for Mr. Douglas to come out. The shotgun is a strange weapon to use inside a house; but he had intended to use it outside, and there it has very obvious advantages, as it would be impossible to miss with it, and the sound of shots is so common in an English sporting neighbourhood that no particular notice would be taken.โ€

โ€œThat is all very clear,โ€ said Holmes.

โ€œWell, Mr. Douglas did not appear. What was he to do next? He left his bicycle and approached the house in the twilight. He found the bridge down and no one about. He took his chance, intending, no doubt, to make some excuse if he met anyone. He met no one. He slipped into the first room that he saw, and concealed himself behind the curtain. Thence he could see the drawbridge go up, and he knew that his only escape was through the moat. He waited until quarter-past eleven, when Mr. Douglas upon his usual nightly round came into the room. He shot him and escaped, as arranged. He was aware that the bicycle would be described by the hotel people and be a clue against him; so he left it there and made his way by some other means to London or to some safe hiding place which he had already arranged. How is that, Mr. Holmes?โ€

โ€œWell, Mr. Mac, it is very good and very clear so far as it goes. That is your end of the story. My end is that the crime was committed half an hour earlier than reported; that Mrs. Douglas and Barker are both in a conspiracy to conceal something; that they aided the murderer's escapeโ€”or at least that they reached the room before he escapedโ€”and that they fabricated evidence of his escape through the window, whereas in all probability they had themselves let him go by lowering the bridge. That's my reading of the first half.โ€

The two detectives shook their heads.

โ€œWell, Mr. Holmes, if this is true, we only tumble out of one mystery into another,โ€ said the London inspector.

โ€œAnd in some ways a worse one,โ€ added White Mason. โ€œThe lady has never been in America in all her life. What possible connection could she have with an American assassin which would cause her to shelter him?โ€

โ€œI freely admit the difficulties,โ€ said Holmes. โ€œI propose to make a little investigation of my own to-night, and it is just possible that it may contribute something to the common cause.โ€

โ€œCan we help you, Mr. Holmes?โ€

โ€œNo, no! Darkness and Dr. Watson's umbrellaโ€”my wants are simple. And Ames, the faithful Ames, no doubt he will stretch a point for me. All my lines of thought lead me back invariably to the one basic questionโ€”why should an athletic man develop his frame upon so unnatural an instrument as a single dumb-bell?โ€

It was late that night when Holmes returned from his solitary excursion. We slept in a double-bedded room, which was the best that the little country inn could do for us. I was already asleep when I was partly awakened by his entrance.

โ€œWell, Holmes,โ€ I murmured, โ€œhave you found anything out?โ€

He stood beside me in silence, his candle in his hand. Then the tall, lean figure inclined towards me. โ€œI say, Watson,โ€ he whispered, โ€œwould you be afraid to sleep in the same room with a lunatic, a man with softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?โ€

โ€œNot in the least,โ€ I answered in astonishment.

โ€œAh, that's lucky,โ€ he said, and not another word would he utter that night.





Chapter 7โ€”The Solution

Next morning, after breakfast, we found Inspector MacDonald and White Mason seated in close consultation in the small parlour of the local police sergeant. On the table in front of them were piled a number of letters and telegrams, which they were carefully sorting and docketing. Three had been placed on one side.

โ€œStill on the track of the elusive bicyclist?โ€ Holmes asked cheerfully. โ€œWhat is the latest news of the ruffian?โ€

MacDonald pointed ruefully to his heap of correspondence.

โ€œHe is at present reported from Leicester, Nottingham, Southampton, Derby, East Ham, Richmond, and fourteen other places. In three of themโ€”East Ham, Leicester, and Liverpoolโ€”there is a clear case against him, and he has actually been arrested. The country seems to be full of the fugitives with yellow coats.โ€

โ€œDear me!โ€ said Holmes sympathetically. โ€œNow, Mr. Mac and you, Mr. White Mason, I wish to give you a very earnest piece of advice. When I went into this case with you I bargained, as you will no doubt remember, that I should not present you with half-proved theories, but that I should retain and work out my own ideas until I had satisfied myself that they were correct. For this reason I am not at the present moment telling you all that is in my mind. On the other hand, I said that I would play the game fairly by you, and I do not think it is a fair game to allow you for one unnecessary moment to waste your energies upon a profitless task. Therefore I am here to advise you this morning, and my advice to you is summed up in three wordsโ€”abandon the case.โ€

MacDonald and White Mason stared in amazement at their celebrated colleague.

โ€œYou consider it hopeless!โ€ cried the inspector.

โ€œI consider your case to be hopeless. I do not consider that it is hopeless to arrive at the truth.โ€

โ€œBut this cyclist. He is not an invention. We have his description, his valise, his bicycle. The fellow must be somewhere. Why should we not get him?โ€

โ€œYes, yes, no doubt he is somewhere, and no doubt we shall get him; but I would not have you waste your energies in East Ham or Liverpool. I am sure that we can find some shorter cut to a result.โ€

โ€œYou are holding something back. It's hardly fair of you, Mr. Holmes.โ€ The inspector was annoyed.

โ€œYou know my methods of work, Mr. Mac. But I will hold it back for the shortest time possible. I only wish to verify my details in one way, which can very readily be done, and then I make my bow and return to London, leaving my results entirely at your service. I owe you too much to act otherwise; for in all my experience I cannot recall any more singular and interesting study.โ€

โ€œThis is clean beyond me, Mr. Holmes. We saw you when we returned from Tunbridge Wells last night, and you were in general agreement with our results. What has happened since then to give you a completely new idea of the case?โ€

โ€œWell, since you ask me, I spent, as I told you that I would, some hours last night at the Manor House.โ€

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