The Sign of the Four

of the

on Stradivarius violins, on the Buddhism of Ceylon, and on the war-ships of the future,-handling each as though he had made a special study of it. His bright humor marked the reaction from his black depression of the preceding days. Athelney Jones proved to be a sociable soul i

e glasses with port. "One bumper," said he, "to the success of our little e

service-revol

o be prepared. I see that the cab is at t

ed the Westminster wharf, and found our la

ng to mark it as

green lamp

take i

off. Jones, Holmes, and I sat in the stern. There was one man at the r

o?" aske

them to stop oppos

of loaded barges as though they were stationary. Holmes smiled with

to catch anything o

ut there are not many

ng a clipper. I will tell you how the land lies, Watson. You r

es

iver without result. The launch was not at any landing-stage or wharf, nor had it returned. Yet it could hardly have been scuttled to hide their traces,-though that always remained as a possible hypothesis if all else failed. I knew this man Small had a certain degree of low cunning, but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse. Tha

t is more probable that he had arranged his affa

. He was quite sharp enough to see that. They had started from their head-quarters under cover of darkness, and he would wish to get back before it was broad light. Now, it was past three o'clock, according to Mrs. Smith, when they got the boat. It would be quite bright, and people would be about in an hour or so. Therefore, I argued, they did not go very far. They paid Smith well to hold h

could not have taken t

wharf would make pursuit easy if the police did happen to get on his track. How, then, could he conceal the launch and yet have her at hand when wanted? I wondered what I should do myself if I were in his shoes. I could only think of one way of doing it.

ms simple

er rudder,' said the foreman. 'There she lies, with the red streaks.' At that moment who should come down but Mordecai Smith, the missing owner? He was rather the worse for liquor. I should not, of course, have known him, but he bellowed out his name and the name of his launch. 'I want her to-night at eight o'clock,' said he,-'eight o'clock sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won't be kept waiting.' They had evidently paid him well, for

ot," said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a

y shrewd fellow. He would send a scout on ahead, and if

ordecai Smith, and so been led

owing where they live. As long as he has liquor and good pay, why should he ask questions? They

idges which span the Thames. As we passed the City the last rays of the sun were gildin

gently up and down here under cover of this string of lighters." He took a pair of night-glasses from his pocke

aid Jones, eagerly. We were all eager by this time, even the police

m, but we cannot be certain. From this point we can see the entrance of the yard, and they can hardly see us. It will

ing from work

tal spark concealed about him. You would not think it, to look at the

soul concealed in an

athematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what any one man will do, but you can say with precision what an average number will be up to

oy," I cried. "I c

l speed ahead, engineer. Make after that launch with the yellow light. By h

that she had fairly got her speed up before we saw her. Now she was flying down the stream, ne

he said. "I doubt if

teeth. "Heap it on, stokers! Make her do all

engines we sprang and quivered like a living thing. One great yellow lantern in our bows threw a long, flickering funnel of light in front of us. Right ahead a dark blur upon the water showed where the Aurora lay, and the swirl of white foam behind her sp

o the engine-room, while the fierce glow from below beat upon

tle," said Jones, with

. "We shall be up with he

waist, and shovelling coals for dear life. They may have had some doubt at first as to whether we were really pursuing them, but now as we followed every winding and turning which they took there could no longer be any question about it. At Greenwich we were about three hundred paces behind them. At Blackwall we could not have been more than two hundred and fifty. I have coursed many creatures in many countries during my checkered career, but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad, flying man-hunt down the Thames. Steadily we drew in upon them, yard by yard. In the silence of the night we could hear the panting and clanking of their machinery. The man in the stern still crouched upon the deck, and his arms were moving as though he were busy, while every now and then he would look up and measure with a glance the distance which still separated us. Nearer we came and nearer. Jones yelled to them to stop. We were not more than four boat's lengths behind them, both boats flying at a tremendous pace. It was a clear reach of the river, with Barking Level upon one side and the mel

of our quarry. I can see the two of them now as they stood, the white man with his legs far apart, shrieking out curses

e moon glimmered upon a wide expanse of marsh-land, with pools of stagnant water and beds of decaying vegetation. The launch with a dull thud ran up upon the mud-bank, with her bow in the air and her stern flush with the water. The fugitive sprang out, but his stump instantly sank its whole length into the sodden soil. In vain he struggled and writhed. Not one step could he possibly take either forwards or backwards. He yelled in impotent rage, and kicked frantically into the mud with his other foot, but his struggles only bored his wooden pin the deeper into the sticky bank. When we brought our launch alongside he was so firmly anchored that it was only by throwing the end of a rope over his shoulders that we were able to haul

standing, stuck one of those murderous darts which we knew so well. It must have whizzed between us at the instant that we fired. Holmes smiled at it and