The Pursuit of the House-Boat

ur honor I think it is hardly necessary for me to assure you of our hearty co-operation in anything you may venture to suggest. There is still manifest, however, some desir

he were passionately addicted to this particular brand of the weed. Therefore I say to you, first, this was his cigar; second, it was the last one he had; third, he is a confirmed smoker. The result, he has gone to the one place in the world where these Connecticut hand- rolled Havana cigars-for I recognize this as one of them-have a real popularity, and are therefore more certainly obtainable, and that is at London. You cannot get so vile a cigar as that outside of a London hotel. If I could have seen a quarte

wonderful art!

aughed Holmes. "Not at all. Give me a head of

s perfect; step by step we have been led to the irresistible conclusion

left it, and out of mere pique he will leave the hotel, and, to show himself still cleverer than his modern prototypes, he will leave his account unpaid, with the result that the affair will be put in the hands of the police, under which circumstances a house in the immediate vicinity of the famous police headquarters will be the safest hiding- place he can find, as was instanced by the rem

nto space, and Le Coq muttered

. "You could tap your forehead knowingly eight hours a day through al

sed as Captain Kidd, will lead this visionary on until he comes there to arrest me, and when these club member

tery," said Socrates, wrapping his toga closely about him

ter. "But meantime the House-

o was still nursing his resentment against Sir Christo

l architects, Sir Christopher and Noah, neither of their vessels can travel more than a mile a week, and if we char

le than go aboard the Flying Dutchman again. I made one trip on the Dutchman, and she's worse than a dory for comfort; further-I don't see what good i

a state-room aboard of her. She doesn't carry second-class passengers. And if I took any stock in the idea of a trip o

mined the wake of the House-boat, and I judge from the condition of what, for want of a better term, I may call the suds, when she left us the House- boat was making ten knots a day. Almost an

said Johnson. "Boswe

ar

low and cranky; the Monitor and the Merrimac I haven't really had time to patch up; and the Valkyrie is two months overdue. I cannot make up my mind whether she is lost or kept back by excursion steamers. Hence I r

evident that he realized what a dreadful expense the club was about to be put to, an

ad for nothing, but the others I'd have to charge y

upon whether that discount should be a

, she'd never do-with all respect to Mr. Noah. She's just about as suitable as any other waterlogged cattle-steamer'd be, and no more-first-rate for elephants and kangaroos, but no good for cruiser-work, and so slow she wouldn't make a ripple high en

no regard for facts, but simply goes ahead and makes statements with an utter disregard of the truth. The Ark was no

ks without fouling a m

ving a chanc

d Charon. "Maybe she was a centreboard

a beast like the elephant shuffling one of his fore-feet up and down, up and down, a plank for

he reached his trunk across, fastened on to a tree limb with it, and swung himself over. However, the Ark isn't at all what you want, unless you ar

ggest?" asked Raleigh

we can't do. Now te

I've watched 'em close, and it's my private opinion that before many days you'll see your club-house sailing back here, with Queen Elizabeth at the hellum, and the other ladies

would never forgive us if we sat here inactive, even if they were capable of rescuing themselves. It is an accepted principle of law that this climate hath

thousand dollars a

ibe fifty,"

nd out how many of my wives have been abducted, an

ee of 'em on board, together with eighty of his fianc

t mine yet, and it's their father's

down for something. This some one of the more quick-witted of the spirits soon observed, and, with rec

leave the pier, but

cribe!" was the

Mr. Crusoe, has just handed me this bottle, which he picked up ten minutes ago on the bank of the river a few miles distant. It contains a b

and opened the bottle. He extracted the paper, and, as he had surmised, it proved to be a mess

hundred and eighty-three ladies on board. Headed for the Azores. Send aid at once

"That shows how valuabl

Portia is right. The ship is headed for the Azores, which is the first

ith cheers, and when th

ption began again

hat woman Portia on board I won't give a red obolus!" and with that he wrappe

put under the command of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who, after he had thanked the company for their confidence, walked abstractedly away, o

st on my own hook, whether my eminent inventor wants me there or not. I never