It was late in the afternoon before I woke, strengthened andrefreshed. Sherlock Holmes still sat exactly as I had left himsave that he had laid aside his violin and was deep in a book. Helooked across at me as I stirred, and I noticed that his face wasdark and troubled.

"You have slept soundly," he said. "I feared that our talkwould wake you."

"I heard nothing," I answered. "Have you had fresh news,then?"

"Unfortunately, no. I confess that I am surprised and disap-pointed. I expected something definite by this time. Wiggins hasjust been up to report. He says that no trace can be found of thelaunch. It is a provoking check, for every hour is of importance."

"Can I do anything? I am perfectly fresh now, and quite readyfor another night's outing."

"No; we can do nothing. We can only wait. If we go our-selves the message might come in our absence and delay becaused. You can do what you will. but I must remain on guard."

"Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs.Cecil Forrester. She asked me to, yesterday."

"On Mrs. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes with the twinkle ofa smile in his eyes.

"Well, of course on Miss Morstan, too. They were anxious tohear what happened."

"I would not tell them too much," said Holmes. "Womenare never to be entirely trusted -- not the best of them."

I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment.

"I shall be back in an hour or two," I remarked.

"All right! Good luck! But, I say, if you are crossing the riveryou may as well return Toby, for I don't think it is at all likelythat we shall have any use for him now."

I took our mongrel accordingly and left him, together with ahalf-sovereign, at the old naturalist's in Pinchin Lane. AtCamberwell I found Miss Morstan a little weary after her night'sadventures but very eager to hear the news. Mrs. Forrester, too,was full of curiosity. I told them all that we had done, suppress-ing, however, the more dreadful parts of the tragedy. Thusalthough I spoke of Mr. Sholto's death, I said nothing of theexact manner and method of it. With all my omissions, however,there was enough to startle and amaze them.

"It is a romance!" cried Mrs. Forrester. "An injured lady,half a million in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-leggedruffian. They take the place of the conventional dragon or wickedearl."

"And two knight-errants to the rescue," added Miss Morstanwith a bright glance at me.

"Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the issue of thissearch. I don't think that you are nearly excited enough. Justimagine what it must be to be so rich and to have the world atyour feet!"

It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that sheshowed no sign of elation at the prospect. On the contrary, shegave a toss of her proud head, as though the matter were one inwhich she took small interest.

"It is for Mr. Thaddeus Sholto that I am anxious," she said."Nothing else is of any consequence; but I think that he hasbehaved most kindly and honourably throughout. It is our duty toclear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge."

It was evening before I left Camberwell, and quite dark by thetime I reached home. My companion's book and pipe lay by hischair, but he had disappeared. I looked about in the hope ofseeing a note, but there was none.

"I suppose that Mr. Sherlock Holmes has gone out," I said toMrs. Hudson as she came up to lower the blinds.

"No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do you know, sir,"sinking her voice into an impressive whisper, "I am afraid forhis health."

"Why so, Mrs. Hudson?"

"Well, he's that strange, sir. After you was gone he walkedand he walked, up and down, and up and down, until I wasweary of the sound of his footstep. Then I heard him talking tohimself and muttering, and every time the bell rang out he cameon the stairhead, with 'What is that, Mrs. Hudson?' And now hehas slammed off to his room, but I can hear him walking awaythe same as ever. I hope he's not going to be ill, sir. I venturedto say something to him about cooling medicine, but he turnedon me, sir, with such a look that I don't know how ever I got outof the room."

"I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs.Hudson," I answered. "I have seen him like this before. He hassome small matter upon his mind which makes him restless."

I tried to speak lightly to our worthy landlady, but I wasmyself somewhat uneasy when through the long night I still fromtime to time heard the dull sound of his tread, and knew how hiskeen spirit was chafing against this involuntary inaction.

At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard, with a littlefleck of feverish colour upon either cheek.

"You are knocking yourself up, old man," I remarked. "Iheard you marching about in the night."

"No, I could not sleep," he answered. "This infernal prob-lem is consuming me. It is too much to be balked by so petty anobstacle, when all else had been overcome. I know the men, thelaunch, everything; and yet I can get no news. I have set otheragencies at work and used every means at my disposal. Thewhole river has been searched on either side, but there is nonews, nor has Mrs. Smith heard of her husband. I shall come tothe conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft. But thereare objections to that."

"Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong scent."

"No, I think that may be dismissed. I had inquiries made, andthere is a launch of that description."

"Could it have gone up the river?"

"I have considered that possibility, too, and there is a search-party who will work up as far as Richmond. If no news comesto-day I shall start off myself tomorrow and go for the menrather than the boat. But surely, surely, we shall hear something."

We did not, however. Not a word came to us either fromWiggins or from the other agencies. There were articles in mostof the papers upon the Norwood tragedy. They all appeared to berather hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. No freshdetails were to be found, however, in any of them, save that aninquest was to be held upon the following day. I walked over toCamberwell in the evening to report our ill-success to the ladies,and on my return I found Holmes dejected and somewhat mo-rose. He would hardly reply to my questions and busied himselfall the evening in an abstruse chemical analysis which involvedmuch heating of retorts and distilling of vapours, ending at lastin a smell which fairly drove me out of the apartment. Up to thesmall hours of the morning I could hear the clinking of histest-tubes which told me that he was still engaged in his mal-odorous experiment.

In the early dawn I woke with a start and was surprised to findhim standing by my bedside, clad in a rude sailor dress with apeajacket and a coarse red scarf round his neck.

"I am off down the river, Watson," said he. "I have beenturning it over in my mind, and I can see only one way out of it.It is worth trying, at all events."

"Surely I can come with you, then?" said I.

"No; you can be much more useful if you will remain here asmy representative. I am loath to go, for it is quite on the cardsthat some message may come during the day, though Wigginswas despondent about it last night. I want you to open all notesand telegrams, and to act on your own judgment if any newsshould come. Can I rely upon you?"

"Most certainly."

"I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me, for I canhardly tell yet where I may find myself. If I am in luck,however, I may not be gone so very long. I shall have news ofsome sort or other before I get back."

I had heard nothing of him by breakfast time. On opening theStandard, however, I found that there was a fresh allusion to thebusiness.

With reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy [it remarked]

we have reason to believe that the matter promises to be

even more complex and mysterious than was originally

supposed. Fresh evidence has shown that it is quite impossi-

ble that Mr. Thaddeus Sholto could have been in any way

concerned in the matter. He and the housekeeper, Mrs.

Bernstone, were both released yesterday evening. It is be-

lieved, however, that the police have a clue as to the real

culprits, and that it is being prosecuted by Mr. Athelney

Jones, of Scotland Yard, with all his well-known energy

and sagacity. Further arrests may be expected at any

moment.

"That is satisfactory so far as it goes," thought I. "FriendSholto is safe, at any rate. I wonder what the fresh clue may bethough it seems to be a stereotyped form whenever the policehave made a blunder."

I tossed the paper down upon the table, but at that moment myeye caught an advertisement in the agony column. It ran in thisway:

LOST -- Whereas Mordecai Smith, boatman, and his son Jim

left Smith's Wharf at or about three o'clock last Tuesday

morning in the steam launch Aurora, black with two red

stripes, funnel black with a white band, the sum of five

pounds will be paid to anyone who can give information to

Mrs. Smith, at Smith's Wharf, or at 22lB, Baker Street, as

to the whereabouts of the said Mordecai Smith and the

launch Aurora.

This was clearly Holmes's doing. The Baker Street addresswas enough to prove that. It struck me as rather ingeniousbecause it might be read by the fugitives without their seeing init more than the natural anxiety of a wife for her missinghusband.

It was a long day. Every time that a knock came to the door ora sharp step passed in the street, I imagined that it was eitherHolmes returning or an answer to his advertisement. I tried toread, but my thoughts would wander off to our strange quest andto the ill-assorted and villainous pair whom we were pursuing.Could there be, I wondered, some radical flaw in my compan-ion's reasoning? Might he not be suffering from some hugeself-deception? Was it not possible that his nimble and specula-tive mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty premises? Ihad never known him to be wrong, and yet the keenest reasonermay occasionally be deceived. He was likely, I thought, to fallinto error through the over-refinement of his logic -- his prefer-ence for a subtle and bizarre explanation when a plainer andmore commonplace one lay ready to his hand. Yet, on the otherhand, I had myself seen the evidence, and I had heard thereasons for his deductions. When I looked back on the longchain of curious circumstances, many of them trivial in them-selves but all tending in the same direction, I could not disguisefrom myself that even if Holmes's explanation were incorrect thetrue theory must be equally outre and startling.

At three o'clock on the afternoon there was a loud peal at thebell, an authoritative voice in the hall, and, to my surprise, noless a person than Mr. Athelney Jones was shown up to me.Very different was he, however, from the brusque and masterfulprofessor of common sense who had taken over the case soconfidently at Upper Norwood. His expression was downcast,and his bearing meek and even apologetic.

"Good-day, sir; good-day," said he. "Mr. Sherlock Holmes isout, I understand."

"Yes, and I cannot be sure when he will be back. Butperhaps you would care to wait. Take that chair and try one ofthese cigars."

"Thank you; I don't mind if I do," said he, mopping his facewith a red bandanna handkerchief.

"And a whisky and soda?"

"Well, half a glass. It is very hot for the time of year, and Ihave had a good deal to worry and try me. You know my theoryabout this Norwood case?"

"I remember that you expressed one."

"Well, I have been obliged to reconsider it. I had my netdrawn tightly round Mr. Sholto, sir, when pop he went through ahole in the middle of it. He was able to prove an alibi whichcould not be shaken. From the time that he left his brother'sroom he was never out of sight of someone or other. So it couldnot be he who climbed over roofs and through trapdoors. It's avery dark case, and my professional credit is at stake. I shouldbe very glad of a little assistance."

"We all need help sometimes," said I.

"Your friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, is a wonderful man,sir," said he in a husky and confidential voice. "He's a manwho is not to be beat. I have known that young man go into agood many cases, but I never saw the case yet that he could notthrow a light upon. He is irregular in his methods and a littlequick perhaps in jumping at theories, but, on the whole, I thinkhe would have made a most promising officer, and I don't carewho knows it. I have had a wire from him this morning, bywhich I understand that he has got some clue to this Sholtobusiness. Here is his message."

He took the telegram out of his pocket and handed it to me. Itwas dated from Poplar at twelve o'clock.

Go to Baker Street at once [it said]. If I have not returned,

wait for me. I am close on the track of the Sholto gang.

You can come with us to-night if you want to be in at the

finish.

"This sounds well. He has evidently picked up the scentagain," said I.

"Ah, then he has been at fault too," exclaimed Jones withevident satisfaction. "Even the best of us are thrown off some-times. Of course this may prove to be a false alarm but it is myduty as an officer of the law to allow no chance to slip. But thereis someone at the door. Perhaps this is he."

A heavy step was heard ascending the stair, with a greatwheezing and rattling as from a man who was sorely put to it forbreath. Once or twice he stopped, as though the climb were toomuch for him, but at last he made his way to our door andentered. His appearance corresponded to the sounds which wehad heard. He was an aged man, clad in seafaring garb, with anold pea-jacket buttoned up to his throat. His back was bowedhis knees were shaky, and his breathing was painfully asthmatic.As he leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel his shoulders heaved inthe effort to draw the air into his lungs. He had a coloured scarfround his chin, and I could see little of his face save a pair ofkeen dark eyes, overhung by bushy white brows and long grayside-whiskers. Altogether he gave me the impression of a re-spectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty.

"What is it, my man?" I asked.

He looked about him in the slow methodical fashion of oldage.

"Is Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?" said he.

"No; but I am acting for him. You can tell me any messageyou have for him."

"It was to him himself I was to tell it," said he.

"But I tell you that I am acting for him. Was it aboutMordecai Smith's boat?''

"Yes. I knows well where it is. An' I knows where the menhe is after are. An' I knows where the treasure is. I knows allabout it."

"Then tell me, and I shall let him know."

"It was to him I was to tell it," he repeated with the petulantobstinacy of a very old man.

"Well, you must wait for him."

"No, no; I ain't goin' to lose a whole day to please no one. IfMr. Holmes ain't here, then Mr. Holmes must find it all out forhimself. I don't care about the look of either of you, and I won'ttell a word."

He shuffled towards the door, but Athelney Jones got in frontof him.

"Wait a bit, my friend," said he. "You have importantinformation, and you must not walk off. We shall keep you,whether you like or not, until our friend returns."

The old man made a little run towards the door, but, asAthelney Jones put his broad back up against it, he recognizedthe uselessness of resistance.

"Pretty sort o' treatment this!" he cried, stamping his stick."I come here to see a gentleman, and you two, who I never sawin my life, seize me and treat me in this fashion!"

"You will be none the worse," I said. "We shall recompenseyou for the loss of your time. Sit over here on the sofa, and youwill not have long to wait."

He came across sullenly enough and seated himself with hisface resting on his hands. Jones and I resumed our cigars and ourtalk. Suddenly, however, Holmes's voice broke in upon us.

"I think that you might offer me a cigar too," he said.

We both started in our chairs. There was Holmes sitting closeto us with an air of quiet amusement.

"Holmes!" I exclaimed. "You here! But where is the oldman?"

"Here is the old man," said he, holding out a heap of whitehair. "Here he is -- wig, whiskers, eyebrows, and all. I thoughtmy disguise was pretty good, but I hardly expected that it wouldstand that test."

"Ah, you rogue!" cried Jones, highly delighted. "You wouldhave made an actor and a rare one. You had the proper work-house cough, and those weak legs of yours are worth ten pound aweek. I thought I knew the glint of your eye, though. You didn'tget away from us so easily, you see."

"I have been working in that get-up all day," said he, lightinghis cigar. "You see, a good many of the criminal classes beginto know me -- especially since our friend here took to publishingsome of my cases: so I can only go on the war-path under somesimple disguise like this. You got my wire?"

"Yes; that was what brought me here."

"How has your case prospered?"

"It has all come to nothing. I have had to release two of myprisoners, and there is no evidence against the other two."

"Never mind. We shall give you two others in the place ofthem. But you must put yourself under my orders. You are welcome to all the official credit, but you must act on the linesthat I point out. Is that agreed?"

"Entirely, if you will help me to the men."

"Well, then, in the first place I shall want, a fast police-boat -- a steam launch -- to be at the Westminster Stairs at seveno'clock."

"That is easily managed. There is always one about there, butI can step across the road and telephone to make sure."

"Then I shall want two staunch men in case of resistance."

"There will be two or three in the boat. What else?"

"When we secure the men we shall get the treasure. I thinkthat it would be a pleasure to my friend here to take the boxround to the young lady to whom half of it rightfully belongs.Let her be the first to open it. Eh, Watson?"

"It would be a great pleasure to me."

"Rather an irregular proceeding," said Jones, shaking hishead. "However, the whole thing is irregular, and I suppose wemust wink at it. The treasure must afterwards be handed over tothe authorities until after the official investigation."

"Certainly. That is easily managed. One other point. I shouldmuch like to have a few details about this matter from the lips ofJonathan Small himself. You know I like to work the details ofmy cases out. There is no objection to my having an unofficialinterview with him, either here in my rooms or elsewhere, aslong as he is efficiently guarded?"

"Well, you are master of the situation. I have had no proofyet of the existence of this Jonathan Small. However, if you cancatch him, I don't see how I can refuse you an interview withhim."

"That is understood, then?"

"Perfectly. Is there anything else?"

"Only that I insist upon your dining with us. It will be readyin half an hour. I have oysters and a brace of grouse, withsomething a little choice in white wines. -- Watson, you havenever yet recognized my merits as a housekeeper."