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JCiXKTXX J- THE ADVENTURE OFj THE SPECKLED BAND (Continued from Page Seven.) "No," : , "It was clamped to the floor. Did you ever see a bed fastened .like that before?" "I cannot say that I have." "The lady could not move her bed. It must always be in the same relative position to the ventilator and to the rope for so we may cell it, since it was clearly never meant for a bell pull." "Holmes," I cried, "I seem to see dimly what you are hinting at. We are only just in time to prevent some subtle and horrible crime." "Subtle enough and horrible enough. When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession. This man strikes even deeper, but I think, Watson, that we shall be able to strike deeper still. But we shall have horrors enough be fore the night is over; for goodness sake let us have a quiet pipe, and turn our miAds for a few hours tb some thing more cheerful." About nine o'clock the light among the trees was extinguished, and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House. Two hours passed slowly away, 'and then, 'suddenly, just at the stroke of eleven, a single bright light shone out right in front of us. "That is our signal," said Holmes, springing to his feet; "it comes from the middle window." As we passed out he exchanged a few words with the landlord, explain ing that we were going on a late visit to an acquaintance, and that it was possible that we might spend the night there. A moment later we were out on the dark road, a, chill wind blowing in our 'aces, and one yellow light twink ling .n front of us through the gloom to guide us on our sombre errand. CHAPTER VI. " There was little, difficulty in entering the grounds, for unrepaired breaches gaped in the old park wall. Making our way among the trees. (we reached the lawn, crossed it. and were about to enter through the window, when out from a clump of laurel bushes there darted what seemed to be a hid eous and distorted child, who, threw itself upon the grass with writhing limbs, and then ran swiftly across the lawn into the darkraess. "My God!" I whispered; "did you see it?" Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a vice upon my wrist in his agitation. Then he broke into a low laugh, and put his lips to my ear. "It is a nice household," he mur mured. "That is the baboon." I had forgotten tiie strange pets which the doctor affected. There was a cheetah, too; perhaps we might find it upon our shoulders at any moment. I confess that I felt easier in my mind when, after following Holmes's ex ample and slipping off my shoes, I found myself inside the bedroom. My companion noiselessly closed the shut ters, moved the lamp onto the table, and cast his eyes round the room. All was as we had seen it in the day time. Then creeping up to me and making a trumpet of his hand, he whispered into my ear again so gently that it was all that I couid do to distinguish the words: "The least sound would be fatal to our plans." I nodded to show that I had heard. "We must sit without light. He would see it through the ventilator. I nodded again. "Do not go asleep; your very life may depend upon it. Have your pis tol ready in case we should need it. I will sit on the side of the bed, ana you in that chair." I took out my revolver and laid it on the corner of the table. Holmes had brought up a long thin cane, and this he placed upon the bed beside him. By it"he laid the box of matches and the stump of a candle. Then he turned down the lamp, and we were left in darkness. How shall I ever forget that dread ful vigil? I could not hear a sound, not even the drawing of a breath, and yet I knew that my companion sat open-eyed, within a few feet of me, in the same state of nervous tension in which I was myself. The shutters cut off the least ray of light, and we waited in absolute darkness. From outside came the occasional cry of a night-bird, and once at our very win dow a long drawn cat-like whine, J which told us that the cheetar was indeed at liberty. Far away we could hear the deep tones of the parish clock, which boomed out every quarter of an hour. How long they seemed, those quarters'. Twelve struck, and one and two and three, and still we sat wait ing silently for whatever might be fall. Suddenly there was the momentary gleam of a light up in the direction of the ventilator, which vanished im mediately, but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal. Some one in the next room had lit a -dark-lantern. I heard a gentle Bound of movement, and then all was silent once more, though the smell grew stronger. For half an hour I sat with straining ears. Then suddenly another sound became audible a very gentle, soothing sound, like that of- a small jet of steam escaping continual ly from a kettle. The instant that we heard it, Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull. . "You see it, Watson?" he yelled Tou see it?" But I saw nothing. At the moment when Holmes struck the light I heard a low. clear whistle, but the sudden glare flashing into my weary eyes made it impossible for me to tell what It was at which my friend lashed so savagely. I could, however, see that "his face was deadly pale, and filled " with horror and loathing. : - He had ceased to strike, and was gazing up at the ventilator, when sud denly there broke from the silence of the night the most horrible cry to which I have ever listened. It swelled up louder and louder, a hoarse yell of pain and fear '"and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek. They say that away down in the village, and even in the distant parsonage, that cry raised the .sleepers from their beds. It struck cold .to our hearts, and I stood gazing at Holmes, and he at me, until th last -echoes of it had died away into the silence from which it rose. "What can it mean?" I gasped. "It means that it is all over," Holmes answered. "And y perhaps, af ter all, it is for the best. 'Take your pistol, and we will enter Dr. Roylott's room.'" ' ' i With a grave, face he lit the lamp and led the way down the corridor. Twice he struck at the chamber door without any reply from 'within. ' Then the turned the handle and entered, I at his heels, with the cocked -pistol in xny hand. . ; . , - ' - ' It was a singular f sight .which : met our eyes. On the table stood a dark- lantern with the shutter hair open, throwing a brilliant beam , of .' light upon the iron safe, the door of which was ajar. Beside this table, on the i wooden chair, sat Dr. Grimesby Roy ! lott clad" in a long gray -dressing-gown, his bare ankles protruding be neath, and his feet thrust into red heelless Turkish slippers. Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had noticed during the day. His chin was cocked upward and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful, rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling. Round his brow he had. a 'peculiar yel low band, with brownish speckles, which seemed to be bound tightly round his head. As we entered he made neither sound ncr motion. , "The band! the speckled band!" t whispered Holmes. I took a step fdrward. In an in stant his strange headgear began tb move, and there reared itself from among his hair the squat diamond shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent. "It is a swamp adder!" cried Holmes; "the deadliest snake in India. He has died within ten seconds of being bit ten. Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for an other. Let us thrust this creature back into its den. and we can then remove Miss Stoner to some place of shelter, and let the county police know what has happened." As he spoke he drew the dog-whip swiftly from the dead man's lap, and throwing the noose round - the reptile's neck, he drew it from its horrid perch, and carrying it at arm's length, .threw it into the iron safe, which he closed upon it. Such are the true facts of the death of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Mo ran. It is not necessary that I should prolong a narrative which has already run to too great a length, by telling hew we broke the sad news to the ter rified girl, how we conveyed her By the morning train to the care of her good aunt at Harrow, of how the slow process of official inquiry came to the conclusion that the doctor met his fate while indiscreetly playing with a dangerous pet. The little which I had yet to learn of the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes as we traveled back next day. , "I had," said he, "come to an en tirely erroneous conclusion -which shows, my dear Watson, how danger ous it always is to reason from insuffi cient data. The presence of the gyp sies, and the use of the word 'band,' which was used by the poor girl, no doubt to explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of by the light of her match, were suffi cient to put me upon an entirely wrong scent. I can only claim the merit that I instantly reconsidered my position when, however. It became clear 1.0 me that whatever danger threatened an occupant of the room could not come either from the window or the door. My attention was speedily drawn, as I have already remarked to you. to this ventilator, and to the bell-rope which hun- down to the bed. The discovery that this was a dummy, and that the bed was clamped to the floor, instantly gave rise to the suspi cion that the rope was there as a J bridge ror sometning passing tnrougn the hole, and coming to the bed. The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me, and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was fur nished with a supply of creatures fron India, I felt that I was probably on the right track. The idea of using a .form of poison which could not possi bly be discovered by any chemical test was just such a one as would oc cur to a clever and ruthless man who had had an'eastern training. The rap idity with which such a poison would take effect would also, from his point of view, be an advantage. It would be a snarp-eyea coroner, inaeea. wno could distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where , the poison fangs had done, their work. Then I thought of the whistle. Of course he must recall" the snake before the morning light revealed it to the victim. He had trained it, probably by the use of the mlk which we saw, to return to him when summoned. He would put it through this ventilator at the hour that he thought best, with the certainty that it would crawl down the rope and land on the bed. It might or might not bite the occupant, per haps she might escape every night for a week, but sooner or later she must fall a victim. "I had come to these conclusions before ever I had entered his room. An inspection of his chair showed me that he had been in the habit of standing on It. which of course would be neces sary in order that he should reach the ventilator. The sight of the safe, the saucer of milk, and the loop of whip cord were enough to finally dispel any doubts which may have remained. The metallic clang heard by Miss Stontr was obviously caused by her step father hastily closing the door of his safe upon its terrible occupant. Hav ing once made up my mind, you know the steps which I took in order to put the matter to the proof. I heard the creature hiss, as I have no doubt that you did also, and I instantly lit tho light and attacked it." "With the result of driving it through the ventilator." "And also with the result of causing it to turn upon its master at the. other side. Some of the blows of my cane came honf, and roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr. Grimesby Roylott's death, and I can not say that it Is likely to weigh very! neaviiy upon my conscience." SCORES OF MANUFACTURERS . IN CAROUNA8 TO EXHIBIT ctj A RIjOTTE. A us. 20. 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Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Aug. 21, 1921, edition 1
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