Speaker 1: The adventure of silver Blaze. I am afraid, Watson, that
Speaker 1: I shall have to go, said Holmes, as we sat
Speaker 1: down together to our breakfast one morning, go where too,
Speaker 1: to Dartmoor, to King's Piland. I was not surprised. Indeed,
Speaker 1: my only wonder was that he had not already been
Speaker 1: mixed up in this extraordinary case, which was the one
Speaker 1: topic of conversation through the length and breadth of England
Speaker 1: for a whole day. My companion had rambled about the
Speaker 1: room with his chin upon his chest and his brows knitted,
Speaker 1: charging and recharging his pipe with the strongest black tobacco,
Speaker 1: and absolutely deaf to any of my questions or remarks.
Speaker 1: Fresh editions of every paper had been sent up by
Speaker 1: our newsagent, only to be glanced over and tossed down
Speaker 1: into a corner. Yet, silent as he was, I knew
Speaker 1: perfectly well what it was over which he was brooding.
Speaker 1: There was but one problem before the public which could
Speaker 1: challenge his powers of analysis, and that was the singular
Speaker 1: disappearance of the favorite for the Wessex Cup and the
Speaker 1: tragic murder of its trainer. When therefore he suddenly announced
Speaker 1: his intention of setting out for the scene of the drama.
Speaker 1: It was only what I had both expected and hoped for.
Speaker 1: I should be most happy to go down with you
Speaker 1: if I should not be in the way, said I,
Speaker 1: my dear Watson. You would confer a great favor upon
Speaker 1: me by coming, and I think that your time will
Speaker 1: not be misspent, for there are points about the case
Speaker 1: which promised to make it an absolutely unique one we have.
Speaker 1: I think just time to catch our train at Paddington,
Speaker 1: and I will go further into the matter upon our journey.
Speaker 1: You would oblige me by bringing with you your very
Speaker 1: excellent field glass. And so it happened that an hour
Speaker 1: or so later I found myself in the corner of
Speaker 1: a first class carriage flying along en route for Exeter,
Speaker 1: while Sherlock Holmes, with his sharp, eager face framed in
Speaker 1: his ear flapped traveling cap, dipped rapidly into the bundle
Speaker 1: of fresh papers which he had procured at Paddington. We
Speaker 1: had left reading far behind us before he thrust the
Speaker 1: last one of them under the seat and offered me
Speaker 1: his cigar case. We are going well, said he, looking
Speaker 1: out of the window and glancing at his watch. Our
Speaker 1: rate at present is fifty three and a half miles
Speaker 1: an hour. I have not observed the quarter mile posts,
Speaker 1: said I. Nor have I. But the telegraph posts upon
Speaker 1: this line are sixty yards apart, and the calculation is
Speaker 1: a simple one. I presume that you have looked into
Speaker 1: this matter of the murder of John Straker and the
Speaker 1: disappearance of silver Blaze. I have seen what the telegraph
Speaker 1: and the chronicle have to say. It is one of
Speaker 1: those cases where the art of the reasoner should be
Speaker 1: used rather for the sifting of detailils than for the
Speaker 1: acquiring of fresh evidence. The tragedy has been so uncommon,
Speaker 1: so complete, and of such personal importance to so many people,
Speaker 1: that we are suffering from a plethora of surmise, conjecture
Speaker 1: and hypothesis. The difficulty is to detach the framework of fact,
Speaker 1: of absolute undeniable fact, from the embellishments of theorists and reporters. Then,
Speaker 1: having established ourselves upon this sound basis, it is our
Speaker 1: duty to see what inferences may be drawn, and what
Speaker 1: are the special points upon which the whole mystery turns.
Speaker 1: On Tuesday evening I received telegrams from both Colonel Rass,
Speaker 1: the owner of the horse, and from Inspector Gregory, who
Speaker 1: is looking after the case, inviting my cooperation. Tuesday evening,
Speaker 1: I exclaimed, and this is Thursday morning. Why didn't you
Speaker 1: go down yesterday? Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson,
Speaker 1: which is, I am afraid, a more occurrence than anyone
Speaker 1: would think who only knew me through your memoirs. The
Speaker 1: fact is that I could not believe it possible that
Speaker 1: the most remarkable horse in England could long remain concealed,
Speaker 1: especially in so sparsely inhabited a place as the north
Speaker 1: of Dartmoor. From hour to hour yesterday I expected to
Speaker 1: hear that he had been found and that his abductor
Speaker 1: was the murderer of John Straker. When, however, another morning
Speaker 1: had come and I found that, beyond the arrest of
Speaker 1: young Fitzroy Simpson, nothing had been done. I felt that
Speaker 1: it was time for me to take action. Yet in
Speaker 1: some ways I feel that yesterday has not been wasted.
Speaker 1: You have formed a theory, then at least I have
Speaker 1: got a grip of the essential facts of the case.
Speaker 1: I shall enumerate them to you, for nothing clear's upper
Speaker 1: case so much as stating it to another person. And
Speaker 1: I can hardly expect your cooperation if I do not
Speaker 1: show you the position from which we start. I lay
Speaker 1: back against the cushions, puffing at my cigar, while Holmes,
Speaker 1: leaning forward with his long, thin forefinger checking off the
Speaker 1: points upon the palm of his left hand, gave me
Speaker 1: a sketch of the events which had led to our journey.
Speaker 1: Silver Blaze said, he is from the somome stock and
Speaker 1: holds as brilliant a record as his famous ancestor. He
Speaker 1: is now in his fifth year and has brought in
Speaker 1: turn each of the prizes of the turf to Colonel Ross,
Speaker 1: his fortunate owner. Up to the time of the catastrophe,
Speaker 1: he was the first favorite for the Wessex Cup, the
Speaker 1: betting being three to one on him. He has always, however,
Speaker 1: been a prime favorite with the racing public, and has
Speaker 1: never yet disappointed them, so even at those arts, enormous
Speaker 1: sums of money have been laid upon him. It is obvious, therefore,
Speaker 1: that there were many people who had the strongest interest
Speaker 1: in preventing Silver Blaze from being there at the fall
Speaker 1: of the flag next Tuesday. The fact was of course
Speaker 1: appreciated at King's Pyland, where the Colonel's training stable is situated.
Speaker 1: Every precaution was taken to guard the favorite. The trainer,
Speaker 1: John Straker is a retired jockey who rode in Colonel
Speaker 1: Ross's colours before he became too heavy for the weighing chair.
Speaker 1: He has served the Colonel for five years as jockey
Speaker 1: and for seven as trainer, and has always shown himself
Speaker 1: to be a zealous and honest servant. Under him were
Speaker 1: three lads, for the establishment was a small one, containing
Speaker 1: only four horses in all. One of these lads sat
Speaker 1: up each night in the stable, while the others slept
Speaker 1: in the loft. All three bore excellent characters. John Straker,
Speaker 1: who is a married man, lived in a small villa
Speaker 1: about two hundred yards from the stables. He has no children,
Speaker 1: keeps one mate servant, and is comfortably off The country
Speaker 1: round is very lonely, but about half a mile to
Speaker 1: the north there is a small cluster of villas which
Speaker 1: have been built by a Tavistock contractor for the use
Speaker 1: of invalids and others who may wish to enjoy the
Speaker 1: pure Dartmoor air. Tavistock itself lies two miles to the west,
Speaker 1: while across the moor, also about two miles distant, is
Speaker 1: the larger training establishment of Mapleton, which belongs to Lord
Speaker 1: Backwater and is managed by Silas Brown. In every other direction,
Speaker 1: the moor is a complete wilderness, inhabited only by a
Speaker 1: few roaming gypsies. Such was the general situation last Monday
Speaker 1: night when the catastrophe occurred. On that evening, the horses
Speaker 1: had been exercised and watered as usual, and the stables
Speaker 1: were locked up. At nine o'clock, two of the lads
Speaker 1: walked up to the trainer's house, where they had supper
Speaker 1: in the kitchen, while the third ned hunter remained on guard.
Speaker 1: At a few minutes after nine, the maid, Edith Baxter,
Speaker 1: carried down to the stables his supper, which consisted of
Speaker 1: a dish of curried mutton. She took no liquid, as
Speaker 1: there was a water tap in the stables and it
Speaker 1: was the rule that the lad on duty should drink
Speaker 1: nothing else. The maid carried a lantern with her, as
Speaker 1: it was very dark and the path ran across the
Speaker 1: open moor. Edith Baxter was in thirty yards of the
Speaker 1: stables when a man appeared out of the darkness and
Speaker 1: called to her to stop as he stepped into the
Speaker 1: circle of yellow light thrown by the lantern. She saw
Speaker 1: that he was a person of gentlemanly bearing, dressed in
Speaker 1: a gray suit of tweeds with a cloth cap. He
Speaker 1: wore gaiters and carried a heavy stick with a knob
Speaker 1: to it. She was most impressed, however, by the extreme
Speaker 1: pallor of his face, and by the nervousness of his manner.
Speaker 1: His age, she thought, would be rather over thirty than
Speaker 1: under it. Can you tell me where I am, he asked.
Speaker 1: I had almost made up my mind to sleep on
Speaker 1: the moor when I saw the light of your lantern.
Speaker 1: You are close to the King's pyland training state bulls,
Speaker 1: said she. Oh, indeed, what a stroke of luck, he cried,
Speaker 1: I understand that a stable boy sleeps there alone every night.
Speaker 1: Perhaps that is his supper which you are carrying to him. Now.
Speaker 1: I am sure that you would not be too proud
Speaker 1: to earn the price of a new dress, would you.
Speaker 1: He took a piece of white paper folded up out
Speaker 1: of his waistcoat pocket. See that the boy has this
Speaker 1: to night, and you shall have the prettiest frock that
Speaker 1: money can buy. She was frightened by the earnestness of
Speaker 1: his manner, and ran past him to the window. Through
Speaker 1: which she was accustomed to hand the meals. It was
Speaker 1: already opened, and Hunter was seated at the small table inside.
Speaker 1: She had begun to tell him of what had happened
Speaker 1: when the stranger came up again. Good evening, said he,
Speaker 1: looking through the window. I wanted to have a word
Speaker 1: with you. The girl has sworn that. As he spoke,
Speaker 1: she noticed the corner of the little paper packet protruding
Speaker 1: from his closed hand. What business have you so here,
Speaker 1: asked the lad. It's business that may put something into
Speaker 1: your pocket, said the other. You've two horses in for
Speaker 1: the Wessex Cup, silver Blaze and Bayard. Let me have
Speaker 1: the straight tip and you won't be a loser. Is
Speaker 1: it a fact that at the weights Bayard could give
Speaker 1: the other one hundred yards in five furlongs, and that
Speaker 1: the stable have put their money on him. So you're
Speaker 1: one of those damned touts, cried the lad. I'll show
Speaker 1: you how we serve them in King's Piland. He sprang
Speaker 1: up and rushed across the stable to unloose the dog.
Speaker 1: The girl fled away to the house, but as she ran,
Speaker 1: she looked back and saw that the stranger was leaning
Speaker 1: through the window. A minute later, however, when Hunter rushed
Speaker 1: out with the hound, he was gone, and though he
Speaker 1: ran all round the buildings, he failed to find any
Speaker 1: trace of him. One moment, I asked, did the stable boy,
Speaker 1: when he ran out with the dog leave the door
Speaker 1: unlocked behind him? Excellent, Watson, excellent, murmured my companion. The
Speaker 1: importance of the point struck me so forcibly that I
Speaker 1: sent a special wire to Dartmoor yesterday to clear the
Speaker 1: matter up. The boy locked the door before he left it.
Speaker 1: The window, i may add, was not large enough for
Speaker 1: a man to get through. Hunter waited until his fellow
Speaker 1: grooms had returned, when he sent a message to the
Speaker 1: trainer and told him what had occurred. Straker was excited
Speaker 1: at hearing the account, although he does not seem to
Speaker 1: have quite realized its true significance. It left him, however,
Speaker 1: vaguely uneasy, and Missus Straker, waking at one in the morning,
Speaker 1: found that he was dressing. In reply to her inquiries,
Speaker 1: he said that he could not sleep on account of
Speaker 1: his anxiety about the horses, and that he intended to
Speaker 1: walk down to the stables to see that all was well.
Speaker 1: She begged him to remain at home as she could
Speaker 1: hear the rain pattering against the window. But in spite
Speaker 1: of her entreaties, he pulled on his large macintosh and
Speaker 1: left the house. Missus Straker awoke at seven in the
Speaker 1: morning to find that her husband had not yet returned.
Speaker 1: She dressed herself hastily, called the maid and set off
Speaker 1: for the stables. The door was open. Inside, huddled together
Speaker 1: upon a chair, Hunter was sunk in a state of
Speaker 1: absolute stupor. The favorite stall was empty, and there were
Speaker 1: no signs of his trainer. The two lads who slept
Speaker 1: in the chaff cutting loft above the harness room were
Speaker 1: quickly aroused. They had heard nothing during the night, for
Speaker 1: they are both sound sleepers. Hunter was obviously under the
Speaker 1: influence of some powerful drug, and as no sense could
Speaker 1: be got out of him, he was left to sleep
Speaker 1: it off while the two lads and the two women
Speaker 1: ran out in search of the absent tees. They still
Speaker 1: had hopes that the trainer had for some reason taken
Speaker 1: out the horse for early exercise, But on ascending the
Speaker 1: knoll near the house from which all the neighboring moors
Speaker 1: were visible, they not only could see no signs of
Speaker 1: the missing favourite, but they perceived something which warned them
Speaker 1: that they were in the presence of a tragedy. About
Speaker 1: a quarter of a mile from the stables, John Straker's
Speaker 1: overcoat was flapping from a furze bush. Immediately beyond there
Speaker 1: was a bowl shaped depression in the moor, and at
Speaker 1: the bottom of this was found the dead body of
Speaker 1: the unfortunate trainer. His head had been shattered by a
Speaker 1: savage blow from some heavy weapon, and he was wounded
Speaker 1: on the thigh, where there was a long, clean cut,
Speaker 1: inflicted evidently by some very sharp instrument. It was clear, however,
Speaker 1: that Straker had defended himself vigorously against his assailants, for
Speaker 1: in his right hand he held a small knife which
Speaker 1: was clotted with blood up to the handle, while in
Speaker 1: his left he clasped a red and black silk cravat,
Speaker 1: which was recognized by the maid as having been worn
Speaker 1: on the preceding evening by the stranger who had visited
Speaker 1: the stables. Hunter, on recovering from his stupor, was also
Speaker 1: quite positive as to the ownership of the cravat. He
Speaker 1: was equally certain that the same stranger had, while standing
Speaker 1: at the window, drugged his curried Mutton, and so deprived
Speaker 1: the stables of their watchmen. As to the missing horse,
Speaker 1: there were abundant proofs in the mud which lay at
Speaker 1: the bottom of the fatal hollow, that he had been
Speaker 1: there at the time of the struggle. But from that
Speaker 1: morning he has disappeared, and although a large reward has
Speaker 1: been offered and all the gypsies of Dartmoor are on
Speaker 1: the alert, no news has come of him. Finally, an
Speaker 1: analysis has shown that the remains of his supper left
Speaker 1: by the stable lad contain an appreciable quantity of powdered opium,
Speaker 1: while the people at the house partook of the same
Speaker 1: dish on the same night without any ill effect. Those
Speaker 1: are the main facts of the case, stripped of all surmise,
Speaker 1: and stated as baldly as possible, I shall now recapitulate
Speaker 1: what the police have done in the matter. Inspector Gregory,
Speaker 1: to whom the case has been committed, is an extremely
Speaker 1: competent officer, where he but gifted with imagination, he might
Speaker 1: rise to great heights in his profession. On his arrival,
Speaker 1: he promptly found and arrested the man upon whom suspicion
Speaker 1: naturally rested. There was little difficulty in finding him, for
Speaker 1: he inhabited one of those villas which I have mentioned.
Speaker 1: His name, it appears, was Fitzroy Simpson. He was a
Speaker 1: man of excellent birth and education, who had squandered a
Speaker 1: fortune upon the turf, and who lived now by doing
Speaker 1: a little quiet and genteel bookmaking in the sporting clubs
Speaker 1: of London. An examination of his betting book shows that
Speaker 1: betts to the amount of five thousand pounds had been
Speaker 1: registered by him against the favourite. On being arrested, he
Speaker 1: volunteered the statement that he had come down to doubt
Speaker 1: More in the hope of getting some information about the
Speaker 1: King's piland horses, and also about Desborough, the second favourite,
Speaker 1: which was in charge of Silas Brown at the Mapleton Stable.
Speaker 1: He did not attempt to deny that he had acted
Speaker 1: as described upon the evening before, but declared that he
Speaker 1: had no sinister designs and had simply wished to obtain
Speaker 1: first hand information. When confronted with his cravat, he turned
Speaker 1: very pale and was utterly unable to account for its
Speaker 1: presence in the hand of the murdered man. His wet
Speaker 1: clothing showed that he had been out in the storm
Speaker 1: of the night before, and his stick, which was a
Speaker 1: penang lawyer weighted with lead, was just such a weapon
Speaker 1: as might, by repeated blows, have inflicted the terrible injuries
Speaker 1: to which the trainer had succumbed. On the other hand,
Speaker 1: there was no wound upon his person, while the state
Speaker 1: of Straker's knife would show that one at least of
Speaker 1: his assailants must bear his mark upon him. There you
Speaker 1: have it all in a nutshell, Watson, and if you
Speaker 1: can give me any light, I shall be infinitely obliged
Speaker 1: to you. I had listened with the greatest interest to
Speaker 1: the statement which Holmes, with characteristic clearness, had laid before me.
Speaker 1: Though most of the facts were familiar to me, I
Speaker 1: had not sufficiently appreciated their relative importance, nor their connection
Speaker 1: to each other. Is it not possible, I suggested that
Speaker 1: the incised wound upon Straker may have been caused by
Speaker 1: his own knife in the convulsive struggles which follow any
Speaker 1: brain injury. It is more than possible, it is probable,
Speaker 1: said Holmes. In that case, one of the main points
Speaker 1: in favor of the accused disappears. And yet said I,
Speaker 1: even now I fail to understand what the theory of
Speaker 1: the police can be. I am afraid that whatever theory
Speaker 1: we state, has very grave objections to it. Returned my companion.
Speaker 1: The police imagine. I take it that this Fitzroy Simpson,
Speaker 1: having drugged the lad and having in some way obtained
Speaker 1: a duplicate key, opened the stable door and took out
Speaker 1: the horse with the intention apparently of kidnapping him altogether.
Speaker 1: His bridle is missing, so that Simpson must have put
Speaker 1: this on. Then, having left the door open behind him,
Speaker 1: he was leading the horse away over the moor when
Speaker 1: he was either met or overtaken by the trainer. A
Speaker 1: row naturally ensued. Simpson beat out the trainer's brains with
Speaker 1: his heavy stick, without receiving any injury from the small
Speaker 1: knife which Straker used in self defense, and then the
Speaker 1: thief either led the horse on to some secret hiding place,
Speaker 1: or else it may have bolted during the struggle and
Speaker 1: be now wandering out on the moors. That is the
Speaker 1: case as it appears to the police, and improbable as
Speaker 1: it is. All other explanations are more improbable still. However,
Speaker 1: I shall very quickly test the matter when I am
Speaker 1: once more upon the spot, and until then I cannot
Speaker 1: really see how we can get much further than our
Speaker 1: present position. It was evening before we reached the little
Speaker 1: town of Tavistock, which lies like the boss of a
Speaker 1: shield in the middle of the huge circle of Dartmoor.
Speaker 1: Two gentlemen were awaiting us in the station, the one
Speaker 1: a tall fair man with lion like hair and beard
Speaker 1: and curiously penetrating light blue eyes. The other a small,
Speaker 1: alert person, very neat and dapper, in a frock coat
Speaker 1: and gaiters with trim little side whiskers and an eye glass.
Speaker 1: The latter was Colonel Ross, the well known sportsman. The
Speaker 1: other Inspector Gregory, a man who was rapidly making his
Speaker 1: name in the English detective service. I am delighted that
Speaker 1: you have come down, mister Holmes, said the colonel. The
Speaker 1: inspector here has done all that could possibly be suggested,
Speaker 1: but I wish to leave no stone unturned in trying
Speaker 1: to avenge poor Straker and in recovering my horse. Have
Speaker 1: there been any fresh developments, asked Holmes. I am sorry
Speaker 1: to say that we have made very little progress, said
Speaker 1: the inspector. We have an open carriage outside, and as
Speaker 1: you would no doubt like to see the place before
Speaker 1: the light failed, we might talk it over as we drive.
Speaker 1: A minute later, we were all seated in a comfortable
Speaker 1: landout and were rattling through the quaint old Devonshire City
Speaker 1: Inspector Gregory was full of his case and poured out
Speaker 1: a stream of remarks while Holmes threw in an occasional
Speaker 1: question or interjection. Colonel Ross leaned back with his arms
Speaker 1: folded and his hat tilted over his eyes. While I
Speaker 1: listened with interest to the dialogue of the two detectives.
Speaker 1: Gregory was formulating his theory, which was almost exactly what
Speaker 1: Holmes had foretold in the train. The net is drawn
Speaker 1: pretty close round Fitzroy Simpson, he remarked, and I believe
Speaker 1: myself that he is our man. At the same time
Speaker 1: I recognized that the evidence is purely circumstantial, and that
Speaker 1: some new development may upset it. How about Straker's knife,
Speaker 1: we have quite come to the conclusion that he wounded
Speaker 1: himself in his fall. My friend doctor Watson made that
Speaker 1: suggestion to me as he came down. If so, it
Speaker 1: would tell against this man Simpson. Undoubtedly he has neither
Speaker 1: a knife nor any sign of a wound. The evidence
Speaker 1: against him is certainly very strong. He had a great
Speaker 1: interest in the disappearance of the favorite. He lies under
Speaker 1: suspicion of having poisoned the stable boy. He was undoubtedly
Speaker 1: out in the storm. He was armed with a heavy stick,
Speaker 1: and his cravat was found in the dead man's hand.
Speaker 1: I really think we have enough to go before a jury,
Speaker 1: Holmes shook his head. A clever council would tear it
Speaker 1: all to rags, said he. Why should he take the
Speaker 1: horse out of the stable if he wished to injure it?
Speaker 1: Why could he not do it? There has a duplicate
Speaker 1: Keeben found in his possession. What chemist sold him the
Speaker 1: powdered opium? Above all, where could he, a stranger to
Speaker 1: the district, hide a horse, and such a horse as this?
Speaker 1: What is his own explanation as to the paper which
Speaker 1: he wished the maid to give to the stable boy.
Speaker 1: He says that it was a ten pound note one
Speaker 1: was found in his purse. But your other difficulties are
Speaker 1: not so formidable as they seem. He is not a
Speaker 1: stranger to the district. He is twice lodged at Tavistock
Speaker 1: in the summer. The opium was probably brought from London.
Speaker 1: The key having served its purpose, would be hurled away.
Speaker 1: The horse may be at the bottom of one of
Speaker 1: the pits or old mines upon the moor. What does
Speaker 1: he say about the cravat? He acknowledges that it is
Speaker 1: his and declares that he had lost it. But a
Speaker 1: new element has been introduced into the case which may
Speaker 1: account for his leading the horse from the stable. Holmes
Speaker 1: pricked up his ears. We have found traces which show
Speaker 1: that a party of gypsies encamped on Monday night within
Speaker 1: a mile of the spot where the murder took place.
Speaker 1: On Tuesday they were gone. Now, presuming that there was
Speaker 1: some understanding between Simpson and these gyps might he not
Speaker 1: have been leading the horse to them when he was overtaken?
Speaker 1: And may they not have him? Now? It is certainly
Speaker 1: possible the moor is being scoured for these gypsies. I've
Speaker 1: also examined every stable and outhouse in Tavistock, and for
Speaker 1: a radius of ten miles there is another training stable
Speaker 1: quite close. I understand, yes, and that is a factor
Speaker 1: which we must certainly not neglect. As Desbra their horse
Speaker 1: was second in the betting, they had an interest in
Speaker 1: the disappearance of the favorite silas Brown, the trainer is
Speaker 1: known to have had large bets upon the event, and
Speaker 1: he was no friend to poor Straker. We have, however,
Speaker 1: examined the stables, and there is nothing to connect him
Speaker 1: with the affair, and nothing to connect this man Simpson
Speaker 1: with the interests of the Mapleton Stables, nothing at all.
Speaker 1: Holmes leaned back into carriage and the conversation ceased. A
Speaker 1: few minutes later, our driver pulled up at a neat
Speaker 1: red brick villa with overhanging eaves, which stood by the road.
Speaker 1: Some distance off across a paddock lay a long, gray
Speaker 1: tiled outbuilding. In every other direction, the low curves of
Speaker 1: the moor bronze colored from the fading ferns, stretched away
Speaker 1: to the sky line, broken only by the steeples of Tavistock,
Speaker 1: and by a cluster of houses away to the westward,
Speaker 1: which marked the Mapleton Stables. We all sprang out, with
Speaker 1: the exception of Holmes, who continued to lean back with
Speaker 1: his eyes fixed upon the sky in front of him,
Speaker 1: entirely absorbed in his own thoughts. It was only when
Speaker 1: I touched his arm that he roused himself with a
Speaker 1: violent start and stepped out of the carriage. Excuse me,
Speaker 1: said he, turning to Colonel Ross, who had looked at
Speaker 1: him in some surprise. I was day dreaming. There was
Speaker 1: a gleam in his eyes, and a suppressed excitement in
Speaker 1: his manner, which convinced me, used as I was to
Speaker 1: his ways, that his hand was upon a clewe, though
Speaker 1: I could not imagine where he had found it. Perhaps
Speaker 1: you would prefer at once to go on to the
Speaker 1: scene of the crime, mister Holmes, said Gregory. I think
Speaker 1: that I should prefer to stay here a little and
Speaker 1: go into one or two questions of detail. Straker was
Speaker 1: brought back here. I presume yes, he lies upstairs. The
Speaker 1: inquest is tomorrow. Has he been in your service some years,
Speaker 1: Colonel Ross, I have always found him an excellent servant.
Speaker 1: I presume that you made an inventory of what he
Speaker 1: had in his pockets at the time of his death. Inspector,
Speaker 1: I have the things themselves in the sitting room. If
Speaker 1: you would care to see them, I should be very glad.
Speaker 1: We all filed into the front room and sat round
Speaker 1: the central table while the inspector unlocked a square tin
Speaker 1: box and laid a small heap of things before us.
Speaker 1: There was a box of vestas, two inches of tallow candle,
Speaker 1: an a d p briar root pipe, a pouch of
Speaker 1: sea skin with half an ounce of long cut cavendish,
Speaker 1: a silver watch with a gold chain, five sovereigns in gold,
Speaker 1: an aluminium pencil case, a few papers, and an ivory
Speaker 1: handled knife with a very delicate inflexible blade, marked Vice
Speaker 1: and Co. London. This is a very singular knife, said Holmes,
Speaker 1: lifting it up and examining it minutely. I presume, as
Speaker 1: I see blood stains upon it, that it is the
Speaker 1: one which was found in the dead man's grasp. Watson,
Speaker 1: this knife is surely in your line. It's what we
Speaker 1: call a cataract knife, said I. I thought so. A
Speaker 1: very delicate blade devised for very delicate work. A strange
Speaker 1: thing for a man to carry with him upon a
Speaker 1: rough expedition, especially as it would not shut in his pocket.
Speaker 1: The tip was guarded by a disc of cork, which
Speaker 1: we found beside his body, said the inspector. His wife
Speaker 1: tells us that the knife had laid upon the dressing table,
Speaker 1: and that he had picked it up as he left
Speaker 1: the room. It was a poor weapon, but perhaps the
Speaker 1: best that he could lay his hands on. At the
Speaker 1: moment very possible. How about these papers? Three of them
Speaker 1: are receipated hay dealer's accounts. One of them is a
Speaker 1: letter of instruction from Colonel Ross. This other is a
Speaker 1: milliner's account for thirty seven pounds fifteen made out by
Speaker 1: Madame Lazurier of Bond Street to William Derbyshire. Missus Stalker
Speaker 1: tells us that Derbyshire was a friend of her husband's,
Speaker 1: and that occasionally his letters were addressed here. Madame Derbyshire
Speaker 1: had somewhat expensive tastes, remarked Holmes, glancing down the account.
Speaker 1: Twenty two guineas is rather heavy for a single costume. However,
Speaker 1: there appears to be nothing more to learn, and we
Speaker 1: men now go down to the scene of the crime.
Speaker 1: As we emerged from the sitting room, a woman who
Speaker 1: had been waiting in the passage took a step foward
Speaker 1: and laid her hand upon the inspector's sleeve. Her face
Speaker 1: was haggard and thin and eager, stamped with the print
Speaker 1: of a recent horror. Have you got them? Have you
Speaker 1: found them? She panted? No, Missus Straker, But mister Holmes
Speaker 1: here has come from London to help us, and we
Speaker 1: shall do all that is possible. Surely I met you
Speaker 1: in Plymouth at a garden party some little time ago,
Speaker 1: missus Straker said Holmes. No, sir, you are mistaken. Dear me,
Speaker 1: why I could have sworn to it. You wore a
Speaker 1: costume of dove colored silk with ostrich feather trimming. I
Speaker 1: have never had such a dress, sir, answered the lady. Ah,
Speaker 1: that quite settles it, said Holmes, and with an apology,
Speaker 1: he followed the inspector outside. A short walk across the
Speaker 1: moor took us to the hollow in which the body
Speaker 1: had been found. At the brink of it was the
Speaker 1: furze bush upon which the coat had been hung. There
Speaker 1: was no wind that night, I understand, said Holmes, none,
Speaker 1: but very heavy rain. In that case, the overcoat was
Speaker 1: not blown against the furze bush, but placed there. Yes,
Speaker 1: it was laid across the bush. You fill me with interest.
Speaker 1: I perceive that the ground has been trampled up a
Speaker 1: good deal, no doubt. Many feet have been here since
Speaker 1: Monday night. A piece of matting has been laid here
Speaker 1: at the side, and we have all stood upon that
Speaker 1: excellent In this bag, I have one of the boots
Speaker 1: which Straker wore one of Fitzroy Simpson's shoes and a
Speaker 1: cast horseshoe of silver. Blaze, My dear inspector, you surpass yourself.
Speaker 1: Holmes took the bag, and, descending into the hollow, he
Speaker 1: pushed the matting into a more central position. Then, stretching
Speaker 1: himself upon his face and leaning his chin upon his hands,
Speaker 1: he made a careful study of the trampled mud in
Speaker 1: front of him. Hello, said he suddenly, what's this? It
Speaker 1: was a wax vesta half burned, which was so coated
Speaker 1: with mud that it looked at first like a little
Speaker 1: chip of wood. I cannot think how I came to
Speaker 1: overlook it, said the inspector, with an expression of annoyance.
Speaker 1: It was invisible, buried in the mud. I only saw
Speaker 1: it because I was looking for it. What you expected
Speaker 1: to find it? I thought it not unlikely. He took
Speaker 1: the boots from the bag and compared the impressions of
Speaker 1: each of them with marks upon the ground. Then he
Speaker 1: clambered up to the rim of the hollow and crawled
Speaker 1: about among the ferns and bushes. I'm afraid that there
Speaker 1: are no more tracks, said the inspector. I have examined
Speaker 1: the ground very carefully for a hundred yards in each direction. Indeed,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, rising, I should not have the impertinence to
Speaker 1: do it again after what you say, but I should
Speaker 1: like to take a little walk over the moor before
Speaker 1: it grows dark, that I may know my ground tomorrow.
Speaker 1: And I think that I shall put this horseshoe into
Speaker 1: my pocket for luck. Colonel Ross, who had shown some
Speaker 1: signs of impatience at my companion's quiet and systematic method
Speaker 1: of work, glanced at his watch. I wish you would
Speaker 1: come back with me, inspector, said he. There are several
Speaker 1: points on which I should like your advice, and especially
Speaker 1: as to whether we do not owe it to the
Speaker 1: public to remove our horse's name from the entries for
Speaker 1: the cup. Suddenly not, cried Holmes, with decision, I should
Speaker 1: let the name stand. The colonel bowed. I am very
Speaker 1: glad to have had your opinion, Sir, said he. You
Speaker 1: will find us at poor Straker's house when you have
Speaker 1: finished your walk, and we can drive together into Tavistock.
Speaker 1: He turned back with the inspector. While Holmes and I
Speaker 1: walked slowly across the moor. The sun was beginning to
Speaker 1: sink behind the stables of Mapleton, and the long sloping
Speaker 1: plain in front of us was tinged with gold, deepening
Speaker 1: into rich ruddy browns, where the faded ferns and brambles
Speaker 1: caught the evening light. The glories of the landscape were
Speaker 1: all wasted upon my companion, who were sunk in the
Speaker 1: deepest thought. It's this way, Watson said he At last
Speaker 1: we may leave the question of who killed John Straker
Speaker 1: for the instant, and confine ourselves to finding out what
Speaker 1: has become of the horse. Now, supposing that he broke
Speaker 1: away during or after the tragedy, where could he have
Speaker 1: gone to? The horse is a very gregarious creature. If
Speaker 1: left to himself, his instincts would have been either to
Speaker 1: return to King's Piland or go over to Mapleton. Why
Speaker 1: should he run wild upon the moor? He would surely
Speaker 1: have been seen by now, And why should gipsies kidnap him?
Speaker 1: These people always clear out when they hear of trouble,
Speaker 1: for they do not wish to be pestered by the police.
Speaker 1: They could not hope to sell such a horse. They
Speaker 1: would run a great risk and gain nothing by taking him.
Speaker 1: Surely that is clear. Where is he? Then? I have
Speaker 1: already said that he must have gone to King's Piland
Speaker 1: or to Mapleton. He is not at King's pieland therefore
Speaker 1: he is at Mapleton. Let us take that as a
Speaker 1: working hypothesis and see what it leads us to. This
Speaker 1: part of the moor, as the inspector remarked, is very
Speaker 1: hard and dry, but it falls away towards Mapleton, and
Speaker 1: you can see from here that there is a long
Speaker 1: hollow over Yonder, which must have been very wet on
Speaker 1: Monday night. If our supposition is correct, then the horse
Speaker 1: must have crossed that, and there is the point where
Speaker 1: we should look for his tracks. We had been walking
Speaker 1: briskly during this conversation, and a few more minutes brought
Speaker 1: us to the hollow in question. At Holmes's request, I
Speaker 1: walked down to the bank to the right and he
Speaker 1: to the left. That I had not taken fifty paces
Speaker 1: before I heard him give a shout and saw him
Speaker 1: waving his hand to me. The track of a horse
Speaker 1: was plainly outlined in the soft earth in front of him,
Speaker 1: and the shoe which he took from his pocket exactly
Speaker 1: fitted the impression. See the value of him sagination, said Holmes.
Speaker 1: It is the one quality which Gregory lacks. We imagined
Speaker 1: what might have happened, acted upon the supposition, and find
Speaker 1: ourselves justified. Let us proceed. We crossed the Marshy bottom
Speaker 1: and passed over a quarter of a mile of dry,
Speaker 1: hard turf. Again the ground sloped, and again we came
Speaker 1: on the tracks. Then we lost them for half a mile,
Speaker 1: but only to pick them up once more, quite close
Speaker 1: to Mapleton. It was Holmes who saw them first, and
Speaker 1: he stood pointing, with a look of triumph upon his face.
Speaker 1: A man's track was visible beside the horses. The horse
Speaker 1: was alone before, I cried, quite so it was alone before? Hello,
Speaker 1: what is this? The double track turned sharp off and
Speaker 1: took the direction of King's Piland. Holmes whistled, and we
Speaker 1: both followed along after it. His eyes were on the trail.
Speaker 1: I happened to look a little to one side and saw,
Speaker 1: to my surprise, the same tracks coming back again in
Speaker 1: the opposite direction. One for you, Watson, said Holmes, when
Speaker 1: I pointed it out. You have saved us a long
Speaker 1: walk which would have brought us back on our own traces.
Speaker 1: Let us follow the return track. We had not to
Speaker 1: go far. It ended at the paving of asphalt which
Speaker 1: led up to the gates of the Mapleton stables. As
Speaker 1: we approached, a groom ran out from them. We don't
Speaker 1: want any loiterers about here, said he. I only wished
Speaker 1: to ask a question, said Holmes, with his finger and
Speaker 1: thumb in his waistcoat pocket. Should I be too early
Speaker 1: to see your master, mister Silas Brown, if I were
Speaker 1: to call at five o'clock tomorrow morning, bless you, sir.
Speaker 1: If anyone is about, he will be, for he is
Speaker 1: always the first stir in. But here he is, sir,
Speaker 1: to answer your questions for himself. No, sir, no, it
Speaker 1: is as much as my place is worth to let
Speaker 1: him see me touch your money, Ah afterwards if you like.
Speaker 1: As Sherlock Holmes replaced the half crown which he had
Speaker 1: drawn from his pocket. A fierce looking elderly man strode
Speaker 1: out from the gate with a hunting crop swinging in
Speaker 1: his hand. What's this, Dawson, he cried, No gossiping, Go
Speaker 1: about your business, and you, what the devil do you
Speaker 1: want here? Ten minutes? Talk with you, my good sir,
Speaker 1: said Holmes, in the sweetest of voices. I've no time
Speaker 1: to talk to every gadabout We want no stranger here.
Speaker 1: Be off, or you may find a dog at your heels.
Speaker 1: Holmes leaned forward and whispered something in the trainer's ear.
Speaker 1: He started violently and flushed to the temples. It's a lie,
Speaker 1: he shouted, an infernal lie. Very good. Shall we argue
Speaker 1: about it here in public or talk it over in
Speaker 1: your parlor? Oh, come in if you wish to Holmes smiled.
Speaker 1: I shall not keep you more than a few minutes,
Speaker 1: Watson said he Now, mister Brown, I am quite at
Speaker 1: your disposal. It was twenty minutes and the reds had
Speaker 1: all faded into graze before Holmes and the trainer reappeared.
Speaker 1: Never have I seen such a change as had been
Speaker 1: brought about in Silas Brown in that short time. His
Speaker 1: face was ashy, pale, beads of perspiration shone upon his brow,
Speaker 1: and his hands shook until the hunting crop wagged like
Speaker 1: a branch in the wind. His bullying, overbearing manner was
Speaker 1: all gone too, and he cringed along at my companion's
Speaker 1: side like a dog with its master. Your instructions will
Speaker 1: be done. It shall all be done, said he. There
Speaker 1: must be no mistake, said Holmes, looking round at him.
Speaker 1: The other winced as he read the menace in his eyes.
Speaker 1: Oh no, there shall be no mistake, it shall be there.
Speaker 1: Should I change at first or not? Holmes thought a little,
Speaker 1: and then burst out laughing. No, don't, said he. I
Speaker 1: shall write you about it. No tricks now, or oh
Speaker 1: you can trust me, you can trust me? Yes, I
Speaker 1: think I care well. You shall hear from me to morrow.
Speaker 1: He turned upon his heel, disregarding the trembling hand which
Speaker 1: the other held out to him, and we set off
Speaker 1: a king's piland, a more perfect compound of the bully,
Speaker 1: coward and sneak than Master Silas Brown I have seldom
Speaker 1: met with, remarked Holmes, as we trudged along together. He
Speaker 1: has the horse. Then he tried to bluster out of it.
Speaker 1: But I described to him so exactly what his actions
Speaker 1: had been upon that morning, that he is convinced that
Speaker 1: I was watching him. Of course you observed the peculiarly
Speaker 1: square toes in the impressions, and that his own boots
Speaker 1: exactly corresponded to them. Again, of course, no subordinate would
Speaker 1: have dared to do such a thing. I described to him, how,
Speaker 1: when according to his custom, he was the first down,
Speaker 1: he perceived a strange horse wandering over the moor, How
Speaker 1: he went out to it, and his astonishment at recognizing
Speaker 1: from the white forehead which has given the favorite its name.
Speaker 1: The chance had put in his power the only horse
Speaker 1: which could beat the one upon which he had put
Speaker 1: his money. Then I described how his first impulse had
Speaker 1: been to lead him back to King's Piland, and how
Speaker 1: the devil had shown him how he could hide the
Speaker 1: horse until the race was over, and how he had
Speaker 1: led it back and concealed it at Mapleton. When I
Speaker 1: told him every detail, he gave it up and thought
Speaker 1: only of saving his own skin. But his stables had
Speaker 1: been searched. Oh, an old horse faker like him has
Speaker 1: many a dodge. But are you not afraid to leave
Speaker 1: the horse in his power? Now? Since he has every
Speaker 1: interest in injuring it, My dear fellow, he will guard
Speaker 1: it as the apple of his eye. He knows that
Speaker 1: his only hope of mercy is to produce it safe.
Speaker 1: Colonel Ross did not impress me as a man who
Speaker 1: would be likely to show much mercy. In any case,
Speaker 1: the matter does not rest with Colonel Ross. I follow
Speaker 1: my own methods and tell us much or as little
Speaker 1: as I choose. That is the advantage of being unofficial.
Speaker 1: I don't know whether you observed it, Watson, but the
Speaker 1: Colonel's manner has been just a trifle cavalier to me.
Speaker 1: I'm inclined now to have a little amusement at his expense.
Speaker 1: Say nothing to him about the horse, certainly not without
Speaker 1: your permission. And of course this is all quite a
Speaker 1: minor point compared to the question of who killed John Striker,
Speaker 1: and you will devote yourself to that. On the contrary,
Speaker 1: we both go back to London by the night train.
Speaker 1: I was thunderstruck by my friend's words we had only
Speaker 1: been a few hours in Devonshire, and that he should
Speaker 1: give up an investigation which he had begun so brilliantly
Speaker 1: was quite incomprehensible to me. Not a word more could
Speaker 1: I draw from him until we were back at the
Speaker 1: trainer's house. The colonel and the inspector were awaiting us
Speaker 1: in the parlor. My friend and I return to town
Speaker 1: by the night express, said Holmes, we have had a
Speaker 1: charming little breath of your beautiful dart More air. The
Speaker 1: inspector opened his eyes and the Colonel's lip curled in
Speaker 1: a sneer, so you despair of arresting the murderer of
Speaker 1: poor Straker, said he Holmes shrugged his shoulders. There are
Speaker 1: certainly grave difficulties in the way, said he. I have
Speaker 1: every hope, however, that your horse will start upon Tuesday,
Speaker 1: and I beg that you will have your jockey in readiness.
Speaker 1: Might I ask for a photograph of mister John Straker.
Speaker 1: The inspector took one from an envelope and handed it
Speaker 1: to him. My dear Gregory, you anticipate all my wants.
Speaker 1: If I might ask you to wait here for an instant,
Speaker 1: I have a question which I should like to put
Speaker 1: to the maid. I must say that I am rather
Speaker 1: disappointed in our London consultant, said Colonel Ross bluntly. As
Speaker 1: my friend left the room, I do not see that
Speaker 1: we are any further than when he came. At least
Speaker 1: you have his assurance that your horse will run, said I. Yes,
Speaker 1: I have his assurance, said the colonel, with a shrug
Speaker 1: of his shoulders. I should prefer to have the horse.
Speaker 1: I was about to make some reply in defense of
Speaker 1: my friend when he entered the room again. Now, gentlemen,
Speaker 1: said he, I am quite ready for Tavistock, as we
Speaker 1: stepped into the carriage. One of the stable lads held
Speaker 1: the door open for us. A sudden idea seemed to
Speaker 1: occur to Holmes, for he leaned forward and touched the
Speaker 1: lad upon the sleeve. You have a few sheep in
Speaker 1: the paddock, he said, Who attends to them? I do, sir?
Speaker 1: Have you noticed anything amiss with them of late? Well, sir,
Speaker 1: not of much account, but three of them have gone lame, sir.
Speaker 1: I could see that Holmes was extremely pleased, for he
Speaker 1: chuckled and rubbed his hands together. A long shot, Watson,
Speaker 1: A very long shot, said he, pinching my arm. Gregory,
Speaker 1: let me recommend your attention this singular epidemic among the
Speaker 1: sheep drive on coachman. Colonel Ross still wore an expression
Speaker 1: which showed the poor opinion which he had formed of
Speaker 1: my companion's ability. But I saw by the inspector's face
Speaker 1: that his attention had been keenly aroused. You consider that
Speaker 1: to be important, he asked, exceedingly. So is there any
Speaker 1: point to which you would wish to draw my attention
Speaker 1: to the curious incident of the dog in the night time?
Speaker 1: The dog did nothing in the night time. That was
Speaker 1: the curious incident, remarked Sherlock Holmes. Four days later, Holmes
Speaker 1: and I were again in the train bound for Winchester
Speaker 1: to see the race for the Wessex Cup. Colonel Ross
Speaker 1: met us by appointment outside the station, and we drove
Speaker 1: in his drag to the course beyond the town. His
Speaker 1: face was grave and his manner was cold in the extreme.
Speaker 1: I have seen nothing of my horse, said he. I
Speaker 1: suppose that you would know him when you saw him,
Speaker 1: asked Holmes. The colonel was very angry. I have been
Speaker 1: on the turf for twenty years and never was asked
Speaker 1: such a question as that before, said he. A child
Speaker 1: would know silver Blaze with his white forehead and his
Speaker 1: mottled off fore leg. How is the betting, well, that
Speaker 1: is the curious part of it. You could have got
Speaker 1: fifteen to one yesterday, but the price has become shorter
Speaker 1: and shorter, until you can hardly get three to one now,
Speaker 1: hum said Holmes. Somebody knows something that is clear. As
Speaker 1: the drag drew up in the enclosure near the grand stand,
Speaker 1: I glanced at the card to see the entries Wessex Plate.
Speaker 1: It ran fifty sovs each eight feet with thousand sovs
Speaker 1: added for four and five year olds. Second three hundred pounds,
Speaker 1: Third two hundred pounds. New course one mile and five furlongs.
Speaker 1: Mister Heath Newton's the Negro red cap, cinnamon jacket, Colonel
Speaker 1: Wardlaw's Pugilist pink cap, blue and black jacket, Lord Backwater's
Speaker 1: Desbra yellow cap and sleeves, Colonel Ross's Silver Blaze, black cap,
Speaker 1: red jacket, Duke of Balmoral's Iris, yellow and black stripes,
Speaker 1: Lord Singleford's Rasper purple cap, black sleeves. We scratched our
Speaker 1: other one and put all hopes on your word, said
Speaker 1: the colonel. Why what is that silver Blaze favorite? Five
Speaker 1: to four against silver Blaze, roared the ring, five to
Speaker 1: four against silver Blaze, five to fifteen against Desbra, five
Speaker 1: to four. On the field, there are the numbers up,
Speaker 1: I cried. They are all six there, all six there.
Speaker 1: Then my horse is running, cried the Colonel, in great agitation.
Speaker 1: But I don't see him. My colors have not pasted,
Speaker 1: only five have passed. This must be he As I spoke,
Speaker 1: a powerful bay horse horse swept out from the weighing
Speaker 1: enclosure and cantered past us, bearing on its back the
Speaker 1: well known black and red of the Colonel. That's not
Speaker 1: my horse, cried the owner. That beast has not a
Speaker 1: white hair upon its body. What is this that you
Speaker 1: have done, mister Holmes. Well, well, let us see how
Speaker 1: he gets on, said my friend, imperturbably. For a few
Speaker 1: minutes he gazed through my field glass capital an excellent stut,
Speaker 1: he cried. Suddenly, there they are, coming round the curve.
Speaker 1: From our drag, we had a superb view as they
Speaker 1: came up the strait. The six horses were so close
Speaker 1: together that a carpet could have covered them, but half
Speaker 1: way up the yellow of the Mapleton stable showed to
Speaker 1: the front. Before they reached us, however, Desbra's bolt was shot,
Speaker 1: and the Colonel's horse, coming away with a rush, passed
Speaker 1: the post a good six lengths before its rival, the
Speaker 1: Duke of Bowmoral's iris making a bad third. It's my race, anyhow,
Speaker 1: gasped the Colonel, passing his hand over his eyes. I
Speaker 1: confess that I can make neither head nor tail of it.
Speaker 1: Don't you think that you have kept up your mystery
Speaker 1: long enough? Mister Holmes. Certainly, colonel you shall know everything.
Speaker 1: Let us all go round and have a look at
Speaker 1: the horse together. Here he is, he continued, as we
Speaker 1: made our way into the weighing enclosure, where only owners
Speaker 1: and their friends find admittance. You have only to wash
Speaker 1: his face and his leg in spirits of wine, and
Speaker 1: you will find that he is the same old silver
Speaker 1: blaze as ever you take my breath away. I found
Speaker 1: him in the hands of a faker and took the
Speaker 1: liberty of running him just as he was sent over.
Speaker 1: My dear sir, you have done wonders. The horse looks
Speaker 1: very fit and well. It never went better in its life.
Speaker 1: I owe you a thousand apologies for having doubted your ability.
Speaker 1: You have done me a great service by recovering my horse.
Speaker 1: You would do me a greater still if you could
Speaker 1: lay your hands on the murderer of John Straker. I
Speaker 1: have done so, said Holmes quietly. The Colonel and I
Speaker 1: stared at him in amazement. You have got him. Where
Speaker 1: is he? Then? He is here? Here, where in my
Speaker 1: company at the present moment. The colonel flushed angrily. I
Speaker 1: quite recognize that I am under obligations to you, mister Holmes,
Speaker 1: said he, but I must regard what you have just
Speaker 1: said as either a very bad joke or an insult,
Speaker 1: Sherlock Holmes laughed. I assure you that I have not
Speaker 1: associated you with the crime, Colonel said he. The real
Speaker 1: murderer is standing immediately behind you. He stepped past and
Speaker 1: laid his hand upon the glossy neck of the thoroughbred.
Speaker 1: The horse cried both the Colonel and myself. Yes, the horse.
Speaker 1: And it may lessen his guilt if I say that
Speaker 1: it was done in self defense, and that John Straker
Speaker 1: was a man who was entirely unworthy of your confidence.
Speaker 1: But there goes the bell, and as I stand to
Speaker 1: win a little on this next race, I shall defer
Speaker 1: a lengthy explanation until a more fitting time. We had
Speaker 1: the corner of a pullman car to ourselves that evening
Speaker 1: as we whirled back to London, and I fancied that
Speaker 1: the journey was a short one to Colonel Ross as
Speaker 1: well as to myself. As we listened to our companion's
Speaker 1: narrative of the events which had occurred at the Dartmoor
Speaker 1: training stables upon the Monday night, and the means by
Speaker 1: which he had unraveled them, I confess, said he that
Speaker 1: any theories which I had formed from the newspaper reports
Speaker 1: were entirely erroneous, and yet there were indications there had
Speaker 1: there not been overlaid by other details which concealed their
Speaker 1: true import. I went to Devonshire with the conviction that
Speaker 1: Fitzroy Simpson was the true culprit, although of course I
Speaker 1: saw that the evidence against him was by no means complete.
Speaker 1: It was while I was in the carriage, just as
Speaker 1: we reached the trainer's house, that the immense significance of
Speaker 1: the curried mutton occurred to me. You may remember that
Speaker 1: I was distray and remained sitting after you had all alighted.
Speaker 1: I was marveling in my own mind how I could
Speaker 1: possibly have overlooked so obvious a clue. I confess, said
Speaker 1: the Colonel, that even now I cannot see how it
Speaker 1: helps us. It was the first link in my chain
Speaker 1: of reasoning. Powdered opium is by no means tasteless. The
Speaker 1: flavor is not disagreeable, but it is perceptible. Were it
Speaker 1: mixed with any ordinary dish, the eater would undoubtedly detect
Speaker 1: it and would probably eat no more. A curry was
Speaker 1: exactly the medium which would disguise this taste. By no
Speaker 1: possible supposition could this stranger Fitzroy Simpson have caused curry
Speaker 1: to be served in the trainer's family that night, And
Speaker 1: it is surely too monstrous a coincidence to suppose that
Speaker 1: he happened to come along with powdered opium upon the
Speaker 1: very night when a dish happened to be served, which
Speaker 1: would disguise the flavor. That is unthinkable. Therefore, Simpson becomes
Speaker 1: eliminated from the case, and our attention centers upon Straker
Speaker 1: and his wife, the only two people who could have
Speaker 1: chosen curried mutton for supper that night. The opium was
Speaker 1: added after the dish was set aside for the stable boy,
Speaker 1: for the others had the same for supper with no
Speaker 1: ill effects. Which of them then had access to that
Speaker 1: dish without the maid seeing them? Before deciding that question,
Speaker 1: I had grasped the significance of the silence of the dog,
Speaker 1: for one true inference invariably suggests others. The Simpson incident
Speaker 1: had shown me that a dog was kept in the stables,
Speaker 1: and yet though someone had been in and had fetched
Speaker 1: out a horn, he had not barked enough to arouse
Speaker 1: the two lads in the loft. Obviously, the midnight visitor
Speaker 1: was someone whom the dog knew well. I was already convinced,
Speaker 1: or almost convinced, that John Straker went down to the
Speaker 1: stables in the dead of the night and took out
Speaker 1: silver Blaze for what purpose? Were a dishonest one, obviously,
Speaker 1: or why should he drug his own stable boy? And
Speaker 1: yet I was at a loss to know why. There
Speaker 1: have been cases before now where trainers have made sure
Speaker 1: of great sums of money by laying against their own
Speaker 1: horses through agents, and then preventing them from winning by fraud.
Speaker 1: Sometimes it is a pulling jockey, sometimes it is some
Speaker 1: surer and subtler. Means, what was it here? I hoped
Speaker 1: that the contents of his pockets might help me to
Speaker 1: form a conclusion, and they did so. You cannot have
Speaker 1: forgotten the singular knife which was found in the dead
Speaker 1: man's head, and a knife which certainly no sane man
Speaker 1: would choose for a weapon. It was, as doctor Watson
Speaker 1: told us, a form of knife which is used for
Speaker 1: the most delicate operations known in surgery, and it was
Speaker 1: to be used for a delicate operation that night. You
Speaker 1: must know, with your wide experience of turf matters, Colonel Ross,
Speaker 1: that it is possible to make a slight nick upon
Speaker 1: the tendons of a horse's ham, and to do it subcutaneously,
Speaker 1: so as to leave absolutely no trace. A horse so
Speaker 1: treated would develop a slight lameness, which would be put
Speaker 1: down to a strain in exercise, or a touch of rheumatism,
Speaker 1: but never to foul play. Villain scoundrel, cried the colonel.
Speaker 1: We have here the explanation of why John Straker wished
Speaker 1: to take the horse out on to the moor. So
Speaker 1: spirited a creature would have certainly roused the soundest of
Speaker 1: sleepers when it felt the prick of the knife. It
Speaker 1: was absolutely necessary to do it in the open air.
Speaker 1: I have been blind, cried the colonel. Of course, that
Speaker 1: was why he needed the candle and struck the match, undoubtedly.
Speaker 1: But in examining his belongings, I was fortunate enough to
Speaker 1: discover not only the method of the crime, but even
Speaker 1: its motives. As a man of the world, Colonel, you
Speaker 1: know that men do not carry other people's bills about
Speaker 1: in their pockets. We have, most of us quite enough
Speaker 1: to do to settle our own. I at once concluded
Speaker 1: that Straker was leading a double life and keeping a
Speaker 1: second establishment. The nature of the bill showed that there
Speaker 1: was a lady in the case, and one who had
Speaker 1: expensive tastes. Liberal as you are with your servants, one
Speaker 1: can hardly expect that they can buy twenty guinea walking
Speaker 1: dresses for their ladies. I questioned missus Straker as to
Speaker 1: the dress, without her knowing it, and having satisfied myself
Speaker 1: that it never reached her, I made a note of
Speaker 1: the Milliner's address, and felt that by calling there with
Speaker 1: Straker's photograph I could easily dispose of the mythical Darbyshire.
Speaker 1: From that time on all was plain. Straker had led
Speaker 1: out the horse to a hollow where his light would
Speaker 1: be invisible. Simpson, in his flight had dropped his cravat,
Speaker 1: and Straker had picked it up, with some idea, perhaps
Speaker 1: that he might use it in securing the horse's leg.
Speaker 1: Once in the hollow, he had got behind the horse
Speaker 1: and had struck a light. But the creature, frightened at
Speaker 1: the sudden glare, and with the strange instinct of animals,
Speaker 1: feeling that some mischief was intended, had lashed out, and
Speaker 1: the steel shoe had struck Straker full on the forehead.
Speaker 1: It had already in spite of the rain taken off
Speaker 1: his overcoat in order to do his delicate task, and
Speaker 1: so as he fell his knife gashed his thigh. Do
Speaker 1: I make it clear? Wonderful? Cried the Colonel. Wonderful you
Speaker 1: might have been there. My final shot was, I confess,
Speaker 1: a very long one. It struck me so astute man
Speaker 1: as Straker would not undertake this delicate tendon nicking without
Speaker 1: a little practice. What could he practice on? My eyes
Speaker 1: fell upon the sheep, and I asked a question, which,
Speaker 1: rather to my surprise, showed that my surmise was correct.
Speaker 1: When I returned to London, I called upon the milliner,
Speaker 1: who had recognized Straker as an excellent customer of the
Speaker 1: name of Derbyshire, who had a very dashing wife with
Speaker 1: a strong partiality for expensive dresses. I have no doubt
Speaker 1: that this woman had plunged him head over ears in
Speaker 1: debt and so led him into this miserable plot. You
Speaker 1: have explained all but one thing, cried the Colonel. Where
Speaker 1: was the horse? Ah, it bolted and was cared for
Speaker 1: by one of your neighbors. We must have an amnesty
Speaker 1: in that direction. I think this is Clapham junction if
Speaker 1: I am not mistaken, and we shall be in Victoria
Speaker 1: in less than ten minutes. If you care to smoke
Speaker 1: a cigar in our rooms, Colonel I shall be happy
Speaker 1: to give you any other details which might interest you.
Speaker 1: That is the end of the Adventure of Silver Blaze
Speaker 1: by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Greg Wagland for Magpie
Speaker 1: Audio twenty sixteen.