The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Part 39 (2/2)
”Oh, we shall soon clear up all that,” said Bradstreet ”Well, I have drawn my circle, and I only wish I knehat point upon it the folk that we are in search of are to be found”
”I think I could lay er on it,” said Holmes quietly
”Really, now!” cried the inspector, ”you have forrees with you I say it is south, for the country is more deserted there”
”And I say east,” said my patient
”I am for west,” remarked the plain-clothes es up there”
”And I am for north,” said I, ”because there are no hills there, and our friend says that he did not notice the carriage go up any”
”Co; ”it's a very pretty diversity of opinion We have boxed the co vote to?”
”You are all wrong”
”But we can't all be”
”Oh, yes, you can This is er in the centre of the circle ”This is where we shall find theasped Hatherley
”Six out and six back Nothing silossy when you got in How could it be that if it had gone twelve miles over heavy roads?”
”Indeed, it is a likely ruse enough,” observed Bradstreet thoughtfully ”Of course there can be no doubt as to the nature of this gang”
”None at all,” said Hole scale, and have used the am which has taken the place of silver”
”We have known for so was at work,”
said the inspector ”They have been turning out half-crowns by the thousand We even traced theet no farther, for they had covered their traces in a way that showed that they were very old hands But now, thanks to this lucky chance, I think that we have got theh”
But the inspector was mistaken, for those criminals were not destined to fall into the hands of justice As we rolled into Eyford Stationa gigantic column of smoke which streahbourhood and hung like an immense ostrich feather over the landscape
”A house on fire?” asked Bradstreet as the train steaain on its way
”Yes, sir!” said the station-master
”When did it break out?”
”I hear that it was during the night, sir, but it has got worse, and the whole place is in a blaze”
”Whose house is it?”
”Dr Becher's”