“We earned a living at this time by my exhibiting poor Tongaat fairs and other such places as the black cannibal. He wouldeat raw meat and dance his war-dance： so we always had a hatfulof pennies after a day’s work. I still heard all the news fromPondicherry Lodge， and for some years there was no news to hear，except that they were hunting for the treasure. At last， however，came what we had waited for so long. The treasure had beenfound. It was up at the top of the house in Mr. BartholomewSholto’s chemical laboratory. I came at once and had a look at theplace， but I could not see how with my wooden leg， I was to makemy way up to it. I learned， however， about a trapdoor in the roof，and also about Mr. Sholto’s supper-hour. It seemed to me that Icould manage the thing easily through Tonga. I brought him outwith me with a long rope wound round his waist. He could climblike a cat， and he soon made his way through the roof， but， as illluck would have it， Bartholomew Sholto was still in the room，to his cost. Tonga thought he had done something very clever inkilling him， for when I came up by the rope I found him struttingabout as proud as a peacock. Very much surprised was he when Imade at him with the rope’s end and cursed him for a little bloodthirstyimp. I took the treasure-box and let it down， and then sliddown myself， having first left the sign of the four upon the table toshow that the jewels had come back at last to those who had mostright to them. Tonga then pulled up the rope， closed the window，and made off the way that he had come.
“I don’t know that I have anything else to tell you. I had hearda waterman speak of the speed of Smith’s launch， the Aurora， soI thought she would be a handy craft for our escape. I engagedwith old Smith， and was to give him a big sum if he got us safe toour ship. He knew， no doubt， that there was some screw loose，but he was not in our secrets. All this is the truth， and if I tell itto you， gentlemen， it is not to amuse you—for you have not doneme a very good turn—but it is because I believe the best defenceI can make is just to hold back nothing， but let all the world knowhow badly I have myself been served by Major Sholto， and howinnocent I am of the death of his son.”
“A very remarkable account，” said Sherlock Holmes. “A fittingwindup to an extremely interesting case. There is nothing at allnew to me in the latter part of your narrative except that youbrought your own rope. That I did not know. By the way， I hadhoped that Tonga had lost all his darts； yet he managed to shootone at us in the boat.”
“He had lost them all， sir， except the one which was in his blowpipeat the time.”
“Ah， of course，” said Holmes. “I had not thought of that.”
“Is there any other point which you would like to ask about？”
asked the convict affably.
“I think not， thank you，” my companion answered.
“Well， Holmes，” said Athelney Jones， “You are a man to behumored， and we all know that you are a connoisseur of crime； butduty is duty， and I have gone rather far in doing what you and yourfriend asked me. I shall feel more at ease when we have our storytellerhere safe under lock and key. The cab still waits， and thereare two inspectors downstairs. I am much obliged to you both foryour assistance. Of course you will be wanted at the trial. Goodnightto you.”
“Good-night， gentlemen both，” said Jonathan Small.
“You first， Small，” remarked the wary Jones as they left theroom. “I’ll take particular care that you don’t club me with yourwooden leg， whatever you may have done to the gentleman at theAndaman Isles.”
“Well， and there is the end of our little drama，” I remarked， afterwe had set some time smoking in silence. “I fear that it may be thelast investigation in which I shall have the chance of studying yourmethods. Miss Morstan has done me the honor to accept me as ahusband in prospective.”
He gave a most dismal groan.
“I feared as much，” said he. “I really cannot congratulate you.”
I was a little hurt.
“Have you any reason to be dissatisfied with my choice？” Iasked.
“Not at all. I think she is one of the most charming young ladiesI ever met and might have been most useful in such work as wehave been doing. She had a decided genius that way； witness theway in which she preserved that Agra plan from all the otherpapers of her father. But love is an emotional thing， and whateveris emotional is opposed to that true cold reason which I placeabove all things. I should never marry myself， lest I bias myjudgment.”
“I trust，” said I， laughing， “that my judgment may survive theordeal. But you look weary.”
“Yes， the reaction is already upon me. I shall be as limp as a ragfor a week.”
“Strange，” said I， “how terms of what in another man I shouldcall laziness alternate with your fits of splendid energy and vigour.”
“Yes，” he answered， “there are in me the makings of a very fineloafer， and also of a pretty spry sort of fellow. I often think ofthose lines of old Goethe：
Schade dass die Natur nur EINEN Mensch aus Dir schuf，Denn zum wüerdigen Mann war und zum Schelmen der Stoff.
“By the way， apropos of this Norwood business， you see thatthey had， as I surmised， a confederate in the house， who couldbe none other than Lal Rao， the butler： so Jones actually has theundivided honor of having caught one fish in his great haul.”
“The division seems rather unfair，” I remarked. “You have doneall the work in this business. I get a wife out of it， Jones gets thecredit， pray what remains for you？”
“For me，” said Sherlock Holmes， “there still remains thecocaine-bottle.” And he stretched his long white hand up for it.
The Hound
of the Baskervilles
Mr. Sherlock Holmes
Mr. SHERLOCK Holmes， who was usually very late in themornings， save upon those not infrequent occasions when hewas up all night， was seated at the breakfast table. I stood uponthe hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had leftbehind him the night before. It was a fine， thick piece of wood，bulbous-headed， of the sort which is known as a “Penang lawyer.”
Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch across.
