No. 3 The Adventure of the Dancing Men by Arthur Conan Doyle
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thought put me in possession of several_other letters . it occurred to_me that if these appeals came, as I expected, from someone who had_been intimate with_the lady in her early life, a combination which contained two E's with three letters between might very_well stand for_the name `ELSIE .' on examination I_found that such a combination formed the termination of_the message which_was three times repeated . it_was certainly some appeal to `Elsie .' in_this_way I had got my L, S, and I . but what appeal could it be ? there were only four letters in_the word which preceded `Elsie,' and it ended in E . surely the word must_be ` come .' I tried all other four letters ending in E, but could find none to fit the case . so now i_was in possession of C, O, and M, and i_was in_a_position to attack the first message once more, dividing it into words and putting dots for each symbol which_was still unknown . so treated it worked out in_this fashion:--

.M .ERE .. E SL .NE .

" now the first letter can only be A, which_is a most useful discovery, since it occurs no fewer than three times in_this short sentence, and_the H is also apparent in_the second word . now it becomes:--

AM here a. E SLANE .

or, filling in_the obvious vacancies in_the name:--

AM here ABE SLANEY .

I had so_many letters now that I_could proceed with considerable confidence to_the second message, which worked out in_this fashion:--

a. ELRI .ES .

here I_could only make sense by putting T and G for_the missing letters, and supposing that_the name was_that of some house or inn at which the writer was staying ."

inspector Martin and I had listened with_the utmost interest to_the full and clear account of how my friend had produced results which had led to so complete a command over our difficulties .

" what did you_do then, sir ? " asked the inspector .

"I had every reason to suppose that_this Abe Slaney was an American, since Abe is an American contraction, and since a letter from America had_been the starting- point of all the trouble .I had also every cause to_think that there_was some criminal secret in_the matter . the lady's allusions to her past and her refusal to_take her husband into her confidence both pointed in_that direction .I therefore cabled to my friend, Wilson Hargreave, of_the New_York police bureau, who has more than once made use of_my knowledge of London crime .I asked him whether the name of Abe Slaney was known to him . here_is his reply: ` the most dangerous crook in Chicago .' on_the very evening upon_which I had his answer Hilton Cubitt sent me the last message from Slaney .Working with known letters it took this form:--

ELSIE .RE . are to meet thy go .

the addition of aP and aD completed a message which showed me that_the rascal was proceeding from persuasion to threats, and my knowledge of_the crooks of Chicago prepared me to_find that he might very rapidly put his words into action .I at once came to Norfolk with my friend and colleague, Dr .Watson, but, unhappily, only in_time to_find that_the worst had already occurred ."

" it_is a privilege to_be associated with_you in_the handling of a case," said the inspector, warmly ." you_will excuse me, however, if I speak frankly to_you . you_are only answerable to yourself, but I_have to answer to my superiors . if_this Abe Slaney, living at Elrige's, is indeed the murderer, and if he has_made his escape while I_am seated here, i_should certainly get into serious trouble ."

" you need_not_be uneasy . he_will_not try to escape ."

" how do_you_know ? "

" to fly would_be a confession of guilt ."

" then let_us go to arrest him ."

"I expect him here every instant ."

" but why should he come ? "

" because I_have written and asked him ."

" but this_is incredible, Mr Holmes ! why should he come because you_have asked him ? would_not such a request rather rouse his suspicions and cause him to fly ? "

" i_think I_have known how to frame the letter," said Sherlock Holmes ." in_fact, if I_am not very_much mistaken, here_is_the gentleman himself coming up the drive ."

a man was striding up the path which led to_the door . he_was a tall, handsome, swarthy fellow, clad in a suit of grey flannel, with a panama hat, abristling black beard, and a great, aggressive hooked nose, and flourishing a cane as he walked . he swaggered up the path as if_the place belonged to him, and we heard his loud, confident peal at_the bell .

" i_think, gentlemen," said Holmes, quietly, " that we had best take up our position behind the door . every precaution is necessary when dealing with_such a fellow . you_will need your handcuffs, inspector . you_can leave the talking to_me ."

we waited in silence for a minute -- one of_those minutes which one can never forget . then the door opened and_the man stepped in . in an instant Holmes clapped a pistol to_his head and Martin slipped the handcuffs over his wrists . it_was all done so swiftly and deftly that_the fellow was helpless before he_knew that he_was attacked . he glared from one to_the other of us with a pair of blazing black eyes . then he burst into a bitter laugh .

" well, gentlemen, you_have the drop on me this_time .I seem to_have knocked up against something hard . but I_came here in answer to a letter from Mrs Hilton Cubitt .Don't tell me that she_is in_this ? Don't tell me that she helped to set a trap for_me ? "

" Mrs Hilton Cubitt was seriously injured and_is at death's door ."

the man gave a hoarse cry of grief which rang through_the house .

" you're crazy ! " he cried, fiercely ." it_was he that was hurt, not she . who_would_have hurt little Elsie ? I_may_have threatened her, god forgive me, but i_would_not have touched a hair of her pretty head . take it back -- you ! say that she_is_not hurt ! "

" she was found badly wounded by_the side of her dead husband ."

he sank with a deep groan on to_the settee and buried his face in_his manacled hands . for five minutes he_was silent . then he raised his face once more, and spoke with_the cold composure of despair .

" I_have nothing to hide from_you, gentlemen," said he ." if I shot the man he had his shot at me, and there's no murder in_that . but if_you_think I_could_have hurt that woman, then you don't know either me or her .I tell you there_was never a man in_this world loved a woman more than I loved her .I had a right to her . she was pledged to_me years_ago . who was_this Englishman that he_should come between_us ? I tell you that I had the first right to her, and_that i_was only claiming my own ."

" she broke away from your influence when she found the man that you_are," said Holmes, sternly ." she fled from America to avoid you, and she married an honourable gentleman in England . you dogged her and followed her and made her life a misery to her in_order to induce her to abandon the husband whom she loved and respected in_order to fly with_you, whom she feared and hated . you_have ended by bringing about_the death of a noble man and driving his wife to suicide . that_is your record in_this business, Mr Abe Slaney, and you_will answer for_it to_the law ."

" if Elsie dies I care nothing what becomes of me," said the American . he opened one of_his hands and looked at a note crumpled up in_his palm ." see here, mister, he cried, with a gleam of suspicion in_his eyes, " you're not trying to scare me over this, are_you ? if_the lady is hurt as bad as_you say, who was_it that wrote this note ? " he tossed it forwards on to_the table .

" i_wrote it to bring you here ."

" you wrote it ? there_was no one on earth outside the joint who knew the secret of_the dancing men . how came you to write it ? "

" what one man can invent another can discover," said Holmes . there_is a cab coming to convey you to Norwich, Mr Slaney . but, meanwhile, you_have time to_make some small reparation for_the injury you_have wrought . are_you aware that Mrs Hilton Cubitt has herself lain under grave suspicion of_the murder of her husband, and that_it_was only my presence here and_the knowledge which I happened to possess which_has saved her from_the accusation ? the least that you owe her is to_make it clear to_the whole world that she was in no way, directly or indirectly, responsible for_his tragic end ."

"I ask nothing better," said the American ."I guess the very best case I_can make for_myself is_the absolute naked truth ."

" it_is my duty to warn you that_it_will_be used against you," cried the inspector, with_the magnificent fair- play of_the British criminal law .

Slaney shrugged his shoulders .

"I'll chance that," said he ." first of all, i_want you gentlemen to understand that I_have known this lady since she was a child . there were seven of us in a gang in Chicago, and Elsie's father was_the boss of_the joint . he_was a clever man, was old Patrick . it_was he who invented that writing, which would pass as a child's scrawl unless you just happened to_have the key to_it . well, Elsie learned some_of_our ways; but she couldn't stand the business, and she had a bit of honest money of her own, so she gave_us all the slip and got away to London . she had_been engaged to_me, and she would_have married me, I believe, if I had taken over another profession; but she would_have nothing to_do with anything on_the cross . it_was only after her marriage to_this Englishman that i_was able to_find out where she was . i_wrote to her, but got no answer . after_that I_came over, and, as letters were no use, I put my messages where she_could read them .

" well, I_have_been here a month now .I lived in_that farm, where I had a room down below, and could get in and out every night, and no one the wiser .I tried all I_could to coax Elsie away . I_knew that she read the messages, for once she wrote an answer under one_of_them . then my temper got the better of me, and I began to threaten her . she sent me a letter then, imploring me to_go away and saying that_it would break her heart if any scandal should come upon her husband . she said that she_would come down when her husband was asleep at three in_the morning, and speak with me through_the end window, if i_would go away afterwards and leave her in peace . she came down and brought money with her, trying to bribe me to_go . this made me mad, and I caught her arm and tried to pull her through_the window . at_that moment in rushed the husband with_his revolver in_his hand .Elsie had sunk down upon_the floor, and we were face_to_face . i_was heeled also, and I held up my gun to scare him off and let me get away . he fired and missed me .I pulled off almost at_the same instant, and down he dropped . I_made away across the garden, and as I went I heard the window shut behind me . that's god's truth, gentlemen, every word of it, and I heard no more about_it until that lad came riding up with a note which made me walk in here, like ajay, and give myself into your hands ."

a cab had driven up whilst the American had_been talking . two uniformed policemen sat inside . inspector Martin rose and touched his prisoner on_the shoulder .

" it_is time for_us to_go ."

" can I_see her first ? "

" no, she_is_not conscious .Mr Sherlock Holmes, I only hope_that if ever again I_have an important case I_shall_have the good fortune to_have_you by my side ."

we stood at_the window and watched the cab drive away . as I turned back my eye caught the pellet of paper which the prisoner had tossed upon_the table . it was_the note with_which Holmes had decoyed him .

" see if_you_can read it, Watson," said he, with a smile .

it contained no word, but a little line of dancing men .

" if_you use the code which I_have explained," said Holmes, " you_will_find that_it simply means ` come here at once .' i_was convinced that_it_was an invitation which he_would_not refuse, since he_could never imagine that_it could come from anyone but the lady . and so, my dear Watson, we_have ended by turning the dancing men to good when they_have so often been the agents of evil, and i_think that I_have fulfilled my promise of giving you something unusual for your note- book . three-forty is our train, and I fancy we_should_be back in baker street for dinner .

only_one word of epilogue . the American, Abe Slaney, was condemned to death at_the winter assizes at Norwich; but his penalty was changed to penal servitude in consideration of mitigating circumstances, and_the certainty that Hilton Cubitt had fired the first shot . of Mrs Hilton Cubitt I only know that I_have heard she recovered entirely, and_that she still remains a widow, devoting her whole life to_the care of_the poor and to_the administration of her husband's estate .

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