The Adventure of the Devil's Foot* by Arthur Conan Doyle
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me that old Mrs porter had sent a boy down with an urgent message .I sprang in beside him and we drove on . when we got there we looked into that dreadful room . the candles and_the fire must_have burned out hours before, and_they had_been sitting there in_the dark until dawn had broken . the doctor said Brenda must_have been dead at_least six hours . there were no signs of violence . she just lay across the arm of_the chair with_that look on her face . George and Owen were singing snatches of songs and gibbering like two great apes .Oh, it_was awful to_see ! I couldn't stand it, and_the doctor was as white as a sheet . indeed, he fell into a chair in a sort of faint, and we nearly had him on_our hands as_well ."

" remarkable- most remarkable ! " said Holmes, rising and taking his hat ." i_think, perhaps, we had better go down to Tredannick Wartha without further delay .I confess that I_have seldom known a case which at first sight presented a more singular problem ."

our proceedings of_that first morning did little to advance the investigation . it_was marked, however, at_the outset by an incident which left the most sinister impression upon my mind . the approach to_the spot at which the tragedy occurred is down a narrow, winding, country lane, while we_made our way along it we heard the rattle of a carriage coming towards us and stood aside to let it pass . as it drove by_us I caught a glimpse through_the closed window of ahorribly contorted, grinning face glaring out at us . those staring eyes and gnashing teeth flashed past us like a dreadful vision .

" my brothers ! " cried Mortimer Tregennis, white to_his lips ." they_are taking them to Helston ."

we looked with horror after_the black carriage, lumbering upon its way . then we turned our steps towards this ill-omened house in_which they had met their strange fate .

it_was a large and bright dwelling, rather a villa than a cottage, with a considerable garden which_was already, in_that Cornish air, well filled with spring flowers . towards this garden the window of_the sitting- room fronted, and from_it, according to Mortimer Tregennis, must_have come that thing of evil which had by sheer horror in a single instant blasted their minds .Holmes walked slowly and thoughtfully among_the flower-plots and along the path before we entered the porch . so absorbed was he in_his thoughts, I remember, that he stumbled over the watering- pot, upset its contents, and deluged both our feet and_the garden path . inside the house we were met by_the elderly Cornish housekeeper, Mrs, porter, who, with_the aid of a young girl, looked after_the wants of_the family . she readily answered all Holmes's questions . she had heard nothing in_the night . her employers had all been in excellent spirits lately, and she had never known them more cheerful and prosperous . she had fainted with horror upon entering the room in_the morning and seeing that dreadful company round the table . she had, when she recovered, thrown open the window to let the morning air in, and had run down to_the lane, whence she sent a farm-lad for_the doctor . the lady was on her bed upstairs if_we cared to_see her . it took four strong men to_get the brothers into_the asylum carriage . she_would not herself stay in_the house another day and was starting that very afternoon to rejoin her family at St .Ives .

we ascended the stairs and viewed the body . miss Brenda Tregennis had_been a very beautiful girl, though now verging upon middle age . her dark, clear- cut face was handsome, even in death, but there still lingered upon it something of_that convulsion of horror which had_been her last human emotion . from her bedroom we descended to_the sitting- room, where this strange tragedy had actually occurred . the charred ashes of_the overnight fire lay in_the grate . on_the table were the four guttered and burned- out candles, with_the cards scattered over its surface . the chairs had_been moved back against the walls, but all else was as it had_been the night before .Holmes paced with light, swift steps about_the room; he sat in_the various chairs, drawing them up and reconstructing their positions . he tested how_much of_the garden was visible; he examined the floor, the ceiling, and_the fireplace; but never once did I_see that sudden brightening of_his eyes and tightening of_his lips which would_have told me that he_saw some gleam of light in_this utter darkness .

" why a fire ? " he asked once ." had they always a fire in_this small room on a spring evening ? "

Mortimer Tregennis explained that_the night was cold and damp . for_that reason, after his arrival, the fire was lit ." what_are you going to_do now, Mr Holmes ? " he asked .

my friend smiled and laid his hand upon my arm ." i_think, Watson, that I_shall resume that course of tobacco-poisoning which you_have so often and so justly condemned," said he ." with your permission, gentlemen, we_will now return to our cottage, for I_am not aware that any new factor is likely to_come to our notice here . i_will turn the facts over in my mind, Mr Tregennis, and should anything occur to_me i_will certainly communicate with_you and_the vicar . in_the meantime i_wish you both good- morning ."

it_was not until long after we were back in Poldhu cottage that Holmes broke his complete and absorbed silence . he sat coiled in_his armchair, his haggard and ascetic face hardly visible amid the blue swirl of_his tobacco smoke, his black brows drawn down, his forehead contracted, his eyes vacant and far away . finally he laid down his pipe and sprang to_his feet .

" it won't do, Watson ! " said he with a laugh ." let_us walk along the cliffs together and search for flint arrows . we_are more likely to_find them than clues to_this problem . to let the brain work without sufficient material is like racing an engine . it racks itself to pieces . the sea air, sunshine, and patience, Watson- all else will come .

" now, let_us calmly define our position, Watson," he continued as_we skirted the cliffs together ." let_us get a firm grip of_the very little which we_do know, so_that when fresh facts arise we_may_be ready to fit them into their places .I take it, in_the first place, that neither of us is prepared to admit diabolical intrusions into_the affairs of men . let_us begin by ruling that entirely out of_our minds . very_good . there remain three persons who have_been grievously stricken by some conscious or unconscious human agency . that_is firm ground . now, where did this occur ? Evidently, assuming his narrative to_be true, it_was immediately after Mr Mortimer Tregennis had left the room . that_is a very_important point . the presumption is that_it_was within a few_minutes afterwards . the cards still lay upon_the table . it_was already past their usual hour for bed . yet they had_not changed their position or pushed back their chairs .I repeat, then, that_the occurrence was immediately after his departure, and not later than eleven o'clock last night .

" our next obvious step is to_check, so_far as_we_can, the movements of Mortimer Tregennis after he left the room . in_this there_is no difficulty, and_they seem_to_be above suspicion .Knowing my methods as_you_do, you were, of_course, conscious of_the somewhat clumsy water- pot expedient by_which I obtained a clearer impress of_his foot than might otherwise have_been possible . the wet, sandy path took it admirably . last night was also wet, you_will remember, and it_was not difficult- having obtained a sample print- to pick out his track among others and to_follow his movements . he appears to_have walked away swiftly in_the direction of_the vicarage .

" if, then, Mortimer Tregennis disappeared from_the scene, and yet some outside person affected the cardplayers, how can we reconstruct that person, and how was such an impression of horror conveyed ? Mrs porter may_be eliminated . she_is evidently harmless . is_there any evidence that someone crept up_to_the garden window and in some manner produced so terrific an effect that he drove those who saw it out of_their senses ? the only suggestion in_this direction comes from Mortimer Tregennis himself, who says that his brother spoke about some movement in_the garden . that_is certainly remarkable, as_the night was rainy, cloudy, and dark . anyone who had the design to alarm these people would_be compelled to_place his very face against the glass before he_could be seen . there_is a three- foot flower- border outside this window, but no indication of a footmark . it_is difficult to imagine, then, how an outsider could_have made so terrible an impression upon_the company, nor have we_found any possible motive for so strange and elaborate an attempt . you perceive our difficulties, Watson ? "

" they_are only too clear," I answered with conviction .

" and yet, with a little more material, we_may prove that_they_are not insurmountable," said Holmes ."I fancy that among your extensive archives, Watson, you_may find some which were nearly as obscure . meanwhile, we_shall put the case aside until more accurate data are available, and devote the rest of_our morning to_the pursuit of neolithic man ."

I_may_have commented upon my friend's power of mental detachment, but never have I wondered at it more than upon that spring morning in Cornwall when for two hours he discoursed upon celts, arrowheads, and shards, as lightly as_if no sinister mystery were waiting for_his solution . it_was not until we had returned in_the afternoon to our cottage that we_found a visitor awaiting us, who soon brought our minds back to_the matter in hand . neither of us needed to_be told who that visitor was . the huge body, the craggy and deeply seamed face with_the fierce eyes and hawk- like nose, the grizzled hair which nearly brushed our cottage ceiling, the beard- golden at_the fringes and white near the lips, save for_the nicotine stain from_his perpetual cigar- all these were as_well known in London as in Africa, and could only be associated with_the tremendous personality of Dr . Leon Sterndale, the great lion- hunter and explorer .

we had heard of_his presence in_the district and had once_or_twice caught sight of_his tall figure upon_the moorland paths . he_made no advances to_us, however, nor would we_have dreamed of doing_so to him, as it_was well known that_it_was his love of seclusion which caused him to_spend the greater part of_the intervals between his journeys in a small bungalow buried in_the lonely wood of Beauchamp Arriance . here, amid his books and_his maps, he lived an absolutely lonely life, attending to_his own simple wants and paying little apparent heed to_the affairs of_his neighbours . it_was a surprise to_me, therefore, to hear him asking Holmes in an eager voice whether he had made any advance in_his reconstruction of_this mysterious episode ." the county police are utterly at fault," said he, " but perhaps your wider experience has suggested some conceivable explanation . my only claim to being taken into your confidence is_that during my many residences here I_have come to_know this family of Tregennis very_well- indeed, upon my Cornish mother's side I_could call them cousins- and their strange fate has naturally been a great shock to_me . I_may tell you that I had got as far as Plymouth upon my way to Africa, but the news reached me this_morning, and I_came straight back again to help in_the inquiry ."

Holmes raised his eyebrows .

" did you lose your boat through it ? "

" i_will take_the next ."

" dear me ! that_is friendship indeed ."

"I tell you they were relatives ."

" quite so- cousins of your mother . was your baggage aboard the ship ? "

" some of it, but the main part at_the hotel ."

" I_see . but surely this event could_not have found its way into_the Plymouth morning papers ."

" no, sir; I had a telegram ."

" might I ask from whom ? "

a shadow passed over the gaunt face of_the explorer .

" you_are very inquisitive, Mr Holmes ."

" it_is my business ."

with an effort Dr .Sterndale recovered his ruffled composure .

" I_have no objection to telling you," he_said ." it_was Mr Roundhay, the vicar, who sent me the telegram which recalled me ."

" thank_you," said Holmes ." I_may say in answer to your original question that I_have_not cleared my mind entirely on_the_subject of this_case, but that I_have every hope of reaching some conclusion . it would_be premature to_say more ."

" perhaps you_would_not mind telling me if your suspicions point in any particular direction ? "

" no, I_can hardly answer that ."

" then I_have wasted my_time and need not prolong my visit ." the famous doctor strode out of_our cottage in considerable ill-humour, and within five minutes Holmes had followed him . I_saw him no more until the evening, when he returned with a slow step and haggard face which assured me that he had made no great progress with_his investigation . he glanced at a telegram which awaited him and threw it into_the grate .

" from_the Plymouth hotel, Watson," he_said ."I learned the name of it from_the vicar, and I wired to_make certain that Dr . Leon Sterndale's account was true . it appears that he_did indeed spend last night there, and_that he has actually allowed some of_his baggage to_go on to Africa, while he returned to_be present at_this investigation . what do_you make of_that, Watson ? "

" he_is deeply interested ."

" deeply interested- yes . there_is a thread where which we_have_not_yet grasped and which might lead us through_the tangle . cheer up, Watson, for I_am very sure that_our material has_not_yet all come to hand . when it does we_may soon leave our difficulties behind us ."

little did i_think how soon the words of Holmes would_be realized, or how strange and sinister would_be that new development which opened up an entirely fresh line of investigation . i_was shaving at my window in_the morning when I heard the rattle of hoofs and, looking up, saw a

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