No. 1 The Adventure of the Empty House by Arthur Conan Doyle
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a part in_the evening's adventures . it_was a wax-coloured model of_my friend, so admirably done that_it_was a perfect facsimile . it stood on a small pedestal table with an old dressing- gown of Holmes's so draped round it that_the illusion from_the street was absolutely perfect .

" I_hope you preserved all precautions, Mrs Hudson ? " said Holmes .

"I went to_it on my knees, sir, just as_you told me ."

" excellent . you carried the thing out very_well . did you observe where the bullet went ? "

" yes, sir .I'm afraid it has spoilt your beautiful bust, for_it passed right through_the head and flattened itself on_the wall .I picked it up from_the carpet . here it_is ! "

Holmes held it out to_me ."A soft revolver bullet, as_you perceive, Watson . there's genius in_that, for who_would expect to_find such a thing fired from an air- gun . all right, Mrs Hudson, I_am much obliged for your assistance . and now, Watson, let me see you in your old seat once more, for there_are several points which i_should like to discuss with_you ."

he had thrown off the seedy frock- coat, and now he was_the Holmes of old in_the mouse-coloured dressing- gown which he_took from_his effigy .

" the old shikari's nerves have_not lost their steadiness nor his eyes their keenness," said he, with a laugh, as he inspected the shattered forehead of_his bust .

" plumb in_the middle of_the back of_the head and smack through_the brain . he was_the best shot in India, and I expect that_there_are few better in London . have_you heard the name ? "

" no, I_have_not ."

" well, well, such is fame ! but, then, if I remember aright, you had_not heard the name of professor James Moriarty, who had one_of_the great brains of_the century . just give_me down my index of biographies from_the shelf ."

he turned over the pages lazily, leaning back in_his chair and blowing great clouds from_his cigar .

" my collection of M's is a fine one," said he ."Moriarty himself is enough to_make any letter illustrious, and here_is Morgan the poisoner, and Merridew of abominable memory, and Mathews, who knocked out my left canine in_the waiting- room at Charing cross, and, finally, here_is our friend of to- night ."

he handed over the book, and I_read: "Moran, Sebastian, colonel . unemployed . formerly 1st Bengalore Pioneers . born London, 1840 . son of sir Augustus Moran, C .B ., once British minister to Persia . educated Eton and Oxford . served in Jowaki campaign, afghan campaign, Charasiab (despatches), Sherpur, and Cabul . author of ` heavy game of_the western Himalayas,' 1881; ` three Months in_the jungle,' 1884 . address: conduit street .Clubs: the Anglo- Indian, the Tankerville, the bagatelle card club ."

on_the margin was written, in Holmes's precise hand: " the second most dangerous man in London ."

" this_is astonishing," said I, as I handed back the volume ." the man's career is_that of an honourable soldier ."

" it_is true," Holmes answered ." up_to a certain point he_did well . he_was always a man of iron nerve, and_the story is still told in India how he crawled down a drain after a wounded man-eating tiger . there_are some trees, Watson, which grow to a certain height and then suddenly develop some unsightly eccentricity . you_will_see it often in humans . I_have a theory that_the individual represents in_his development the whole procession of_his ancestors, and_that such a sudden turn to good or evil stands for some strong influence which came into_the line of_his pedigree . the person becomes, as it were, the epitome of_the history of_his own family ."

" it_is surely rather fanciful ."

" well, I don't insist upon it . whatever the cause, colonel Moran began to_go wrong . without any open scandal he still made India too hot to hold him . he retired, came to London, and again acquired an evil name . it_was at_this_time that he_was sought out by professor Moriarty, to_whom for a time he_was chief of_the staff .Moriarty supplied him liberally with money and used him only in one_or_two very high- class jobs which no ordinary criminal could_have undertaken . you_may_have some recollection of_the death of Mrs Stewart, of Lauder, in 1887 . not ? well, I_am_sure Moran was at_the bottom of it; but nothing could_be proved . so cleverly was_the colonel concealed that even when_the Moriarty gang was broken up we_could_not incriminate him . you remember at_that date, when I called upon you in your rooms, how I put up the shutters for fear of air-guns ? no_doubt you thought me fanciful . I_knew exactly what i_was doing, for I_knew of_the existence of_this remarkable gun, and I_knew also that one_of_the_best shots in_the_world would_be behind it . when we were in Switzerland he followed us with Moriarty, and it_was undoubtedly he who gave_me that evil five minutes on_the Reichenbach ledge .

" you_may think that I_read the papers with some attention during my sojourn in France, on_the look- out for any chance of laying him by_the heels . so_long as he_was free in London my life would really not have_been worth living . night and day the shadow would_have_been over me, and sooner or later his chance must_have come . what could I_do ? I_could_not shoot him at sight, or i_should myself be in_the dock . there_was no use appealing to a magistrate . they_cannot interfere on_the strength of what would appear to_them to_be a wild suspicion . so I_could do nothing . but I watched the criminal news, knowing that sooner or later i_should get him . then came the death of_this Ronald Adair . my chance had come at last ! Knowing what I_did, was_it not certain that colonel Moran had done it ? he had played cards with_the lad; he had followed him home from_the club; he had shot him through_the open window . there_was not a doubt of it . the bullets alone are enough to_put his head in a noose . I_came over at once . i_was seen by_the sentinel, who_would, I_knew, direct the colonel's attention to my presence . he_could_not fail to connect my sudden return with_his crime and to_be terribly alarmed . i_was sure that he_would make an attempt to_get me out_of_the way at once, and would bring round his murderous weapon for_that purpose .I left him an excellent mark in_the window, and, having warned the police that they_might_be needed -- by_the_way, Watson, you spotted their presence in_that doorway with unerring accuracy -- i_took up what seemed to_me to_be a judicious post for observation, never dreaming that he_would choose the same spot for_his attack . now, my dear Watson, does anything remain for_me to explain ? "

" yes," said I ." you_have_not made it clear what_was colonel Moran's motive in murdering the Honourable Ronald Adair ."

"Ah ! my dear Watson, there we come into those realms of conjecture where the most logical mind may_be at fault . each may form his own hypothesis upon_the present evidence, and yours is as likely to_be correct as mine ."

" you_have formed one, then ? "

" i_think that_it_is not difficult to explain the facts . it came out in evidence that colonel Moran and young Adair had between_them won a considerable amount of money . now, Moran undoubtedly played foul -- of_that I_have long been aware .I believe that on_the day of_the murder Adair had discovered that Moran was cheating . very likely he had spoken to him privately, and had threatened to expose him unless he voluntarily resigned his membership of_the club and promised not to play cards again . it_is unlikely that a youngster like Adair would at once make a hideous scandal by exposing a well- known man so_much older than himself . probably he acted as i_suggest . the exclusion from_his clubs would mean ruin to Moran, who lived by his ill- gotten card gains . he therefore murdered Adair, who at_the_time was endeavouring to work out how_much money he_should himself return, since he_could_not profit by his partner's foul play . he locked the door lest the ladies should surprise him and insist upon knowing what he_was doing with_these names and coins . will it pass ? "

" I_have no_doubt that you_have hit upon_the truth ."

" it_will_be verified or disproved at_the trial . meanwhile, come what may, colonel Moran will trouble us no more, the famous air- gun of Von Herder will embellish the Scotland yard museum, and once again Mr Sherlock Holmes is free to devote his life to examining those interesting little problems which the complex life of London so plentifully presents ."

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