No. 9 The Adventure of the Lion's Mane by Arthur Conan Doyle
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there_was some reason to_think that he_might_have resented his attentions to miss Bellamy . he had all my points, but no fresh ones, save that Murdoch seemed to_be making every preparation for departure .

" what would my position be if I let him slip away with all this evidence against him ? " the burly, phlegmatic man was sorely troubled in_his mind .

" consider," I_said, " all the essential gaps in your case . on_the morning of_the crime he_can surely prove an alibi . he had_been with_his scholars till the last moment, and within a few_minutes of McPherson's appearance he_came upon us from behind . then bear in mind the absolute impossibility that he_could single- handed have inflicted this outrage upon a man quite as strong as himself . finally, there_is this question of_the instrument with_which these injuries were inflicted ."

" what could it be but a scourge or flexible whip of some sort ? "

" have_you examined the marks ? " I asked .

" I_have_seen them . so has_the doctor ."

" but I_have examined them very carefully with a lens . they_have peculiarities ."

" what_are they, Mr Holmes ? "

I stepped to my bureau and brought out an enlarged photograph ." this_is my method in_such cases," I explained .

" you certainly do things thoroughly, Mr Holmes ."

" i_should hardly be what I_am if I_did_not . now let_us consider this weal which extends round the right shoulder . do_you observe nothing remarkable ? "

" I_can't say I_do ."

" surely it_is evident that_it_is unequal in its intensity . there_is a dot of extravasated blood here, and another there . there_are similar indications in_this other weal down here . what can that mean ? "

" I_have no idea . have_you ? "

" perhaps I_have . perhaps I haven't . I_may_be able_to_say more soon . anything which will define what made that mark will bring us a long way towards the criminal ."

" it_is, of_course, an absurd idea," said the policeman, " but if a red- hot net of wire had_been laid across the back, then these better marked points would represent where the meshes crossed each_other ."

"A most ingenious comparison . or shall we say a very stiff cat-o'-nine-tails with small hard knots upon it ? "

" by Jove, Mr Holmes, i_think you_have hit it ."

" or there_may_be some very different cause, Mr Bardle . but your case is far too weak for an arrest . besides, we_have those last words -- the ' lion's Mane .' "

" I_have wondered whether Ian --"

" yes, I_have considered that . if_the second word had borne any resemblance to Murdoch -- but it did_not . he_gave it almost in a shriek . I_am_sure that_it_was 'Mane .' "

" have_you no alternative, Mr Holmes ? "

" perhaps I_have . but I_do_not care to discuss it until there_is something more solid to discuss ."

" and when will that be ? "

" in an hour -- possibly less ."

the inspector rubbed his chin and looked at me with dubious eyes .

" i_wish I could_see what_was in your mind, Mr Holmes . perhaps it's those fishing-boats ."

" no, no, they were too far out ."

" well, then, is_it Bellamy and_that big son of_his ? they were_not too sweet upon Mr McPherson . could they_have done him a mischief ? "

" no, no, you won't draw me until I_am ready," said I with a smile ." now, inspector, we each have our own work to_do . perhaps if_you were to meet me here at midday --"

so_far we had got when there came the tremendous interruption which_was the beginning of_the end .

my outer door was flung open, there were blundering footsteps in_the passage, and Ian Murdoch staggered into_the room, pallid, dishevelled, his clothes in wild disorder, clawing with_his bony hands at_the furniture to hold himself erect ." brandy ! brandy ! " he gasped, and fell groaning upon_the sofa .

he_was not alone . behind him came Stackhurst, hatless and panting, almost as distrait as his companion .

" yes, yes, brandy ! " he cried ." the man is at his last gasp . it_was all I_could do to bring him here . he fainted twice upon_the way ."

half a tumbler of_the raw spirit brought about a wondrous change . he pushed himself up on one arm and swung his coat from_his shoulders ." for god's sake oil, opium, morphia ! " he cried ." anything to ease this infernal agony ! "

the inspector and I cried out at_the sight . there, crisscrossed upon_the man's naked shoulder, was_the same strange reticulated pattern of red, inflamed lines which had_been the death- mark of Fitzroy McPherson .

the pain was evidently terrible and was more than local, for_the sufferer's breathing would stop for a time, his face would turn black, and then with loud gasps he_would clap his hand to_his heart, while his brow dropped beads of sweat . at any moment he might die . more and more brandy was poured down his throat, each fresh dose bringing him back to life .Pads of cotton- wool soaked in salad- oil seemed to take_the agony from_the strange wounds . at last his head fell heavily upon_the cushion .Exhausted nature had taken refuge in its last storehouse of vitality . it_was half a sleep and half a faint, but at_least it_was ease from pain .

to question him had_been impossible, but the moment we were assured of_his condition Stackhurst turned upon me .

" my god ! " he cried, " what_is it, Holmes ? what_is it ? "

" where did you find him ? "

" down on_the beach . exactly where poor McPherson met his end . if_this man's heart had_been weak as McPherson's was, he_would_not_be here now . more than once i_thought he_was gone as I brought him up . it_was too far to_the Gables, so I_made for_you ."

" did you_see him on_the beach ? "

" i_was walking on_the cliff when I heard his cry . he_was at_the edge of_the water, reeling about like a drunken man .I ran down, threw some clothes about him, and brought him up . for heaven's sake, Holmes, use all the powers you_have and spare no pains to lift the curse from_this place, for life is becoming unendurable . can_you, with all your world- wide reputation, do nothing for_us ? "

" i_think I_can, Stackhurst . come with me now ! and you, inspector, come along ! we_will_see if_we_cannot deliver this murderer into your hands ."

leaving the unconscious man in_the charge of_my housekeeper, we all three went down to_the deadly lagoon . on_the shingle there_was piled a little heap of towels and clothes left by_the stricken man . slowly I walked round the edge of_the water, my comrades in Indian file behind me . most of_the pool was quite shallow, but under the cliff where the beach was hollowed out it_was four or five feet deep . it_was to_this part that a swimmer would naturally go, for_it formed a beautiful pellucid green pool as clear as crystal .a line of rocks lay above it at_the base of_the cliff, and along_this I led the way, peering eagerly into_the depths beneath me .I had reached the deepest and stillest pool when my eyes caught that for_which they were searching, and I burst into a shout of triumph .

"Cyanea ! " I cried ."Cyanea ! behold the lion's Mane ! "

the strange object at which I pointed did indeed look like a tangled mass torn from_the mane of a lion . it lay upon a rocky shelf some three feet under the water, a curious waving, vibrating, hairy creature with streaks of silver among its yellow tresses . it pulsated with a slow, heavy dilation and contraction .

" it has_done mischief enough . its day is over ! " I cried ." help me, Stackhurst ! let_us end the murderer forever ."

there_was a big boulder just above the ledge, and we pushed it until it fell with a tremendous splash into_the water . when_the ripples had cleared we saw that_it had settled upon_the ledge below . one flapping edge of yellow membrane showed that_our victim was beneath it .a thick oily scum oozed out from below the stone and stained the water round, rising slowly to_the surface .

" well, this gets me ! " cried the inspector ." what_was it, Mr Holmes ? I'm born and bred in_these parts, but I never saw such a thing . it don't belong to Sussex ."

" just as_well for Sussex," I remarked ." it may have_been the southwest gale that brought it up . come back to my house, both of you, and_I_will give_you the terrible experience of one who has good reason to remember his own meeting with_the same peril of_the seas ."

when we reached my study we_found that Murdoch was so_far recovered that he_could sit up . he_was dazed in mind, and every now_and_then was shaken by a paroxysm of pain . in broken words he explained that he had no notion what had occurred to him, save that terrific pangs had suddenly shot through him, and_that it had taken all his fortitude to reach the bank .

" here_is a book," I_said, taking up the little volume, " which first brought light into what might_have_been forever dark . it_is out of Doors, by_the famous observer, J .G . wood . wood himself very nearly perished from contact with_this vile creature, so he wrote with a very full knowledge .Cyanea capillata is_the miscreant's full name, and he_can_be as dangerous to life as, and far more painful than, the bite of_the cobra . let me briefly give this extract .

" if_the bather should_see a loose roundish mass of tawny membranes and fibres, something like very large handfuls of lion's mane and silver paper, let him beware, for this_is_the fearful stinger, Cyanea capillata .

could our sinister acquaintance be more clearly described ?

" he goes on to_tell of_his own encounter with one when swimming off the coast of Kent . he_found that_the creature radiated almost invisible filaments to_the distance of fifty feet, and_that anyone within that circumference from_the deadly centre was in danger of death . even at a distance the effect upon wood was almost fatal .

" the multitudinous threads caused light scarlet lines upon_the skin which on closer examination resolved into minute dots or pustules, each dot charged as it were with a red- hot needle making its way through_the nerves .

" the local pain was, as he explains, the least part of_the exquisite torment .

"Pangs shot through_the chest, causing me to_fall as_if struck by a bullet . the pulsation would cease, and then the heart would give six or seven leaps as_if it would force its way through_the chest .

" it nearly killed him, although he had only been exposed to_it in_the disturbed ocean and not in_the narrow calm waters of abathing- pool . he_says that he_could hardly recognize himself afterwards, so white, wrinkled and shrivelled was his face . he gulped down brandy, a whole bottleful, and it seems to_have saved his life . there_is the book, inspector .I leave it with_you, and you_cannot doubt that_it contains a full explanation of_the tragedy of poor McPherson ."

" and incidentally exonerates me," remarked Ian Murdoch with a wry smile ." I_do_not blame you, inspector, nor you, Mr Holmes, for your suspicions were natural . I_feel that on_the very eve of_my arrest I_have only cleared myself by sharing the fate of_my poor friend ."

" no, Mr Murdoch . i_was already upon_the track, and had I been out as early as I intended I_might well have saved you from_this terrific experience ."

" but how did you_know, Mr Holmes ? "

" I_am an omnivorous reader with a strangely retentive memory for trifles . that phrase ' the lion's Mane' haunted my mind . I_knew that I had seen it somewhere in an unexpected context . you_have seen that_it does describe the creature . I_have no_doubt that_it_was floating on_the water when McPherson saw it, and that_this phrase was_the only_one by_which he_could convey to_us awarning as_to_the creature which had_been his death ."

" then I, at_least, am cleared," said Murdoch, rising slowly to_his feet ." there_are one_or_two words of explanation which i_should give, for I_know the direction in_which your inquiries have run . it_is true that I loved this lady, but from_the day when she chose my friend McPherson my one desire was to help her to happiness . i_was well content to stand aside and act as their go- between . often I carried their messages, and it_was because i_was in their confidence and because she was so dear to_me that I hastened to_tell her of_my friend's death, lest someone should forestall me in a more sudden and heartless manner . she_would not tell you, sir, of_our relations lest you_should disapprove and I_might suffer . but with your leave I_must try to_get back to_the Gables, for_my bed will_be very welcome ."

Stackhurst held out his hand ." our nerves have all been at concert- pitch," said he ." forgive what_is past, Murdoch . we_shall understand each_other better in_the_future ." they passed out together with their arms linked in friendly fashion . the inspector remained, staring at me in silence with_his ox- like eyes .

" well, you've done it ! " he cried at last ."I had read of you, but I never believed it . it's wonderful ! "

i_was forced to shake my head . to accept such praise was to lower one's own standards .

" i_was slow at_the outset -- culpably slow . had the body been found in_the water I_could hardly have missed it . it was_the towel which misled me . the poor fellow had never thought to dry himself, and so I in turn was led to_believe that he had never been in_the water . why, then, should the attack of any water creature suggest itself to_me ? that was where I went astray . well, well, inspector, I often ventured to chaff you gentlemen of_the police force, but Cyanea capillata very nearly avenged Scotland yard ."

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