No. 2 The Adventure of the Norwood Builder by Arthur Conan Doyle
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only that_there_is an important witness whom you_have_not seen ."

" can_you produce him ? "

" i_think I_can ."

" then do_so ."

" i_will do my best . how_many constables have_you ? "

" there_are three within call ."

" excellent ! " said Holmes ." may I ask if_they_are all large, able-bodied men with powerful voices ? "

" I_have no_doubt they_are, though I fail to_see what their voices have to_do with it ."

" perhaps I_can help_you to_see that and one_or_two other things as_well," said Holmes ." kindly summon your men, and_I_will try ."

Five minutes later three policemen had assembled in_the hall .

" in_the outhouse you_will_find a considerable quantity of straw," said Holmes ." i_will ask_you to carry in two bundles of it . i_think it_will_be of_the greatest assistance in producing the witness whom I require . thank_you very_much .I believe you_have some matches in your pocket, Watson . now, Mr Lestrade, i_will ask_you all to accompany me to_the top landing ."

as I_have said, there_was a broad corridor there, which ran outside three empty bedrooms . at one end of_the corridor we were all marshalled by Sherlock Holmes, the constables grinning and Lestrade staring at my friend with amazement, expectation, and derision chasing each_other across his features .Holmes stood before_us with_the air of a conjurer who_is performing a trick .

" would you kindly send one of your constables for two buckets of water ? put the straw on_the floor here, free from_the wall on either side . now i_think that we_are all ready ."

Lestrade's face had begun to grow red and angry .

"I don't know whether you_are playing a game with_us, Mr Sherlock Holmes," said he ." if_you_know anything, you_can surely say it without all this tomfoolery ."

"I assure you, my good Lestrade, that I_have an excellent reason for everything that I_do . you_may possibly remember that you chaffed me a little some hours_ago, when_the sun seemed on_your side of_the hedge, so you_must not grudge me a little pomp and ceremony now . might I ask_you, Watson, to open that window, and then to_put a match to_the edge of_the straw ? "

I_did so, and, driven by_the draught, a coil of grey smoke swirled down the corridor, while the dry straw crackled and flamed .

" now we_must see if_we_can find this witness for_you, Lestrade . might I ask_you all to join in_the cry of ` fire ! ' ? now, then; one, two, three ---"

" fire ! " we all yelled .

" thank_you . i_will trouble you once again ."

" fire ! "

" just once more, gentlemen, and all together ."

" fire ! " the shout must_have rung over Norwood .

it had hardly died away when an amazing thing happened .a door suddenly flew open out of what appeared to_be solid wall at_the end of_the corridor, and a little, wizened man darted out of it, like a rabbit out of_its burrow .

" capital ! " said Holmes, calmly ."Watson, a bucket of water over the straw . that_will do ! Lestrade, allow me to_present you with your principal missing witness, Mr Jonas Oldacre ."

the detective stared at_the new-comer with blank amazement . the latter was blinking in_the bright light of_the corridor, and peering at us and at_the smouldering fire . it_was an odious face -- crafty, vicious, malignant, with shifty, light-grey eyes and white eyelashes .

" what's this, then ? " said Lestrade at last ." what have_you been doing all this_time, eh ? "

Oldacre gave an uneasy laugh, shrinking back from_the furious red face of_the angry detective .

" I_have_done no harm ."

" no harm ? you have_done your best to_get an innocent man hanged . if_it wasn't for_this gentleman here, I_am not sure that you_would_not_have succeeded ."

the wretched creature began to whimper .

" I_am_sure, sir, it_was only my practical joke ."

"Oh ! a joke, was_it ? you won't find the laugh on_your side, I promise you . take him down and keep him in_the sitting- room until I come .Mr Holmes," he continued, when_they had gone, " I_could_not speak before_the constables, but I don't mind saying, in_the presence of Dr .Watson, that_this_is the brightest thing that you have_done yet, though it_is a mystery to_me how you_did it . you_have saved an innocent man's life, and you_have prevented a very grave scandal, which would_have ruined my reputation in_the force ."

Holmes smiled and clapped Lestrade upon_the shoulder .

" instead of being ruined, my good sir, you_will_find that your reputation has_been enormously enhanced . just make a few alterations in_that report which you were writing, and they_will understand how hard it_is to throw dust in_the eyes of inspector Lestrade ."

" and you don't want your_name to appear ? "

" not at all . the work is its own reward . perhaps I_shall get the credit also at some distant day when I permit my zealous historian to lay out his foolscap once more -- eh, Watson ? well, now, let_us_see where this rat has_been lurking ."

a lath- and- plaster partition had_been run across the passage six feet from_the end, with a door cunningly concealed in_it . it_was lit within by slits under the eaves .a few articles of furniture and a supply of food and water were within, together with a number of books and papers .

" there's the advantage of being a builder," said Holmes, as_we came out ." he_was able to fix up his own little hiding- place without any confederate -- save, of_course, that precious housekeeper of_his, whom i_should lose no time in adding to your bag, Lestrade ."

"I'll take your advice . but how did you_know of_this place, Mr Holmes ? "

" I_made up my mind that_the fellow was in hiding in_the house . when I paced one corridor and found it six feet shorter than_the corresponding one below, it_was pretty clear where he_was . i_thought he had_not the nerve to lie quiet before an alarm of fire . we_could, of_course, have_gone in and taken him, but it amused me to_make him reveal himself; besides, I owed you a little mystification, Lestrade, for your chaff in_the morning ."

" well, sir, you certainly got equal with me on_that . but how in_the_world did you_know that he_was in_the house at all ? "

" the thumb- mark, Lestrade . you said it_was final; and so it_was, in a very different sense . I_knew it had_not_been there the day before .I pay a good_deal of attention to matters of detail, as_you_may_have observed, and I had examined the hall and was sure that_the wall was clear . therefore, it had_been put on during the night ."

" but how ? "

" very simply . when_those packets were sealed up, Jonas Oldacre got McFarlane to secure one_of_the seals by putting his thumb upon_the soft wax . it would_be_done so quickly and so naturally that I dare say the young man himself has no recollection of it . very likely it just so happened, and Oldacre had himself no notion of_the use he_would put it to .Brooding over the case in_that den of_his, it suddenly struck him what absolutely damning evidence he_could make against McFarlane by using that thumb- mark . it was_the simplest thing in_the_world for him to_take a wax impression from_the seal, to moisten it in as_much blood as he_could get from a pin- prick, and to_put the mark upon_the wall during the night, either with_his own hand or with_that of_his housekeeper . if_you examine among those documents which he_took with_him into his retreat i_will lay you a wager that you find the seal with_the thumb- mark upon it ."

" wonderful ! " said Lestrade ." wonderful ! it's all as clear as crystal, as_you put it . but what_is the object of_this deep deception, Mr Holmes ? "

it_was amusing to_me to_see how the detective's overbearing manner had changed suddenly to_that of a child asking questions of_its teacher .

" well, I don't think that_is very hard to explain .a very deep, malicious, vindictive person is_the gentleman who_is now awaiting us downstairs . you_know that he_was once refused by McFarlane's mother ? you don't ! i_told you that you_should go to Blackheath first and Norwood afterwards . well, this injury, as he_would consider it, has rankled in_his wicked, scheming brain, and all his life he has longed for vengeance, but never seen his chance . during_the_last year or two things have_gone against him -- secret speculation, i_think -- and he finds himself in a bad way . he determines to swindle his creditors, and for_this purpose he pays large cheques to a certain Mr Cornelius, who_is, I imagine, himself under another name . I_have_not traced these cheques yet, but I_have no_doubt that_they were banked under that name at some provincial town where Oldacre from_time to_time led a double existence . he intended to_change his name altogether, draw this money, and vanish, starting life again elsewhere ."

" well, that's likely enough ."

" it would strike him that in disappearing he might throw all pursuit off his track, and at_the same time have an ample and crushing revenge upon his old sweetheart, if he_could give the impression that he had_been murdered by her only child . it_was a masterpiece of villainy, and he carried it out like a master . the idea of_the will, which would give an obvious motive for_the crime, the secret visit unknown to_his own parents, the retention of_the stick, the blood, and_the animal remains and buttons in_the wood- pile, all were admirable . it_was a net from_which it seemed to_me a few hours_ago that there_was no possible escape . but he had_not that supreme gift of_the artist, the knowledge of when to stop . he_wished to improve that which_was already perfect -- to draw the rope tighter yet round the neck of_his unfortunate victim -- and so he ruined all . let_us descend, Lestrade . there_are just one_or_two questions that i_would ask him ."

the malignant creature was seated in_his own parlour with a policeman upon each side of him .

" it_was a joke, my good sir, a practical joke, nothing more," he whined incessantly ."I assure you, sir, that I simply concealed myself in_order_to_see the effect of_my disappearance, and I_am_sure that you_would_not_be so unjust as_to imagine that i_would_have allowed any harm to befall poor young Mr McFarlane ."

" that's for a jury to decide," said Lestrade ."Anyhow, we_shall_have you on a charge of conspiracy, if_not for attempted murder ."

" and you'll probably find that your creditors will impound the banking account of Mr Cornelius," said Holmes .

the little man started and turned his malignant eyes upon my friend .

" I_have to_thank_you_for a good_deal," said he ." perhaps I'll pay my debt some day ."

Holmes smiled indulgently .

"I fancy that for some few years you_will_find your time very fully occupied," said he ." by_the_way, what_was it you put into_the wood- pile besides your old trousers ? a dead dog, or rabbits, or what ? you won't tell ? dear me, how very unkind of you ! well, well, I dare say that a couple of rabbits would account both for_the blood and for_the charred ashes . if ever you write an account, Watson, you_can_make rabbits serve your turn ."

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