No. 1 The Adventure of Silver Blaze by Arthur Conan Doyle
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him . finally, an analysis has shown that_the remains of_his supper left by_the stable-lad contain an appreciable quantity of powdered opium, while the people at_the house partook of_the same dish on_the same night without any ill effect .

" those are the main facts of_the case, stripped of all surmise, and stated as baldly as possible . I_shall now recapitulate what the police have_done in_the matter .

" inspector Gregory, to_whom the case has_been committed, is an extremely competent officer . were he but gifted with imagination he might rise to great heights in_his profession . on_his arrival he promptly found and arrested the man upon whom suspicion naturally rested . there_was little difficulty in finding him, for he inhabited one of_those villas which I_have mentioned . his name, it appears, was Fitzroy Simpson . he_was a man of excellent birth and education, who had squandered a fortune upon_the turf, and who lived now by doing a little quiet and genteel book-making in_the sporting clubs of London . an examination of_his betting- book shows that bets to_the amount of five thousand pounds had_been registered by him against the favourite . on being arrested he volunteered that statement that he had come down to Dartmoor in_the hope of getting some information about_the king's Pyland horses, and also about Desborough, the second favourite, which_was in charge of Silas brown at_the Mapleton stables . he_did_not attempt to deny that he had acted as described upon_the evening before, but declared that he had no sinister designs, and had simply wished to obtain first- hand information . when confronted with_his cravat, he turned very pale, and was utterly unable to account for its presence in_the hand of_the murdered man . his wet clothing showed that he had_been out in_the storm of_the night before, and_his stick, which_was aPenang- lawyer weighted with lead, was just such a weapon as might, by repeated blows, have inflicted the terrible injuries to_which_the trainer had succumbed . on_the other hand, there_was no wound upon his person, while the state of Straker's knife would show that one at_least of_his assailants must bear his mark upon him . there you_have it all in a nutshell, Watson, and if you_can_give me any light I_shall_be infinitely obliged to_you ."

I had listened with_the greatest interest to_the statement which Holmes, with characteristic clearness, had laid before me . though most of_the facts were familiar to_me, I had_not sufficiently appreciated their relative importance, nor their connection to each_other .

" is in not possible," I suggested, " that_the incised would upon Straker may have_been caused by his own knife in_the convulsive struggles which follow any brain injury ? "

" it_is more than possible; it_is probable," said Holmes ." in_that case one_of_the main points in favour of_the accused disappears ."

" and yet," said I, " even now I fail to understand what the theory of_the police can_be ."

" I_am afraid that whatever theory we state has very grave objections to_it," returned my companion ." the police imagine, I take it, that_this Fitzroy Simpson, having drugged the lad, and having in some way obtained a duplicate key, opened the stable door and took out the horse, with_the intention, apparently, of kidnapping him altogether . his bridle is missing, so_that Simpson must_have put this on . then, having left the door open behind him, he_was leading the horse away over the moor, when he_was either met or overtaken by_the trainer .a row naturally ensued . Simpson beat out the trainer's brains with_his heavy stick without receiving any injury from_the small knife which Straker used in self-defence, and then the thief either led the horse on to some secret hiding- place, or else it may_have bolted during the struggle, and be now wandering out on_the moors . that_is_the case as it appears to_the police, and improbable as_it_is, all other explanations are more improbable still . however, I_shall very quickly test the matter when I_am once upon_the spot, and until then I_cannot really see how we_can get much further than our present position ."

it_was evening before we reached the little town of Tavistock, which lies, like the boss of a shield, in_the middle of_the huge circle of Dartmoor . two gentlemen were awaiting us in_the station-- the one a tall, fair man with lion- like hair and beard and curiously penetrating light blue eyes; the other a small, alert person, very neat and dapper, in a frock- coat and gaiters, with trim little side-whiskers and an eye- glass . the latter was colonel Ross, the well- known sportsman; the other, inspector Gregory, a man who was rapidly making his name in_the English detective service .

" I_am delighted that you_have come down, Mr Holmes," said the colonel ." the inspector here has_done all that could possibly be suggested, but i_wish to leave no stone unturned in trying to avenge poor Straker and in recovering my horse ."

" have there been any fresh developments ? " asked Holmes .

" I_am sorry to_say that we_have_made very little progress," said the inspector ." we_have an open carriage outside, and as_you_would no_doubt like to_see the place before_the light fails, we_might talk it over as_we drive ."

a minute later we were all seated in a comfortable landau, and were rattling through_the quaint old Devonshire city . inspector Gregory was full of_his case, and poured out a stream of remarks, while Holmes threw in an occasional question or interjection . colonel Ross leaned back with_his arms folded and_his hat tilted over his eyes, while I listened with interest to_the dialogue of_the two detectives . Gregory was formulating his theory, which_was almost exactly what Holmes had foretold in_the train .

" the net is drawn pretty close round Fitzroy Simpson," he remarked, " and I believe myself that he_is our man . at_the same time I recognise that_the evidence is purely circumstantial, and_that some new development may upset it ."

" how about Straker's knife ? "

" we_have quite come to_the conclusion that he wounded himself in_his fall ."

" my friend Dr .Watson made that suggestion to_me as_we came down . if_so, it would tell against this man Simpson ."

" undoubtedly . he has neither a knife nor any sign of a wound . the evidence against him is certainly very strong . he had a great interest in_the disappearance of_the favourite . he lies under suspicion of having poisoned the stable- boy, he_was undoubtedly out in_the storm, he_was armed with a heavy stick, and_his cravat was found in_the dead man's hand .I really think we_have enough to_go before a jury ."

Holmes shook his head ."A clever counsel would tear it all to rags," said he ." why should he take_the horse out_of_the stable ? if he_wished to injure it why could he not do_it there ? has a duplicate key been found in_his possession ? what chemist sold him the powdered opium ? above all, where could he, a stranger to_the district, hide a horse, and such a horse as_this ? what_is his own explanation as_to_the paper which he_wished the maid to_give to_the stable- boy ? "

" he_says that_it_was aten- pound note . one was found in_his purse . but your other difficulties are_not so formidable as_they seem . he_is_not a stranger to_the district . he has twice lodged at Tavistock in_the summer . the opium was probably brought from London . the key, having served its purpose, would_be hurled away . the horse may_be at_the bottom of one_of_the pits or old mines upon_the moor ."

" what does he say about_the cravat ? "

" he acknowledges that_it_is his, and declares that he had lost it . but a new element has_been introduced into_the case which_may account for_his leading the horse from_the stable ."

Holmes pricked up his ears .

" we_have found traces which show that a party of gypsies encamped on Monday night within a mile of_the spot where the murder took place . on Tuesday they were gone . now, presuming that there_was some understanding between Simpson and these gypsies, might he not have_been leading the horse to_them when he_was overtaken, and may they not have him now ? "

" it_is certainly possible ."

" the moor is being scoured for_these gypsies . I_have also examined every stable and out- house in Tavistock, and for a radius of ten miles ."

" there_is another training- stable quite close, I understand ? "

" yes, and_that is a factor which we_must certainly not neglect . as Desborough, their horse, was second in_the betting, they had an interest in_the disappearance of_the favourite .Silas brown, the trainer, is known to have_had large bets upon_the event, and he_was no friend to poor Straker . we_have, however, examined the stables, and there_is nothing to connect him with_the affair ."

" and nothing to connect this man Simpson with_the interests of_the Mapleton stables ? "

" nothing at all ."

Holmes leaned back in_the carriage, and_the conversation ceased .a few_minutes later our driver pulled up at a neat little red- brick villa with overhanging eaves which stood by_the road . some distance off, across a paddock, lay a long grey- tiled out- building . in every_other direction the low curves of_the moor, bronze-coloured from_the fading ferns, stretched away to_the sky- line, broken only by_the steeples of Tavistock, and by a cluster of houses away to_the westward which marked the Mapleton stables . we all sprang out with_the exception of Holmes, who continued to lean back with_his eyes fixed upon_the sky in front of him, entirely absorbed in_his own thoughts . it_was only when I touched his arm that he roused himself with a violent start and stepped out_of_the carriage .

" excuse me," said he, turning to colonel Ross, who had looked at him in some surprise ." i_was day-dreaming ." there_was a gleam in_his eyes and a suppressed excitement in_his manner which convinced me, used as i_was to_his ways, that his hand was upon aclue, though I_could_not imagine where he had found it .

" perhaps you_would prefer at once to_go on to_the scene of_the crime, Mr Holmes ? " said Gregory .

" i_think that i_should prefer to stay here a little and go into one_or_two questions of detail .Straker was brought back here, I presume ? "

" yes; he lies upstairs . the inquest is to- morrow ."

" he has_been in your service some_years, colonel Ross ? "

" I_have always found him an excellent servant ."

"I presume that you_made an inventory of what he had in_this pockets at_the_time of_his death, inspector ? "

" I_have the things themselves in_the sitting- room, if_you_would care to_see them ."

" i_should_be very_glad ." we all filed into_the front room and sat round the central table while the inspector unlocked a square tin box and laid a small heap of things before_us . there_was a box of vestas, two inches of tallow candle, an aD P brier- root pipe, a pouch of seal- skin with half an ounce of long- cut Cavendish, a silver watch with a gold chain, five sovereigns in gold, an aluminium pencil- case, a few papers, and an ivory- handled knife with a very delicate, inflexible bade marked Weiss & Co ., London .

" this_is a very singular knife," said Holmes, lifting it up and examining it minutely ."I presume, as I_see blood-stains upon it, that_it_is the one which_was found in_the dead man's grasp .Watson, this knife is surely in your line ? "

" it_is what we call a cataract knife," said I .

" i_thought so .a very delicate blade devised for very delicate work .a strange thing for a man to carry with_him upon a rough expedition, especially as it would_not shut in_his pocket ."

" the tip was guarded by a disk of Cork which we_found beside his body," said the inspector ." his wife tells us that_the knife had lain upon_the dressing- table, and_that he had picked it up as he left the room . it_was a poor weapon, but perhaps the best that he_could lay his hands on at_the moment ."

" very possible . how about these papers ? "

" three of_them are receipted hay-dealers' accounts . one_of_them is a letter of instructions from colonel Ross . this other is a milliner's account for thirty-seven pounds fifteen made out by Madame Lesurier, of bond street, to William Derbyshire .Mrs Straker tells us that Derbyshire was a friend of her husband's and_that occasionally his letters were addressed here ."

" madam Derbyshire had somewhat expensive tastes," remarked Holmes, glancing down the account ."Twenty- two guineas is rather heavy for a single costume . however there appears to_be nothing more to learn, and we_may now go down to_the scene of_the crime ."

as_we emerged from_the sitting- room a woman, who had_been waiting in_the passage, took a step forward and laid her hand upon_the inspector's sleeve . her face was haggard and thin and eager, stamped with_the print of a recent horror .

" have_you got them ? have_you found them ? " she panted .

" no, Mrs Straker . but Mr Holmes here has_come from London to help_us, and we_shall do all that_is possible ."

" surely I met you in Plymouth at a garden- party some little time ago, Mrs Straker ? " said Holmes .

" no, sir; you_are mistaken ."

" dear me ! why, I_could_have sworn to_it . you wore a costume of dove-coloured silk with ostrich- feather trimming ."

"I never had such a dress, sir," answered the lady .

"Ah, that quite settles it," said Holmes . and with an apology he followed the inspector outside .a short walk across the moor took us to_the hollow in_which_the body had_been found . at_the brink of it was_the furze- bush upon_which the coat had_been hung .

" there_was no wind that night, I understand," said Holmes .

" none; but very heavy rain ."

" in_that case the overcoat

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