The day was just breaking when I woke the long, thin form of Holmes by my bedside fully dressed, and had apparently already been out

" the lawn bicycle shed," said he " also had ramble Ragged Shaw Now, Watson, cocoa ready next room beg you to hurry, for great day "

His eyes shone, cheek was flushed exhilaration master workman who sees his work lie ready before him very different Holmes, this active, alert man, introspective and pallid dreamer of Baker Street , as I looked upon that supple figure, alive with nervous energy, indeed strenuous day that awaited us

And yet it opened blackest disappointment With high hopes we struck across the peaty, russet moor, intersected with thousand sheep paths, until we came broad, light-green belt which marked the morass and Holdernesse Certainly, lad had gone homewards, passed this, and pass it without leaving his traces But no sign of him or the German seen With darkening face my friend strode along the margin, eagerly observant of every muddy stain mossy surface Sheep-marks there were in profusion, and at one place, some miles down, cows had left their tracks Nothing more

"Check number one," said Holmes, looking gloomily over the rolling expanse moor " another morass down yonder and narrow neck between Halloa ! halloa ! halloa ! what have we here ? "

We had come on small black ribbon of pathway middle of it, clearly marked sodden soil, track of bicycle

"Hurrah ! " I cried " it "

But Holmes was shaking his head, face was puzzled and expectant rather than joyous

"A bicycle, certainly, but not the bicycle," said he " familiar with forty-two different impressions left by tyres This, perceive, is Dunlop, with patch outer cover Heidegger's tyres were Palmer's, leaving longitudinal stripes Aveling, the mathematical master, was sure point Therefore, Heidegger's track "

"The boy's, then ? "

"Possibly, prove bicycle possession But this utterly failed This track, perceive, by rider who was going direction school "

"Or towards it ? "

"No, no, my dear Watson The more deeply sunk impression is, , the hind wheel, the weight rests You perceive several places where it has passed across and obliterated the more shallow mark front one undoubtedly heading away school It may or may not be connected inquiry, but follow it backwards before we go any farther "

so, and end of few hundred yards lost the tracks emerged boggy portion moor Following the path backwards, we picked out another spot, where spring trickled across it Here, once again, mark bicycle, though nearly obliterated hoofs of cows no sign, but the path ran right on into Ragged Shaw, the wood which backed on school wood the cycle emerged Holmes sat down on boulder and rested his chin hands I had smoked two cigarettes before he moved

"Well, well," said he, at last " , , possible that cunning man might change the tyre bicycle to leave unfamiliar tracks criminal who was capable thought is man whom proud business with leave this question undecided and hark back to our morass again, for left unexplored "

We continued our systematic survey edge sodden portion moor, and soon our perseverance was gloriously rewarded Right across the lower part bog lay miry path Holmes gave cry of delight as he approached it An impression like fine bundle of telegraph wires ran down the centre of it It Palmer tyre

" Herr Heidegger, sure enough ! " cried Holmes, exultantly "My reasoning seems pretty sound, Watson "

"I congratulate you "

"But long way still Kindly walk clear path Now follow the trail not lead very far "

, however, advanced portion moor is intersected with soft patches, and, though we frequently lost sight track, we always succeeded in picking it up once more

" observe," said Holmes, " rider is now undoubtedly forcing the pace ? There of it Look impression, where you get both tyres clear The one is as deep other only mean rider is throwing his weight on handle-bar, as man does when sprinting By Jove ! he has had fall "

broad, irregular smudge covering some yards track Then there were few footmarks, tyre reappeared once more

"A side-slip," I suggested

Holmes held up crumpled branch of flowering gorse To my horror I perceived yellow blossoms were all dabbled with crimson path, too, and heather were dark stains of clotted blood

"Bad ! " said Holmes "Bad ! Stand clear, Watson ! Not an unnecessary footstep ! What do here ? He fell wounded, he stood up, he remounted, he proceeded But no other track Cattle side path surely not gored by bull ? Impossible ! But no traces of anyone else push on, Watson Surely with stains track to guide us escape us now "

Our search was not very long one The tracks tyre began to curve fantastically wet and shining path Suddenly, as I looked ahead, the gleam of metal caught my eye from amid the thick gorse bushes we dragged bicycle, Palmer-tyred, one pedal bent, whole front of it horribly smeared and slobbered with blood other side bushes shoe was projecting We ran round, and there lay the unfortunate rider tall man, full bearded, with spectacles, one glass knocked out The cause death was frightful blow head, which had crushed skull That he gone on after receiving such an injury said much vitality and courage man He wore shoes, but no socks, open coat disclosed night-shirt beneath it undoubtedly the German master

Holmes turned the body over reverently, and examined it with great attention He then sat in deep thought for time, and I by his ruffled brow grim discovery , opinion, advanced us much inquiry