Holmes led us along the passage with certainty he had lived house and halted open door strong-room

"Pooh ! What an awful smell of paint ! " cried the inspector

"That was our first clue," said Holmes " thank Dr Watson's observation , though he failed to draw the inference It set my foot trail Why should this man be filling his house with strong odours ? Obviously, some other smell which he wisfhed to conceal -- some guilty smell which would suggest suspicions Then came the idea of room such as here with iron door and shutter -- hermetically sealed room Put those two facts together, and whither do they lead ? only determine that by examining the house myself already certain case was serious, for I had examined the box-office chart Haymarket Theatre -- another of Dr Watson's bull's-eyes -- and ascertained that neither B thirty nor thirty-two upper circle occupied that night Therefore, Amberley theatre, alibi fell ground bad slip when he allowed my astute friend to notice the number seat taken wife The question now arose how able to examine the house an agent most impossible village think of, and summoned my man at such an hour that possibly get back any miscarriage, Dr Watson accompanied him The good vicar's name , , out Crockford Do I make it all clear ? "

" masterly," said the inspector in an awed voice

"There being no fear of interruption I proceeded to burgle the house Burglary has always been an alternative profession had I cared to adopt it, and little doubt that come front Observe what the gas-pipe along the skirting here It rises angle wall, and tap here corner The pipe runs out strong-room, see, and ends plaster rose centre ceiling, where concealed ornamentation That end is wide open At any moment by turning the outside tap the room flooded with gas With door and shutter closed tap full on give two minutes of conscious sensation to anyone shut up little chamber By what devilish device he decoyed them there know, but once inside the door they were at his mercy "

The inspector examined the pipe with interest " officers mentioned the smell of gas," said he, "but the window and door were open then, paint -- or some of it -- was already about He had begun the work of painting the day before, according story But what next, Mr Holmes ? "

"Well, then came an incident rather unexpected to myself slipping pantry window early dawn when hand inside my collar, and voice said: 'Now, you rascal, you doing in there ? ' When twist my head round I looked tinted spectacles friend and rival, Mr Barker curious foregathering and set us both smiling It seems that he engaged by Dr Ray Ernest's family some investigations and had come same conclusion foul play He had watched the house for some days and had spotted Dr Watson as obviously suspicious characters who had called there hardly arrest Watson, but when man actually climbing pantry window there came limit restraint , him how matters stood and we continued the case together "

"Why him ? us ? "

"Because in my mind that little test which answered so admirably gone "

The inspector smiled

"Well, maybe not I understand that your word, Mr Holmes, that you step right case now you turn all your results over "

"Certainly, always my custom "

"Well, name force It seems clear case, put it, and there can't be much difficulty over the bodies "

"I'll show you grim little bit of evidence," said Holmes, "and Amberley himself never observed it You'll get results, Inspector, by always putting yourself other fellow's place, and thinking what do yourself It takes some imagination, but it pays Now, suppose that you were shut up little room, two minutes to live, but wanted even fiend who was probably mocking at you other side door What would ? "

"Write message "

"Exactly like people how you died No use writing on paper seen wrote wall someone might rest upon it Now, look here ! Just above the skirting is scribbled with purple indelible pencil: 'We we --' That's all

"What make ? "

"Well, it's only foot above the ground The poor devil was floor dying when he wrote it his senses before finish "

" writing, 'We were murdered ' "

"That's how it find an indelible pencil body --"

"We'll look out , But those securities ? Clearly no robbery at all And yet possess those bonds We verified that "

" he has them hidden in safe place whole elopement had passed into history, suddenly discover them and announce guilty couple had relented and sent back the plunder or had dropped it way "

"You certainly seem met every difficulty," said the inspector " , bound us in, but why gone to ou 't understand "

"Pure swank ! " Holmes answered " so clever and so sure of himself that he imagined no one could touch him He to any suspicious neighbour, 'Look steps taken consulted the police but even Sherlock Holmes ' "

The inspector laughed

" forgive you your 'even,' Mr Holmes," said he "it's as workmanlike job as remember "

couple of days later my friend tossed across copy bi-weekly North Surrey Observer Under series of flaming headlines, which began with "The Haven Horror" and ended with "Brilliant Police Investigation," packed column of print which gave the first consecutive account affair The concluding paragraph is typical whole It ran thus:

The remarkable acumen Inspector MacKinnon deduced smell of paint that some other smell, that of gas, for example, concealed; the bold deduction strong-room might also be the death-chamber, subsequent inquiry which led discovery bodies in disused well, cleverly concealed by dog kennel, should live history of crime as standing example intelligence professional detectives

"Well, well, MacKinnon is good fellow," said Holmes with tolerant smile " file it archives, Watson Some day the true story told "