No. 4 The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist by Arthur Conan Doyle
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any_way, but still it certainly was very odd .I mentioned it to Mr Carruthers, who seemed interested in what I_said, and told me that he had ordered ahorse and trap, so_that in future I should_not pass over these lonely roads without some companion .

"The horse and trap were to_have come this week, but for some reason they were_not delivered, and again I had to cycle to_the station .That was this_morning . you_can think that I looked out when I_came to Charlington Heath, and there, sure enough, was_the man, exactly as he had_been the two weeks before .He always kept so_far from me that I_could_not clearly see his face, but it_was certainly someone whom I_did_not know . he_was dressed in adark suit with acloth cap . the_only_thing about his face that I_could clearly see was his dark beard .To-day i_was not alarmed, but i_was filled with curiosity, and I determined to_find out who he_was and what he_wanted .I slowed down my machine, but he slowed down his .Then I stopped altogether, but he stopped also .Then I laid atrap for him . there_is asharp turning of_the road, and I pedalled very quickly round this, and then I stopped and waited .I expected him to shoot round and pass me before he_could stop .But he never appeared .Then I went back and looked round the corner .I could_see amile of road, but he_was not on_it . to_make it the more extraordinary, there_was no side road at_this point down which he could_have gone ."

Holmes chuckled and rubbed his hands ." this_case certainly presents some features of_its own," said he ." how_much time elapsed between your turning the corner and your discovery that_the road was clear ? "

" two_or_three minutes ."

"Then he_could_not have retreated down the road, and you say that_there_are no side roads ? "

"None ."

"Then he certainly took afootpath on one side or the other ."

"It could_not have_been on_the side of_the heath or i_should_have seen him ."

"So by_the process of exclusion we arrive at_the fact that he_made his way towards Charlington Hall, which, as I understand, is situated in its own grounds on one side of_the road .Anything else ? "

"Nothing, Mr Holmes, save that i_was so perplexed that I_felt I should_not_be happy until I had seen you and had your advice ."

Holmes sat in silence for some little time .

"Where is_the gentleman to_whom you_are engaged ? " he asked, at last .

" he_is in_the Midland Electrical Company, at Coventry ."

" he_would_not pay you asurprise visit ? "

"Oh, Mr Holmes ! as_if I should_not know him ! "

" have_you had any_other admirers ? "

"Several before I_knew Cyril ."

"And since ? "

" there_was this dreadful man, Woodley, if_you_can call him an admirer ."

"No one else ? "

Our fair client seemed alittle confused .

"Who was he ? " asked Holmes .

"Oh, it may_be amere fancy of_mine; but it has seemed to_me sometimes that my employer, Mr Carruthers, takes agreat deal of interest in me . we_are thrown rather together .I play his accompaniments in_the evening .He has never said anything . he_is aperfect gentleman .But agirl always knows ."

"Ha ! " Holmes looked grave ."What does he do for aliving ? "

" he_is arich man ."

"No carriages or horses ? "

"Well, at_least he_is fairly well-to-do .But he goes into_the City two_or_three times aweek . he_is deeply interested in South African gold shares ."

" you_will let me know any fresh development, Miss Smith . I_am very busy just now, but I will_find time to_make some inquiries into your case . in_the meantime take no step without letting me know .Good-bye, and I trust that we_shall_have nothing but good news from_you ."

" it_is part of_the settled order of Nature that such agirl should_have followers," said Holmes, as he pulled at his meditative pipe, "but for choice not on bicycles in lonely country roads .Some secretive lover, beyond all doubt .But there_are curious and suggestive details about_the case, Watson ."

"That he_should appear only at_that point ? "

"Exactly .Our first effort must_be to_find who_are the tenants of Charlington Hall .Then, again, how about_the connection between Carruthers and Woodley, since they appear to_be men of_such adifferent type ? How came they both to_be so keen upon looking up Ralph Smith's relations ? One more point .What sort of amenage is_it which pays double the market price for agoverness, but does_not keep ahorse although six miles from_the station ? Odd, Watson -- very odd ! "

" you_will go down ? "

"No, my dear fellow, you_will go down . this_may_be some trifling intrigue, and I_cannot break my other important research for_the sake of it .On Monday you_will arrive early at Farnham; you_will conceal yourself near Charlington Heath; you_will observe these facts for_yourself, and act as_your own judgement advises .Then, having inquired as_to_the occupants of_the Hall, you_will come back to_me and report .And now, Watson, not another word of_the matter until we_have afew solid stepping-stones on_which we_may hope to_get across to our solution ."

We had ascertained from_the lady that she went down upon_the Monday by_the train which leaves Waterloo at 9 .50, so I started early and caught the 9 .13 .At Farnham Station I had no difficulty in being directed to Charlington Heath . it_was impossible to mistake the scene of_the young lady's adventure, for_the road runs between_the open heath on one side and an old yew hedge upon_the other, surrounding apark which_is studded with magnificent trees . there_was amain gateway of lichen-studded stone, each side pillar surmounted by mouldering heraldic emblems; but besides this central carriage drive I observed several points where there were gaps in_the hedge and paths leading through them .The house was invisible from_the road, but the surroundings all spoke of gloom and decay .

The heath was covered with golden patches of flowering gorse, gleaming magnificently in_the light of_the bright spring sunshine .Behind one_of_these clumps i_took up my position, so as_to command both the gateway of_the Hall and along stretch of_the road upon either side .It had_been deserted when I left it, but now I_saw acyclist riding down it from_the opposite direction to_that in_which I had come . he_was clad in adark suit, and I_saw that he had ablack beard .On reaching the end of_the Charlington grounds he sprang from_his machine and led it through agap in_the hedge, disappearing from my view .

aquarter of an hour passed and then asecond cyclist appeared . this_time it was_the young lady coming from_the station . I_saw her look about her as she came to_the Charlington hedge .An instant later the man emerged from_his hiding-place, sprang upon his cycle, and followed her .In all the broad landscape those were the only moving figures, the graceful girl sitting very straight upon her machine, and_the man behind her bending low over his handle-bar, with acuriously furtive suggestion in every movement .She looked back at him and slowed her pace .He slowed also .She stopped .He at once stopped too, keeping two hundred yards behind her .Her next movement was as unexpected as it_was spirited .She suddenly whisked her wheels round and dashed straight at him ! he_was as quick as she, however, and darted off in desperate flight .Presently she came back up the road again, her head haughtily in_the air, not deigning to_take any further notice of her silent attendant .He had turned also, and still kept his distance until the curve of_the road hid them from my sight .

I remained in my hiding-place, and it_was well that I_did so, for presently the man reappeared cycling slowly back .He turned in at_the Hall gates and dismounted from_his machine .For some few_minutes I could_see him standing among_the trees .His hands were raised and he_seemed to_be settling his necktie .Then he mounted his cycle and rode away from me down the drive towards the Hall .I ran across the heath and peered through_the trees .Far away I_could catch glimpses of_the old grey building with its bristling Tudor chimneys, but the drive ran through adense shrubbery, and I_saw no more of_my man .

However, it seemed to_me that I had done afairly good morning's work, and I walked back in high spirits to Farnham .The local house-agent could tell me nothing about Charlington Hall, and referred me to awell-known firm in Pall Mall .There I halted on my way home, and met with courtesy from_the representative .No, I_could_not have Charlington Hall

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