Show I r The T he Adventure of the Priory jJ School ol By Conan Doyle r 1 Part Four By SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE Copyright 1921 b by Harper Bros Published Published publIshed Pub pub- by special arrangement with the McClure Newspaper Syndicate The story thus far Lord year old heir and only child of the late cabinet minister the Duke of disappeared from the Priory a select elect preparatory school in the north of or England one night and Dr Huxtable founder and principal of the school went to Holmes for help He said that the same night the German master Heidegger had also disappeared and his bicycle was gone The beds of Lord and of the German German German Ger Ger- man master had both been slept in in but whereas Lord was evidently fully dressed when he went away the German masters master's clothes were most of them In his room Dr Huxtable suggested that the missing bIcycle was perhaps only a a. blind Holmes and Watson went with Huxtable Huxtable Huxta Huxta- ble to the school where the duke and his secretary Mr James Wilder met them Wilder was angry with Huxtable for taking Holmes into his confidence but the duke was court courteous ous though he hesitated to give any information about his unhappy marriage His wife the duchess was living apart from him in inthe inthe inthe the south of France but he ba did not think she had had anything to do with her sons son's disappearance The duke ad admItted admitted ad- ad having written a letter fetter to the boy which he received on the day he disappeared and Wilder remembered posting it among the score that he re received received received re- re from the duke that day But the duke declared that the letter contained contained con con- tamed nothing which could have made the boy think of running away Lateon Later Late on Holmes got a map of ot the region and decided the couple must have made off ort across the moors to the north in the di direction direction di- di of the boys boy's home At this moment moment moment mo mo- ment Huxtable rushed in with a blue and white cricket cap This had been found among a a. band of gypsies who declared that they had picked it up on the moor Holmes and Watson early in the morning looked for tracks in the moor and found those of the Germans German's bicycle and another Following Following Fol Fol- lowing these they came on bloodstains and finally they found the body of the German dead with a battered head Holmes argued that evidence pointed to the probability that the German had se seen n the boy bov making off ort with somebody inthe in 10 inthe the night had pursued him half balf dressed on his bicycle and had been killed by whoever it was with the boy TODAY'S INSTALMENT Well Vell now let us turn to this unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate un un- fortunate German master The boy wa was fully Cully dressed when he flee fled Therefore h ho o foresaw what he would do But the German German German Ger Ger- man went without his socks He lIe certainly y acted on very short notice Undoubtedly Why did he hc go o Because from his bedroom window he saw the flight of tit the e boy because he wished to overtake hi him and bring him back He seized his bicycle pursued the lad and in pursuing g him hint met his death Sq It would seem Now I come to the critical part o omy of my m argument The natural action of a aman aman man in pursuing a little boy would be to torun torun t trun run after him He would know that he lie e could overtake him But the German does doe n not riot ot do so He turns to his bicycle I a am told that he was an excellent cyclist H He would not do this if he did not riot see that the boy had some swift means of escape The other bicycle Let LetIS us IS continue our reconstruction He meets his death five miles from th the e school school not not by a bullet mark marl you t which hicl t even a lad might conceivably discharge ge but by a savage blow dealt by a vIgorous vigorous vig vIg- orous Brous arm The lad tad then had a companion companion com com- panion In his flight night And the flight waa was wa wasa s a swift one since It took tool five miles before before before be be- be- be fore an expert cyclist could overtake e them Yet we survey the ground roun round d the scene of the tragedy What do w we e find A few cattle tracks nothing more I took a wide sweep round and nd there i ino is no path within fifty yards Another cyclist could have had nothing to do with th the e actual murder nor were there any human human human hu hu- man footmarks Holmes I cried this is Impossible Admirable ho he said sard A mOl most t illuminating Il it Illuminating il- il remark It is impossible as Io I I state it It and therefore I must in coin sonto o respect have stated It wrong Yet you yet ou t saw for yourself Can you suggest an any y fallacy falla C He could not have fractured his skull 1 in a fallin fall faU In a morass Watson Vatson I am at my wits wits' end Tut tut we the have solved some worse Weis e problems At least we wo have plenty of ma material if It we can only use it it Come Conte then and having exhausted the Palmer let u us 91 see what the Dunlop with the patched d I cover has to offer us I We picked up the track and followed 1 It t I onward for some dl distance tance but soon th the e moor rose into n a long ICIng heather tufted i I curve and we left the water course behind be be- J hind us No further help from tracks track s 1 could be hoped for At the spot where whet o we saw the last of the Dunlop tiro tire 1 It t might equally equall have led to Holderness e Hall ball the stately towers of which roso ros e some miles to our left or to a low gray gra y village which lay In front of us us nn an and d marked the position of the Chesterfield C I high road i As we approached the forbidding an and squalid inn with the sign of or a game cod cock k above the door Holmes gave a sudden n j groan and clutched me ine by the tile shoulder i to o i save himself from falling failing He had had one cf of those violent strains of the ankle which leave a man helpless With difficulty difficulty culty he limped up to the door where a squat dark darl man was smoking a black clay pipe How are you ou Mr Reuben Hayes said Holmes Who Vho are you and how do you get my name so pat the countryman answered answered an answered an- an with a suspicious flash lash of a parr pair of cunning eye eye- eyes I Well its it's printed on the board oard above your head Its It's easy to see a a. man who Is master of ot his own house I suppose you OU haven't such a thing as a carriage in your stables No o I have not I can hardly put my foot foot to the ground Dont put it to the But I cant can't walk Well then hop Mr Reuben Hayes' Hayes manner was far from gracious but Holmes took It with admirable good humor Look here my man said he This is really rather an awkward fix for me I dont don't mind how I Iet get et on Neither do I said the morose land land- lord The matter Is very Important I I would offer you a a. sovereign for the use of a a. bicycle The landlord pricked up his ears eans Where do you OU want to go To Hall Han I Pals of the do dock dook ok I suppose said the landlord surveying our mud stained garments with ironical eyes Holmes laughed good Hell be glad to see us us anyhow Why Because we bring him news of hi his s lost los t son son son- The landlord gave a very visible start What youre you're on his track He has been heard of In Liverpool They expect to get him every hour Again a swift change passed over the heavy unshaven face His Ills manner was suddenly genial Ive less reason to wish the dook well than most men said he he for I was his head coachman once and cruel bad he treated me It was him that sacked me without a character on the word of a lying corn chandler But Im I'm glad to hear that the young lord was heard of In Liverpool and Ill I'll help you to take tako th the e news to the hall han Thank you ou said Holmes Well ell have some food tood first Then yo you can bring round the bicycle I haven't got a bicycle Holmes held up a soverign I tell you man that I haven't go got gol t one Ill I'll let you jou have two horses as tar taras taras taras as the hall han Well Vell well said Holmes well talk about it when weve we've had something t to eat When we were left alone In the stone flagged Kitchen It was astonishing how hot rapidly that sprained ankle recovered I It t was nearly and we had eaten nothing since early morning so that we spent some time over our meal Holme was lost In thought and once or twice e he ho walked over to the window an and d I stared earnestly out It opened oti o on to a squalid court courtyard ard In Inv the far corner waa was wa wasI wasa s a smithy smIth where a grimy lad was at work On the other cither side were the stables I Holmes Holmes' had sat down again after one 0 of i these excursions when he suddenly sprang out of ot his chair with a loud exI ex ex- I By y heaven beaven Watson atson I believe that that Ive I've got it it he cried Yes yes es It must t be so Watson Vatson do you remember seeing g I any cow tracks today Yes several I Where I Well Vell everywhere They were at th the e morass and again on the path and again near where the poor Heidegger met his hie death o 0 i I Exactly Well Veil note now Watson Vatson ho how w i I many cows did you ou see on the moor mor I lOr I dont don't remember seeing any I I Strange Watson Vatson that we should se see e tracks all along our line but never net cr a aI cow cozy on the whole moor Very strange I Watson eh Yes It Is strange I Now Watson Vatson make an effort throw w your our mind back Can Can you ou see those tracks track s II lulon upon m the p path Yes I can f r. r 1 I Can you recall that the tracks were I sometimes like that Watson he Watson he arI art ar ar- I ranged a number of bread crumbs 1 In InI n I l this fashion fashion- and and sometimes someI sometimes some some- times like tits this and oc occasionally occasionally oc- oc I like this this Can yo you OU OUI u I remember that No lo I cannot But I can I could to it it However However How How- I ever we the will go back at our leisure an and andi d i verify It What a a. blind beetle I have been I not to draw my conclusion I And what Is your conclusion Only that It Is a remarkable cow which h walks canters and gallops By George I Watson Vatson it was no brain of a count countr country publican that thought out such a blind blin as that The coast seems to be clear save for that lad In the smithy Let us slip sift out and see what we can see I There were two r rough ugh haired unkempt horses In the tumble down stable Holmes Holme s raised the hind leg of one of them an and d laughed hed aloud I I Old shoes but newly shod shod old old shoes but hut now nails nalls This case deserves to b ba be e a classic Let us go across to the smithy I The rhe lad continued his work worl smithY w without regarding i us I 1 saw Holmes' Holmes eye darting to right and left amen amon among the litter Utter of Ire Iron I and wood which was scattered about th the e I floor Hoor Suddenly how ho er cr we heard a step ate r I I II I behind behInds us s an and there thero was the landlord his heavy eyebrows drawn down over his savage sa eyes eyes his swarthy features convulsed convulsed convulsed con con- with passion He held a a. short metal headed stick in his hand and he advanced in so menacing a fashion that I was right glad to feel the revo revolver ver In n my pocket You infernal spies ples the man cr cried I e d What are you doing there i j Why Mr l Reuben Hayes sa said Id Holmes cool coolly one might think that yo you were afraid of our finding something out The man mastered himself with a alent vio violent 10 lent effort and his grim mouth loosened Into a falsE false laugh which was more menacing menacing men men- acing than his frown men men-j Youre welcome to all aU you can find out out in my smithy said he But look here mister I dont don't dont don't care for folk poking about I my pl place ce without my leave so the sooner sooner soon soon- soon 1 er you pay your score and get out Of this I the better I shall be pleased i All right Mr Hayes Haes no harm meant said Holmes We Ve have been having h alook a alook look at your horses but I think I Ill I'll 11 walk after all aU Its It's not far I believe Not lot ot more than two miles t to to th the hall han gates That's the road to the tire left left He watched us with sullen eyes ees until we had left his premises We Ve did not go very far along the road for Holmes stopped the instant that the curve hid us from the landlords landlord's view Pie We e were warm as the children say sayat sayat sayat at that inn said he I seem to grow colder every step that I take away from it No no I cant can't possibly leave It I am convinced said I I. I that this Reuben Hayes knows all aU about it A more self evident villain I never saw Oh he impressed you OU In that way did he he hel There are the horses there is the smithy Yes it is an interesting place r this Fighting Cock I think we shall have another look at it in an unobtrusive way A long sloping ing hillside dotted with gray limestone boulders stretched behind behind be be- hind us We Ye had turned off oft the road and were making our way up the hill when looking in the direction or Hall HaU I sa saw saw- sawa v. v a cyclist coming swiftly along Get down Watson atson cried Holmes with a heavy hand upon m my shoulder We Ye had hardly sunk from view when the man flew past us on the road Amid a a. rilling ruling cloud of dust I caught a a. glimpse I of a pale agitated face face face-a a face with horror horror horror hor hor- in every lineament the mouth open the eyes ees staring wildly in front It was like some strange caricature of the dapper dapper dap dap- per James Wilder Ilder whom we had seen the night before The rhe dukes duke's secretary cried cried Holmes Come Watson Vatson let us see ne docs does v e scrambled from rock to rock until In Jn a few moments we had made our wa way to a point from which we could see the front door of the inn Wilders Wilder's bicycle was leaning against the wall beside it No one was moving about the house nor could we catch a glimpse of any faces at i the windows Slowly the twilight crept down as the sun sank behind the high I towers toners of Hall Then in the gloom we w-e saw the two side lamps of ot a trap light up tp in the stable yard ard of the inn and shortly afterwards heard the rattle of hoofs as It wheeled out into the tho road and tore off ort at a furious in the direction of ot Chesterfield pace What do you make of ot that Watson Holmes whispered It looks like e a a. flight A single man In a dogcart so f far r n as i I could see Well VeU it certainly Mr Ir James wilder was not f for r there he he i is at the he here door of oC A re th the red s square of f light had bad sprung out darkness In I the middle of It the b black figure was of the secretary hIs head advanced peering out into the I night it was evident that he was expecting ex ex- expecting I some somo ono one Then at last there steps in m the road a second figure were wal was I visible for an instant against the light Might the door T shut shut and ancl all was black Wack m more Five once minutes later latel fit a a. lamp was lit In ina a room upon the first floor I It It to be a curious class of at I I custom that Is s done by the FI Cock saId Holmes Fighting g h t In g l I The bar is on the other side I Quite so 50 These are what one may call the prIvate guests Now what In world Is Mr James the Wilder doing in that den at thIs hour of the companion night and who Is who comes to meet hIm there Come Watson Vatson wo we must really tale take a risk and tr try to Investigate this a little more closel closely Together we stole down to the road I and crept across to the door of the Inn The bicycle still leaned nn i against the I Holmes the back struck wheel a mat match h and id held it to I and I heard him chuckle its as |