The Sunday Oregonian., February 26, 1905, PART FOUR, Page 42, Image 42

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THE SUOTAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 26, 1905.
'42
4t
Adventures
'We Dancing Men
jOLMES had been seated for some
hours in silence with his long; thin
back curved over a chemical ves
sel in "which he was brewing- a particu
larly malodorous product. His head
was sunk upon his breast, and he
lookod from my point of view like a
strange, lank bird, with dull 'gray plu
mage and a black topknot.
"So, Watson," said he, suddenly, "you
do not propose to invest in South Af
rican securities?"
I gave a. start of astonishment. Ac
customed as I was to Holmes' curious
faculties,' this sudden intrusion Into my
most intimate thougnts was utterly in
explicable. t
"How on earth do you know that?" I
asked.
He wheeled round upon his stool, with
a steaming test tube in his hand, and a
gleam of amusement in his deep-set
eyes.
"Now, Watson, confess yourself ut
terly taken aback," said he.
f "I am."
"I ought to make you sign a paper to
ihat effect."
"Why?"
"Because in five minutes you will say
that it is all so absurdly simple."
"I am sure that I shall say nothing
of the kind."
"You see, my dear Watson"
ho propped his test tube in the rack,
and began to lecture with the air of a
professor addressing his class "it is
not really difficult to construct a series
of inferences, each dependent upon its
predecessor and each simple in itself.
If, after doing so, one simply knocks
out all the central inferences and pre
sents one's audience with the starting
point and the conclusion, one may pro
duce a startling, though possibly a mer
etricious, effect. Now, it was not really
difficult, by an inspection of the groove
between your left forefinger and
thumb, to feel sure that you did not
propose to invest your small capital In
the goldflelds."
"I see no connection."
"Very likely not; but I can quickly
show you a close connection. Here are
the missing links of the very simple
chain: First You had chalk between
your left finger and thumb when you
returned from the club last nignt. Sec
ond You put chalk there when you
play billiards to steady the cue.
Third You never play billiards except
with Thurston. Fourth You told me,
four weeks ago, that Thurston had an
option on some South African property
which would expire in a month, and
which he desired you to share with him.
Fifth Your chequebook Is locked In
my drawer, and you have not asked for
the key. Sixth You do not propose to
invest your money in this manner."
"How absurdly simple!" I cried.
"Quito so!" said he, a little nettled.
'Every problem "becomes very childish
when once It is explained to you. Here
Is an unexplained one. See what you
can make of that, friend "Watson." He
tossed a sheet of paper upon the table,
and turned once more to his chemical
analysis.
I looked with amazement at the absurd
hieroglyphics upon the paper.
"Why. Holmes, it is a child's draw
ing," I cried.
"Oh, that's your idea!" (
"What olse should it be?"
"That Is what Mr. Hilton Cubitt, of
Hiding Thorpe Manor, Norfolk, Is very
anxious to know. This little conun
drum came by the first post, and he was
to follow by the next train. There's a
ring at the bell, Watson. I should not
be very much surprised if this were
he."
A heavy step was heard upon the
stairs, and an Instant later there en
tered a tall, ruddy, clean-shaven gen
tleman, whose clear eyes and florid
cheeks told of a life led far from the
1 GUESS THE BEST CASE
fogs of Baker street- He seemed to
bring a whiff of hl3 strong, fresh, brac
ing, east-coast air with him as he en
tered. Having shaken nands with each
of us, ho was about t sit down, when
his eye rested upon the paper w(th the
curious markings, whleh T had Just ex
amined and left upon the table.
"Well. Mr. Holmes, what do you
make of these?" he cried. "They told
me that you were fona of queer mys
teries, and I don't think you can find a
queerer one than that. I sent the paper
on ahead, so that you m?ht have time
to study It before I came."
"It is certainly rather a curious pro
duction." said Holmes. "At first sight
it would apear to be some childish
prank. It consists of a number of ab
surd little figures dancing across the
paper upon which they are drawn. Why
should you attribute any Importance
to so grotesque an object?"
"I never should, Mr. Holmes. But
my wifo does. It Is frightening her
to death. She says nothing, but I can
see terror in her eyes. That's why I
want to sift the matter to tho bottom."
Holmes held up the paper that the
sunlight shone full upon it. It was a
page torn from a notebook. The mark
ings were done in pencil, and ran in
this way:
Las.
Holmes examined It for some time,
and then, folding it carefully up, he
placed it in bis pocketbook.
"This promises to be a most interest
ing and unusual case," said he. "You
pave me a few particulars in your let
ter. Mr. Hilton Cubitt. but I should be
very much obliged if you would kindly
go over It all again for the benefit of
my friend. Dr. Watson."
"I'm not much of a Htory-teller." said
our visitor, nervously clasping and un
clasping his great, strong hands.
"You'll Just ask me anything that I
don't make clear. I'll begin at the time
of my marriage last year, but I want
to say first of all that, though I'm not
a rich man, my people have been at
Riding Thorpe for a matter of five cen
turies, and there is no better-known
family in the County of Norfolk. Last
year I came up to London for the Jubi
lee, and 1 stopped at n boarding-house
in Russell Square, because Parker, the
vicar of our parish, was staying In lt
Therc was an American young lady
there Patrick was the name Elsie
Patrick. In some way we became
friends, until before my rnonth was up
I was as much in love as man could be.
We were quietly married at a registry
office, and we returned to Norfolk a
wedded couple. You'll think it very
I CAN MAKE FOR MYSELF IS THE ABSOLUTE NAKED TRUTH.
mad, Mr. Holmes, that a man of good
old family should marry a wife in this
fashion, knowing nothing of her past
or of her people, but Ifyou saw her
and "knew her. It would help you to
understand.
"She was very straight about It, was
Elsie.. I can't say that, she did not give
me ever- chance of getting1 out of It If
I wished to do so. T have nad some very
disagreeable associations In my life.'
said she, I wish" to forget all about
them. 1 would rather never allude to
the past, for It is very painful to me.
If you take me, Hilton, you will take a
woman who has nothing that she need
be personally ashamed of; but you will
have to be content with my word for
it.. and allow me to be silent as to all
that passed up to the time when I be- j
came yours. If these conditions are too i
hard, then go back to Norfolk, and
leave me to the lonely life in which
you found me.' It was only the day be
fore our wedding that she. said those
ery words to me. I told her that I
was content to take her on her own
terms, and I have been as good as my
word.
"Well, we have been married now for
a year, and very happy we have been.
But about a month ago, at the end of
June. I saw for the first lime signs of
trouble. One day my wife received a
letter from America. I saw the Ameri
can stamp. She turned deaJly white,
read the letter, and threw It Into the
fire She made no allusion to It after
wards, and I made none, for a. promise
is a promise, but she has never known
an easy hour from that moment. There
is always a look of fear upon her face
a look as if she were waiting and
expecting. She would do better to trust
me. She would find that I was her best
friend. But until she speaks, I can sny
nothing. Mind you, she Is a truthful
woman, Mr. Holmes, and whatever
trouble there may haw been in her past
life it has been no fault of hers. I am
only a simple Norfolk squire, but there
Is not a man In England who ranks his
family "honor more highly than I do.
She knows It well, and she knew it well
before she married me. She would never
bring any stain upon It of that I am
sure.
"Well, now I come to the queer part
of my story- About a week ago It
was the Tuesday of last week I found
on one of the window-sills a number of
absurd little dancing figures like these
upon the paper. They were scrawled
with chalk. I thought that it was the
stable-boy who had drawn them, but
the lad swore he knew nothing about
IL Anyhow, they had come there dur
ing the night. I had them washed out.
and 1 only mentioned the matter to my
wife afterwards To my surprise, she
took it very seriously, and begged me
If any more came to let her see them".
None did oomc for a week, and then
yesterday morning I found this paper
lying on the sun-dial In the garden. I
showed it to Elsie, and down she
dropped in a dead faint. Since then she
has looked like a woman In a dream,
half dazed, and with terror always
lurking in her eyes. It was then that
I wrote and sent the paper to you, Mr.
Holmes. It was not a thing that I could
take to the police, for they would have
laughed at me. but you .will tell me
what to do. I am not a rich man. but
if there "s any danger threatening my
little woman, I would spend my last
copper to shield her."
He was a fine creature, this man of
the old English soil simple, straight
and gentle, with his great, earnest blue
eyes and broad, comely face. His love
for his wife and his trust In her shone
in his features. Holmes had listened to
his story with the utmost attention,
and now he sat for some time in silent
thought.
"Don't you think. Mr. Cubitt," said he. I
at last, "that your best plan would be !
to make a direct appeal to your wife. '
and to ask her to share her secret with
you "
Hilton Cubitt shook his massive
head.
"A promise is a promise, Mr. Holmes.
If Elsie wished to tell me she would.
If not It Is not for me to force her con
fidence. But I am Justified in taking ray
own line and I will."
'"Then I will help you with all ray
heart. In the first place, have you heard
of any strangers being seen in your
neighborhood?"
"No."
"I presume it is a very quiet place.
Any fresh face would cause comment?"
"In the Immediate v neighborhood,
yes. But we have several small watering-places
not vory far away. And
the farmers take In lodgers."
"These hieroglyphics havo evidently
a meaning. If it is a purely arbitrary
one. It may be impossible for us to
sole it. If, on the other hand. It is
systematic. I have no doubt that wo
shall get to the bottom of it. But this
particular sample is so short tnat I
can do nothing, and the facts which
you have brought me are so indefinite
that we have no basis for an investi
gation. I would suggest that you re
turn to Norfolk, that you keep a keen i
lookout, and that you take an exact j
copy of any fresh dancing men which j
may appear, it is a thousand pities
that we have not a reproduction of
those which were done in chalk upon
the window-sill. Make a discreet in
quiry also as to any strangers In the
neighborhood. When you have collected
some fresh evidence, come to me again
That Is the best advice I can give you
Mr. Hilton Cubitt. If there are any
pressing1 fresh developments. I shall be
always ready to run down and see
you In your Norfolk home."
The interview left Sherlock Holmes
very thoughtful, and several times in
the next few days 1 paw him take his
slip of paper from his note-book and.j
look long and earnestly at the curious
figures Inscribed upon It. He made no
allusion to the affair, however, until
one afternoon a fortnight or so Inter. I
was going out when he called me back.
"You had better stay here, Watson."
"Why?"
"Because I bad a wire from Hilton
Cubitt this morning. You remember
Hilton Cubitt, of the dancing men? He
was to reach Liverpool street at 1:2).
He may be here at any moment. I
gather from his wire that there have
been some new incidents of import
ance." We had not long to wait, for our
Norfolk squire came straight from the
station as fast as a hansom could bring
him. He was looking worried and de
pressed, with tired eyes and a lined
forehead. (
"It's getting- on my nerves, this
business, Mr. Holmes," said he. as he
sank, like a wearied man. Into an arm
chair. "It's bad enough to feel tnat you
are surrounded by unseen, unknown
folk, who have some design upon you.
but when, in addition to that, you
knew that It Is Just killing your wife
by inches, then It becomes as much as
flesh and blc4J can endure. She's wear
ing away under It Just wearing- away
before my eyes."
"Has she said anything yet?"
"No. Mr. Holmes, she has not. And
yet there have been times when the
poor girl has wanted to speak, and yet
could not quite bring herself to take
the plunge. I have tried to help her,
but I dare say I did It. clumsily,
and scared her from it. She has spoken
about my old family, and our reputa
tion In the county, and our pride In
our unsullied honor, and I always
felt It was leading to the point, but some
how It turned off before we got there."
"But you have found out something for
yourself?"
"A good deal. Mr. Holme. I have sev
eral fresh dancing men pictures for you
to examine, and. what Is more Important,
I have seen the fellow."
"What, the man who draws them?'
"Yea I saw him at his work. But I
will tell you everything in order. When
I got back after my visit to
yOU. the
very first thing I saw next morning was
a. fresh crop of dancing men. They had
been drawn in chalk : upon the black wood-
en door of the tool house, which stands
uvtnuo me luwu in tun view ui me iiuiu
windows. I took an exact copy, and here
It Is." He unfolded a paper and laid It
upon the table. Here is a copy of the
hieroglyphics:
.. .... , ..r-. ii
"Excellent!" said Holmes. Excellent!
PT!J:ontJne," . t... ,
"When I had taken the copy. I rubbed
uui iue iuiiriu. uui, itvu illuming mici,
a fresh Inscription' had appeared. I have
a copy of It here":
Holmes rubbed his hands and chuckled
With delight. ,
"Our material is rapidly accumulating." ;
said he. I
"Three days later a message was left '
scrawled upon paper, and placed under i
a pebble upon the sun-dial. Here 'it Is.
The characters are. as you see. exactly
the same as the last one. After that I .
determined to He In wait, so I got out
my revolver and. I sat up In my study, I
which overlooks the lawn and garden, i
About two In the morning I was seated J
by the window, all being dark save for i
the moonlight outside, when I heard steps 1
behind me, and there was my wife In her j
dressing-gown. She implored me to come j
to Dea. l toia ner iranwy mat i wisnea
to see who It was who played such ab
surd tricks upon us. She answered that it
was some senseless practical Joke, and
that I should not take any notice of It,
" 'If it really annoys you. Hilton, we
might go and travel, you. and I, and so
avoid this nusance.'
" 'What, be driven out of our own house
by a practical Joker?' said I. 'Why. we
should have the whole county laughing
at us.
" 'Well, come to bed,' said she, 'and
we can discuss It In the morning.'
"Suddenly, as she spoke. I saw her
white face grow whiter yet in the moon
light, and her hand tightened upon my
shoulder. Something was moving In .the
shadow of the toolhouse. I saw a dark,
creeping flgui-je which crawled round the
corner and squatted In front of the door.
Seizing my pistol. I was rushing out.
when my wife threw her arms round me
and held mc with convulsive strength. I
tried to throw her off. but she clung to
me most desperately. At last I got clear
but by the time I had opened the door
and reached the house the creature was
gone. He had left a trace of his pres
ence, however, for there on the door was
the very same arrangement of dancing
men which had already twice appeared,
and which I have copied on that paper.
There was no other sign of the fellow
anywhere, though I ran all over the
grounds. And yet the amazing thing Is
that he must have been there all the
time, for when I examined the door again
In the morning he had scrawled some
more of his pictures under the line which
I had already seen."
"Have you that fresh drawing?"
"Yes. It is very short, but I made a
copy of It. and here It Is."
Again he produced the paper. The new
dance was In this form:
"Tell me," said Holmes and I could
see by his -eyes that he was much ex
cited "was this a mere addition to the
first, or, did It appear to be entirely sep
arate?" "It was oa a different panel of the
door."
"Excellent! This is far the moat jmport-
ant of all for our purpose. It fills me with
hopes. Now. Mr. Hilton Cubitt, please
continue your most Interesting state
menL "I have nothing more to say, Mr.
Holmes, except that I was angry with
my wife that nisht for having held me
back when I might have caught the
skulking rascal. She said that she feared
that I might come to harm. For an In
stant It had crossed my mind that per
haps what she really feared was that he
might come to harm, for I could not
doubt that she knew who this man was.
and what he meant by these strange sig
nals. But there is a tone in my wife?
voice, Mr. Holmes, and a - look in her
eyes which forbid doubt, and I am sure
that It was Indeed my own safety that
was in her mind. There's the whole case,
and now I want your advice as to what I
ought to do. My own inclination Is to-put
hnlf n rlOTOn rtY -rrv farm IniTc In thn chrnh.
! Krrv an A uBn tlilc Wlnu- nmi niriln
; t0 ,ye h,m mch & hd, that he w,H
, leave UJJ ,n e for the futurc
..T foar ,t ,g t0Q d R rase for sucn
simple remedies." euld Holmes. "How
long can you stay in London?"
"I must go back today. I would not
leave my wife alone at night for any
thing. She is very nervous, and' begged
me to come back."
"I dare say. you are right. But If you
could have stopped, I might possibly have
I been able to return with you In a day or
j t. M,nwh!,P vm, .m m ty0sn
1 papers, and I think that It Is very llkely
that -j shall be aWe to you a vMt
shortly and to throw some light upon
your case."
Sherlock Holmes preserved his calm
professional manner until our visitor had
i lfet us, although It was easy for me, who
j knew him so well, to sec that he was pro
; foundly excited. The moment that Hil-
HE SANK WITH A DEEP
tbn Cubitt'e broad "back had disappeared and horror with which I was filled. Would
through the door -my comrade rushed to - that I had some brighter ending to cora
the table, laid out all the slips of paper i municate to my readers, but these are the
containing dancing men in front of him, chronicles of fact, and I must follow to
and threw himself Into an Intricate .and i their dark crisis the strange chain of
elaborate calculation. For two hours I
watched him as he covered sheet after
sheet of paper with figures and letters, so
completely absorbed In his task that he
had evidently forgotten my presence,
Sometimes he waa making progress and
whistled and sang at his work: sometimes
he was puzzledt and would sit for long
spells with a furrowed brow and a vacant
eye. Finally he sprang from his chair
with a cry of satisfaction,' and walked
up and down the room rubbing his hands
together. "If my ariewer to this is as I
hope, you will have a very pretty case to
add to your collection. Watson." said he.
"I expect that we shall be able to go down
to Norfolk tomorrow, and to take our
friend some very definite news as to the
secret of his annoyance." "
I confess thai I was filled with curi
osity, but I was aware that Holmes liked
to make his disclosures at his own time
and In his own way. so I waited until It
should suit him to take me Into his con
fidence. But there was a delay In that answer
ing telegram, and two days of Impatience
followed, during- which Holmes pricked up
his ears at every ring of the bell. On
the evening of the second there came a
letter from Hilton Cubitt. All was quiet
with him. save that a Ions: Inscription
had appeared that morning upon the ped-
OUR nitST ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE BODY OF THE
estal of the sun-dlal. He inclosed a copy
of it, which is here reproduced:
Holmes bent over this grotesque frieze
for some minutes, and then suddenly
sprang to his feet with an exclamation of
surprise and dismay. His face was hag
gard with anxiety.
"We have let this affair go far enough."
said he. "Is there a train to North Wal
sham tonight?"
I turned up the timetable. The last had
just gone.
"Then we shall breakfast early, and
take the very first In the morning." said
Holmes. "Our presence Is most urgently
needed. Ah! here is our expected tele
gram. One moment, Mrs. Hudson, thero
may be an answer. No, that Is quite as
I expected. This message makes It even
more essential that we should not lose
an hour In letting Hilton Cubitt know
how matters stand, for it Is a singular and
a dangerous web In which our simple
Norfolk squire is entangled.
Sn. Indeed, it nroved. and as I come to
the dark conclusion of a story which had : olk Constabulary, and he was conslder
seemed to me to be only childish and bl- j aMy astonished when he heard tho name
zarre. I experience once again the dismay mv companion.
"Why, Mr. Holmes, the crime was only
, ,..n-,,r-1-....l-JJ.a ' committed at 3 this morning. How could
GROAN ONTO THE SETTEE.
events which, for some days made Riding
Thorpe Manor a household word through
the length and Dreadtn or England,
"We had hardly alighted at North Wal-
sham, and mentioned the name of our
destination, when- the statlonmaster hur-
rled toward us. "I suppose that yoxi are
the detectives from London?" said he.
. A look of annoyance passed over
Holmes' face.
"What makes you think such a thing?"
"Because Inspector Martin, from Nor
wich, has just passed- through. But. may
be, you are the surgeons, She's not dead
or wasn't by last accounts. You may be
in time to- save her j-et though It be" for
the gallows."
Holmes brow was dark with anxiety.
"We are going to Riding Thorps Man
or," said he; "but we havo heard nothing
of what has passed there."
"It's a terrible business." said the sta
tionmaster. "They are shot, both Mr.
Hilton Cubitt and his wife. She shot him
and then herself so the servants say.
He's dead, and her life Is despaired of.
Dear, dear, one of the oldest families in
the County of Norfolk, and one of the
most honored."
Without a word. Holmes hurried to a
carriage, and during the long seven miles
drive he never opened his mouth. Sel
dom have I seen him so utterly despond-
ent. He had been uneasy during all our
Journey from town, and 1 had observed
UNFOKTUNxVE SQUIRE.
that he 'had turned over the- morning pa
pers with anxious attention, but now this
sudden realization of his worst fears left
him in a blank melancholy. He leaned
back In his seat, lost In gloomy speculat
ion. Yet there was much around to In
terest us, for we were passing through as'
singular a countryside as any in Eng
land, where a few scattered cottages rep
resented the population of today, while on
every hand enormous square-towered
churches bristled up from the flat, green
landscape, and told of the glory and
prosperity of old East Anglia. At last
the violet rim of the German Ocean ap
peared oyer the green edge of the Nor
folk coast, and the driver pointed with
his whip to two old brick and timber
gables which projected from a grove of
trees. "That's Rldlngr Thorpe Manor,"
said he.
As we drove up to the porticoed front
door, I observed in front of it, beside the
tennis lawn, the black toolhouse and tha
pedestalled sun-dial with which we had
such strange associations. A dapper lit
tle man. with a quick, alert manner and
a waxed mustache, had Just descended
from a high dog-cart. He introduced
I himself as Inspector Martin, of the Nor-
you hear of it in London and get to the
spot as soon as 1?
"I anticipated it, I came In the hope
of preventing It."
"Then you must have important evi
dence, of which we are ignorant, for they
were said to be a most united couple."
"I havo only the evidence of the danc
ing men," said Holmes. "I will explain
the matter to you later. Meanwhile, since
it is too late to prevent this tragedy, X
am very anxious that I should use tha
"Knowledge which I possess in order to In
sure that justice be done. Will you as
sociate me In your investigation, or will
you prefer that I should act independent
ly?" "I should be proud to feel that we were
acting together, Mr. Holmes," said the
inspector, earnestly.
"In that case I should be glad to hear
the evidence and to examine the premises
without an Instant of .unnecessary de
lay." Inspector Martin had the good sense to
allow my friend to do things in his own
fashion, and contented himself with care
fully noting the results. The local sur
geon, an old, white-haired man, had just
come down from Mrs. Hilton Cubltt's
room, and he reported that her injuries
were serious, but not necessarily fatal.
The bullet had passed through the front
of her brain, and it would probably be
some time before she could regain con
sciousness. On the question of whether
she had been shot or had shot herself, he
would not venture to express any decided
opinion. Certainly the bullet had been
discharged at very close quarters. There
was only the one pistol found in the room,
two barrels of which had been emptied.
Mr. Hilton Cubitt had been shot through
the heart. It was equally conceivable
that he had shot her and then himself,
or that she ha.a been the criminal, for
the revolver lay upon the flood midway
between them.
"Ha3 he been moved?" asked Holmes.
"We have moved nothing except the
lady. We could not leave her lying
wounded upon the floor."
"Hew long have you been here, doc
tor?" - "Since four o'clock."
"Any one else?"
"Yes; the Cons'table here."
"And you have touched nothing?",
"Nothing."
"You have acted with great discretion.
Who sent for you?"
"The housemaid, Saunders."
"Was It she who gave the alarm?"
"She and Mrs. King, the cook."
"Where are they- now?"
"In the.kitohen, I believe."
"Then, I think we had better hear the
story at once."
The old hall, oak-paneled and nigh-win-
(Concluded on Pago 43.)
I