diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index d467c44..31777d3 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ A command-line interface Static Site Generator (SSG) used for generating a complete HTML web site from raw data and files. ## Overview - This tool allows a user to input a text file path or a directory path and an HTML file will be created for the specified file or for every text file in the specified directory. + This tool allows a user to input a text or markdown file path or a directory path and an HTML file will be created for the specified file or for every text/markdown file in the specified directory. ## Requirements A recent version of [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/) must be downloaded and installed. @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ ``` ssg -i file_path ``` - 5. If a file was specified, an HTML file will be created and added into the ```dist``` directory. If a directory was specified, HTML files will be created for every text file in the directory and they will be added into the ```dist``` directory. + 5. If a file was specified, an HTML file will be created and added into the ```dist``` directory. If a directory was specified, HTML files will be created for every text/markdown file in the directory and they will be added into the ```dist``` directory. 6. [OPTIONAL] Specify a directory to output the HTML files to by adding the path as a second argument. If the directory does not exist, a new one will be created. If it does exist, the current contents will be deleted and only the HTML files will be added. ``` ssg -i file_path -o directoryPath @@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ |-o, --output| Specify a different output directory (any existing contents in the directory will be DELETED)| [string]| ## Examples - ### Generate HTML file based off a text file + ### Generate HTML file based off a text or markdown file ``` ssg -i file_path ``` @@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ ``` ssg -i ".\testFiles\Silver Blaze.txt" ``` - ### Generate HTML files based off of text files within a directory + ``` + ssg -i ".\testFiles\input MD.md" + ``` + ### Generate HTML files based off of text or markdown files within a directory ``` ssg -i .\testFiles ``` @@ -57,6 +60,7 @@ ssg -i .\testFiles -o .\anotherFolder ``` ## Optional Features Implemented -- Title parsed from text files. It will populate the `````` tag and add a ```<h1>``` tag to the top of the body. +- Title parsed from text and markdown files. It will populate the ```<title>``` tag and add a ```<h1>``` tag to the top of the body. - Allow the user to specify a different output directory using --output or -o. If not specified, dist will be used, but if the user specifies a different output path, it will use that. If the directory does not exist, a new directory will be created. - If the user specifies a folder for the input, it will automatically generate an index.html file, which has relative links to each of the generated HTML files. +- Italicized text parsed from markdown files. It will add a ```<i>``` tag to any italicized text. diff --git a/index.html b/index.html index 41e93d5..afa1f73 100644 --- a/index.html +++ b/index.html @@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ </head> <body> <ul> -<li><a href=".\dist\Silver Blaze.html">Silver Blaze</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIX NAPOLEONS.html">THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIX NAPOLEONS</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND.html">THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\The Naval Treaty.html">The Naval Treaty</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\The Red Headed League.html">The Red Headed League</a></li></ul> +<li><a href=".\dist\input MD.html">input MD</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\inputTXT.html">inputTXT</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\jjj.html">jjj</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\Silver Blaze.html">Silver Blaze</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIX NAPOLEONS.html">THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIX NAPOLEONS</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND.html">THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\The Naval Treaty.html">The Naval Treaty</a></li><li><a href=".\dist\The Red Headed League.html">The Red Headed League</a></li></ul> </body> </html> diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js index 84aa693..d748a73 100644 --- a/src/index.js +++ b/src/index.js @@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ module.exports.main = function main() { var inputPath = `Path of file or folder: ${options.input}`; var isDirectory = false; var isFile = false; + var isMd = false; // Determine if input is a valid file or directory try { @@ -77,7 +78,12 @@ module.exports.main = function main() { var filePath = options.input + "\\" + filename; if (fs.lstatSync(filePath).isFile()) { var content = fs.readFileSync(filePath, "utf-8"); - if (path.extname(filename) == ".txt") { + if (path.extname(filename) == ".txt" || path.extname(filename) == ".md" ) { // Check if file extension is txt or md + if (path.extname(filename) == ".md") { // Check and flag for .md files + isMd=true; + }else{ + isMd=false; + } HTMLcreate(filename.split(".")[0], content); } } @@ -85,10 +91,15 @@ module.exports.main = function main() { indexCreate(dir); } else if (isFile) { // If input file is not a txt file, output error msg - if (path.extname(options.input) != ".txt") { - console.log(chalk.red.bold("Please select a text file.")); + if (path.extname(options.input) != ".txt" && path.extname(options.input) != ".md") { //Check if file extension is .txt or .md + console.log(chalk.red.bold("Please select a text or markdown file.")); return; } + + if (path.extname(options.input) == ".md"){ // Check and flag for .md files + isMd=true; + } + // Create HTML for single txt file var data = fs.readFileSync(options.input, "utf-8"); HTMLcreate(options.input.split("\\").slice(-1)[0].split(".")[0], data); @@ -100,9 +111,24 @@ module.exports.main = function main() { var title = filename; var body = content.split("\n\r"); var newBody = "<h1>" + title + "</h1>"; + // Append rest of the body after the title - body.forEach(function (line, index) { + body.forEach(function (line, index) { + + // If it's .md file, check each line; while any *text* and _text_ exist, repalce them with <i></i> + if (isMd==true) { + while (line.match(/_[—!@#$%^&()+;/<>.\s\w\d,?"“”-]+_/)) { + line=line.replace("_","<i>"); + line=line.replace("_","</i>"); + } + + while (line.match(/\*[—!@#$%^&()+;/<>.\s\w\d,?"“”-]+\*/)) { + line=line.replace("*","<i>"); + line=line.replace("*","</i>"); + } + } + if (index != 0) { newBody += "<p>" + line + "</p>"; } @@ -112,7 +138,7 @@ module.exports.main = function main() { title: title, body: newBody, }); - + // Write to HTML file fs.writeFileSync(`${dir + "\\" + title}.html`, html); console.log( diff --git a/testFiles/input MD.md b/testFiles/input MD.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2b8ea0d --- /dev/null +++ b/testFiles/input MD.md @@ -0,0 +1,1159 @@ +Silver Blaze + + +I am afraid, Watson, that I shall have to go,” said Holmes, as we +sat down together to our breakfast one morning. + +“Go! Where to?” + +“To Dartmoor; to King’s Pyland.” + +I was not surprised. Indeed, my only wonder was that he had not +already been mixed up in this extraordinary case, which was the +one topic of conversation through the length and breadth of +England. For a whole day my companion had rambled about the room +with his chin upon his chest and his brows knitted, charging and +recharging his pipe with the strongest black tobacco, and +absolutely deaf to any of my questions or remarks. Fresh editions +of every paper had been sent up by our news agent, only to be +glanced over and tossed down into a corner. Yet, silent as he +was, I knew perfectly well what it was over which he was +brooding. There was but one problem before the public which could +challenge his powers of analysis, and that was the singular +disappearance of the favourite for the Wessex Cup, and the tragic +murder of its trainer. When, therefore, he suddenly announced his +intention of setting out for the scene of the drama it was only +what I had both expected and hoped for. + +“I should be most happy to go down with you if I should not be in +the way,” said I. + +“My dear Watson, you would confer a great favour upon me by +coming. And I think that your time will not be misspent, for +there are points about the case which promise to make it an +absolutely unique one. We have, I think, just time to catch our +train at Paddington, and I will go further into the matter upon +our journey. You would oblige me by bringing with you your very +excellent field-glass.” + +And so it happened that an hour or so later I found myself in the +corner of a first-class carriage flying along en route for +Exeter, while Sherlock Holmes, with his sharp, eager face framed +in his ear-flapped travelling-cap, dipped rapidly into the bundle +of fresh papers which he had procured at Paddington. We had left +Reading far behind us before he thrust the last one of them under +the seat, and offered me his cigar-case. + +(test case 1)_“We<5>_ are _go!@#$%^&()+;/ing well_,” said he, looking out the window and glancing +at his watch. “Our rate at present is fifty-three and a half +miles an hour.” + +(test case 2)“_4564566_ I have not observed _the quarter-mile posts,” said I._ + +(test case 3)“_Nor have I._ But the telegraph posts upon this line are sixty +yards apart, and the calculation is a simple one. I presume that +you have looked into this matter of the murder of John Straker +and the disappearance of _Silver Blaze?_” + +(test case 4)“I have seen what the _Telegraph_ and the _Chronicle_ have to +say.” + +(test case 5)_“It is one of those cases where the art of the reasoner should be +used rather for the sifting of details than for the acquiring of +fresh evidence. The tragedy has been so uncommon, so complete and +of such personal importance to so many people, that we are +suffering from a plethora of surmise, conjecture, and hypothesis. +The difficulty is to detach the framework of fact—of absolute +undeniable fact—from the embellishments of theorists and +reporters. Then, having established ourselves upon this sound +basis, it is our duty to see what inferences may be drawn and +what are the special points upon which the whole mystery turns. +On Tuesday evening I received telegrams from both Colonel Ross, +the owner of the horse, and from Inspector Gregory, who is +looking after the case, inviting my co-operation.”_ + +“Tuesday evening!” I exclaimed. “And this is Thursday morning. +Why didn’t you go down yesterday?” + +“Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson—which is, I am afraid, +a more common occurrence than any one would think who only knew +me through your memoirs. The fact is that I could not believe it +possible that the most remarkable horse in England could long +remain concealed, especially in so sparsely inhabited a place as +the north of Dartmoor. From hour to hour yesterday I expected to +hear that he had been found, and that his abductor was the +murderer of John Straker. When, however, another morning had +come, and I found that beyond the arrest of young Fitzroy Simpson +nothing had been done, I felt that it was time for me to take +action. Yet in some ways I feel that yesterday has not been +wasted.” + +“You have formed a theory, then?” + +“At least I have got a grip of the essential facts of the case. I +shall enumerate them to you, for nothing clears up a case so much +as stating it to another person, and I can hardly expect your +co-operation if I do not show you the position from which we +start.” + +I lay back against the cushions, puffing at my cigar, while +Holmes, leaning forward, with his long, thin forefinger checking +off the points upon the palm of his left hand, gave me a sketch +of the events which had led to our journey. + +“Silver Blaze,” said he, “is from the Isonomy stock, and holds as +brilliant a record as his famous ancestor. He is now in his fifth +year, and has brought in turn each of the prizes of the turf to +Colonel Ross, his fortunate owner. Up to the time of the +catastrophe he was the first favourite for the Wessex Cup, the +betting being three to one on him. He has always, however, been a +prime favourite with the racing public, and has never yet +disappointed them, so that even at those odds enormous sums of +money have been laid upon him. It is obvious, therefore, that +there were many people who had the strongest interest in +preventing Silver Blaze from being there at the fall of the flag +next Tuesday. + +“The fact was, of course, appreciated at King’s Pyland, where the +Colonel’s training-stable is situated. Every precaution was taken +to guard the favourite. The trainer, John Straker, is a retired +jockey who rode in Colonel Ross’s colours before he became too +heavy for the weighing-chair. He has served the Colonel for five +years as jockey and for seven as trainer, and has always shown +himself to be a zealous and honest servant. Under him were three +lads; for the establishment was a small one, containing only four +horses in all. One of these lads sat up each night in the stable, +while the others slept in the loft. All three bore excellent +characters. John Straker, who is a married man, lived in a small +villa about two hundred yards from the stables. He has no +children, keeps one maid-servant, and is comfortably off. The +country round is very lonely, but about half a mile to the north +there is a small cluster of villas which have been built by a +Tavistock contractor for the use of invalids and others who may +wish to enjoy the pure Dartmoor air. Tavistock itself lies two +miles to the west, while across the moor, also about two miles +distant, is the larger training establishment of Mapleton, which +belongs to Lord Backwater, and is managed by Silas Brown. In +every other direction the moor is a complete wilderness, +inhabited only by a few roaming gypsies. Such was the general +situation last Monday night when the catastrophe occurred. + +“On that evening the horses had been exercised and watered as +usual, and the stables were locked up at nine o’clock. Two of the +lads walked up to the trainer’s house, where they had supper in +the kitchen, while the third, Ned Hunter, remained on guard. At a +few minutes after nine the maid, Edith Baxter, carried down to +the stables his supper, which consisted of a dish of curried +mutton. She took no liquid, as there was a water-tap in the +stables, and it was the rule that the lad on duty should drink +nothing else. The maid carried a lantern with her, as it was very +dark and the path ran across the open moor. + +“Edith Baxter was within thirty yards of the stables, when a man +appeared out of the darkness and called to her to stop. As he +stepped into the circle of yellow light thrown by the lantern she +saw that he was a person of gentlemanly bearing, dressed in a +grey suit of tweeds, with a cloth cap. He wore gaiters, and +carried a heavy stick with a knob to it. She was most impressed, +however, by the extreme pallor of his face and by the nervousness +of his manner. His age, she thought, would be rather over thirty +than under it. + +“‘Can you tell me where I am?’ he asked. ‘I had almost made up my +mind to sleep on the moor, when I saw the light of your lantern.’ + +“‘You are close to the King’s Pyland training-stables,’ said she. + +“‘Oh, indeed! What a stroke of luck!’ he cried. ‘I understand +that a stable-boy sleeps there alone every night. Perhaps that is +his supper which you are carrying to him. Now I am sure that you +would not be too proud to earn the price of a new dress, would +you?’ He took a piece of white paper folded up out of his +waistcoat pocket. ‘See that the boy has this to-night, and you +shall have the prettiest frock that money can buy.’ + +“She was frightened by the earnestness of his manner, and ran +past him to the window through which she was accustomed to hand +the meals. It was already opened, and Hunter was seated at the +small table inside. She had begun to tell him of what had +happened, when the stranger came up again. + +“‘Good-evening,’ said he, looking through the window. ‘I wanted +to have a word with you.’ The girl has sworn that as he spoke she +noticed the corner of the little paper packet protruding from his +closed hand. + +“‘What business have you here?’ asked the lad. + +“‘It’s business that may put something into your pocket,’ said +the other. ‘You’ve two horses in for the Wessex Cup—Silver Blaze +and Bayard. Let me have the straight tip and you won’t be a +loser. Is it a fact that at the weights Bayard could give the +other a hundred yards in five furlongs, and that the stable have +put their money on him?’ + +“‘So, you’re one of those damned touts!’ cried the lad. ‘I’ll +show you how we serve them in King’s Pyland.’ He sprang up and +rushed across the stable to unloose the dog. The girl fled away +to the house, but as she ran she looked back and saw that the +stranger was leaning through the window. A minute later, however, +when Hunter rushed out with the hound he was gone, and though he +ran all round the buildings he failed to find any trace of him.” + +“One moment,” I asked. “Did the stable-boy, when he ran out with +the dog, leave the door unlocked behind him?” + +“Excellent, Watson, excellent!” murmured my companion. “The +importance of the point struck me so forcibly that I sent a +special wire to Dartmoor yesterday to clear the matter up. The +boy locked the door before he left it. The window, I may add, was +not large enough for a man to get through. + +“Hunter waited until his fellow-grooms had returned, when he sent +a message to the trainer and told him what had occurred. Straker +was excited at hearing the account, although he does not seem to +have quite realized its true significance. It left him, however, +vaguely uneasy, and Mrs. Straker, waking at one in the morning, +found that he was dressing. In reply to her inquiries, he said +that he could not sleep on account of his anxiety about the +horses, and that he intended to walk down to the stables to see +that all was well. She begged him to remain at home, as she could +hear the rain pattering against the window, but in spite of her +entreaties he pulled on his large mackintosh and left the house. + +“Mrs. Straker awoke at seven in the morning, to find that her +husband had not yet returned. She dressed herself hastily, called +the maid, and set off for the stables. The door was open; inside, +huddled together upon a chair, Hunter was sunk in a state of +absolute stupor, the favourite’s stall was empty, and there were +no signs of his trainer. + +“The two lads who slept in the chaff-cutting loft above the +harness-room were quickly aroused. They had heard nothing during +the night, for they are both sound sleepers. Hunter was obviously +under the influence of some powerful drug, and as no sense could +be got out of him, he was left to sleep it off while the two lads +and the two women ran out in search of the absentees. They still +had hopes that the trainer had for some reason taken out the +horse for early exercise, but on ascending the knoll near the +house, from which all the neighbouring moors were visible, they +not only could see no signs of the missing favourite, but they +perceived something which warned them that they were in the +presence of a tragedy. + +“About a quarter of a mile from the stables John Straker’s +overcoat was flapping from a furze-bush. Immediately beyond there +was a bowl-shaped depression in the moor, and at the bottom of +this was found the dead body of the unfortunate trainer. His head +had been shattered by a savage blow from some heavy weapon, and +he was wounded on the thigh, where there was a long, clean cut, +inflicted evidently by some very sharp instrument. It was clear, +however, that Straker had defended himself vigorously against his +assailants, for in his right hand he held a small knife, which +was clotted with blood up to the handle, while in his left he +clasped a red and black silk cravat, which was recognised by the +maid as having been worn on the preceding evening by the stranger +who had visited the stables. + +“Hunter, on recovering from his stupor, was also quite positive +as to the ownership of the cravat. He was equally certain that +the same stranger had, while standing at the window, drugged his +curried mutton, and so deprived the stables of their watchman. + +“As to the missing horse, there were abundant proofs in the mud +which lay at the bottom of the fatal hollow that he had been +there at the time of the struggle. But from that morning he has +disappeared, and although a large reward has been offered, and +all the gypsies of Dartmoor are on the alert, no news has come of +him. Finally, an analysis has shown that the remains of his +supper left by the stable-lad contain an appreciable quantity of +powdered opium, while the people at the house partook of the same +dish on the same night without any ill effect. + +“Those are the main facts of the case, stripped of all surmise, +and stated as baldly as possible. I shall now recapitulate what +the police have done in the matter. + +“Inspector Gregory, to whom the case has been committed, is an +extremely competent officer. Were he but gifted with imagination +he might rise to great heights in his profession. On his arrival +he promptly found and arrested the man upon whom suspicion +naturally rested. There was little difficulty in finding him, for +he inhabited one of those villas which I have mentioned. His +name, it appears, was Fitzroy Simpson. He was a man of excellent +birth and education, who had squandered a fortune upon the turf, +and who lived now by doing a little quiet and genteel book-making +in the sporting clubs of London. An examination of his +betting-book shows that bets to the amount of five thousand +pounds had been registered by him against the favourite. + +“On being arrested he volunteered the statement that he had come +down to Dartmoor in the hope of getting some information about +the King’s Pyland horses, and also about Desborough, the second +favourite, which was in charge of Silas Brown at the Mapleton +stables. He did not attempt to deny that he had acted as +described upon the evening before, but declared that he had no +sinister designs, and had simply wished to obtain first-hand +information. When confronted with his cravat, he turned very +pale, and was utterly unable to account for its presence in the +hand of the murdered man. His wet clothing showed that he had +been out in the storm of the night before, and his stick, which +was a Penang-lawyer weighted with lead, was just such a weapon as +might, by repeated blows, have inflicted the terrible injuries to +which the trainer had succumbed. + +“On the other hand, there was no wound upon his person, while the +state of Straker’s knife would show that one at least of his +assailants must bear his mark upon him. There you have it all in +a nutshell, Watson, and if you can give me any light I shall be +infinitely obliged to you.” + +I had listened with the greatest interest to the statement which +Holmes, with characteristic clearness, had laid before me. Though +most of the facts were familiar to me, I had not sufficiently +appreciated their relative importance, nor their connection to +each other. + +“Is it not possible,” I suggested, “that the incised wound upon +Straker may have been caused by his own knife in the convulsive +struggles which follow any brain injury?” + +“It is more than possible; it is probable,” said Holmes. “In that +case one of the main points in favour of the accused disappears.” + +“And yet,” said I, “even now I fail to understand what the theory +of the police can be.” + +“I am afraid that whatever theory we state has very grave +objections to it,” returned my companion. “The police imagine, I +take it, that this Fitzroy Simpson, having drugged the lad, and +having in some way obtained a duplicate key, opened the stable +door and took out the horse, with the intention, apparently, of +kidnapping him altogether. His bridle is missing, so that Simpson +must have put this on. Then, having left the door open behind +him, he was leading the horse away over the moor, when he was +either met or overtaken by the trainer. A row naturally ensued. +Simpson beat out the trainer’s brains with his heavy stick +without receiving any injury from the small knife which Straker +used in self-defence, and then the thief either led the horse on +to some secret hiding-place, or else it may have bolted during +the struggle, and be now wandering out on the moors. That is the +case as it appears to the police, and improbable as it is, all +other explanations are more improbable still. However, I shall +very quickly test the matter when I am once upon the spot, and +until then I cannot really see how we can get much further than +our present position.” + +It was evening before we reached the little town of Tavistock, +which lies, like the boss of a shield, in the middle of the huge +circle of Dartmoor. Two gentlemen were awaiting us in the +station—the one a tall, fair man with lion-like hair and beard +and curiously penetrating light blue eyes; the other a small, +alert person, very neat and dapper, in a frock-coat and gaiters, +with trim little side-whiskers and an eye-glass. The latter was +Colonel Ross, the well-known sportsman; the other, Inspector +Gregory, a man who was rapidly making his name in the English +detective service. + +“I am delighted that you have come down, Mr. Holmes,” said the +Colonel. “The Inspector here has done all that could possibly be +suggested, but I wish to leave no stone unturned in trying to +avenge poor Straker and in recovering my horse.” + +“Have there been any fresh developments?” asked Holmes. + +“I am sorry to say that we have made very little progress,” said +the Inspector. “We have an open carriage outside, and as you +would no doubt like to see the place before the light fails, we +might talk it over as we drive.” + +A minute later we were all seated in a comfortable landau, and +were rattling through the quaint old Devonshire city. Inspector +Gregory was full of his case, and poured out a stream of remarks, +while Holmes threw in an occasional question or interjection. +Colonel Ross leaned back with his arms folded and his hat tilted +over his eyes, while I listened with interest to the dialogue of +the two detectives. Gregory was formulating his theory, which was +almost exactly what Holmes had foretold in the train. + +“The net is drawn pretty close round Fitzroy Simpson,” he +remarked, “and I believe myself that he is our man. At the same +time I recognise that the evidence is purely circumstantial, and +that some new development may upset it.” + +“How about Straker’s knife?” + +“We have quite come to the conclusion that he wounded himself in +his fall.” + +“My friend Dr. Watson made that suggestion to me as we came down. +If so, it would tell against this man Simpson.” + +“Undoubtedly. He has neither a knife nor any sign of a wound. The +evidence against him is certainly very strong. He had a great +interest in the disappearance of the favourite. He lies under +suspicion of having poisoned the stable-boy, he was undoubtedly +out in the storm, he was armed with a heavy stick, and his cravat +was found in the dead man’s hand. I really think we have enough +to go before a jury.” + +Holmes shook his head. “A clever counsel would tear it all to +rags,” said he. “Why should he take the horse out of the stable? +If he wished to injure it why could he not do it there? Has a +duplicate key been found in his possession? What chemist sold him +the powdered opium? Above all, where could he, a stranger to the +district, hide a horse, and such a horse as this? What is his own +explanation as to the paper which he wished the maid to give to +the stable-boy?” + +“He says that it was a ten-pound note. One was found in his +purse. But your other difficulties are not so formidable as they +seem. He is not a stranger to the district. He has twice lodged +at Tavistock in the summer. The opium was probably brought from +London. The key, having served its purpose, would be hurled away. +The horse may be at the bottom of one of the pits or old mines +upon the moor.” + +“What does he say about the cravat?” + +“He acknowledges that it is his, and declares that he had lost +it. But a new element has been introduced into the case which may +account for his leading the horse from the stable.” + +Holmes pricked up his ears. + +“We have found traces which show that a party of gypsies encamped +on Monday night within a mile of the spot where the murder took +place. On Tuesday they were gone. Now, presuming that there was +some understanding between Simpson and these gypsies, might he +not have been leading the horse to them when he was overtaken, +and may they not have him now?” + +“It is certainly possible.” + +“The moor is being scoured for these gypsies. I have also +examined every stable and out-house in Tavistock, and for a +radius of ten miles.” + +“There is another training-stable quite close, I understand?” + +“Yes, and that is a factor which we must certainly not neglect. +As Desborough, their horse, was second in the betting, they had +an interest in the disappearance of the favourite. Silas Brown, +the trainer, is known to have had large bets upon the event, and +he was no friend to poor Straker. We have, however, examined the +stables, and there is nothing to connect him with the affair.” + +“And nothing to connect this man Simpson with the interests of +the Mapleton stables?” + +“Nothing at all.” + +Holmes leaned back in the carriage, and the conversation ceased. +A few minutes later our driver pulled up at a neat little +red-brick villa with overhanging eaves which stood by the road. +Some distance off, across a paddock, lay a long grey-tiled +out-building. In every other direction the low curves of the +moor, bronze-coloured from the fading ferns, stretched away to +the sky-line, broken only by the steeples of Tavistock, and by a +cluster of houses away to the westward which marked the Mapleton +stables. We all sprang out with the exception of Holmes, who +continued to lean back with his eyes fixed upon the sky in front +of him, entirely absorbed in his own thoughts. It was only when I +touched his arm that he roused himself with a violent start and +stepped out of the carriage. + +“Excuse me,” said he, turning to Colonel Ross, who had looked at +him in some surprise. “I was day-dreaming.” There was a gleam in +his eyes and a suppressed excitement in his manner which +convinced me, used as I was to his ways, that his hand was upon a +clue, though I could not imagine where he had found it. + +“Perhaps you would prefer at once to go on to the scene of the +crime, Mr. Holmes?” said Gregory. + +“I think that I should prefer to stay here a little and go into +one or two questions of detail. Straker was brought back here, I +presume?” + +“Yes; he lies upstairs. The inquest is to-morrow.” + +“He has been in your service some years, Colonel Ross?” + +“I have always found him an excellent servant.” + +“I presume that you made an inventory of what he had in his +pockets at the time of his death, Inspector?” + +“I have the things themselves in the sitting-room, if you would +care to see them.” + +“I should be very glad.” We all filed into the front room and sat +round the central table while the Inspector unlocked a square tin +box and laid a small heap of things before us. There was a box of +vestas, two inches of tallow candle, an A.D.P. briar-root pipe, a +pouch of seal-skin with half an ounce of long-cut Cavendish, a +silver watch with a gold chain, five sovereigns in gold, an +aluminium pencil-case, a few papers, and an ivory-handled knife +with a very delicate, inflexible blade marked Weiss & Co., +London. + +“This is a very singular knife,” said Holmes, lifting it up and +examining it minutely. “I presume, as I see blood-stains upon it, +that it is the one which was found in the dead man’s grasp. +Watson, this knife is surely in your line?” + +“It is what we call a cataract knife,” said I. + +“I thought so. A very delicate blade devised for very delicate +work. A strange thing for a man to carry with him upon a rough +expedition, especially as it would not shut in his pocket.” + +“The tip was guarded by a disk of cork which we found beside his +body,” said the Inspector. “His wife tells us that the knife had +lain upon the dressing-table, and that he had picked it up as he +left the room. It was a poor weapon, but perhaps the best that he +could lay his hands on at the moment.” + +“Very possible. How about these papers?” + +“Three of them are receipted hay-dealers’ accounts. One of them +is a letter of instructions from Colonel Ross. This other is a +milliner’s account for thirty-seven pounds fifteen made out by +Madame Lesurier, of Bond Street, to William Derbyshire. Mrs. +Straker tells us that Derbyshire was a friend of her husband’s +and that occasionally his letters were addressed here.” + +“Madam Derbyshire had somewhat expensive tastes,” remarked +Holmes, glancing down the account. “Twenty-two guineas is rather +heavy for a single costume. However there appears to be nothing +more to learn, and we may now go down to the scene of the crime.” + +As we emerged from the sitting-room a woman, who had been waiting +in the passage, took a step forward and laid her hand upon the +Inspector’s sleeve. Her face was haggard and thin and eager, +stamped with the print of a recent horror. + +“Have you got them? Have you found them?” she panted. + +“No, Mrs. Straker. But Mr. Holmes here has come from London to +help us, and we shall do all that is possible.” + +“Surely I met you in Plymouth at a garden-party some little time +ago, Mrs. Straker?” said Holmes. + +“No, sir; you are mistaken.” + +“Dear me! Why, I could have sworn to it. You wore a costume of +dove-coloured silk with ostrich-feather trimming.” + +“I never had such a dress, sir,” answered the lady. + +“Ah, that quite settles it,” said Holmes. And with an apology he +followed the Inspector outside. A short walk across the moor took +us to the hollow in which the body had been found. At the brink +of it was the furze-bush upon which the coat had been hung. + +“There was no wind that night, I understand,” said Holmes. + +“None; but very heavy rain.” + +“In that case the overcoat was not blown against the furze-bush, +but placed there.” + +“Yes, it was laid across the bush.” + +“You fill me with interest, I perceive that the ground has been +trampled up a good deal. No doubt many feet have been here since +Monday night.” + +“A piece of matting has been laid here at the side, and we have +all stood upon that.” + +“Excellent.” + +“In this bag I have one of the boots which Straker wore, one of +Fitzroy Simpson’s shoes, and a cast horseshoe of Silver Blaze.” + +“My dear Inspector, you surpass yourself!” Holmes took the bag, +and, descending into the hollow, he pushed the matting into a +more central position. Then stretching himself upon his face and +leaning his chin upon his hands, he made a careful study of the +trampled mud in front of him. “Hullo!” said he, suddenly. “What’s +this?” It was a wax vesta half burned, which was so coated with +mud that it looked at first like a little chip of wood. + +“I cannot think how I came to overlook it,” said the Inspector, +with an expression of annoyance. + +“It was invisible, buried in the mud. I only saw it because I was +looking for it.” + +“What! You expected to find it?” + +“I thought it not unlikely.” + +He took the boots from the bag, and compared the impressions of +each of them with marks upon the ground. Then he clambered up to +the rim of the hollow, and crawled about among the ferns and +bushes. + +“I am afraid that there are no more tracks,” said the Inspector. +“I have examined the ground very carefully for a hundred yards in +each direction.” + +“Indeed!” said Holmes, rising. “I should not have the +impertinence to do it again after what you say. But I should like +to take a little walk over the moor before it grows dark, that I +may know my ground to-morrow, and I think that I shall put this +horseshoe into my pocket for luck.” + +Colonel Ross, who had shown some signs of impatience at my +companion’s quiet and systematic method of work, glanced at his +watch. “I wish you would come back with me, Inspector,” said he. +“There are several points on which I should like your advice, and +especially as to whether we do not owe it to the public to remove +our horse’s name from the entries for the Cup.” + +“Certainly not,” cried Holmes, with decision. “I should let the +name stand.” + +The Colonel bowed. “I am very glad to have had your opinion, +sir,” said he. “You will find us at poor Straker’s house when you +have finished your walk, and we can drive together into +Tavistock.” + +He turned back with the Inspector, while Holmes and I walked +slowly across the moor. The sun was beginning to sink behind the +stables of Mapleton, and the long, sloping plain in front of us +was tinged with gold, deepening into rich, ruddy browns where the +faded ferns and brambles caught the evening light. But the +glories of the landscape were all wasted upon my companion, who +was sunk in the deepest thought. + +“It’s this way, Watson,” said he at last. “We may leave the +question of who killed John Straker for the instant, and confine +ourselves to finding out what has become of the horse. Now, +supposing that he broke away during or after the tragedy, where +could he have gone to? The horse is a very gregarious creature. +If left to himself his instincts would have been either to return +to King’s Pyland or go over to Mapleton. Why should he run wild +upon the moor? He would surely have been seen by now. And why +should gypsies kidnap him? These people always clear out when +they hear of trouble, for they do not wish to be pestered by the +police. They could not hope to sell such a horse. They would run +a great risk and gain nothing by taking him. Surely that is +clear.” + +“Where is he, then?” + +“I have already said that he must have gone to King’s Pyland or +to Mapleton. He is not at King’s Pyland. Therefore he is at +Mapleton. Let us take that as a working hypothesis and see what +it leads us to. This part of the moor, as the Inspector remarked, +is very hard and dry. But it falls away towards Mapleton, and you +can see from here that there is a long hollow over yonder, which +must have been very wet on Monday night. If our supposition is +correct, then the horse must have crossed that, and there is the +point where we should look for his tracks.” + +We had been walking briskly during this conversation, and a few +more minutes brought us to the hollow in question. At Holmes’ +request I walked down the bank to the right, and he to the left, +but I had not taken fifty paces before I heard him give a shout, +and saw him waving his hand to me. The track of a horse was +plainly outlined in the soft earth in front of him, and the shoe +which he took from his pocket exactly fitted the impression. + +“See the value of imagination,” said Holmes. “It is the one +quality which Gregory lacks. We imagined what might have +happened, acted upon the supposition, and find ourselves +justified. Let us proceed.” + +We crossed the marshy bottom and passed over a quarter of a mile +of dry, hard turf. Again the ground sloped, and again we came on +the tracks. Then we lost them for half a mile, but only to pick +them up once more quite close to Mapleton. It was Holmes who saw +them first, and he stood pointing with a look of triumph upon his +face. A man’s track was visible beside the horse’s. + +“The horse was alone before,” I cried. + +“Quite so. It was alone before. Hullo, what is this?” + +The double track turned sharp off and took the direction of +King’s Pyland. Holmes whistled, and we both followed along after +it. His eyes were on the trail, but I happened to look a little +to one side, and saw to my surprise the same tracks coming back +again in the opposite direction. + +“One for you, Watson,” said Holmes, when I pointed it out. “You +have saved us a long walk, which would have brought us back on +our own traces. Let us follow the return track.” + +We had not to go far. It ended at the paving of asphalt which led +up to the gates of the Mapleton stables. As we approached, a +groom ran out from them. + +“We don’t want any loiterers about here,” said he. + +“I only wished to ask a question,” said Holmes, with his finger +and thumb in his waistcoat pocket. “Should I be too early to see +your master, Mr. Silas Brown, if I were to call at five o’clock +to-morrow morning?” + +“Bless you, sir, if any one is about he will be, for he is always +the first stirring. But here he is, sir, to answer your questions +for himself. No, sir, no; it is as much as my place is worth to +let him see me touch your money. Afterwards, if you like.” + +As Sherlock Holmes replaced the half-crown which he had drawn +from his pocket, a fierce-looking elderly man strode out from the +gate with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand. + +“What’s this, Dawson!” he cried. “No gossiping! Go about your +business! And you, what the devil do you want here?” + +“Ten minutes’ talk with you, my good sir,” said Holmes in the +sweetest of voices. + +“I’ve no time to talk to every gadabout. We want no strangers +here. Be off, or you may find a dog at your heels.” + +Holmes leaned forward and whispered something in the trainer’s +ear. He started violently and flushed to the temples. + +“It’s a lie!” he shouted, “an infernal lie!” + +“Very good. Shall we argue about it here in public or talk it +over in your parlour?” + +“Oh, come in if you wish to.” + +Holmes smiled. “I shall not keep you more than a few minutes, +Watson,” said he. “Now, Mr. Brown, I am quite at your disposal.” + +It was twenty minutes, and the reds had all faded into greys +before Holmes and the trainer reappeared. Never have I seen such +a change as had been brought about in Silas Brown in that short +time. His face was ashy pale, beads of perspiration shone upon +his brow, and his hands shook until the hunting-crop wagged like +a branch in the wind. His bullying, overbearing manner was all +gone too, and he cringed along at my companion’s side like a dog +with its master. + +“Your instructions will be done. It shall all be done,” said he. + +“There must be no mistake,” said Holmes, looking round at him. +The other winced as he read the menace in his eyes. + +“Oh no, there shall be no mistake. It shall be there. Should I +change it first or not?” + +Holmes thought a little and then burst out laughing. “No, don’t,” +said he; “I shall write to you about it. No tricks, now, or—” + +“Oh, you can trust me, you can trust me!” + +“Yes, I think I can. Well, you shall hear from me to-morrow.” He +turned upon his heel, disregarding the trembling hand which the +other held out to him, and we set off for King’s Pyland. + +“A more perfect compound of the bully, coward, and sneak than +Master Silas Brown I have seldom met with,” remarked Holmes as we +trudged along together. + +“He has the horse, then?” + +“He tried to bluster out of it, but I described to him so exactly +what his actions had been upon that morning that he is convinced +that I was watching him. Of course you observed the peculiarly +square toes in the impressions, and that his own boots exactly +corresponded to them. Again, of course no subordinate would have +dared to do such a thing. I described to him how, when according +to his custom he was the first down, he perceived a strange horse +wandering over the moor. How he went out to it, and his +astonishment at recognising, from the white forehead which has +given the favourite its name, that chance had put in his power +the only horse which could beat the one upon which he had put his +money. Then I described how his first impulse had been to lead +him back to King’s Pyland, and how the devil had shown him how he +could hide the horse until the race was over, and how he had led +it back and concealed it at Mapleton. When I told him every +detail he gave it up and thought only of saving his own skin.” + +“But his stables had been searched?” + +“Oh, an old horse-faker like him has many a dodge.” + +“But are you not afraid to leave the horse in his power now, +since he has every interest in injuring it?” + +“My dear fellow, he will guard it as the apple of his eye. He +knows that his only hope of mercy is to produce it safe.” + +“Colonel Ross did not impress me as a man who would be likely to +show much mercy in any case.” + +“The matter does not rest with Colonel Ross. I follow my own +methods, and tell as much or as little as I choose. That is the +advantage of being unofficial. I don’t know whether you observed +it, Watson, but the Colonel’s manner has been just a trifle +cavalier to me. I am inclined now to have a little amusement at +his expense. Say nothing to him about the horse.” + +“Certainly not without your permission.” + +“And of course this is all quite a minor point compared to the +question of who killed John Straker.” + +“And you will devote yourself to that?” + +“On the contrary, we both go back to London by the night train.” + +I was thunderstruck by my friend’s words. We had only been a few +hours in Devonshire, and that he should give up an investigation +which he had begun so brilliantly was quite incomprehensible to +me. Not a word more could I draw from him until we were back at +the trainer’s house. The Colonel and the Inspector were awaiting +us in the parlour. + +“My friend and I return to town by the night-express,” said +Holmes. “We have had a charming little breath of your beautiful +Dartmoor air.” + +The Inspector opened his eyes, and the Colonel’s lip curled in a +sneer. + +“So you despair of arresting the murderer of poor Straker,” said +he. + +Holmes shrugged his shoulders. “There are certainly grave +difficulties in the way,” said he. “I have every hope, however, +that your horse will start upon Tuesday, and I beg that you will +have your jockey in readiness. Might I ask for a photograph of +Mr. John Straker?” + +The Inspector took one from an envelope and handed it to him. + +“My dear Gregory, you anticipate all my wants. If I might ask you +to wait here for an instant, I have a question which I should +like to put to the maid.” + +“I must say that I am rather disappointed in our London +consultant,” said Colonel Ross, bluntly, as my friend left the +room. “I do not see that we are any further than when he came.” + +“At least you have his assurance that your horse will run,” said +I. + +“Yes, I have his assurance,” said the Colonel, with a shrug of +his shoulders. “I should prefer to have the horse.” + +I was about to make some reply in defence of my friend when he +entered the room again. + +“Now, gentlemen,” said he, “I am quite ready for Tavistock.” + +As we stepped into the carriage one of the stable-lads held the +door open for us. A sudden idea seemed to occur to Holmes, for he +leaned forward and touched the lad upon the sleeve. + +“You have a few sheep in the paddock,” he said. “Who attends to +them?” + +“I do, sir.” + +“Have you noticed anything amiss with them of late?” + +“Well, sir, not of much account; but three of them have gone +lame, sir.” + +I could see that Holmes was extremely pleased, for he chuckled +and rubbed his hands together. + +“A long shot, Watson; a very long shot,” said he, pinching my +arm. “Gregory, let me recommend to your attention this singular +epidemic among the sheep. Drive on, coachman!” + +Colonel Ross still wore an expression which showed the poor +opinion which he had formed of my companion’s ability, but I saw +by the Inspector’s face that his attention had been keenly +aroused. + +“You consider that to be important?” he asked. + +“Exceedingly so.” + +“Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my +attention?” + +“To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.” + +“The dog did nothing in the night-time.” + +“That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes. + +Four days later Holmes and I were again in the train, bound for +Winchester to see the race for the Wessex Cup. Colonel Ross met +us by appointment outside the station, and we drove in his drag +to the course beyond the town. His face was grave, and his manner +was cold in the extreme. + +“I have seen nothing of my horse,” said he. + +“I suppose that you would know him when you saw him?” asked +Holmes. + +The Colonel was very angry. “I have been on the turf for twenty +years, and never was asked such a question as that before,” said +he. “A child would know Silver Blaze, with his white forehead and +his mottled off-foreleg.” + +“How is the betting?” + +“Well, that is the curious part of it. You could have got fifteen +to one yesterday, but the price has become shorter and shorter, +until you can hardly get three to one now.” + +“Hum!” said Holmes. “Somebody knows something, that is clear.” + +As the drag drew up in the enclosure near the grand stand I +glanced at the card to see the entries. It ran:— + +Wessex Plate. 50 sovs each h ft with 1000 sovs added for four and +five year olds. Second, £300. Third, £200. New course (one mile +and five furlongs). +1. Mr. Heath Newton’s The Negro (red cap, cinnamon jacket). +2. Colonel Wardlaw’s Pugilist (pink cap, blue and black jacket). +3. Lord Backwater’s Desborough (yellow cap and sleeves). +4. Colonel Ross’s Silver Blaze (black cap, red jacket). +5. Duke of Balmoral’s Iris (yellow and black stripes). +6. Lord Singleford’s Rasper (purple cap, black sleeves). + +“We scratched our other one, and put all hopes on your word,” +said the Colonel. “Why, what is that? Silver Blaze favourite?” + +“Five to four against Silver Blaze!” roared the ring. “Five to +four against Silver Blaze! Five to fifteen against Desborough! +Five to four on the field!” + +“There are the numbers up,” I cried. “They are all six there.” + +“All six there? Then my horse is running,” cried the Colonel in +great agitation. “But I don’t see him. My colours have not +passed.” + +“Only five have passed. This must be he.” + +As I spoke a powerful bay horse swept out from the weighing +enclosure and cantered past us, bearing on its back the +well-known black and red of the Colonel. + +“That’s not my horse,” cried the owner. “That beast has not a +white hair upon its body. What is this that you have done, Mr. +Holmes?” + +“Well, well, let us see how he gets on,” said my friend, +imperturbably. For a few minutes he gazed through my field-glass. +“Capital! An excellent start!” he cried suddenly. “There they +are, coming round the curve!” + +From our drag we had a superb view as they came up the straight. +The six horses were so close together that a carpet could have +covered them, but half way up the yellow of the Mapleton stable +showed to the front. Before they reached us, however, +Desborough’s bolt was shot, and the Colonel’s horse, coming away +with a rush, passed the post a good six lengths before its rival, +the Duke of Balmoral’s Iris making a bad third. + +“It’s my race, anyhow,” gasped the Colonel, passing his hand over +his eyes. “I confess that I can make neither head nor tail of it. +Don’t you think that you have kept up your mystery long enough, +Mr. Holmes?” + +“Certainly, Colonel, you shall know everything. Let us all go +round and have a look at the horse together. Here he is,” he +continued, as we made our way into the weighing enclosure, where +only owners and their friends find admittance. “You have only to +wash his face and his leg in spirits of wine, and you will find +that he is the same old Silver Blaze as ever.” + +“You take my breath away!” + +“I found him in the hands of a faker, and took the liberty of +running him just as he was sent over.” + +“My dear sir, you have done wonders. The horse looks very fit and +well. It never went better in its life. I owe you a thousand +apologies for having doubted your ability. You have done me a +great service by recovering my horse. You would do me a greater +still if you could lay your hands on the murderer of John +Straker.” + +“I have done so,” said Holmes quietly. + +The Colonel and I stared at him in amazement. “You have got him! +Where is he, then?” + +“He is here.” + +“Here! Where?” + +“In my company at the present moment.” + +The Colonel flushed angrily. “I quite recognise that I am under +obligations to you, Mr. Holmes,” said he, “but I must regard what +you have just said as either a very bad joke or an insult.” + +Sherlock Holmes laughed. “I assure you that I have not associated +you with the crime, Colonel,” said he. “The real murderer is +standing immediately behind you.” He stepped past and laid his +hand upon the glossy neck of the thoroughbred. + +“The horse!” cried both the Colonel and myself. + +“Yes, the horse. And it may lessen his guilt if I say that it was +done in self-defence, and that John Straker was a man who was +entirely unworthy of your confidence. But there goes the bell, +and as I stand to win a little on this next race, I shall defer a +lengthy explanation until a more fitting time.” + +We had the corner of a Pullman car to ourselves that evening as +we whirled back to London, and I fancy that the journey was a +short one to Colonel Ross as well as to myself, as we listened to +our companion’s narrative of the events which had occurred at the +Dartmoor training-stables upon the Monday night, and the means by +which he had unravelled them. + +“I confess,” said he, “that any theories which I had formed from +the newspaper reports were entirely erroneous. And yet there were +indications there, had they not been overlaid by other details +which concealed their true import. I went to Devonshire with the +conviction that Fitzroy Simpson was the true culprit, although, +of course, I saw that the evidence against him was by no means +complete. It was while I was in the carriage, just as we reached +the trainer’s house, that the immense significance of the curried +mutton occurred to me. You may remember that I was distrait, and +remained sitting after you had all alighted. I was marvelling in +my own mind how I could possibly have overlooked so obvious a +clue.” + +“I confess,” said the Colonel, “that even now I cannot see how it +helps us.” + +“It was the first link in my chain of reasoning. Powdered opium +is by no means tasteless. The flavour is not disagreeable, but it +is perceptible. Were it mixed with any ordinary dish the eater +would undoubtedly detect it, and would probably eat no more. A +curry was exactly the medium which would disguise this taste. By +no possible supposition could this stranger, Fitzroy Simpson, +have caused curry to be served in the trainer’s family that +night, and it is surely too monstrous a coincidence to suppose +that he happened to come along with powdered opium upon the very +night when a dish happened to be served which would disguise the +flavour. That is unthinkable. Therefore Simpson becomes +eliminated from the case, and our attention centres upon Straker +and his wife, the only two people who could have chosen curried +mutton for supper that night. The opium was added after the dish +was set aside for the stable-boy, for the others had the same for +supper with no ill effects. Which of them, then, had access to +that dish without the maid seeing them? + +“Before deciding that question I had grasped the significance of +the silence of the dog, for one true inference invariably +suggests others. The Simpson incident had shown me that a dog was +kept in the stables, and yet, though some one had been in and had +fetched out a horse, he had not barked enough to arouse the two +lads in the loft. Obviously the midnight visitor was some one +whom the dog knew well. + +“I was already convinced, or almost convinced, that John Straker +went down to the stables in the dead of the night and took out +Silver Blaze. For what purpose? For a dishonest one, obviously, +or why should he drug his own stable-boy? And yet I was at a loss +to know why. There have been cases before now where trainers have +made sure of great sums of money by laying against their own +horses, through agents, and then preventing them from winning by +fraud. Sometimes it is a pulling jockey. Sometimes it is some +surer and subtler means. What was it here? I hoped that the +contents of his pockets might help me to form a conclusion. + +“And they did so. You cannot have forgotten the singular knife +which was found in the dead man’s hand, a knife which certainly +no sane man would choose for a weapon. It was, as Dr. Watson told +us, a form of knife which is used for the most delicate +operations known in surgery. And it was to be used for a delicate +operation that night. You must know, with your wide experience of +turf matters, Colonel Ross, that it is possible to make a slight +nick upon the tendons of a horse’s ham, and to do it +subcutaneously, so as to leave absolutely no trace. A horse so +treated would develop a slight lameness, which would be put down +to a strain in exercise or a touch of rheumatism, but never to +foul play.” + +“Villain! Scoundrel!” cried the Colonel. + +“We have here the explanation of why John Straker wished to take +the horse out on to the moor. So spirited a creature would have +certainly roused the soundest of sleepers when it felt the prick +of the knife. It was absolutely necessary to do it in the open +air.” + +“I have been blind!” cried the Colonel. “Of course that was why +he needed the candle, and struck the match.” + +“Undoubtedly. But in examining his belongings I was fortunate +enough to discover not only the method of the crime, but even its +motives. As a man of the world, Colonel, you know that men do not +carry other people’s bills about in their pockets. We have most +of us quite enough to do to settle our own. I at once concluded +that Straker was leading a double life, and keeping a second +establishment. The nature of the bill showed that there was a +lady in the case, and one who had expensive tastes. Liberal as +you are with your servants, one can hardly expect that they can +buy twenty-guinea walking dresses for their ladies. I questioned +Mrs. Straker as to the dress without her knowing it, and having +satisfied myself that it had never reached her, I made a note of +the milliner’s address, and felt that by calling there with +Straker’s photograph I could easily dispose of the mythical +Derbyshire. + +“From that time on all was plain. Straker had led out the horse +to a hollow where his light would be invisible. Simpson in his +flight had dropped his cravat, and Straker had picked it up—with +some idea, perhaps, that he might use it in securing the horse’s +leg. Once in the hollow, he had got behind the horse and had +struck a light; but the creature frightened at the sudden glare, +and with the strange instinct of animals feeling that some +mischief was intended, had lashed out, and the steel shoe had +struck Straker full on the forehead. He had already, in spite of +the rain, taken off his overcoat in order to do his delicate +task, and so, as he fell, his knife gashed his thigh. Do I make +it clear?” + +“Wonderful!” cried the Colonel. “Wonderful! You might have been +there!” + +“My final shot was, I confess a very long one. It struck me that +so astute a man as Straker would not undertake this delicate +tendon-nicking without a little practice. What could he practice +on? My eyes fell upon the sheep, and I asked a question which, +rather to my surprise, showed that my surmise was correct. + +“When I returned to London I called upon the milliner, who had +recognised Straker as an excellent customer of the name of +Derbyshire, who had a very dashing wife, with a strong partiality +for expensive dresses. I have no doubt that this woman had +plunged him over head and ears in debt, and so led him into this +miserable plot.” + +“You have explained all but one thing,” cried the Colonel. “Where +was the horse?” + +“Ah, it bolted, and was cared for by one of your neighbours. We +must have an amnesty in that direction, I think. This is Clapham +Junction, if I am not mistaken, and we shall be in Victoria in +less than ten minutes. If you care to smoke a cigar in our rooms, +Colonel, I shall be happy to give you any other details which +might interest you.” \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/testFiles/inputTXT.txt b/testFiles/inputTXT.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..24860ae --- /dev/null +++ b/testFiles/inputTXT.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1159 @@ +Silver Blaze + + +I am afraid, Watson, that I shall have to go,” said Holmes, as we +sat down together to our breakfast one morning. + +“Go! Where to?” + +“To Dartmoor; to King’s Pyland.” + +I was not surprised. Indeed, my only wonder was that he had not +already been mixed up in this extraordinary case, which was the +one topic of conversation through the length and breadth of +England. For a whole day my companion had rambled about the room +with his chin upon his chest and his brows knitted, charging and +recharging his pipe with the strongest black tobacco, and +absolutely deaf to any of my questions or remarks. Fresh editions +of every paper had been sent up by our news agent, only to be +glanced over and tossed down into a corner. Yet, silent as he +was, I knew perfectly well what it was over which he was +brooding. There was but one problem before the public which could +challenge his powers of analysis, and that was the singular +disappearance of the favourite for the Wessex Cup, and the tragic +murder of its trainer. When, therefore, he suddenly announced his +intention of setting out for the scene of the drama it was only +what I had both expected and hoped for. + +“I should be most happy to go down with you if I should not be in +the way,” said I. + +“My dear Watson, you would confer a great favour upon me by +coming. And I think that your time will not be misspent, for +there are points about the case which promise to make it an +absolutely unique one. We have, I think, just time to catch our +train at Paddington, and I will go further into the matter upon +our journey. You would oblige me by bringing with you your very +excellent field-glass.” + +And so it happened that an hour or so later I found myself in the +corner of a first-class carriage flying along en route for +Exeter, while Sherlock Holmes, with his sharp, eager face framed +in his ear-flapped travelling-cap, dipped rapidly into the bundle +of fresh papers which he had procured at Paddington. We had left +Reading far behind us before he thrust the last one of them under +the seat, and offered me his cigar-case. + +“We are going well,” said he, looking out the window and glancing +at his watch. “Our rate at present is fifty-three and a half +miles an hour.” + +“I have not observed the quarter-mile posts,” said I. + +“Nor have I. But the telegraph posts upon this line are sixty +yards apart, and the calculation is a simple one. I presume that +you have looked into this matter of the murder of John Straker +and the disappearance of Silver Blaze?” + +“I have seen what the _Telegraph_ and the _Chronicle_ have to +say.” + +“It is one of those cases where the art of the reasoner should be +used rather for the sifting of details than for the acquiring of +fresh evidence. The tragedy has been so uncommon, so complete and +of such personal importance to so many people, that we are +suffering from a plethora of surmise, conjecture, and hypothesis. +The difficulty is to detach the framework of fact—of absolute +undeniable fact—from the embellishments of theorists and +reporters. Then, having established ourselves upon this sound +basis, it is our duty to see what inferences may be drawn and +what are the special points upon which the whole mystery turns. +On Tuesday evening I received telegrams from both Colonel Ross, +the owner of the horse, and from Inspector Gregory, who is +looking after the case, inviting my co-operation.” + +“Tuesday evening!” I exclaimed. “And this is Thursday morning. +Why didn’t you go down yesterday?” + +“Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson—which is, I am afraid, +a more common occurrence than any one would think who only knew +me through your memoirs. The fact is that I could not believe it +possible that the most remarkable horse in England could long +remain concealed, especially in so sparsely inhabited a place as +the north of Dartmoor. From hour to hour yesterday I expected to +hear that he had been found, and that his abductor was the +murderer of John Straker. When, however, another morning had +come, and I found that beyond the arrest of young Fitzroy Simpson +nothing had been done, I felt that it was time for me to take +action. Yet in some ways I feel that yesterday has not been +wasted.” + +“You have formed a theory, then?” + +“At least I have got a grip of the essential facts of the case. I +shall enumerate them to you, for nothing clears up a case so much +as stating it to another person, and I can hardly expect your +co-operation if I do not show you the position from which we +start.” + +I lay back against the cushions, puffing at my cigar, while +Holmes, leaning forward, with his long, thin forefinger checking +off the points upon the palm of his left hand, gave me a sketch +of the events which had led to our journey. + +“Silver Blaze,” said he, “is from the Isonomy stock, and holds as +brilliant a record as his famous ancestor. He is now in his fifth +year, and has brought in turn each of the prizes of the turf to +Colonel Ross, his fortunate owner. Up to the time of the +catastrophe he was the first favourite for the Wessex Cup, the +betting being three to one on him. He has always, however, been a +prime favourite with the racing public, and has never yet +disappointed them, so that even at those odds enormous sums of +money have been laid upon him. It is obvious, therefore, that +there were many people who had the strongest interest in +preventing Silver Blaze from being there at the fall of the flag +next Tuesday. + +“The fact was, of course, appreciated at King’s Pyland, where the +Colonel’s training-stable is situated. Every precaution was taken +to guard the favourite. The trainer, John Straker, is a retired +jockey who rode in Colonel Ross’s colours before he became too +heavy for the weighing-chair. He has served the Colonel for five +years as jockey and for seven as trainer, and has always shown +himself to be a zealous and honest servant. Under him were three +lads; for the establishment was a small one, containing only four +horses in all. One of these lads sat up each night in the stable, +while the others slept in the loft. All three bore excellent +characters. John Straker, who is a married man, lived in a small +villa about two hundred yards from the stables. He has no +children, keeps one maid-servant, and is comfortably off. The +country round is very lonely, but about half a mile to the north +there is a small cluster of villas which have been built by a +Tavistock contractor for the use of invalids and others who may +wish to enjoy the pure Dartmoor air. Tavistock itself lies two +miles to the west, while across the moor, also about two miles +distant, is the larger training establishment of Mapleton, which +belongs to Lord Backwater, and is managed by Silas Brown. In +every other direction the moor is a complete wilderness, +inhabited only by a few roaming gypsies. Such was the general +situation last Monday night when the catastrophe occurred. + +“On that evening the horses had been exercised and watered as +usual, and the stables were locked up at nine o’clock. Two of the +lads walked up to the trainer’s house, where they had supper in +the kitchen, while the third, Ned Hunter, remained on guard. At a +few minutes after nine the maid, Edith Baxter, carried down to +the stables his supper, which consisted of a dish of curried +mutton. She took no liquid, as there was a water-tap in the +stables, and it was the rule that the lad on duty should drink +nothing else. The maid carried a lantern with her, as it was very +dark and the path ran across the open moor. + +“Edith Baxter was within thirty yards of the stables, when a man +appeared out of the darkness and called to her to stop. As he +stepped into the circle of yellow light thrown by the lantern she +saw that he was a person of gentlemanly bearing, dressed in a +grey suit of tweeds, with a cloth cap. He wore gaiters, and +carried a heavy stick with a knob to it. She was most impressed, +however, by the extreme pallor of his face and by the nervousness +of his manner. His age, she thought, would be rather over thirty +than under it. + +“‘Can you tell me where I am?’ he asked. ‘I had almost made up my +mind to sleep on the moor, when I saw the light of your lantern.’ + +“‘You are close to the King’s Pyland training-stables,’ said she. + +“‘Oh, indeed! What a stroke of luck!’ he cried. ‘I understand +that a stable-boy sleeps there alone every night. Perhaps that is +his supper which you are carrying to him. Now I am sure that you +would not be too proud to earn the price of a new dress, would +you?’ He took a piece of white paper folded up out of his +waistcoat pocket. ‘See that the boy has this to-night, and you +shall have the prettiest frock that money can buy.’ + +“She was frightened by the earnestness of his manner, and ran +past him to the window through which she was accustomed to hand +the meals. It was already opened, and Hunter was seated at the +small table inside. She had begun to tell him of what had +happened, when the stranger came up again. + +“‘Good-evening,’ said he, looking through the window. ‘I wanted +to have a word with you.’ The girl has sworn that as he spoke she +noticed the corner of the little paper packet protruding from his +closed hand. + +“‘What business have you here?’ asked the lad. + +“‘It’s business that may put something into your pocket,’ said +the other. ‘You’ve two horses in for the Wessex Cup—Silver Blaze +and Bayard. Let me have the straight tip and you won’t be a +loser. Is it a fact that at the weights Bayard could give the +other a hundred yards in five furlongs, and that the stable have +put their money on him?’ + +“‘So, you’re one of those damned touts!’ cried the lad. ‘I’ll +show you how we serve them in King’s Pyland.’ He sprang up and +rushed across the stable to unloose the dog. The girl fled away +to the house, but as she ran she looked back and saw that the +stranger was leaning through the window. A minute later, however, +when Hunter rushed out with the hound he was gone, and though he +ran all round the buildings he failed to find any trace of him.” + +“One moment,” I asked. “Did the stable-boy, when he ran out with +the dog, leave the door unlocked behind him?” + +“Excellent, Watson, excellent!” murmured my companion. “The +importance of the point struck me so forcibly that I sent a +special wire to Dartmoor yesterday to clear the matter up. The +boy locked the door before he left it. The window, I may add, was +not large enough for a man to get through. + +“Hunter waited until his fellow-grooms had returned, when he sent +a message to the trainer and told him what had occurred. Straker +was excited at hearing the account, although he does not seem to +have quite realized its true significance. It left him, however, +vaguely uneasy, and Mrs. Straker, waking at one in the morning, +found that he was dressing. In reply to her inquiries, he said +that he could not sleep on account of his anxiety about the +horses, and that he intended to walk down to the stables to see +that all was well. She begged him to remain at home, as she could +hear the rain pattering against the window, but in spite of her +entreaties he pulled on his large mackintosh and left the house. + +“Mrs. Straker awoke at seven in the morning, to find that her +husband had not yet returned. She dressed herself hastily, called +the maid, and set off for the stables. The door was open; inside, +huddled together upon a chair, Hunter was sunk in a state of +absolute stupor, the favourite’s stall was empty, and there were +no signs of his trainer. + +“The two lads who slept in the chaff-cutting loft above the +harness-room were quickly aroused. They had heard nothing during +the night, for they are both sound sleepers. Hunter was obviously +under the influence of some powerful drug, and as no sense could +be got out of him, he was left to sleep it off while the two lads +and the two women ran out in search of the absentees. They still +had hopes that the trainer had for some reason taken out the +horse for early exercise, but on ascending the knoll near the +house, from which all the neighbouring moors were visible, they +not only could see no signs of the missing favourite, but they +perceived something which warned them that they were in the +presence of a tragedy. + +“About a quarter of a mile from the stables John Straker’s +overcoat was flapping from a furze-bush. Immediately beyond there +was a bowl-shaped depression in the moor, and at the bottom of +this was found the dead body of the unfortunate trainer. His head +had been shattered by a savage blow from some heavy weapon, and +he was wounded on the thigh, where there was a long, clean cut, +inflicted evidently by some very sharp instrument. It was clear, +however, that Straker had defended himself vigorously against his +assailants, for in his right hand he held a small knife, which +was clotted with blood up to the handle, while in his left he +clasped a red and black silk cravat, which was recognised by the +maid as having been worn on the preceding evening by the stranger +who had visited the stables. + +“Hunter, on recovering from his stupor, was also quite positive +as to the ownership of the cravat. He was equally certain that +the same stranger had, while standing at the window, drugged his +curried mutton, and so deprived the stables of their watchman. + +“As to the missing horse, there were abundant proofs in the mud +which lay at the bottom of the fatal hollow that he had been +there at the time of the struggle. But from that morning he has +disappeared, and although a large reward has been offered, and +all the gypsies of Dartmoor are on the alert, no news has come of +him. Finally, an analysis has shown that the remains of his +supper left by the stable-lad contain an appreciable quantity of +powdered opium, while the people at the house partook of the same +dish on the same night without any ill effect. + +“Those are the main facts of the case, stripped of all surmise, +and stated as baldly as possible. I shall now recapitulate what +the police have done in the matter. + +“Inspector Gregory, to whom the case has been committed, is an +extremely competent officer. Were he but gifted with imagination +he might rise to great heights in his profession. On his arrival +he promptly found and arrested the man upon whom suspicion +naturally rested. There was little difficulty in finding him, for +he inhabited one of those villas which I have mentioned. His +name, it appears, was Fitzroy Simpson. He was a man of excellent +birth and education, who had squandered a fortune upon the turf, +and who lived now by doing a little quiet and genteel book-making +in the sporting clubs of London. An examination of his +betting-book shows that bets to the amount of five thousand +pounds had been registered by him against the favourite. + +“On being arrested he volunteered the statement that he had come +down to Dartmoor in the hope of getting some information about +the King’s Pyland horses, and also about Desborough, the second +favourite, which was in charge of Silas Brown at the Mapleton +stables. He did not attempt to deny that he had acted as +described upon the evening before, but declared that he had no +sinister designs, and had simply wished to obtain first-hand +information. When confronted with his cravat, he turned very +pale, and was utterly unable to account for its presence in the +hand of the murdered man. His wet clothing showed that he had +been out in the storm of the night before, and his stick, which +was a Penang-lawyer weighted with lead, was just such a weapon as +might, by repeated blows, have inflicted the terrible injuries to +which the trainer had succumbed. + +“On the other hand, there was no wound upon his person, while the +state of Straker’s knife would show that one at least of his +assailants must bear his mark upon him. There you have it all in +a nutshell, Watson, and if you can give me any light I shall be +infinitely obliged to you.” + +I had listened with the greatest interest to the statement which +Holmes, with characteristic clearness, had laid before me. Though +most of the facts were familiar to me, I had not sufficiently +appreciated their relative importance, nor their connection to +each other. + +“Is it not possible,” I suggested, “that the incised wound upon +Straker may have been caused by his own knife in the convulsive +struggles which follow any brain injury?” + +“It is more than possible; it is probable,” said Holmes. “In that +case one of the main points in favour of the accused disappears.” + +“And yet,” said I, “even now I fail to understand what the theory +of the police can be.” + +“I am afraid that whatever theory we state has very grave +objections to it,” returned my companion. “The police imagine, I +take it, that this Fitzroy Simpson, having drugged the lad, and +having in some way obtained a duplicate key, opened the stable +door and took out the horse, with the intention, apparently, of +kidnapping him altogether. His bridle is missing, so that Simpson +must have put this on. Then, having left the door open behind +him, he was leading the horse away over the moor, when he was +either met or overtaken by the trainer. A row naturally ensued. +Simpson beat out the trainer’s brains with his heavy stick +without receiving any injury from the small knife which Straker +used in self-defence, and then the thief either led the horse on +to some secret hiding-place, or else it may have bolted during +the struggle, and be now wandering out on the moors. That is the +case as it appears to the police, and improbable as it is, all +other explanations are more improbable still. However, I shall +very quickly test the matter when I am once upon the spot, and +until then I cannot really see how we can get much further than +our present position.” + +It was evening before we reached the little town of Tavistock, +which lies, like the boss of a shield, in the middle of the huge +circle of Dartmoor. Two gentlemen were awaiting us in the +station—the one a tall, fair man with lion-like hair and beard +and curiously penetrating light blue eyes; the other a small, +alert person, very neat and dapper, in a frock-coat and gaiters, +with trim little side-whiskers and an eye-glass. The latter was +Colonel Ross, the well-known sportsman; the other, Inspector +Gregory, a man who was rapidly making his name in the English +detective service. + +“I am delighted that you have come down, Mr. Holmes,” said the +Colonel. “The Inspector here has done all that could possibly be +suggested, but I wish to leave no stone unturned in trying to +avenge poor Straker and in recovering my horse.” + +“Have there been any fresh developments?” asked Holmes. + +“I am sorry to say that we have made very little progress,” said +the Inspector. “We have an open carriage outside, and as you +would no doubt like to see the place before the light fails, we +might talk it over as we drive.” + +A minute later we were all seated in a comfortable landau, and +were rattling through the quaint old Devonshire city. Inspector +Gregory was full of his case, and poured out a stream of remarks, +while Holmes threw in an occasional question or interjection. +Colonel Ross leaned back with his arms folded and his hat tilted +over his eyes, while I listened with interest to the dialogue of +the two detectives. Gregory was formulating his theory, which was +almost exactly what Holmes had foretold in the train. + +“The net is drawn pretty close round Fitzroy Simpson,” he +remarked, “and I believe myself that he is our man. At the same +time I recognise that the evidence is purely circumstantial, and +that some new development may upset it.” + +“How about Straker’s knife?” + +“We have quite come to the conclusion that he wounded himself in +his fall.” + +“My friend Dr. Watson made that suggestion to me as we came down. +If so, it would tell against this man Simpson.” + +“Undoubtedly. He has neither a knife nor any sign of a wound. The +evidence against him is certainly very strong. He had a great +interest in the disappearance of the favourite. He lies under +suspicion of having poisoned the stable-boy, he was undoubtedly +out in the storm, he was armed with a heavy stick, and his cravat +was found in the dead man’s hand. I really think we have enough +to go before a jury.” + +Holmes shook his head. “A clever counsel would tear it all to +rags,” said he. “Why should he take the horse out of the stable? +If he wished to injure it why could he not do it there? Has a +duplicate key been found in his possession? What chemist sold him +the powdered opium? Above all, where could he, a stranger to the +district, hide a horse, and such a horse as this? What is his own +explanation as to the paper which he wished the maid to give to +the stable-boy?” + +“He says that it was a ten-pound note. One was found in his +purse. But your other difficulties are not so formidable as they +seem. He is not a stranger to the district. He has twice lodged +at Tavistock in the summer. The opium was probably brought from +London. The key, having served its purpose, would be hurled away. +The horse may be at the bottom of one of the pits or old mines +upon the moor.” + +“What does he say about the cravat?” + +“He acknowledges that it is his, and declares that he had lost +it. But a new element has been introduced into the case which may +account for his leading the horse from the stable.” + +Holmes pricked up his ears. + +“We have found traces which show that a party of gypsies encamped +on Monday night within a mile of the spot where the murder took +place. On Tuesday they were gone. Now, presuming that there was +some understanding between Simpson and these gypsies, might he +not have been leading the horse to them when he was overtaken, +and may they not have him now?” + +“It is certainly possible.” + +“The moor is being scoured for these gypsies. I have also +examined every stable and out-house in Tavistock, and for a +radius of ten miles.” + +“There is another training-stable quite close, I understand?” + +“Yes, and that is a factor which we must certainly not neglect. +As Desborough, their horse, was second in the betting, they had +an interest in the disappearance of the favourite. Silas Brown, +the trainer, is known to have had large bets upon the event, and +he was no friend to poor Straker. We have, however, examined the +stables, and there is nothing to connect him with the affair.” + +“And nothing to connect this man Simpson with the interests of +the Mapleton stables?” + +“Nothing at all.” + +Holmes leaned back in the carriage, and the conversation ceased. +A few minutes later our driver pulled up at a neat little +red-brick villa with overhanging eaves which stood by the road. +Some distance off, across a paddock, lay a long grey-tiled +out-building. In every other direction the low curves of the +moor, bronze-coloured from the fading ferns, stretched away to +the sky-line, broken only by the steeples of Tavistock, and by a +cluster of houses away to the westward which marked the Mapleton +stables. We all sprang out with the exception of Holmes, who +continued to lean back with his eyes fixed upon the sky in front +of him, entirely absorbed in his own thoughts. It was only when I +touched his arm that he roused himself with a violent start and +stepped out of the carriage. + +“Excuse me,” said he, turning to Colonel Ross, who had looked at +him in some surprise. “I was day-dreaming.” There was a gleam in +his eyes and a suppressed excitement in his manner which +convinced me, used as I was to his ways, that his hand was upon a +clue, though I could not imagine where he had found it. + +“Perhaps you would prefer at once to go on to the scene of the +crime, Mr. Holmes?” said Gregory. + +“I think that I should prefer to stay here a little and go into +one or two questions of detail. Straker was brought back here, I +presume?” + +“Yes; he lies upstairs. The inquest is to-morrow.” + +“He has been in your service some years, Colonel Ross?” + +“I have always found him an excellent servant.” + +“I presume that you made an inventory of what he had in his +pockets at the time of his death, Inspector?” + +“I have the things themselves in the sitting-room, if you would +care to see them.” + +“I should be very glad.” We all filed into the front room and sat +round the central table while the Inspector unlocked a square tin +box and laid a small heap of things before us. There was a box of +vestas, two inches of tallow candle, an A.D.P. briar-root pipe, a +pouch of seal-skin with half an ounce of long-cut Cavendish, a +silver watch with a gold chain, five sovereigns in gold, an +aluminium pencil-case, a few papers, and an ivory-handled knife +with a very delicate, inflexible blade marked Weiss & Co., +London. + +“This is a very singular knife,” said Holmes, lifting it up and +examining it minutely. “I presume, as I see blood-stains upon it, +that it is the one which was found in the dead man’s grasp. +Watson, this knife is surely in your line?” + +“It is what we call a cataract knife,” said I. + +“I thought so. A very delicate blade devised for very delicate +work. A strange thing for a man to carry with him upon a rough +expedition, especially as it would not shut in his pocket.” + +“The tip was guarded by a disk of cork which we found beside his +body,” said the Inspector. “His wife tells us that the knife had +lain upon the dressing-table, and that he had picked it up as he +left the room. It was a poor weapon, but perhaps the best that he +could lay his hands on at the moment.” + +“Very possible. How about these papers?” + +“Three of them are receipted hay-dealers’ accounts. One of them +is a letter of instructions from Colonel Ross. This other is a +milliner’s account for thirty-seven pounds fifteen made out by +Madame Lesurier, of Bond Street, to William Derbyshire. Mrs. +Straker tells us that Derbyshire was a friend of her husband’s +and that occasionally his letters were addressed here.” + +“Madam Derbyshire had somewhat expensive tastes,” remarked +Holmes, glancing down the account. “Twenty-two guineas is rather +heavy for a single costume. However there appears to be nothing +more to learn, and we may now go down to the scene of the crime.” + +As we emerged from the sitting-room a woman, who had been waiting +in the passage, took a step forward and laid her hand upon the +Inspector’s sleeve. Her face was haggard and thin and eager, +stamped with the print of a recent horror. + +“Have you got them? Have you found them?” she panted. + +“No, Mrs. Straker. But Mr. Holmes here has come from London to +help us, and we shall do all that is possible.” + +“Surely I met you in Plymouth at a garden-party some little time +ago, Mrs. Straker?” said Holmes. + +“No, sir; you are mistaken.” + +“Dear me! Why, I could have sworn to it. You wore a costume of +dove-coloured silk with ostrich-feather trimming.” + +“I never had such a dress, sir,” answered the lady. + +“Ah, that quite settles it,” said Holmes. And with an apology he +followed the Inspector outside. A short walk across the moor took +us to the hollow in which the body had been found. At the brink +of it was the furze-bush upon which the coat had been hung. + +“There was no wind that night, I understand,” said Holmes. + +“None; but very heavy rain.” + +“In that case the overcoat was not blown against the furze-bush, +but placed there.” + +“Yes, it was laid across the bush.” + +“You fill me with interest, I perceive that the ground has been +trampled up a good deal. No doubt many feet have been here since +Monday night.” + +“A piece of matting has been laid here at the side, and we have +all stood upon that.” + +“Excellent.” + +“In this bag I have one of the boots which Straker wore, one of +Fitzroy Simpson’s shoes, and a cast horseshoe of Silver Blaze.” + +“My dear Inspector, you surpass yourself!” Holmes took the bag, +and, descending into the hollow, he pushed the matting into a +more central position. Then stretching himself upon his face and +leaning his chin upon his hands, he made a careful study of the +trampled mud in front of him. “Hullo!” said he, suddenly. “What’s +this?” It was a wax vesta half burned, which was so coated with +mud that it looked at first like a little chip of wood. + +“I cannot think how I came to overlook it,” said the Inspector, +with an expression of annoyance. + +“It was invisible, buried in the mud. I only saw it because I was +looking for it.” + +“What! You expected to find it?” + +“I thought it not unlikely.” + +He took the boots from the bag, and compared the impressions of +each of them with marks upon the ground. Then he clambered up to +the rim of the hollow, and crawled about among the ferns and +bushes. + +“I am afraid that there are no more tracks,” said the Inspector. +“I have examined the ground very carefully for a hundred yards in +each direction.” + +“Indeed!” said Holmes, rising. “I should not have the +impertinence to do it again after what you say. But I should like +to take a little walk over the moor before it grows dark, that I +may know my ground to-morrow, and I think that I shall put this +horseshoe into my pocket for luck.” + +Colonel Ross, who had shown some signs of impatience at my +companion’s quiet and systematic method of work, glanced at his +watch. “I wish you would come back with me, Inspector,” said he. +“There are several points on which I should like your advice, and +especially as to whether we do not owe it to the public to remove +our horse’s name from the entries for the Cup.” + +“Certainly not,” cried Holmes, with decision. “I should let the +name stand.” + +The Colonel bowed. “I am very glad to have had your opinion, +sir,” said he. “You will find us at poor Straker’s house when you +have finished your walk, and we can drive together into +Tavistock.” + +He turned back with the Inspector, while Holmes and I walked +slowly across the moor. The sun was beginning to sink behind the +stables of Mapleton, and the long, sloping plain in front of us +was tinged with gold, deepening into rich, ruddy browns where the +faded ferns and brambles caught the evening light. But the +glories of the landscape were all wasted upon my companion, who +was sunk in the deepest thought. + +“It’s this way, Watson,” said he at last. “We may leave the +question of who killed John Straker for the instant, and confine +ourselves to finding out what has become of the horse. Now, +supposing that he broke away during or after the tragedy, where +could he have gone to? The horse is a very gregarious creature. +If left to himself his instincts would have been either to return +to King’s Pyland or go over to Mapleton. Why should he run wild +upon the moor? He would surely have been seen by now. And why +should gypsies kidnap him? These people always clear out when +they hear of trouble, for they do not wish to be pestered by the +police. They could not hope to sell such a horse. They would run +a great risk and gain nothing by taking him. Surely that is +clear.” + +“Where is he, then?” + +“I have already said that he must have gone to King’s Pyland or +to Mapleton. He is not at King’s Pyland. Therefore he is at +Mapleton. Let us take that as a working hypothesis and see what +it leads us to. This part of the moor, as the Inspector remarked, +is very hard and dry. But it falls away towards Mapleton, and you +can see from here that there is a long hollow over yonder, which +must have been very wet on Monday night. If our supposition is +correct, then the horse must have crossed that, and there is the +point where we should look for his tracks.” + +We had been walking briskly during this conversation, and a few +more minutes brought us to the hollow in question. At Holmes’ +request I walked down the bank to the right, and he to the left, +but I had not taken fifty paces before I heard him give a shout, +and saw him waving his hand to me. The track of a horse was +plainly outlined in the soft earth in front of him, and the shoe +which he took from his pocket exactly fitted the impression. + +“See the value of imagination,” said Holmes. “It is the one +quality which Gregory lacks. We imagined what might have +happened, acted upon the supposition, and find ourselves +justified. Let us proceed.” + +We crossed the marshy bottom and passed over a quarter of a mile +of dry, hard turf. Again the ground sloped, and again we came on +the tracks. Then we lost them for half a mile, but only to pick +them up once more quite close to Mapleton. It was Holmes who saw +them first, and he stood pointing with a look of triumph upon his +face. A man’s track was visible beside the horse’s. + +“The horse was alone before,” I cried. + +“Quite so. It was alone before. Hullo, what is this?” + +The double track turned sharp off and took the direction of +King’s Pyland. Holmes whistled, and we both followed along after +it. His eyes were on the trail, but I happened to look a little +to one side, and saw to my surprise the same tracks coming back +again in the opposite direction. + +“One for you, Watson,” said Holmes, when I pointed it out. “You +have saved us a long walk, which would have brought us back on +our own traces. Let us follow the return track.” + +We had not to go far. It ended at the paving of asphalt which led +up to the gates of the Mapleton stables. As we approached, a +groom ran out from them. + +“We don’t want any loiterers about here,” said he. + +“I only wished to ask a question,” said Holmes, with his finger +and thumb in his waistcoat pocket. “Should I be too early to see +your master, Mr. Silas Brown, if I were to call at five o’clock +to-morrow morning?” + +“Bless you, sir, if any one is about he will be, for he is always +the first stirring. But here he is, sir, to answer your questions +for himself. No, sir, no; it is as much as my place is worth to +let him see me touch your money. Afterwards, if you like.” + +As Sherlock Holmes replaced the half-crown which he had drawn +from his pocket, a fierce-looking elderly man strode out from the +gate with a hunting-crop swinging in his hand. + +“What’s this, Dawson!” he cried. “No gossiping! Go about your +business! And you, what the devil do you want here?” + +“Ten minutes’ talk with you, my good sir,” said Holmes in the +sweetest of voices. + +“I’ve no time to talk to every gadabout. We want no strangers +here. Be off, or you may find a dog at your heels.” + +Holmes leaned forward and whispered something in the trainer’s +ear. He started violently and flushed to the temples. + +“It’s a lie!” he shouted, “an infernal lie!” + +“Very good. Shall we argue about it here in public or talk it +over in your parlour?” + +“Oh, come in if you wish to.” + +Holmes smiled. “I shall not keep you more than a few minutes, +Watson,” said he. “Now, Mr. Brown, I am quite at your disposal.” + +It was twenty minutes, and the reds had all faded into greys +before Holmes and the trainer reappeared. Never have I seen such +a change as had been brought about in Silas Brown in that short +time. His face was ashy pale, beads of perspiration shone upon +his brow, and his hands shook until the hunting-crop wagged like +a branch in the wind. His bullying, overbearing manner was all +gone too, and he cringed along at my companion’s side like a dog +with its master. + +“Your instructions will be done. It shall all be done,” said he. + +“There must be no mistake,” said Holmes, looking round at him. +The other winced as he read the menace in his eyes. + +“Oh no, there shall be no mistake. It shall be there. Should I +change it first or not?” + +Holmes thought a little and then burst out laughing. “No, don’t,” +said he; “I shall write to you about it. No tricks, now, or—” + +“Oh, you can trust me, you can trust me!” + +“Yes, I think I can. Well, you shall hear from me to-morrow.” He +turned upon his heel, disregarding the trembling hand which the +other held out to him, and we set off for King’s Pyland. + +“A more perfect compound of the bully, coward, and sneak than +Master Silas Brown I have seldom met with,” remarked Holmes as we +trudged along together. + +“He has the horse, then?” + +“He tried to bluster out of it, but I described to him so exactly +what his actions had been upon that morning that he is convinced +that I was watching him. Of course you observed the peculiarly +square toes in the impressions, and that his own boots exactly +corresponded to them. Again, of course no subordinate would have +dared to do such a thing. I described to him how, when according +to his custom he was the first down, he perceived a strange horse +wandering over the moor. How he went out to it, and his +astonishment at recognising, from the white forehead which has +given the favourite its name, that chance had put in his power +the only horse which could beat the one upon which he had put his +money. Then I described how his first impulse had been to lead +him back to King’s Pyland, and how the devil had shown him how he +could hide the horse until the race was over, and how he had led +it back and concealed it at Mapleton. When I told him every +detail he gave it up and thought only of saving his own skin.” + +“But his stables had been searched?” + +“Oh, an old horse-faker like him has many a dodge.” + +“But are you not afraid to leave the horse in his power now, +since he has every interest in injuring it?” + +“My dear fellow, he will guard it as the apple of his eye. He +knows that his only hope of mercy is to produce it safe.” + +“Colonel Ross did not impress me as a man who would be likely to +show much mercy in any case.” + +“The matter does not rest with Colonel Ross. I follow my own +methods, and tell as much or as little as I choose. That is the +advantage of being unofficial. I don’t know whether you observed +it, Watson, but the Colonel’s manner has been just a trifle +cavalier to me. I am inclined now to have a little amusement at +his expense. Say nothing to him about the horse.” + +“Certainly not without your permission.” + +“And of course this is all quite a minor point compared to the +question of who killed John Straker.” + +“And you will devote yourself to that?” + +“On the contrary, we both go back to London by the night train.” + +I was thunderstruck by my friend’s words. We had only been a few +hours in Devonshire, and that he should give up an investigation +which he had begun so brilliantly was quite incomprehensible to +me. Not a word more could I draw from him until we were back at +the trainer’s house. The Colonel and the Inspector were awaiting +us in the parlour. + +“My friend and I return to town by the night-express,” said +Holmes. “We have had a charming little breath of your beautiful +Dartmoor air.” + +The Inspector opened his eyes, and the Colonel’s lip curled in a +sneer. + +“So you despair of arresting the murderer of poor Straker,” said +he. + +Holmes shrugged his shoulders. “There are certainly grave +difficulties in the way,” said he. “I have every hope, however, +that your horse will start upon Tuesday, and I beg that you will +have your jockey in readiness. Might I ask for a photograph of +Mr. John Straker?” + +The Inspector took one from an envelope and handed it to him. + +“My dear Gregory, you anticipate all my wants. If I might ask you +to wait here for an instant, I have a question which I should +like to put to the maid.” + +“I must say that I am rather disappointed in our London +consultant,” said Colonel Ross, bluntly, as my friend left the +room. “I do not see that we are any further than when he came.” + +“At least you have his assurance that your horse will run,” said +I. + +“Yes, I have his assurance,” said the Colonel, with a shrug of +his shoulders. “I should prefer to have the horse.” + +I was about to make some reply in defence of my friend when he +entered the room again. + +“Now, gentlemen,” said he, “I am quite ready for Tavistock.” + +As we stepped into the carriage one of the stable-lads held the +door open for us. A sudden idea seemed to occur to Holmes, for he +leaned forward and touched the lad upon the sleeve. + +“You have a few sheep in the paddock,” he said. “Who attends to +them?” + +“I do, sir.” + +“Have you noticed anything amiss with them of late?” + +“Well, sir, not of much account; but three of them have gone +lame, sir.” + +I could see that Holmes was extremely pleased, for he chuckled +and rubbed his hands together. + +“A long shot, Watson; a very long shot,” said he, pinching my +arm. “Gregory, let me recommend to your attention this singular +epidemic among the sheep. Drive on, coachman!” + +Colonel Ross still wore an expression which showed the poor +opinion which he had formed of my companion’s ability, but I saw +by the Inspector’s face that his attention had been keenly +aroused. + +“You consider that to be important?” he asked. + +“Exceedingly so.” + +“Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my +attention?” + +“To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.” + +“The dog did nothing in the night-time.” + +“That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes. + +Four days later Holmes and I were again in the train, bound for +Winchester to see the race for the Wessex Cup. Colonel Ross met +us by appointment outside the station, and we drove in his drag +to the course beyond the town. His face was grave, and his manner +was cold in the extreme. + +“I have seen nothing of my horse,” said he. + +“I suppose that you would know him when you saw him?” asked +Holmes. + +The Colonel was very angry. “I have been on the turf for twenty +years, and never was asked such a question as that before,” said +he. “A child would know Silver Blaze, with his white forehead and +his mottled off-foreleg.” + +“How is the betting?” + +“Well, that is the curious part of it. You could have got fifteen +to one yesterday, but the price has become shorter and shorter, +until you can hardly get three to one now.” + +“Hum!” said Holmes. “Somebody knows something, that is clear.” + +As the drag drew up in the enclosure near the grand stand I +glanced at the card to see the entries. It ran:— + +Wessex Plate. 50 sovs each h ft with 1000 sovs added for four and +five year olds. Second, £300. Third, £200. New course (one mile +and five furlongs). +1. Mr. Heath Newton’s The Negro (red cap, cinnamon jacket). +2. Colonel Wardlaw’s Pugilist (pink cap, blue and black jacket). +3. Lord Backwater’s Desborough (yellow cap and sleeves). +4. Colonel Ross’s Silver Blaze (black cap, red jacket). +5. Duke of Balmoral’s Iris (yellow and black stripes). +6. Lord Singleford’s Rasper (purple cap, black sleeves). + +“We scratched our other one, and put all hopes on your word,” +said the Colonel. “Why, what is that? Silver Blaze favourite?” + +“Five to four against Silver Blaze!” roared the ring. “Five to +four against Silver Blaze! Five to fifteen against Desborough! +Five to four on the field!” + +“There are the numbers up,” I cried. “They are all six there.” + +“All six there? Then my horse is running,” cried the Colonel in +great agitation. “But I don’t see him. My colours have not +passed.” + +“Only five have passed. This must be he.” + +As I spoke a powerful bay horse swept out from the weighing +enclosure and cantered past us, bearing on its back the +well-known black and red of the Colonel. + +“That’s not my horse,” cried the owner. “That beast has not a +white hair upon its body. What is this that you have done, Mr. +Holmes?” + +“Well, well, let us see how he gets on,” said my friend, +imperturbably. For a few minutes he gazed through my field-glass. +“Capital! An excellent start!” he cried suddenly. “There they +are, coming round the curve!” + +From our drag we had a superb view as they came up the straight. +The six horses were so close together that a carpet could have +covered them, but half way up the yellow of the Mapleton stable +showed to the front. Before they reached us, however, +Desborough’s bolt was shot, and the Colonel’s horse, coming away +with a rush, passed the post a good six lengths before its rival, +the Duke of Balmoral’s Iris making a bad third. + +“It’s my race, anyhow,” gasped the Colonel, passing his hand over +his eyes. “I confess that I can make neither head nor tail of it. +Don’t you think that you have kept up your mystery long enough, +Mr. Holmes?” + +“Certainly, Colonel, you shall know everything. Let us all go +round and have a look at the horse together. Here he is,” he +continued, as we made our way into the weighing enclosure, where +only owners and their friends find admittance. “You have only to +wash his face and his leg in spirits of wine, and you will find +that he is the same old Silver Blaze as ever.” + +“You take my breath away!” + +“I found him in the hands of a faker, and took the liberty of +running him just as he was sent over.” + +“My dear sir, you have done wonders. The horse looks very fit and +well. It never went better in its life. I owe you a thousand +apologies for having doubted your ability. You have done me a +great service by recovering my horse. You would do me a greater +still if you could lay your hands on the murderer of John +Straker.” + +“I have done so,” said Holmes quietly. + +The Colonel and I stared at him in amazement. “You have got him! +Where is he, then?” + +“He is here.” + +“Here! Where?” + +“In my company at the present moment.” + +The Colonel flushed angrily. “I quite recognise that I am under +obligations to you, Mr. Holmes,” said he, “but I must regard what +you have just said as either a very bad joke or an insult.” + +Sherlock Holmes laughed. “I assure you that I have not associated +you with the crime, Colonel,” said he. “The real murderer is +standing immediately behind you.” He stepped past and laid his +hand upon the glossy neck of the thoroughbred. + +“The horse!” cried both the Colonel and myself. + +“Yes, the horse. And it may lessen his guilt if I say that it was +done in self-defence, and that John Straker was a man who was +entirely unworthy of your confidence. But there goes the bell, +and as I stand to win a little on this next race, I shall defer a +lengthy explanation until a more fitting time.” + +We had the corner of a Pullman car to ourselves that evening as +we whirled back to London, and I fancy that the journey was a +short one to Colonel Ross as well as to myself, as we listened to +our companion’s narrative of the events which had occurred at the +Dartmoor training-stables upon the Monday night, and the means by +which he had unravelled them. + +“I confess,” said he, “that any theories which I had formed from +the newspaper reports were entirely erroneous. And yet there were +indications there, had they not been overlaid by other details +which concealed their true import. I went to Devonshire with the +conviction that Fitzroy Simpson was the true culprit, although, +of course, I saw that the evidence against him was by no means +complete. It was while I was in the carriage, just as we reached +the trainer’s house, that the immense significance of the curried +mutton occurred to me. You may remember that I was distrait, and +remained sitting after you had all alighted. I was marvelling in +my own mind how I could possibly have overlooked so obvious a +clue.” + +“I confess,” said the Colonel, “that even now I cannot see how it +helps us.” + +“It was the first link in my chain of reasoning. Powdered opium +is by no means tasteless. The flavour is not disagreeable, but it +is perceptible. Were it mixed with any ordinary dish the eater +would undoubtedly detect it, and would probably eat no more. A +curry was exactly the medium which would disguise this taste. By +no possible supposition could this stranger, Fitzroy Simpson, +have caused curry to be served in the trainer’s family that +night, and it is surely too monstrous a coincidence to suppose +that he happened to come along with powdered opium upon the very +night when a dish happened to be served which would disguise the +flavour. That is unthinkable. Therefore Simpson becomes +eliminated from the case, and our attention centres upon Straker +and his wife, the only two people who could have chosen curried +mutton for supper that night. The opium was added after the dish +was set aside for the stable-boy, for the others had the same for +supper with no ill effects. Which of them, then, had access to +that dish without the maid seeing them? + +“Before deciding that question I had grasped the significance of +the silence of the dog, for one true inference invariably +suggests others. The Simpson incident had shown me that a dog was +kept in the stables, and yet, though some one had been in and had +fetched out a horse, he had not barked enough to arouse the two +lads in the loft. Obviously the midnight visitor was some one +whom the dog knew well. + +“I was already convinced, or almost convinced, that John Straker +went down to the stables in the dead of the night and took out +Silver Blaze. For what purpose? For a dishonest one, obviously, +or why should he drug his own stable-boy? And yet I was at a loss +to know why. There have been cases before now where trainers have +made sure of great sums of money by laying against their own +horses, through agents, and then preventing them from winning by +fraud. Sometimes it is a pulling jockey. Sometimes it is some +surer and subtler means. What was it here? I hoped that the +contents of his pockets might help me to form a conclusion. + +“And they did so. You cannot have forgotten the singular knife +which was found in the dead man’s hand, a knife which certainly +no sane man would choose for a weapon. It was, as Dr. Watson told +us, a form of knife which is used for the most delicate +operations known in surgery. And it was to be used for a delicate +operation that night. You must know, with your wide experience of +turf matters, Colonel Ross, that it is possible to make a slight +nick upon the tendons of a horse’s ham, and to do it +subcutaneously, so as to leave absolutely no trace. A horse so +treated would develop a slight lameness, which would be put down +to a strain in exercise or a touch of rheumatism, but never to +foul play.” + +“Villain! Scoundrel!” cried the Colonel. + +“We have here the explanation of why John Straker wished to take +the horse out on to the moor. So spirited a creature would have +certainly roused the soundest of sleepers when it felt the prick +of the knife. It was absolutely necessary to do it in the open +air.” + +“I have been blind!” cried the Colonel. “Of course that was why +he needed the candle, and struck the match.” + +“Undoubtedly. But in examining his belongings I was fortunate +enough to discover not only the method of the crime, but even its +motives. As a man of the world, Colonel, you know that men do not +carry other people’s bills about in their pockets. We have most +of us quite enough to do to settle our own. I at once concluded +that Straker was leading a double life, and keeping a second +establishment. The nature of the bill showed that there was a +lady in the case, and one who had expensive tastes. Liberal as +you are with your servants, one can hardly expect that they can +buy twenty-guinea walking dresses for their ladies. I questioned +Mrs. Straker as to the dress without her knowing it, and having +satisfied myself that it had never reached her, I made a note of +the milliner’s address, and felt that by calling there with +Straker’s photograph I could easily dispose of the mythical +Derbyshire. + +“From that time on all was plain. Straker had led out the horse +to a hollow where his light would be invisible. Simpson in his +flight had dropped his cravat, and Straker had picked it up—with +some idea, perhaps, that he might use it in securing the horse’s +leg. Once in the hollow, he had got behind the horse and had +struck a light; but the creature frightened at the sudden glare, +and with the strange instinct of animals feeling that some +mischief was intended, had lashed out, and the steel shoe had +struck Straker full on the forehead. He had already, in spite of +the rain, taken off his overcoat in order to do his delicate +task, and so, as he fell, his knife gashed his thigh. Do I make +it clear?” + +“Wonderful!” cried the Colonel. “Wonderful! You might have been +there!” + +“My final shot was, I confess a very long one. It struck me that +so astute a man as Straker would not undertake this delicate +tendon-nicking without a little practice. What could he practice +on? My eyes fell upon the sheep, and I asked a question which, +rather to my surprise, showed that my surmise was correct. + +“When I returned to London I called upon the milliner, who had +recognised Straker as an excellent customer of the name of +Derbyshire, who had a very dashing wife, with a strong partiality +for expensive dresses. I have no doubt that this woman had +plunged him over head and ears in debt, and so led him into this +miserable plot.” + +“You have explained all but one thing,” cried the Colonel. “Where +was the horse?” + +“Ah, it bolted, and was cared for by one of your neighbours. We +must have an amnesty in that direction, I think. This is Clapham +Junction, if I am not mistaken, and we shall be in Victoria in +less than ten minutes. If you care to smoke a cigar in our rooms, +Colonel, I shall be happy to give you any other details which +might interest you.” \ No newline at end of file