The Adventure of Silver Blaze Read online

  "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 the 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 lie 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 gipsies 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 gipsies, 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 gipsies. I have also examined every stable and outhouse 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 sealskin 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 and Co., London.

  "This is a very singular knife," said Holmes, lifting it up and examining it minutely. "I presume, as I see bloodstains 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 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 disc of cork which we found beside his body,"said the Inspector. "His wife tells us that the knife had lain for some days 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 hand on at the moment."

  "Very possibly. 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 Darbyshire. Mrs. Straker tells us that Darbyshire was a friend of her husband's, and that occasionally his letters were addressed here."

  "Madame Darbyshire 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 a 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 bushes, but placed there."

  "Yes, it was laid across the bush."

  "You fill me with interest. I perceive the ground has been trampled up a good deal. No doubt many feet have been there 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.

  "Halloa!" 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 brown 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," he said 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 gipsies 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 p earth in front of him, and the shoe which he took from his pocket exactly fitted the impression.

  "See the value of imagination," said s 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. Halloa, 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. I et 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 anyone 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's 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," he said. "Now, Mr. Brown, I am quite at your disposal."

  It was quite 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 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, c
oward 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 have done 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."