“This case grows upon me, Watson,” said he. “There aredecidedly some points of interest in connection with it. In thisearly stage, I want you to realize those geographical features whichmay have a good deal to do with our investigation.
“Look at this map. This dark square is the Priory School. I’ll putpin in it. Now, this line is the main road. You see that it runs eastand west past the school, and you see also that there is no sideroad for a mile either way. his post for an instant, and he is positive that neither boy norman could have gone that way unseen. I have spoken with thispoliceman to-night and he appears to me to be a perfectly reliableperson. That blocks this end. We have now to deal with the other.
There is an inn here, the Red Bull, the landlady of which was ill.
She had sent to Mackleton for a doctor, but he did not arriveuntil morning, being absent at another case. The people at theinn were alert all night, awaiting his coming, and one or other ofthem seems to have continually had an eye upon the road. Theydeclare that no one passed. If their evidence is good, then we arefortunate enough to be able to block the west, and also to be ableto say that the fugitives did not use the road at all.”
“But the bicycle?” I objected.
“Quite so. We will come to the bicycle presently. To continueour reasoning: if these people did not go by the road, they musthave traversed the country to the north of the house or to thesouth of the house. That is certain. Let us weigh the one againstthe other. On the south of the house is, as you perceive, a largedistrict of arable land, cut up into small fields, with stone wallsbetween them. There, I admit that a bicycle is impossible. We candismiss the idea. We turn to the country on the north. Here therelies a grove of trees, marked as the ‘Ragged Shaw,’ and on the fartherside stretches a great rolling moor, Lower Gill Moor, extending forten miles and sloping gradually upward. Here, at one side of thiswilderness, is Holdernesse Hall, ten miles by road, but only sixacross the moor. It is a peculiarly desolate plain. A few moor farmershave small holdings, where they rear sheep and cattle. Except these,the plover and the curlew are the only inhabitants until you come tothe Chesterfield high road. There is a church there, you see, a fewcottages, and an inn. Beyond that the hills become precipitous.
Surely it is here to the north that our quest must lie.”
“But the bicycle?” I persisted.
“Well, well!” said Holmes, impatiently. “A good cyclist does notneed a high road. The moor is intersected with paths, and themoon was at the full. Halloa! what is this?”
There was an agitated knock at the door, and an instantafterwards Dr. Huxtable was in the room. In his hand he held ablue cricket-cap with a white chevron on the peak.
“At last we have a clue!” he cried. “Thank heaven! at last we areon the dear boy’s track! It is his cap.”
“Where was it found?”
“In the van of the gipsies who camped on the moor. They left onTuesday. To-day the police traced them down and examined theircaravan. This was found.”
“How do they account for it?”
934 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
“They shuffled and lied—said that they found it on the mooron Tuesday morning. They know where he is, the rascals! Thankgoodness, they are all safe under lock and key. Either the fear ofthe law or the Duke’s purse will certainly get out of them all thatthey know.”
“So far, so good,” said Holmes, when the doctor had at last leftthe room. “It at least bears out the theory that it is on the side ofthe Lower Gill Moor that we must hope for results. The policehave really done nothing locally, save the arrest of these gipsies.
Look here, Watson! There is a watercourse across the moor.
You see it marked here in the map. In some parts it widens into amorass. This is particularly so in the region between HoldernesseHall and the school. It is vain to look elsewhere for tracks in thisdry weather, but at that point there is certainly a chance of somerecord being left. I will call you early to-morrow morning, and youand I will try if we can throw some little light upon the mystery.”
The day was just breaking when I woke to find the long, thinform of Holmes by my bedside. He was fully dressed, and hadapparently already been out.
“I have done the lawn and the bicycle shed,” said, he. “I havealso had a rumble through the Ragged Shaw. Now, Watson, therecocoa ready in the next room. I must beg you to hurry, for wehave a great day before us.”
His eyes shone, and his cheek was flushed with the exhilarationof the master workman who sees his work lie ready beforehim. A very different Holmes, this active, alert man, from theintrospective and pallid dreamer of Baker Street. I felt, as I lookedupon that supple, figure, alive with nervous energy, that it wasindeed a strenuous day that awaited us.
And yet it opened in the blackest disappointment. With highhopes we struck across the peaty, russet moor, intersected with athousand sheep paths, until we came to the broad, light-green beltwhich marked the morass between us and Holdernesse. Certainly,the lad had gone homeward, he must have passed this, and hecould not pass it without leaving his traces. But no sign of him orthe German could be seen. With a darkening face my friend strodealong the margin, eagerly observant of every muddy stain upon themossy surface. Sheep-marks there were in profusion, and at oneplace, some miles down, cows had left their tracks. Nothing more.