“What I should do？”
“What would you do， then？”
“Engage a special.”
“But it must be late.”
“By no means. This train stops at Canterbury； and there isalways at least a quarter of an hour’s delay at the boat. He willcatch us there.”
“One would think that we were the criminals. Let us have himarrested on his arrival.”
“It would be to ruin the work of three months. We should get thebig fish， but the smaller would dart right and left out of the net. OnMonday we should have them all. No， an arrest is inadmissible.”
“What then？”
“We shall get out at Canterbury.”
“And then？”
“Well， then we must make a cross-country journey to Newhaven，and so over to Dieppe. Moriarty will again do what I should do. Hewill get on to Paris， mark down our luggage， and wait for two daysat the depot. In the meantime we shall treat ourselves to a coupleof carpet-bags， encourage the manufactures of the countriesthrough which we travel， and make our way at our leisure intoSwitzerland， via Luxembourg and Basle.”
At Canterbury， therefore， we alighted， only to find that we shouldhave to wait an hour before we could get a train to Newhaven.
I was still looking rather ruefully after the rapidly disappearingluggage-van which contained my wardrobe， when Holmes pulledmy sleeve and pointed up the line.
“Already， you see，” said he.
Far away， from among the Kentish woods there rose a thin sprayof smoke. A minute later a carriage and engine could be seen flyingalong the open curve which leads to the station. We had hardlytime to take our place behind a pile of luggage when it passed witha rattle and a roar， beating a blast of hot air into our faces.
“There he goes，” said Holmes， as we watched the carriage swingand rock over the points. “There are limits， you see， to our friend’sintelligence. It would have been a coup-de-maitre had he deducedwhat I would deduce and acted accordingly.”
“And what would he have done had he overtaken us？”
“There cannot be the least doubt that he would have made a844 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
murderous attack upon me. It is， however， a game at which twomay play. The question now is whether we should take a prematurelunch here， or run our chance of starving before we reach thebuffet at Newhaven.”
We made our way to Brussels that night and spent two daysthere， moving on upon the third day as far as Strasburg. On theMonday morning Holmes had telegraphed to the London police，and in the evening we found a reply waiting for us at our hotel.
Holmes tore it open， and then with a bitter curse hurled it intothe grate.
“I might have known it！” he groaned. “He has escaped！”
“Moriarty？”
“They have secured the whole gang with the exception of him.
He has given them the slip. Of course， when I had left the countrythere was no one to cope with him. But I did think that I hadput the game in their hands. I think that you had better return toEngland， Watson.”
“Why？”
“Because you will find me a dangerous companion now. Thisman’s occupation is gone. He is lost if he returns to London.
I read his character right he will devote his whole energies torevenging himself upon me. He said as much in our short interview，and I fancy that he meant it. I should certainly recommend you toreturn to your practice.”
It was hardly an appeal to be successful with one who was an oldcampaigner as well as an old friend. We sat in the Strasburg salleà-manger arguing the question for half an hour， but the same nightwe had resumed our journey and were well on our way to Geneva.
For a charming week we wandered up the Valley of the Rhone，and then， branching off at Leuk， we made our way over the GemmiPass， still deep in snow， and so， by way of Interlaken， to Meiringen.
was a lovely trip， the dainty green of the spring below， the virginwhite of the winter above； but it was clear to me that never forone instant did Holmes forget the shadow which lay across him.
In the homely Alpine villages or in the lonely mountain passes， Icould tell by his quick glancing eyes and his sharp scrutiny of everyface that passed us， that he was well convinced that， walk wherewe would， we could not walk ourselves clear of the danger whichwas dogging our footsteps.
Once， I remember， as we passed over the Gemmi， and walkedalong the border of the melancholy Daubensee， a large rock whichhad been dislodged from the ridge upon our right clattered downand roared into the lake behind us. In an instant Holmes had racedup on to the ridge， and， standing upon a lofty pinnacle， craned hisneck in every direction. It was in vain that our guide assured himMemoirs of Sherlock Holmes 845
that a fall of stones was a common chance in the spring-time atthat spot. He said nothing， but he smiled at me with the air of aman who sees the fulfillment of that which he had expected.
And yet for all his watchfulness he was never depressed. On thecontrary， I can never recollect having seen him in such exuberantspirits. Again and again he recurred to the fact that if he could beassured that society was freed from Professor Moriarty he wouldcheerfully bring his own career to a conclusion.
“I think that I may go so far as to say， Watson， that I have notlived wholly in vain，” he remarked. “If my record were closed tonightI could still survey it with equanimity. The air of Londonis the sweeter for my presence. In over a thousand cases I am notaware that I have ever used my powers upon the wrong side. Of lateI have been tempted to look into the problems furnished by naturerather than those more superficial ones for which our artificial stateof society is responsible. Your memoirs will draw to an end， Watson，upon the day that I crown my career by the capture or extinction ofthe most dangerous and capable criminal in Europe.”
I shall be brief， and yet exact， in the little which remains for meto tell. It is not a subject on which I would willingly dwell， and yetI am conscious that a duty devolves upon me to omit no detail.