in front of us with the black figure outlined upon its centre。 Again
in the utter silence I heard that thin； sibilant note which spoke of
intense suppressed excitement。 An instant later he pulled me back into
the blackest corner of the room； and I felt his warning hand upon my
lips。 The fingers which clutched me were quivering。 Never had I
known my friend more moved； and yet the dark street still stretched
lonely and motionless before us。
But suddenly I was aware of that which his keener senses had already
distinguished。 A low； stealthy sound came to my ears； not from the
direction of Baker Street； but from the back of the very house in
which we lay concealed。 A door opened and shut。 An instant later steps
crept down the passage… steps which were meant to be silent； but which
reverberated harshly through the empty house。 Holmes crouched back
against the wall； and I did the same； my hand closing upon the
handle of my revolver。 Peering through the gloom； I saw the vague
outline of a man； a shade blacker than the blackness of the open door。
He stood for an instant； and then he crept forward； crouching；
menacing； into the room。 He was within three yards of us； this
sinister figure； and I had braced myself to meet his spring； before
I realized that he had no idea of our presence。 He passed close beside
us； stole over to the window； and very softly and noiselessly raised
it for half a foot。 As he sank to the level of this opening； the light
of the street； no longer dimmed by the dusty glass； fell full upon his
face。 The man seemed to be beside himself with excitement。 His two
eyes shone like stars； and his features were working convulsively。
He was an elderly man； with a thin； projecting nose； a high； bald
forehead； and a huge grizzled moustache。 An opera hat was pushed to
the back of his head； and an evening dress shirt…front gleamed out
through his open overcoat。 His face was gaunt and swarthy； scored with
deep； savage lines。 In his hand he carried what appeared to be a
stick； but as he laid it down upon the floor it gave a metallic clang。
Then from the pocket of his overcoat he drew a bulky object； and he
busied himself in some task which ended with a loud； sharp click； as
if a spring or bolt had fallen into its place。 Still kneeling upon the
floor he bent forward and threw all his weight and strength upon
some lever； with the result that there came a long； whirling； grinding
noise； ending once more in a powerful click。 He straightened himself
then； and I saw that what he held in his hand was a sort of gun；
with a curiously misshapen butt。 He opened it at the breech； put
something in； and snapped the breech…lock。 Then； crouching down； he
rested the end of the barrel upon the ledge of the open window； and
I saw his long moustache droop over the stock and his eye gleam as
it peered along the sights。 I heard a little sigh of satisfaction as
he cuddled the butt into his shoulder； and saw that amazing target；
the black man on the yellow ground； standing clear at the end of his
foresight。 For an instant he was rigid and motionless。 Then his finger
tightened on the trigger。 There was a strange； loud whiz and a long；
silvery tinkle of broken glass。 At that instant Holmes sprang like a
tiger on to the marksman's back； and hurled him flat upon his face。 He
was up again in a moment； and with convulsive strength he seized
Holmes by the throat； but I struck him on the head with the butt of my
revolver； and he dropped again upon the floor。 I fell upon him； and as
I held him my comrade blew a shrill call upon a whistle。 There was the
clatter of running feet upon the pavement； and two policemen in
uniform； with one plain…clothes detective； rushed through the front
entrance and into the room。
〃That you； Lestrade？〃 said Holmes。
〃Yes； Mr。 Holmes。 I took the job myself。 It's good to see you back
in London； sir。〃
〃I think you want a little unofficial help。 Three undetected murders
in one year won't do； Lestrade。 But you handled the Molesey Mystery
with less than your usual… that's to say； you handled it fairly well。〃
We had all risen to our feet； our prisoner breathing hard； with a
stalwart constable on each side of him。 Already a few loiterers had
begun to collect in the street。 Holmes stepped up to the window；
closed it； and dropped the blinds。 Lestrade had produced two
candles； and the policemen had uncovered their lanterns。 I was able at
last to have a good look at our prisoner。
It was a tremendously virile and yet sinister face which was
turned towards us。 With the brow of a philosopher above and the jaw of
a sensualist below； the man must have started with great capacities
for good or for evil。 But one could not look upon his cruel blue eyes；
with their drooping； cynical lids； or upon the fierce； aggressive nose
and the threatening； deep…lined brow； without reading Nature's
plainest danger…signals。 He took no heed of any of us； but his eyes
were fixed upon Holmes's face with an expression in which hatred and
amazement were equally blended。 〃You fiend！〃 he kept on muttering。
〃You clever； clever fiend！〃
〃Ah； Colonel！〃 said Holmes； arranging his rumpled collar。 〃‘Journeys
end in lovers' meetings；' as the old play says。 I don't think I have
had the pleasure of seeing you since you favoured me with those
attentions as I lay on the ledge above the Reichenbach Fall。〃
The colonel still stared at my friend like a man in a trance。 〃You
cunning； cunning fiend！〃 was all that he could say。
〃I have not introduced you yet；〃 said Holmes。 〃This； gentlemen； is
Colonel Sebastian Moran； once of Her Majesty's Indian Army； and the
best heavy…game shot that our Eastern Empire has ever produced。 I
believe I am correct Colonel； in saying that your bag of tigers
still remains unrivalled？〃
The fierce old man said nothing； but still glared at my companion。
With his savage eyes and bristling moustache he was wonderfully like a
tiger himself。
〃I wonder that my very simple stratagem could deceive so old a
shikari；〃 said Holmes。 〃It must be very familiar to you。 Have you
not tethered a young kid under a tree； lain above it with your
rifle； and waited for the bait to bring up your tiger？ This empty
house is my tree； and you are my tiger。 You have possibly had other
guns in reserve in case there should be several tigers； or in the
unlikely supposition of your own arm failing you。 These；〃 he pointed
around； 〃are my other guns。 The parallel is exact。〃
Colonel Moran sprang forward with a snarl of rage； but the
constables dragged him back。 The fury upon his face was terrible to
look at。
〃I confess that you had one small surprise for me；〃 said Holmes。
〃I did not anticipate that you would yourself make use of this empty
house and this convenient front window。 I had imagined you as
operating from the street； where my friend； Lestrade and his merry men
were awaiting you。 With that exception； all has gone as I expected。〃
Colonel Moran turned to the official detective。
〃You may or may not have just cause for arresting me；〃 said he； 〃but
at least there can be no reason why I should submit to the gibes of
this person。 If I am in the hands of the law； let things be done in
a legal way。〃
〃Well； that's reasonable enough；〃 said Lestrade。 〃Nothing further
you have to say； Mr。 Holmes； before we go？〃
Holmes had picked up the powerful air…gun from the floor； and was
examining its mechanism。
〃An admirable and unique weapon；〃 said he； 〃noiseless and of
tremendous power： I knew Von Herder； the blind German mechanic； who
constructed it to the order of the late Professor Moriarty。 For
years I have been aware of its existance though I have never before
had the opportunity of handling it。 I commend it very specially to
your attention； Lestrade and also the bullets which fit it。〃
〃You can trust us to look after that； Mr。 Holmes；〃 said Lestrade； as
the whole party moved towards the door。 〃Anything further to say？〃
〃Only to ask what charge you intend to prefer？〃
〃What charge； sir？ Why； of course； the attempted murder of Mr。
Sherlock Holmes。〃
〃Not so； Lestrade。 I do not propose to appear in the matter at
all。 To you； and to you only； belongs the credit of the remarkable
arrest which you have effected。 Yes； Lestrade； I congratulate you！
With your usual happy mixture of cunning and audacity； you have got
him。〃
〃Got him！ Got whom； Mr。 Holmes？〃
〃The man that the whole force has been seeking in vain… Colonel
Sebastian Moran； who shot the Honourable Ronald Adair with an
expanding bullet from an air…gun through the open window of the
second…floor front of No。 427 Park Lane； upon the thirtieth of last
month。 That's the charge； Lestrade。 And now； Watson； if you can endure
the draught from a broken window； I think that half an hour in my
study over a cigar may afford you some profitable amusement。〃
Our old chambers had been left unchanged through the supervision
of Mycroft Holmes and the immediate care of Mrs。 Hudson。 As I
entered I saw； it is true； an unwonted tidiness； but the old landmarks
were all in their place。 There were the chemical corner and the
acid…stained； deal…topped table。 There upon a shelf was the row of
formidable scrap…books and books of reference which many of our
fellow…citizens would have been so glad to burn。 The diagrams； the
violin…case； and the pipe…rack… even the Persian slipper which
contained the tobacco… all met my eyes as I glanced round me。 There
were two occupants of the room… one； Mrs。 Hudson； who beamed upon us
both as we entered… the other； the strange dummy which had played so
important a part in the evening's adventures。 It was a waxcoloured
model of my friend； so admirably done that it was a perfect facsimile。
It stood on a small pedestal table with an old dressing…gown of
Holmes's so draped round it that the illusion from the street was
absolutely perfect。
〃I hope you observed all precautions； Mrs。 Hudson？〃 said Holmes。
〃I went to it on my knees； sir； just as you told me。〃
〃Excellent。 You carried the thing out very well。 Did