“Wasthereeveramoreexactdemonstration？“hecried。“See，Watson，
yourrevolverhassolvedtheproblem！“Ashespokehepointedtoa
secondchipoftheexactsizeandshapeofthefirstwhichhad
appearedontheunderedgeofthestonebalustrade。
“We”llstayattheinnto-night，“hecontinuedasheroseand
facedtheastonishedsergeant。“Youwill，ofcourse，geta
grappling-hookandyouwilleasilyrestoremyfriend”srevolver。You
willalsofindbesideittherevolver，stringandweightwithwhich
thisvindictivewomanattemptedtodisguiseherowncrimeandto
fastenachargeofmurderuponaninnocentvictim。YoucanletMr。
GibsonknowthatIwillseehiminthemorning，whenstepscanbe
takenforMissDunbar”svindication。”
Latethatevening，iswesattogethersmokingourpipesinthe
villageinn，Holmesgavemeabriefreviewofwhathadpassed。
“Ifear，Watson，“saidhe，“thatyouwillnotimproveanyreputation
whichImayhaveacquiredbyaddingthecaseoftheThorBridge
mysterytoyourannals。Ihavebeensluggishinmindandwantingin
thatmixtureofimaginationandrealitywhichisthebasisofmy
art。Iconfessthatthechipinthestoneworkwasasufficientclueto
suggestthetruesolution，andthatIblamemyselffornothaving
attaineditsooner。
“Itmustbeadmittedthattheworkingsofthisunhappywoman”s
mindweredeepandsubtle，sothatitwasnoverysimplematterto
unravelherplot。Idonotthinkthatinouradventureswehaveever
comeacrossastrangerexampleofwhatpervertedlovecanbringabout。
WhetherMissDunbarwasherrivalinaphysicalorinamerely
mentalsenseseemstohavebeenequallyunforgivableinhereyes。No
doubtsheblamedthisinnocentladyforallthoseharshdealingsand
unkindwordswithwhichherhusbandtriedtorepelhertoo
demonstrativeaffection。Herfirstresolutionwastoendherownlife。
Hersecondwastodoitinsuchawayastoinvolvehervictimina
fatewhichwasworsefarthananysuddendeathcouldbe。
“Wecanfollowthevariousstepsquiteclearly，andtheyshowa
remarkablesubtletyofmind。Anotewasextractedverycleverlyfrom
MissDunbarwhichwouldmakeitappearthatshehadchosenthescene
ofthecrime。Inheranxietythatitshouldbediscoveredshesomewhat
overdiditbyholdingitinherhandtothelast。Thisaloneshould
haveexcitedmysuspicionsearlierthanitdid。
“Thenshetookoneofherhusband”srevolvers-therewas，asyou
saw，anarsenalinthehouse-andkeptitforherownuse。Asimilar
onesheconcealedthatmorninginMissDunbar”swardrobeafter
dischargingonebarrel，whichshecouldeasilydointhewoodswithout
attractingattention。Shethenwentdowntothebridgewhereshehad
contrivedthisexceedinglyingeniousmethodforgettingridofher
weapon。WhenMissDunbarappearedsheusedherlastbreathin
pouringoutherhatred，andthen，whenshewasoutofhearing，carried
outherterriblepurpose。Everylinkisnowinitsplaceandthechain
iscomplete。Thepapersmayaskwhythemerewasnotdraggedinthe
firstinstance，butitiseasytobewiseaftertheevent，andin
anycasetheexpanseofareed-filledlakeisnoeasymattertodrag
unlessyouhaveaclearperceptionofwhatyouarelookingforand
where。Well，Watson，wehavehelpedaremarkablewoman，andalsoa
formidableman。Shouldtheyinthefuturejointheirforces，as
seemsnotunlikely，thefinancialworldmayfindthatMr。Neil
Gibsonhaslearnedsomethinginthatschoolroomofsorrowwhereour
earthlylessonsaretaught。”
THEEND。
THEADVENTURESOFSHERLOCKHOLMES
TheRed-HeadedLeague
Ihadcalleduponmyfriend，Mr。SherlockHolmes，onedayinthe
autumnoflastyearandfoundhimindeepconversationwithavery
stout，florid-faced，elderlygentlemanwithfieryredhair。With
anapologyformyintrusion，IwasabouttowithdrawwhenHolmes
pulledmeabruptlyintotheroomandclosedthedoorbehindme。
“Youcouldnotpossiblyhavecomeatabettertime，mydear
Watson，“hesaidcordially。“Iwasafraidthatyouwereengaged。”“SoIam。Verymuchso。”“ThenIcanwaitinthenextroom。”
“Notatall。Thisgentleman，Mr。Wilson，hasbeenmypartner
andhelperinmanyofmymostsuccessfulcases，andIhaveno
doubtthathewillbeoftheutmostusetomeinyoursalso。”
Thestoutgentlemanhalfrosefromhischairandgaveabobof
greeting，withaquicklittlequestioningglancefromhissmall，
fat-encircledeyes。
“Trythesettee，“saidHolmes，relapsingintohisarmchairand
puttinghisfingertipstogether，aswashiscustomwhenin
judicialmoods。“Iknow，mydearWatson，thatyousharemylove
ofallthatisbizarreandoutsidetheconventionsandhumdrum
routineofeverydaylife。Youhaveshownyourrelishforitby
theenthusiasmwhichhaspromptedyoutochronicle，and，ifyou
willexcusemysayingso，somewhattoembellishsomanyofmyown
littleadventures。”
“Yourcaseshaveindeedbeenofthegreatestinteresttome，“
Iobserved。
“YouwillrememberthatIremarkedtheotherday，justbefore
wewentintotheverysimpleproblempresentedbyMissMary
Sutherland，thatforstrangeeffectsandextraordinary
combinationswemustgotolifeitself，whichisalwaysfarmore
daringthananyeffortoftheimagination。”“ApropositionwhichItookthelibertyofdoubting。”
“Youdid，Doctor，butnonethelessyoumustcomeroundtomy
view，forotherwiseIshallkeeponpilingfactuponfactonyou
untilyourreasonbreaksdownunderthemandacknowledgesmetobe
right。Now，Mr。JabezWilsonherehasbeengoodenoughtocall
uponmethismorning，andtobeginanarrativewhichpromisesto
beoneofthemostsingularwhichIhavelistenedtoforsome
time。Youhaveheardmeremarkthatthestrangestandmostunique
thingsareveryoftenconnectednotwiththelargerbutwiththe
smallercrimes，andoccasionally，indeed，wherethereisroomfor
doubtwhetheranypositivecrimehasbeencommitted。AsfarasI
havehearditisimpossibleformetosaywhetherthepresentcase
isaninstanceofcrimeornot，butthecourseofeventsis
certainlyamongthemostsingularthatIhaveeverlistenedto。
Perhaps，Mr。Wilson，youwouldhavethegreatkindnessto
recommenceyournarrative。Iaskyounotmerelybecausemyfriend
Dr。Watsonhasnotheardtheopeningpartbutalsobecausethe
peculiarnatureofthestorymakesmeanxioustohaveevery
possibledetailfromyourlips。Asarule，whenIhaveheardsome
slightindicationofthecourseofevents，Iamabletoguide
myselfbythethousandsofothersimilarcaseswhichoccurtomy
memory。InthepresentinstanceIamforcedtoadmitthatthe
factsare，tothebestofmybelief，unique。”
Theportlyclientpuffedouthischestwithanappearanceof
somelittleprideandpulledadirtyandwrinklednewspaperfrom
theinsidepocketofhisgreatcoat。Asheglanceddownthe
advertisementcolumn，withhisheadthrustforwardandthepaper
flattenedoutuponhisknee，Itookagoodlookatthemanand
endeavoured，afterthefashionofmycompanion，toreadthe
indicationswhichmightbepresentedbyhisdressorappearance。
Ididnotgainverymuch，however，bymyinspection。Our
visitorboreeverymarkofbeinganaveragecommonplaceBritish
tradesman，obese，pompous，andslow。Heworeratherbaggygray
shepherd”schecktrousers，anotover-cleanblackfrock-coat，
unbuttonedinthefront，andadrabwaistcoatwithaheavybrassy
Albertchain，andasquarepiercedbitofmetaldanglingdownas
anornament。Afrayedtop-hatandafadedbrownovercoatwitha
wrinkledvelvetcollarlayuponachairbesidehim。Altogether，
lookasIwould，therewasnothingremarkableaboutthemansave
hisblazingredhead，andtheexpressionofextremechagrinand
discontentuponhisfeatures。
SherlockHolmes”squickeyetookinmyoccupation，andhe
shookhisheadwithasmileashenoticedmyquestioningglances。
“Beyondtheobviousfactsthathehasatsometimedonemanual
labour，thathetakessnuff，thatheisaFreemason，thathehas
beeninChina，andthathehasdoneaconsiderableamountof
writinglately，Icandeducenothingelse。”
Mr。JabezWilsonstartedupinhischair，withhisforefinger
uponthepaper，buthiseyesuponmycompanion。
“How，inthenameofgood-fortune，didyouknowallthat，Mr。
Holmes？“heasked。“Howdidyouknow，forexample，thatIdid
manuallabour？It”sastrueasgospel，forIbeganasaship”s
carpenter。”
“Yourhands，mydearsir。Yourrighthandisquiteasize
largerthanyourleft。Youhaveworkedwithit，andthemuscles
aremoredeveloped。”“Well，thesnuff，then，andtheFreemasonry？“
“Iwon”tinsultyourintelligencebytellingyouhowIread
that，especiallyas，ratheragainstthestrictrulesofyour
order，youuseanarc-and-compassbreastpin。”“Ah，ofcourse，Iforgotthat。Butthewriting？“
“Whatelsecanbeindicatedbythatrightcuffsoveryshiny
forfiveinches，andtheleftonewiththesmoothpatchnearthe
elbowwhereyourestituponthedesk？““Well，butChina？“
“Thefishthatyouhavetattooedimmediatelyaboveyourright
wristcouldonlyhavebeendoneinChina。Ihavemadeasmall
studyoftattoomarksandhaveevencontributedtotheliterature
ofthesubject。Thattrickofstainingthefishes”scalesofa
delicatepinkisquitepeculiartoChina。When，inaddition，I
seeaChinesecoinhangingfromyourwatch-chain，thematter
becomesevenmoresimple。”
Mr。JabezWilsonlaughedheavily。“Well，Inever！“saidhe。
“Ithoughtatfirstthatyouhaddonesomethingclever，butIsee
thattherewasnothinginit，afterall。”
“Ibegintothink，Watson，“saidHolmes，“thatImakea
mistakeinexplaining。`Omneignotumpromagnifico”youknow，
andmypoorlittlereputation，suchasitis，willsuffer
shipwreckifIamsocandid。Canyounotfindtheadvertisement，
Mr。Wilson？“
“Yes，Ihavegotitnow，“heansweredwithhisthickred
fingerplantedhalfwaydownthecolumn。“Hereitis。Thisis
whatbeganitall。Youjustreaditforyourself，sir。”Itookthepaperfromhimandreadasfollows：ToTHERED-HEADEDLEAGUE：
OnaccountofthebequestofthelateEzekiahHopkins，of
Lebanon，Pennsylvania，U。S。A。，thereisnowanothervacancy
openwhichentitlesamemberoftheLeaguetoasalaryof4pounda
weekforpurelynominalservices。Allred-headedmenwhoare
soundinbodyandmind，andabovetheageoftwenty-oneyears，
areeligible。ApplyinpersononMonday，ateleveno”clock，to
DuncanRoss，attheofficesoftheLeague，7Pope”sCourt，
FleetStreet。
“Whatonearthdoesthismean？“IejaculatedafterIhadtwice
readovertheextraordinaryannouncement。
Holmeschuckledandwriggledinhischair，aswashishabit
wheninhighspirits。“Itisalittleoffthebeatentrack，isn”t
it？“saidhe。“Andnow，Mr。Wilson，offyougoatscratchand
tellusallaboutyourself，yourhousehold，andtheeffectwhich
thisadvertisementhaduponyourfortunes。Youwillfirstmakea
note，Doctor，ofthepaperandthedate。”
“ItisTheMorningChronicleofApril27，1890。Justtwo
monthsago。”“Verygood。Now，Mr。Wilson？“
“Well，itisjustasIhavebeentellingyou，Mr。Sherlock
Holmes，“saidJabezWilson，moppinghisforehead；“Ihaveasmall
pawnbroker”sbusinessatCoburgSquare，neartheCity。It”snota
verylargeaffair，andoflateyearsithasnotdonemorethan
justgivemealiving。Iusedtobeabletokeeptwoassistants，
butnowIonlykeepone；andIwouldhaveajobtopayhimbut
thatheiswillingtocomeforhalfwagessoastolearnthe
business。”
“Whatisthenameofthisobligingyouth？“askedSherlock
Holmes。
“HisnameisVincentSpaulding，andhe”snotsuchayouth，
either。It”shardtosayhisage。Ishouldnotwishasmarter
assistant，Mr。Holmes；andIknowverywellthathecouldbetter
himselfandearntwicewhatIamabletogivehim。But，after
all，ifheissatisfied，whyshouldIputideasinhishead？“
“Why，indeed？Youseemmostfortunateinhavinganemployee
whocomesunderthefullmarketprice。Itisnotacommon
experienceamongemployersinthisage。Idon”tknowthatyour
assistantisnotasremarkableasyouradvertisement。”
“Oh，hehashisfaults，too，“saidMr。Wilson。“Neverwas
suchafellowforphotography。Snappingawaywithacamerawhen
heoughttobeimprovinghismind，andthendivingdownintothe
cellarlikearabbitintoitsholetodevelophispictures。That
ishismainfault，butonthewholehe”sagoodworker。There”s
noviceinhim。”“Heisstillwithyou，Ipresume？“
“Yes，sir。Heandagirloffourteen，whodoesabitof
simplecookingandkeepstheplaceclean——that”sallIhaveinthe
house，forIamawidowerandneverhadanyfamily。Welivevery
quietly，sir，thethreeofus；andwekeeparoofoverourheads
andpayourdebts，ifwedonothingmore。
“Thefirstthingthatputusoutwasthatadvertisement。
Spaulding，hecamedownintotheofficejustthisdayeightweeks，
withthisverypaperinhishand，andhesays：
“`IwishtotheLord，Mr。Wilson，thatIwasared-headed
man。”“`Whythat？”Iasks。
“`Why”sayshe，`here”sanothervacancyontheLeagueofthe
Red-headedMen。It”sworthquitealittlefortunetoanymanwho
getsit，andIunderstandthattherearemorevacanciesthanthere
aremen，sothatthetrusteesareattheirwitsendwhattodo
withthemoney。Ifmyhairwouldonlychangecolour，here”sa
nicelittlecriballreadyformetostepinto。”
“`Why，whatisit，then？”Iasked。“Yousee，Mr。Holmes，Iam
averystay-at-homeman，andasmybusinesscametomeinsteadof
myhavingtogotoit，Iwasoftenweeksonendwithoutputtingmy
footoverthedoor-mat。InthatwayIdidn”tknowmuchofwhat
wasgoingonoutside，andIwasalwaysgladofabitofnews。
“`HaveyouneverheardoftheLeagueoftheRed-headedMen？”
heaskedwithhiseyesopen。“`Never。”
“`Why，Iwonderatthat，foryouareeligibleyourselfforone
ofthevacancies。”“`Andwhataretheyworth？”Iasked。
“`Oh，merelyacoupleofhundredayear，buttheworkis
slight，anditneednotinterfereverymuchwithone”sother
occupations。”
“Well，youcaneasilythinkthatthatmademeprickupmy
ears，forthebusinesshasnotbeenover-goodforsomeyears，and
anextracoupleofhundredwouldhavebeenveryhandy。“`Tellmeallaboutit”saidI。”
“`Well”saidhe，showingmetheadvertisement，`youcansee
foryourselfthattheLeaguehasavacancy，andthereisthe
addresswhereyoushouldapplyforparticulars。AsfarasIcan
makeout，theLeaguewasfoundedbyanAmericanmillionaire，
EzekiahHopkins，whowasverypeculiarinhisways。Hewas
himselfred-headed，andhehadagreatsympathyforallred-headed
men；sowhenhedieditwasfoundthathehadlefthisenormous
fortuneinthehandsoftrustees，withinstructionstoapplythe
interesttotheprovidingofeasyberthstomenwhosehairisof
thatcolour。FromallIhearitissplendidpayandverylittle
todo。”
“`But”saidI，`therewouldbemillionsofred-headedmenwho
wouldapply。”
“`Notsomanyasyoumightthink”heanswered。`Youseeit
isreallyconfinedtoLondoners，andtogrownmen。ThisAmerican
hadstartedfromLondonwhenhewasyoung，andhewantedtodothe
oldtownagoodturn。Then，again，Ihavehearditisnouseyour
applyingifyourhairislightred，ordarkred，oranythingbut
realbright，blazing，fieryred。Now，ifyoucaredtoapply，Mr。
Wilson，youwouldjustwalkin；butperhapsitwouldhardlybe
worthyourwhiletoputyourselfoutofthewayforthesakeofa
fewhundredpounds。”
“Now，itisafact，gentlemen，asyoumayseeforyourselves，
thatmyhairisofaveryfullandrichtint，sothatitseemedto
methatiftherewastobeanycompetitioninthematterIstood
asgoodachanceasanymanthatIhadevermet。Vincent
SpauldingseemedtoknowsomuchaboutitthatIthoughthemight
proveuseful，soIjustorderedhimtoputuptheshuttersforthe
dayandtocomerightawaywithme。Hewasverywillingtohavea
holiday，soweshutthebusinessupandstartedoffforthe
addressthatwasgivenusintheadvertisement。
“Ineverhopetoseesuchasightasthatagain，Mr。Holmes。
Fromnorth，south，east，andwesteverymanwhohadashadeofred
inhishairhadtrampedintothecitytoanswertheadvertisement。
FleetStreetwaschokedwithred-headedfolk，andPope”sCourt
lookedlikeacoster”sorangebarrow。Ishouldnothavethought
thereweresomanyinthewholecountryaswerebroughttogether
bythatsingleadvertisement。Everyshadeofcolourthey
were——straw，lemon，orange，brick，Irish-setter，liver，clay；but，
asSpauldingsaid，therewerenotmanywhohadtherealvivid
flame-colouredtint。WhenIsawhowmanywerewaiting，Iwould
havegivenitupindespair；butSpauldingwouldnothearofit。
HowhediditIcouldnotimagine，buthepushedandpulledand
butteduntilhegotmethroughthecrowd，andrightuptothe
stepswhichledtotheoffice。Therewasadoublestreamuponthe
stair，somegoingupinhope，andsomecomingbackdejected；but
wewedgedinaswellaswecouldandsoonfoundourselvesinthe
office。”
“Yourexperiencehasbeenamostentertainingone，“remarked
Holmesashisclientpausedandrefreshedhismemorywithahuge
pinchofsnuff。“Praycontinueyourveryinterestingstatement。”
“Therewasnothingintheofficebutacoupleofwoodenchairs
andadealtable，behindwhichsatasmallmanwithaheadthat
wasevenredderthanmine。Hesaidafewwordstoeachcandidate
ashecameup，andthenhealwaysmanagedtofindsomefaultin
themwhichwoulddisqualifythem。Gettingavacancydidnotseem
tobesuchaveryeasymatter，afterall。However，whenourturn
camethelittlemanwasmuchmorefavourabletomethantoanyof
theothers，andheclosedthedoorasweentered，sothathemight
haveaprivatewordwithus。
“`ThisisMr。JabezWilson”saidmyassistant，`andheis
willingtofillavacancyintheLeague。”
“`Andheisadmirablysuitedforit”theotheranswered。`He
haseveryrequirement。IcannotrecallwhenIhaveseenanything
sofine。”Hetookastepbackward，cockedhisheadononeside，
andgazedatmyhairuntilIfeltquitebashful。Thensuddenlyhe
plungedforward，wrungmyhand，andcongratulatedmewarmlyonmy
success。
“`Itwouldbeinjusticetohesitate”saidhe。`Youwill，
however，Iamsure，excusemefortakinganobviousprecaution。”
Withthatheseizedmyhairinbothhishands，andtuggeduntilI
yelledwiththepain。`Thereiswaterinyoureyes”saidheas
hereleasedme。`Iperceivethatallisasitshouldbe。Butwe
havetobecareful，forwehavetwicebeendeceivedbywigsand
oncebypaint。Icouldtellyoutalesofcobbler”swaxwhich
woulddisgustyouwithhumannature。”Hesteppedovertothe
windowandshoutedthroughitatthetopofhisvoicethatthe
vacancywasfilled。Agroanofdisappointmentcameupfrombelow，
andthefolkalltroopedawayindifferentdirectionsuntilthere
wasnotared-headtobeseenexceptmyownandthatofthe
manager。
“`Myname”saidhe，`isMr。DuncanRoss，andIammyselfone
ofthepensionersuponthefundleftbyournoblebenefactor。Are
youamarriedman，Mr。Wilson？Haveyouafamily？”“IansweredthatIhadnot。“Hisfacefellimmediately。
“`Dearme！”hesaidgravely，`thatisveryseriousindeed！I
amsorrytohearyousaythat。Thefundwas，ofcourse，forthe
propagationandspreadofthered-headsaswellasfortheir
maintenance。Itisexceedinglyunfortunatethatyoushouldbea
bachelor。”
“Myfacelengthenedatthis，Mr。Holmes，forIthoughtthatI
wasnottohavethevacancyafterall；butafterthinkingitover
forafewminuteshesaidthatitwouldbeallright。
“`Inthecaseofanother”saidhe，`theobjectionmightbe
fatal，butwemuststretchapointinfavourofamanwithsucha
headofhairasyours。Whenshallyoubeabletoenteruponyour
newduties？”
“`Well，itisalittleawkward，forIhaveabusiness
already”saidI。
“`Oh，nevermindaboutthat，Mr。Wilson！”saidVincent
Spaulding。`Ishouldbeabletolookafterthatforyou。”“`Whatwouldbethehours？”Iasked。“`Tentotwo。”
“Nowapawnbroker”sbusinessismostlydoneofanevening，Mr。
Holmes，especiallyThursdayandFridayevening，whichisjust
beforepay-day；soitwouldsuitmeverywelltoearnalittlein
themornings。Besides，Iknewthatmyassistantwasagoodman，
andthathewouldseetoanythingthatturnedup。“`Thatwouldsuitmeverywell”saidI。`Andthepay？”“`Is4poundaweek。”“`Andthework？”“`Ispurelynominal。”“`Whatdoyoucallpurelynominal？”
“`Well，youhavetobeintheoffice，oratleastinthe
building，thewholetime。Ifyouleave，youforfeityourwhole
positionforever。Thewillisveryclearuponthatpoint。You
don”tcomplywiththeconditionsifyoubudgefromtheoffice
duringthattime。”
“`It”sonlyfourhoursaday，andIshouldnotthinkof
leaving”saidI。
“`Noexcusewillavail”saidMr。DuncanRoss；`neither
sicknessnorbusinessnoranythingelse。Thereyoumuststay，or
youloseyourbillet。”“`Andthework？”
“`IstocopyouttheEncyclopediaBritannica。Thereisthe
firstvolumeofitinthatpress。Youmustfindyourownink，
pens，andblotting-paper，butweprovidethistableandchair。
Willyoubereadyto-morrow？”“`Certainly”Ianswered。
“`Then，good-bye，Mr。JabezWilson，andletmecongratulate
youoncemoreontheimportantpositionwhichyouhavebeen
fortunateenoughtogain。”Hebowedmeoutoftheroom，andI
wenthomewithmyassistant，hardlyknowingwhattosayordo，I
wassopleasedatmyowngoodfortune。
“Well，Ithoughtoverthematterallday，andbyeveningIwas
inlowspiritsagain；forIhadquitepersuadedmyselfthatthe
wholeaffairmustbesomegreathoaxorfraud，thoughwhatits
objectmightbeIcouldnotimagine。Itseemedaltogetherpast
beliefthatanyonecouldmakesuchawill，orthattheywouldpay
suchasumfordoinganythingsosimpleascopyingoutthe
EncyclopaediaBritannica。VincentSpauldingdidwhathecouldto
cheermeup，butbybedtimeIhadreasonedmyselfoutofthewhole
thing。However，inthemorningIdeterminedtohavealookatit
anyhow，soIboughtapennybottleofink，andwithaquill-pen，
andsevensheetsoffoolscappaper，IstartedoffforPope”s
Court。
“Well，tomysurpriseanddelight，everythingwasasrightas
possible。Thetablewassetoutreadyforme，andMr。DuncanRoss
wastheretoseethatIgotfairlytowork。Hestartedmeoff
upontheletterA，andthenheleftme；buthewoulddropinfrom
timetotimetoseethatallwasrightwithme。Attwoo”clockhe
bademegood-day，complimentedmeupontheamountthatIhad
written，andlockedthedooroftheofficeafterme。
“Thiswentondayafterday，Mr。Holmes，andonSaturdaythe
managercameinandplankeddownfourgoldensovereignsformy
week”swork。Itwasthesamenextweek，andthesametheweek
after。EverymorningIwasthereatten，andeveryafternoonI
leftattwo。BydegreesMr。DuncanRosstooktocominginonly
onceofamorning，andthen，afteratime，hedidnotcomeinat
all。Still，ofcourse，Ineverdaredtoleavetheroomforan
instant，forIwasnotsurewhenhemightcome，andthebilletwas
suchagoodone，andsuitedmesowell，thatIwouldnotriskthe
lossofit。
“Eightweekspassedawaylikethis，andIhadwrittenabout
AbbotsandArcheryandArmourandArchitectureandAttica，and
hopedwithdiligencethatImightgetontotheB”sbeforevery
long。Itcostmesomethinginfoolscap，andIhadprettynearly
filledashelfwithmywritings。Andthensuddenlythewhole
businesscametoanend。”“Toanend？“
“Yes，sir。Andnolaterthanthismorning。Iwenttomywork
asusualatteno”clock，butthedoorwasshutandlocked，witha
littlesquareofcard-boardhammeredontothemiddleofthepanel
withatack。Hereitis，andyoucanreadforyourself。”
Heheldupapieceofwhitecard-boardaboutthesizeofa
sheetofnote-paper。Itreadinthisfashion：
THERED-HEADEDLEAGUE
IS
DISSOLVED。
October9，1890。
SherlockHolmesandIsurveyedthiscurtannouncementandthe
ruefulfacebehindit，untilthecomicalsideoftheaffairso
completelyovertoppedeveryotherconsiderationthatwebothburst
outintoaroaroflaughter。
“Icannotseethatthereisanythingveryfunny，“criedour
client，flushinguptotherootsofhisflaminghead。“Ifyoucan
donothingbetterthanlaughatme，Icangoelsewhere。”
“No，no，“criedHolmes，shovinghimbackintothechairfrom
whichhehadhalfrisen。“Ireallywouldn”tmissyourcasefor
theworld。Itismostrefreshinglyunusual。Butthereis，ifyou
willexcusemysayingso，somethingjustalittlefunnyaboutit。
Praywhatstepsdidyoutakewhenyoufoundthecarduponthe
door？“
“Iwasstaggered，sir。Ididnotknowwhattodo。ThenI
calledattheofficesround，butnoneofthemseemedtoknow
anythingaboutit。Finally，Iwenttothelandlord，whoisan
accountantlivingontheground-floor，andIaskedhimifhecould
tellmewhathadbecomeoftheRed-headedLeague。Hesaidthathe
hadneverheardofanysuchbody。ThenIaskedhimwhoMr。Duncan
Rosswas。Heansweredthatthenamewasnewtohim。“`Well”saidI，`thegentlemanatNo。4。”“`What，thered-headedman？”“`Yes。”
“`Oh”saidhe，`hisnamewasWilliamMorris。Hewasa
solicitorandwasusingmyroomasatemporaryconvenienceuntil
hisnewpremiseswereready。Hemovedoutyesterday。”“`WherecouldIfindhim？”
“`Oh，athisnewoffices。Hedidtellmetheaddress。Yes，
17KingEdwardStreet，nearSt。Paul”s。”
“Istartedoff，Mr。Holmes，butwhenIgottothataddressit
wasamanufactoryofartificialknee-caps，andnooneinithad
everheardofeitherMr。WilliamMorrisorMr。DuncanRoss。”“Andwhatdidyoudothen？“askedHolmes。
“IwenthometoSaxe-CoburgSquare，andItooktheadviceof
myassistant。Buthecouldnothelpmeinanyway。Hecouldonly
saythatifIwaitedIshouldhearbypost。Butthatwasnot
quitegoodenough，Mr。Holmes。Ididnotwishtolosesucha
placewithoutastruggle，so，asIhadheardthatyouweregood
enoughtogiveadvicetopoorfolkwhowereinneedofit，Icame
rightawaytoyou。”
“Andyoudidverywisely，“saidHolmes。“Yourcaseisan
exceedinglyremarkableone，andIshallbehappytolookintoit。
FromwhatyouhavetoldmeIthinkthatitispossiblethatgraver
issueshangfromitthanmightatfirstsightappear。”
“Graveenough！“saidMr。JabezWilson。“Why，Ihavelostfour
poundaweek。”
“Asfarasyouarepersonallyconcerned，“remarkedHolmes，“I
donotseethatyouhaveanygrievanceagainstthisextraordinary
league。Onthecontrary，youare，asIunderstand，richerbysome
30pound，tosaynothingoftheminuteknowledgewhichyouhavegained
oneverysubjectwhichcomesundertheletterA。Youhavelost
nothingbythem。”
“No，sir。ButIwanttofindoutaboutthem，andwhothey
are，andwhattheirobjectwasinplayingthisprank——ifitwasa
prank——uponme。Itwasaprettyexpensivejokeforthem，forit
costthemtwoandthirtypounds。”
“Weshallendeavourtoclearupthesepointsforyou。And，
first，oneortwoquestions，Mr。Wilson。Thisassistantofyours
whofirstcalledyourattentiontotheadvertisement——howlonghad
hebeenwithyou？““Aboutamonththen。”“Howdidhecome？““Inanswertoanadvertisement。”“Washetheonlyapplicant？““No，Ihadadozen。”“Whydidyoupickhim？““Becausehewashandyandwouldcomecheap。”“Athalf-wages，infact。”“Yes。”“Whatishelike，thisVincentSpaulding？“
“Small，stout-built，veryquickinhisways，nohaironhis
face，thoughhe”snotshortofthirty。Hasawhitesplashofacid
uponhisforehead。”
Holmessatupinhischairinconsiderableexcitement。“I
thoughtasmuch，“saidhe。“Haveyoueverobservedthathisears
arepiercedforearrings？“
“Yes，sir。Hetoldmethatagypsyhaddoneitforhimwhen
hewasalad。”
“Hum！“saidHolmes，sinkingbackindeepthought。“Heis
stillwithyou？““Oh，yes，sir；Ihaveonlyjustlefthim。”“Andhasyourbusinessbeenattendedtoinyourabsence？“
“Nothingtocomplainof，sir。There”sneververymuchtodo
ofamorning。”
“Thatwilldo，Mr。Wilson。Ishallbehappytogiveyouan
opinionuponthesubjectinthecourseofadayortwo。To-dayis
Saturday，andIhopethatbyMondaywemaycometoaconclusion。”
“Well，Watson，“saidHolmeswhenourvisitorhadleftus，
“whatdoyoumakeofitall？“
“Imakenothingofit，“Iansweredfrankly。“Itisamost
mysteriousbusiness。”
“Asarule，“saidHolmes，“themorebizarreathingisthe
lessmysteriousitprovestobe。Itisyourcommonplace，
featurelesscrimeswhicharereallypuzzling，justasa
commonplacefaceisthemostdifficulttoidentify。ButImustbe
promptoverthismatter。”“Whatareyougoingtodo，then？“Iasked。
“Tosmoke，“heanswered。“Itisquiteathreepipeproblem，
andIbegthatyouwon”tspeaktomeforfiftyminutes。”He
curledhimselfupinhischair，withhisthinkneesdrawnupto
hishawk-likenose，andtherehesatwithhiseyesclosedandhis
blackclaypipethrustingoutlikethebillofsomestrangebird。
Ihadcometotheconclusionthathehaddroppedasleep，and
indeedwasnoddingmyself，whenhesuddenlysprangoutofhis
chairwiththegestureofamanwhohasmadeuphismindandput
hispipedownuponthemantelpiece。
“SarasateplaysattheSt。James”sHallthisafternoon，“he
remarked。“Whatdoyouthink，Watson？Couldyourpatientsspare
youforafewhours？“
“Ihavenothingtodotoday。Mypracticeisneververy
absorbing。”
“Thenputonyourhatandcome。IamgoingthroughtheCity
first，andwecanhavesomelunchontheway。Iobservethat
thereisagooddealofGermanmusicontheprogramme，whichis
rathermoretomytastethanItalianorFrench。Itis
introspective，andIwanttointrospect。Comealong！“
WetravelledbytheUndergroundasfarasAldersgate；anda
shortwalktookustoSaxe-CoburgSquare，thesceneofthe
singularstorywhichwehadlistenedtointhemorning。Itwasa
poky，little，shabby-genteelplace，wherefourlinesofdingy
two-storiedbrickhouseslookedoutintoasmallrailed-in
enclosure，wherealawnofweedygrassandafewclumpsoffaded
laurel-bushesmadeahardfightagainstasmoke-ladenand
uncongenialatmosphere。Threegiltballsandabrownboardwith
“JABEZWILSON“inwhiteletters，uponacornerhouse，announced
theplacewhereourred-headedclientcarriedonhisbusiness。
SherlockHolmesstoppedinfrontofitwithhisheadononeside
andlookeditallover，withhiseyesshiningbrightlybetween
puckeredlids。Thenhewalkedslowlyupthestreet，andthendown
againtothecorner，stilllookingkeenlyatthehouses。Finally
hereturnedtothepawnbroker”s，and，havingthumpedvigorously
uponthepavementwithhissticktwoorthreetimes，hewentupto
thedoorandknocked。Itwasinstantlyopenedbya
bright-looking，clean-shavenyoungfellow，whoaskedhimtostep
in。
“Thankyou，“saidHolmes，“Ionlywishedtoaskyouhowyou
wouldgofromheretotheStrand。”
“Thirdright，fourthleft，“answeredtheassistantpromptly，
closingthedoor。
“Smartfellow，that，“observedHolmesaswewalkedaway。“He
is，inmyjudgment，thefourthsmartestmaninLondon，andfor
daringIamnotsurethathehasnotaclaimtobethird。Ihave
knownsomethingofhimbefore。”
“Evidently，“saidI，“Mr。Wilson”sassistantcountsforagood
dealinthismysteryoftheRed-headedLeague。Iamsurethatyou
inquiredyourwaymerelyinorderthatyoumightseehim。”“Nothim。”“Whatthen？““Thekneesofhistrousers。”“Andwhatdidyousee？““WhatIexpectedtosee。”“Whydidyoubeatthepavement？“
“Mydeardoctor，thisisatimeforobservation，notfortalk。
Wearespiesinanenemy”scountry。Weknowsomethingof
Saxe-CoburgSquare。Letusnowexplorethepartswhichliebehind
it。”
Theroadinwhichwefoundourselvesasweturnedroundthe
cornerfromtheretiredSaxe-CoburgSquarepresentedasgreata
contrasttoitasthefrontofapicturedoestotheback。Itwas
oneofthemainarterieswhichconveyedthetrafficoftheCityto
thenorthandwest。Theroadwaywasblockedwiththeimmense
streamofcommerceflowinginadoubletideinwardandoutward，
whilethefootpathswereblackwiththehurryingswarmof
pedestrians。Itwasdifficulttorealizeaswelookedattheline
offineshopsandstatelybusinesspremisesthattheyreally
abuttedontheothersideuponthefadedandstagnantsquarewhich
wehadjustquitted。
“Letmesee，“saidHolmes，standingatthecornerandglancing
alongtheline，“Ishouldlikejusttoremembertheorderofthe
houseshere。Itisahobbyofminetohaveanexactknowledgeof
London。ThereisMortimer”s，thetobacconist，thelittle
newspapershop，theCoburgbranchoftheCityandSuburbanBank，
theVegetarianRestaurant，andMcFarlane”scarriage-building
depot。Thatcarriesusrightontotheotherblock。Andnow，
Doctor，we”vedoneourwork，soit”stimewehadsomeplay。A
sandwichandacupofcoffee，andthenofftoviolin-land，where
allissweetnessanddelicacyandharmony，andthereareno
red-headedclientstovexuswiththeirconundrums。”
Myfriendwasanenthusiasticmusician，beinghimselfnotonly
averycapableperformerbutacomposerofnoordinarymerit。All
theafternoonhesatinthestallswrappedinthemostperfect
happiness，gentlywavinghislong，thinfingersintimetothe
music，whilehisgentlysmilingfaceandhislanguid，dreamyeyes
wereasunlikethoseofHolmes，thesleuth-hound，Holmesthe
relentless，keen-witted，ready-handedcriminalagent，asitwas
possibletoconceive。Inhissingularcharacterthedualnature
alternatelyasserteditself，andhisextremeexactnessand
astutenessrepresented，asIhaveoftenthought，thereaction
againstthepoeticandcontemplativemoodwhichoccasionally
predominatedinhim。Theswingofhisnaturetookhimfrom
extremelanguortodevouringenergy；and，asIknewwell，hewas
neversotrulyformidableaswhen，fordaysonend，hehadbeen
lounginginhisarmchairamidhisimprovisationsandhis
black-lettereditions。Thenitwasthatthelustofthechase
wouldsuddenlycomeuponhim，andthathisbrilliantreasoning
powerwouldrisetothelevelofintuition，untilthosewhowere
unacquaintedwithhismethodswouldlookaskanceathimasona
manwhoseknowledgewasnotthatofothermortals。WhenIsawhim
thatafternoonsoenwrappedinthemusicatSt。James”sHallI
feltthataneviltimemightbecominguponthosewhomhehadset
himselftohuntdown。
“Youwanttogohome，nodoubt，Doctor，“heremarkedaswe
emerged。“Yes，itwouldbeaswell。”
“AndIhavesomebusinesstodowhichwilltakesomehours。
ThisbusinessatCoburgSquareisserious。”“Whyserious？“
“Aconsiderablecrimeisincontemplation。Ihaveevery
reasontobelievethatweshallbeintimetostopit。Butto-day
beingSaturdayrathercomplicatesmatters。Ishallwantyourhelp
to-night。”“Atwhattime？““Tenwillbeearlyenough。”“IshallbeatBakerStreetatten。”
“Verywell。And，Isay，Doctor，theremaybesomelittle
danger，sokindlyputyourarmyrevolverinyourpocket。”He
wavedhishand，turnedonhisheel，anddisappearedinaninstant
amongthecrowd。
ItrustthatIamnotmoredensethanmyneighbours，butIwas
alwaysoppressedwithasenseofmyownstupidityinmydealings
withSherlockHolmes。HereIhadheardwhathehadheard，Ihad
seenwhathehadseen，andyetfromhiswordsitwasevidentthat
hesawclearlynotonlywhathadhappenedbutwhatwasaboutto
happen，whiletomethewholebusinesswasstillconfusedand
grotesque。AsIdrovehometomyhouseinKensingtonIthought
overitall，fromtheextraordinarystoryofthered-headedcopier
oftheEncyclopaediadowntothevisittoSaxe-CoburgSquare，and
theominouswordswithwhichhehadpartedfromme。Whatwasthis
nocturnalexpedition，andwhyshouldIgoarmed？Wherewerewe
going，andwhatwerewetodo？IhadthehintfromHolmesthat
thissmooth-facedpawnbroker”sassistantwasaformidableman——a
manwhomightplayadeepgame。Itriedtopuzzleitout，but
gaveitupindespairandsetthematterasideuntilnightshould
bringanexplanation。
Itwasaquarter-pastninewhenIstartedfromhomeandmade
mywayacrossthePark，andsothroughOxfordStreettoBaker
Street。Twohansomswerestandingatthedoor，andasIentered
thepassageIheardthesoundofvoicesfromabove。Onentering
hisroomIfoundHolmesinanimatedconversationwithtwomen，one
ofwhomIrecognizedasPeterJones，theofficialpoliceagent，
whiletheotherwasalong，thin，sad-facedman，withaveryshiny
hatandoppressivelyrespectablefrock-coat。
“Ha！ourpartyiscomplete，“saidHolmes，buttoninguphis
pea-jacketandtakinghisheavyhuntingcropfromtherack。
“Watson，IthinkyouknowMr。Jones，ofScotlandYard？Letme
introduceyoutoMr。Merryweather，whoistobeourcompanionin
to-night”sadventure。”
“We”rehuntingincouplesagain，Doctor，yousee，“saidJones
inhisconsequentialway。“Ourfriendhereisawonderfulmanfor
startingachase。Allhewantsisanolddogtohelphimtodo
therunningdown。”
“Ihopeawildgoosemaynotprovetobetheendofour
chase，“observedMr。Merryweathergloomily。
“YoumayplaceconsiderableconfidenceinMr。Holmes，sir，“
saidthepoliceagentloftily。“Hehashisownlittlemethods，
whichare，ifhewon”tmindmysayingso，justalittletoo
theoreticalandfantastic，buthehasthemakingsofadetective
inhim。Itisnottoomuchtosaythatonceortwice，asinthat
businessoftheSholtomurderandtheAgratreasure，hehasbeen
morenearlycorrectthantheofficialforce。”
“Oh，ifyousayso，Mr。Jones，itisallright，“saidthe
strangerwithdeference。“Still，IconfessthatImissmyrubber。
ItisthefirstSaturdaynightforseven-and-twentyyearsthatI
havenothadmyrubber。”
“Ithinkyouwillfind，“saidSherlockHolmes，“thatyouwill
playforahigherstaketo-nightthanyouhaveeverdoneyet，and
thattheplaywillbemoreexciting。Foryou，Mr。Merryweather，
thestakewillbesome30，000pounds；andforyou，Jones，itwillbethe
manuponwhomyouwishtolayyourhands。”
“JohnClay，themurderer，thief，smasher，andforger。He”sa
youngman，Mr。Merryweather，butheisattheheadofhis
profession，andIwouldratherhavemybraceletsonhimthanon
anycriminalinLondon。He”saremarkableman，isyoungJohn
Clay。Hisgrandfatherwasaroyalduke，andhehimselfhasbeen
toEtonandOxford。Hisbrainisascunningashisfingers，and
thoughwemeetsignsofhimateveryturn，weneverknowwhereto
findthemanhimself。He”llcrackacribinScotlandoneweek，
andberaisingmoneytobuildanorphanageinCornwallthenext。
I”vebeenonhistrackforyearsandhaveneverseteyesonhim
yet。”
“IhopethatImayhavethepleasureofintroducingyou
to-night。I”vehadoneortwolittleturnsalsowithMr。John
Clay，andIagreewithyouthatheisattheheadofhis
profession。Itispastten，however，andquitetimethatwe
started。Ifyoutwowilltakethefirsthansom，WatsonandIwill
followinthesecond。”
SherlockHolmeswasnotverycommunicativeduringthelong
driveandlaybackinthecabhummingthetuneswhichhehadheard
intheafternoon。Werattledthroughanendlesslabyrinthof
gas-litstreetsuntilweemergedintoFarringtonStreet。
“Weareclosetherenow，“myfriendremarked。“Thisfellow
Merryweatherisabankdirector，andpersonallyinterestedinthe
matter。IthoughtitaswelltohaveJoneswithusalso。Heis
notabadfellow，thoughanabsoluteimbecileinhisprofession。
Hehasonepositivevirtue。Heisasbraveasabulldogandas
tenaciousasalobsterifhegetshisclawsuponanyone。Herewe
are，andtheyarewaitingforus。”
Wehadreachedthesamecrowdedthoroughfareinwhichwehad
foundourselvesinthemorning。Ourcabsweredismissed，and，
followingtheguidanceofMr。Merryweather，wepasseddowna
narrowpassageandthroughasidedoor，whichheopenedforus。
Withintherewasasmallcorridor，whichendedinaverymassive
irongate。Thisalsowasopened，andleddownaflightofwinding
stonesteps，whichterminatedatanotherformidablegate。Mr。
Merryweatherstoppedtolightalantern，andthenconductedus
downadark，earth-smellingpassage，andso，afteropeningathird
door，intoahugevaultorcellar，whichwaspiledallroundwith
cratesandmassiveboxes。
“Youarenotveryvulnerablefromabove，“Holmesremarkedas
heheldupthelanternandgazedabouthim。
“Norfrombelow，“saidMr。Merryweather，strikinghisstick
upontheflagswhichlinedthefloor。“Why，dearme，itsounds
quitehollow！“heremarked，lookingupinsurprise。
“Imustreallyaskyoutobealittlemorequiet！“saidHolmes
severely。“Youhavealreadyimperilledthewholesuccessofour
expedition。MightIbegthatyouwouldhavethegoodnesstosit
downupononeofthoseboxes，andnottointerfere？“
ThesolemnMr。Merryweatherperchedhimselfuponacrate，with
averyinjuredexpressionuponhisface，whileHolmesfellupon
hiskneesuponthefloorand，withthelanternandamagnifying
lens，begantoexamineminutelythecracksbetweenthestones。A
fewsecondssufficedtosatisfyhim，forhesprangtohisfeet
againandputhisglassinhispocket。
“Wehaveatleastanhourbeforeus，“heremarked，“forthey
canhardlytakeanystepsuntilthegoodpawnbrokerissafelyin
bed。Thentheywillnotloseaminute，forthesoonertheydo
theirworkthelongertimetheywillhavefortheirescape。We
areatpresent，Doctor——asnodoubtyouhavedivined——inthe
cellaroftheCitybranchofoneoftheprincipalLondonbanks。
Mr。Merryweatheristhechairmanofdirectors，andhewillexplain
toyouthattherearereasonswhythemoredaringcriminalsof
Londonshouldtakeaconsiderableinterestinthiscellarat
present。”
“ItisourFrenchgold，“whisperedthedirector。“Wehavehad
severalwarningsthatanattemptmightbemadeuponit。”“YourFrenchgold？“
“Yes。Wehadoccasionsomemonthsagotostrengthenour
resourcesandborrowedforthatpurpose30，000napoleonsfromthe
BankofFrance。Ithasbecomeknownthatwehaveneverhad
occasiontounpackthemoney，andthatitisstilllyinginour
cellar。ThecrateuponwhichIsitcontains2，000napoleons
packedbetweenlayersofleadfoil。Ourreserveofbullionis
muchlargeratpresentthanisusuallykeptinasinglebranch
office，andthedirectorshavehadmisgivingsuponthesubject。”
“Whichwereverywelljustified，“observedHolmes。“Andnow
itistimethatwearrangedourlittleplans。Iexpectthat
withinanhourmatterswillcometoahead。Inthemeantime，Mr。
Merryweather，wemustputthescreenoverthatdarklantern。”“Andsitinthedark？“
“Iamafraidso。Ihadbroughtapackofcardsinmypocket，
andIthoughtthat，aswewereapartiecarree，youmighthave
yourrubberafterall。ButIseethattheenemy”spreparations
havegonesofarthatwecannotriskthepresenceofalight。
And，firstofall，wemustchooseourpositions。Thesearedaring
men，andthoughweshalltakethematadisadvantage，theymaydo
ussomeharmunlesswearecareful。Ishallstandbehindthis
crate，anddoyouconcealyourselvesbehindthose。Then，whenI
flashalightuponthem，closeinswiftly。Iftheyfire，Watson，
havenocompunctionaboutshootingthemdown。”
Iplacedmyrevolver，cocked，uponthetopofthewoodencase
behindwhichIcrouched。Holmesshottheslideacrossthefront
ofhislanternandleftusinpitchdarkness——suchanabsolute
darknessasIhaveneverbeforeexperienced。Thesmellofhot
metalremainedtoassureusthatthelightwasstillthere，ready
toflashoutatamoment”snotice。Tome，withmynervesworked
uptoapitchofexpectancy，therewassomethingdepressingand
subduinginthesuddengloom，andinthecolddankairofthe
vault。
“Theyhavebutoneretreat，“whisperedHolmes。“Thatisback
throughthehouseintoSaxe-CoburgSquare。Ihopethatyouhave
donewhatIaskedyou，Jones？“
“Ihaveaninspectorandtwoofficerswaitingatthefront
door。”
“Thenwehavestoppedalltheholes。Andnowwemustbe
silentandwait。”
Whatatimeitseemed！Fromcomparingnotesafterwardsitwas
butanhourandaquarter，yetitappearedtomethatthenight
musthavealmostgone，andthedawnbebreakingaboveus。My
limbswerewearyandstiff，forIfearedtochangemyposition；
yetmynerveswereworkeduptothehighestpitchoftension，and
myhearingwassoacutethatIcouldnotonlyhearthegentle
breathingofmycompanions，butIcoulddistinguishthedeeper，
heavierin-breathofthebulkyJonesfromthethin，sighingnote
ofthebankdirector。FrommypositionIcouldlookoverthecase
inthedirectionofthefloor。Suddenlymyeyescaughttheglint
ofalight。
Atfirstitwasbutaluridsparkuponthestonepavement。
Thenitlengthenedoutuntilitbecameayellowline，andthen，
withoutanywarningorsound，agashseemedtoopenandahand
appeared；awhite，almostwomanlyhand，whichfeltaboutinthe
centreofthelittleareaoflight。Foraminuteormorethe
hand，withitswrithingfingers，protrudedoutofthefloor。Then
itwaswithdrawnassuddenlyasitappeared，andallwasdark
againsavethesingleluridsparkwhichmarkedachinkbetweenthe
stones。
Itsdisappearance，however，wasbutmomentary。Witha
rending，tearingsound，oneofthebroad，whitestonesturnedover
uponitssideandleftasquare，gapinghole，throughwhich
streamedthelightofalantern。Overtheedgetherepeepeda
clean-cut，boyishface，whichlookedkeenlyaboutit，andthen，
withahandoneithersideoftheaperture，drewitself
shoulder-highandwaist-high，untilonekneerestedupontheedge。
Inanotherinstanthestoodatthesideoftheholeandwas
haulingafterhimacompanion，litheandsmalllikehimself，with
apalefaceandashockofveryredhair。