”Iconfess，”saidtheColonel，”thatevennowIcannotseehowithelpsus。””Itwasthefirstlinkinmychainofreasoning。Powderedopiumisbynomeanstasteless。Theflavorisnotdisagreeable，butitisperceptible。Wereitmixedwithanyordinarydishtheeaterwouldundoubtedlydetectit，andwouldprobablyeatnomore。
　　Acurrywasexactlythemediumwhichwoulddisguisethistaste。Bynopossiblesuppositioncouldthisstranger，FitzroySimpson，havecausedcurrytobeservedinthetrainer’sfamilythatnight，anditissurelytoomonstrousacoincidencetosupposethathehappenedtocomealongwithpowderedopiumupontheverynightwhenadishhappenedtobeservedwhichwoulddisguisetheflavor。Thatisunthinkable。
　　ThereforeSimpsonbecomeseliminatedfromthecase，andourattentioncentersuponStrakerandhiswife，theonlytwopeoplewhocouldhavechosencurriedmuttonforsupperthatnight。Theopiumwasaddedafterthedishwassetasideforthestable-boy，fortheothershadthesameforsupperwithnoilleffects。Whichofthem，then，hadaccesstothatdishwithoutthemaidseeingthem?”BeforedecidingthatquestionIhadgraspedthesignificanceofthesilenceofthedog，foronetrueinferenceinvariablysuggestsothers。TheSimpsonincidenthadshownmethatadogwaskeptinthestables，andyet，thoughsomeonehadbeeninandhadfetchedoutahorse，hehadnotbarkedenoughtoarousethetwoladsintheloft。Obviouslythemidnightvisitorwassomeonewhomthedogknewwell。”Iwasalreadyconvinced，oralmostconvinced，thatJohnStrakerwentdowntothestablesinthedeadofthenightandtookoutSilverBlaze。Forwhatpurpose?Foradishonestone，obviously，orwhyshouldhedrughisownstable-boy?AndyetIwasatalosstoknowwhy。Therehavebeencasesbeforenowwheretrainershavemadesureofgreatsumsofmoneybylayingagainsttheirownhorses，throughagents，andthenpreventingthemfromwinningbyfraud。
　　Sometimesitisapullingjockey。Sometimesitissomesurerandsubtlermeans。Whatwasithere?I
　　hopedthatthecontentsofhispocketsmighthelpmetoformaconclusion。”Andtheydidso。Youcannothaveforgottenthesingularknifewhichwasfoundinthedeadman’shand，aknifewhichcertainlynosanemanwouldchooseforaweapon。Itwas，asDr。Watsontoldus，aformofknifewhichisusedforthemostdelicateoperationsknowninsurgery。Anditwastobeusedforadelicateoperationthatnight。Youmustknow，withyourwideexperienceofturfmatters，ColonelRoss，thatitispossibletomakeaslightnickuponthetendonsofahorse’sham，andtodoitsubcutaneously，soastoleaveabsolutelynotrace。Ahorsesotreatedwoulddevelopaslightlameness，whichwouldbeputdowntoastraininexerciseoratouchofrheumatism，butnevertofoulplay。””Villain！Scoundrel！”criedtheColonel。”WehaveheretheexplanationofwhyJohnStrakerwishedtotakethehorseoutontothemoor。Sospiritedacreaturewouldhavecertainlyrousedthesoundestofsleeperswhenitfelttheprickoftheknife。Itwasabsolutelynecessarytodoitintheopenair。””Ihavebeenblind！”criedtheColonel。”Ofcoursethatwaswhyheneededthecandle，andstruckthematch。””Undoubtedly。ButinexamininghisbelongingsIwasfortunateenoughtodiscovernotonlythemethodofthecrime，butevenitsmotives。Asamanoftheworld，Colonel，youknowthatmendonotcarryotherpeople’sbillsaboutintheirpockets。Wehavemostofusquiteenoughtodotosettleourown。IatonceconcludedthatStrakerwasleadingadoublelife，andkeepingasecondestablishment。Thenatureofthebillshowedthattherewasaladyinthecase，andonewhohadexpensivetastes。Liberalasyouarewithyourservants，onecanhardlyexpectthattheycanbuytwenty-guineawalkingdressesfortheirladies。I
　　questionedMrs。Strakerastothedresswithoutherknowingit，andhavingsatisfiedmyselfthatithadneverreachedher，Imadeanoteofthemilliner’saddress，andfeltthatbycallingtherewithStraker’sphotographIcouldeasilydisposeofthemythicalDerbyshire。”Fromthattimeonallwasplain。Strakerhadledoutthehorsetoahollowwherehislightwouldbeinvisible。Simpsoninhisflighthaddroppedhiscravat，andStrakerhadpickeditup——withsomeidea，perhaps，thathemightuseitinsecuringthehorse’sleg。Onceinthehollow，hehadgotbehindthehorseandhadstruckalight；butthecreaturefrightenedatthesuddenglare，andwiththestrangeinstinctofanimalsfeelingthatsomemischiefwasintended，hadlashedout，andthesteelshoehadstruckStrakerfullontheforehead。Hehadalready，inspiteoftherain，takenoffhisovercoatinordertodohisdelicatetask，andso，ashefell，hisknifegashedhisthigh。DoImakeitclear?””Wonderful！”criedtheColonel。”Wonderful！Youmighthavebeenthere！””Myfinalshotwas，Iconfessaverylongone。ItstruckmethatsoastuteamanasStrakerwouldnotundertakethisdelicatetendon-nickingwithoutalittlepractice。Whatcouldhepracticeon?Myeyesfelluponthesheep，andIaskedaquestionwhich，rathertomysurprise，showedthatmysurmisewascorrect。”WhenIreturnedtoLondonIcalleduponthemilliner，whohadrecognizedStrakerasanexcellentcustomerofthenameofDerbyshire，whohadaverydashingwife，withastrongpartialityforexpensivedresses。I
　　havenodoubtthatthiswomanhadplungedhimoverheadandearsindebt，andsoledhimintothismiserableplot。””Youhaveexplainedallbutonething，”criedtheColonel。”Wherewasthehorse?””Ah，itbolted，andwascaredforbyoneofyourneighbors。Wemusthaveanamnestyinthatdirection，Ithink。ThisisClaphamJunction，ifIamnotmistaken，andweshallbeinVictoriainlessthantenminutes。Ifyoucaretosmokeacigarinourrooms，Colonel，Ishallbehappytogiveyouanyotherdetailswhichmightinterestyou。”
　　AdventureII
　　TheYellowFace[Inpublishingtheseshortsketchesbaseduponthenumerouscasesinwhichmycompanion’ssingulargiftshavemadeusthelistenersto，andeventuallytheactorsin，somestrangedrama，itisonlynaturalthatIshoulddwellratheruponhissuccessesthanuponhisfailures。Andthisnotsomuchforthesakeofhisreputations——for，indeed，itwaswhenhewasathiswits’endthathisenergyandhisversatilityweremostadmirable——butbecausewherehefailedithappenedtoooftenthatnooneelsesucceeded，andthatthetalewasleftforeverwithoutaconclusion。
　　Nowandagain，however，itchancedthatevenwhenheerred，thetruthwasstilldiscovered。Ihavenotedofsomehalf-dozencasesofthekindtheAdventureoftheMusgraveRitualandthatwhichIamabouttorecountarethetwowhichpresentthestrongestfeaturesofinterest。]
　　SherlockHolmeswasamanwhoseldomtookexerciseforexercise’ssake。Fewmenwerecapableofgreatermusculareffort，andhewasundoubtedlyoneofthefinestboxersofhisweightthatIhaveeverseen；buthelookeduponaimlessbodilyexertionasawasteofenergy，andheseldombestirredhimselfsavewhentherewassomeprofessionalobjecttobeserved。Thenhewasabsolutelyuntiringandindefatigable。Thatheshouldhavekepthimselfintrainingundersuchcircumstancesisremarkable，buthisdietwasusuallyofthesparest，andhishabitsweresimpletothevergeofausterity。Savefortheoccasionaluseofcocaine，hehadnovices，andheonlyturnedtothedrugasaprotestagainstthemonotonyofexistencewhencaseswerescantyandthepapersuninteresting。
　　OnedayinearlyspringhehadsofarerelaxedastogoforawalkwithmeinthePark，wherethefirstfaintshootsofgreenwerebreakingoutupontheelms，andthestickyspear-headsofthechestnutswerejustbeginningtoburstintotheirfive-foldleaves。Fortwohourswerambledabouttogether，insilenceforthemostpart，asbefitstwomenwhoknoweachotherintimately。ItwasnearlyfivebeforewewerebackinBakerStreetoncemore。”Begpardon，sir，”saidourpage-boy，asheopenedthedoor。”There’sbeenagentlemanhereaskingforyou，sir。”
　　Holmesglancedreproachfullyatme。”Somuchforafternoonwalks！”saidhe。”Hasthisgentlemangone，then?””Yes，sir。””Didn’tyouaskhimin?””Yes，sir；hecamein。””Howlongdidhewait?””Halfanhour，sir。Hewasaveryrestlessgentleman，sir，a-walkin’anda-stampin’allthetimehewashere。Iwaswaitin’outsidethedoor，sir，andI
　　couldhearhim。Atlastheoutintothepassage，andhecries，’Isthatmannevergoin’tocome?’Thosewerehisverywords，sir。’You’llonlyneedtowaitalittlelonger，’saysI。’ThenI’llwaitintheopenair，forIfeelhalfchoked，’sayshe。’I’llbebackbeforelong。’Andwiththatheupsandheouts，andallIcouldsaywouldn’tholdhimback。””Well，well，youdidyoubest，”saidHolmes，aswewalkedintoourroom。”It’sveryannoying，though，Watson。Iwasbadlyinneedofacase，andthislooks，fromtheman’simpatience，asifitwereofimportance。Hullo！That’snotyourpipeonthetable。
　　Hemusthavelefthisbehindhim。Aniceoldbrierwithagoodlongstemofwhatthetobacconistscallamber。IwonderhowmanyrealambermouthpiecesthereareinLondon?Somepeoplethinkthataflyinitisasign。Well，hemusthavebeendisturbedinhismindtoleaveapipebehindhimwhichheevidentlyvalueshighly。””Howdoyouknowthathevaluesithighly?”Iasked。”Well，Ishouldputtheoriginalcostofthepipeatsevenandsixpence。Nowithas，yousee，beentwicemended，onceinthewoodenstemandonceintheamber。Eachofthesemends，done，asyouobserve，withsilverbands，musthavecostmorethanthepipedidoriginally。Themanmustvaluethepipehighlywhenhepreferstopatchitupratherthanbuyanewonewiththesamemoney。””Anythingelse?”Iasked，forHolmeswasturningthepipeaboutinhishand，andstaringatitinhispeculiarpensiveway。
　　Hehelditupandtappedonitwithhislong，thinfore-finger，asaprofessormightwhowaslecturingonabone。