第 23 页

the robbery in order that he might solder the second bar of

the grate, which was loose. He had remained with Horner

some little time, but had finally been called away. On

returning, he found that Horner had disappeared, that the

bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco

casket in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess

was accustomed to keep her jewel, was lying empty upon

the dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave the alarm, and Horner

was arrested the same evening; but the stone could not be

found either upon his person or in his rooms. Catherine

Cusack, maid to the Countess, deposed to having heard

Ryder's cry of dismay on discovering the robbery, and to

having rushed into the room, where she found matters as

described by the last witness. Inspector Bradstreet, B divi-

sion, gave evidence as to the arrest of Horner, who strug-

gled frantically, and protested his innocence in the strongest

terms. Evidence of a previous conviction for robbery having

been given against the prisoner, the magistrate refused to

deal summarily with the offence, but referred it to the

Assizes. Horner, who had shown signs of intense emotion

during the proceedings, fainted away at the conclusion and

was carried out of court.

"Hum! So much for the police-court," said Holmes thought-

fully, tossing aside the paper. "The question for us now to solve

is the sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel-case at one

end to the crop of a goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other.

You see, Watson, our little deductions have suddenly assumed a

much more important and less innocent aspect. Here is the stone;

the stone came from the goose, and the goose came from Mr.

Henry Baker, the gentleman with the bad hat and all the other

characteristics with which I have bored you. So now we must set

ourselves very seriously to finding this gentleman and ascertain-

ing what part he has played in this little mystery. To do this, we

must try the simplest means first, and these lie undoubtedly in an

advertisement in all the evening papers. If this fail, I shall have

recourse to other methods."

"What will you say?"

"Give me a pencil and that slip of paper. Now, then:

"Found at the corner of Goodge Street, a goose and a

black felt hat. Mr. Henry Baker can have the same by

applying at 6:30 this evening at 221B, Baker Street.

That is clear and concise."

"Very. But will he see it?"

"Well, he is sure to keep an eye on the papers, since, to a

poor man, the loss was a heavy one. He was clearly so scared by

his mischance in breaking the window and by the approach of

Peterson that he thought of nothing but flight, but since then he

must have bitterly regretted the impulse which caused him to

drop his bird. Then, again, the introduction of his name will

cause him to see it, for everyone who knows him will direct his

attention to it. Here you are, Peterson, run down to the advertis-

ing agency and have this put in the evening papers."

"In which, sir?"

"Oh, in the Clobe, Star, Pall Mall, St. James's, Evening

News Standard, Echo, and any others that occur to you."

"Very well, sir. And this stone?"

"Ah, yes, I shall keep the stone. Thank you. And, I say,

Peterson, just buy a goose on your way back and leave it here

with me, for we must have one to give to this gentleman in place

of the one which your family is now devouring."

When the commissionaire had gone, Holmes took up the stone

and held it against the light. "It's a bonny thing," said he. "Just

see how it glints and sparkles. Of course it is a nucleus and focus

of crime. Every good stone is. They are the devil's pet baits. In

the larger and older jewels every facet may stand for a bloody

deed. This stone is not yet twenty years old. It was found in the

banks of the Amoy River in southem China and is remarkable in

having every characteristic of the carbuncle, save that it is blue

in shade instead of ruby red. In spite of its youth, it has already a

sinister history. There have been two murders, a vitriol-throwing,

a suicide, and several robberies brought about for the sake of this

forty-grain weight of crystallized charcoal. Who would think that

so pretty a toy would be a purveyor to the gallows and the

prison? I'll lock it up in my strong box now and drop a line to

the Countess to say that we have it."

"Do you think that this man Horner is innocent?"

"I cannot tell."

"Well, then, do you imagine that this other one, Henry Baker,

had anything to do with the matter?"

"It is, I think, much more likely that Henry Baker is an

absolutely innocent man, who had no idea that the bird which he

was carrying was of considerably more value than if it were

made of solid gold. That, however, I shall determine by a very

simple test if we have an answer to our advertisement."

"And you can do nothing until then?"

"Nothing. "

"In that case I shall continue my professional round. But I

shall come back in the evening at the hour you have mentioned,

for I should like to see the solution of so tangled a business."

"Very glad to see you. I dine at seven. There is a woodcock, I

believe. By the way, in view of recent occurrences, perhaps I

ought to ask Mrs. Hudson to examine its crop."

I had been delayed at a case, and it was a little after half-past

six when I found myself in Baker Street once more. As I

approached the house I saw a tall man in a Scotch bonnet with a

coat which was buttoned up to his chin waiting outside in the

bright semicircle which was thrown from the fanlight. Just as l

arrived the door was opened, and we were shown up together to

Holmes's room.

"Mr. Henry Baker, I believe," said he, rising from his armchair

and greeting his visitor with the easy air of geniality which he

could so readily assume. "Pray take this chair by the fire, Mr.

Baker. It is a cold night, and I observe that your circulation is

more adapted for summer than for winter. Ah, Watson, you have

just come at the right time. Is that your hat, Mr. Baker?"

"Yes, sir, that is undoubtedly my hat."

He was a large man with rounded shoulders, a massive head,

and a broad, intelligent face, sloping down to a pointed beard of

grizzled brown. A touch of red in nose and cheeks, with a slight

tremor of his extended hand, recalled Holmes's surmise as to his

habits. His rusty black frock-coat was buttoned right up in front,

with the collar turned up, and his lank wrists protruded from his

sleeves without a sign of cuff or shirt. He spoke in a slow

staccato fashion, choosing his words with care, and gave the

impression generally of a man of learning and letters who had

had ill-usage at the hands of fortune.

"We have retained these things for some days," said Holmes,

"because we expected to see an advertisement from you giving

your address. I am at a loss to know now why you did not

advertise."

Our visitor gave a rather shamefaced laugh. "Shillings have

not been so plentiful with me as they once were," he remarked.

"I had no doubt that the gang of roughs who assaulted me had

carried off both my hat and the bird. I did not care to spend more

money in a hopeless attempt at recovering them."

"Very naturally. By the way, about the bird, we were com-

pelled to eat it."

"To eat it!" Our visitor half rose from his chair in his

excitement.

"Yes, it would have been of no use to anyone had we not

done so. But I presume that this other goose upon the sideboard,

which is about the same weight and perfectly fresh, will answer

your purpose equally well?"

"Oh, certainly, certainly," answered Mr. Baker with a sigh of

relief.

"Of course, we still have the feathers, legs, crop, and so on of

your own bird, so if you wish --"

The man burst into a hearty laugh. "They might be useful to

me as relics of my adventure," said he, "but beyond that I can

hardly see what use the disjecta membra of my late acquaintance

are going to be to me. No, sir, I think that, with your permis-

sion, I will confine my attentions to the excellent bird which I

perceive upon the sideboard."

Sherlock Holmes glanced sharply across at me with a slight

shrug of his shoulders.

"There is your hat, then, and there your bird," said he. "By

the way, would it bore you to tell me where you got the other

one from? I am somewhat of a fowl fancier, and I have seldom

seen a better grown goose."

"Certainly, sir," said Baker, who had risen and tucked his

newly gained property under his arm. "There are a few of us

who frequent the Alpha Inn, near the Museum -- we are to be

found in the Museum itself during the day, you understand. This

year our good host, Windigate by name, instituted a goose club,

by which, on consideration of some few pence every week, we

were each to receive a bird at Christmas. My pence were duly

paid, and the rest is familiar to you. I am much indebted to you,

sir, for a Scotch bonnet is fitted neither to my years nor my

gravity." With a comical pomposity of manner he bowed sol-

emnly to both of us and strode off upon his way.

"So much for Mr. Henry Baker," said Holmes when he had

closed the door behind him. "It is quite certain that he knows

nothing whatever about the matter. Are you hungry, Watson?"

"Not particularly."

"Then I suggest that we turn our dinner into a supper and

follow up this clue while it is still hot."

"By all means."

It was a bitter night, so we drew on our ulsters and wrapped

cravats about our throats. Outside, the stars were shining coldly

in a cloudless sky, and the breath of the passers-by blew out into

smoke like so many pistol shots. Our footfalls rang out crisply

and loudly as we swung through the doctors' quarter, Wimpole

Street, Harley Street, and so through Wigmore Street into Ox-

ford Street. In a quarter of an hour we were in Bloomsbury at the

Alpha Inn, which is a small public-house at the corner of one of

the streets which runs down into Holborn. Holmes pushed open

the door of the private bar and ordered two glasses of beer from

the ruddy-faced, white-aproned landlord.

"Your beer should be excellent if it is as good as your

geese," said he.

"My geese!" The man seemed surprised.

"Yes. I was speaking only half an hour ago to Mr. Henry

Baker, who was a member of your goose club."

"Ah! yes, I see. But you see, sir, them's not our geese."

"Indeed! Whose, then?"

"Well, I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden."

"Indeed? I know some of them. Which was it?"

"Breckinridge is his name."

"Ah! I don't know him. Well, here's your good health

landlord, and prosperity to your house. Good-night.

"Now for Mr. Breckinridge," he continued, buttoning up his

coat as we came out into the frosty air. "Remember, Watson

that though we have so homely a thing as a goose at one end of

this chain, we have at the other a man who will certainly get

seven years' penal servitude unless we can establish his inno-

cence. It is possible that our inquiry may but confirm his guilt

but, in any case, we have a line of investigation which has been

missed by the police, and which a singular chance has placed in

our hands. Let us follow it out to the bitter end. Faces to the

south, then, and quick march!"

We passed across Holborn, down Endell Street, and so through

a zigzag of slums to Covent Garden Market. One of the largest

stalls bore the name of Breckinridge upon it, and the proprietor

a horsy-looking man, with a sharp face and trim side-whiskers

was helping a boy to put up the shutters.

"Good-evening. It's a cold night," said Holmes.

The salesman nodded and shot a questioning glance at my

companion.

"Sold out of geese, I see," continued Holmes, pointing at the

bare slabs of marble.

"Let you have five hundred to-morrow morning."

"That's no good."

"Well, there are some on the stall with the gas-flare."

"Ah, but I was recommended to you."

"Who by?"

"The landlord of the Alpha."

"Oh, yes; I sent him a couple of dozen."

"Fine birds they were, too. Now where did you get them

from?"

To my surprise the question provoked a burst of anger from

the salesman.

"Now, then, mister," said he, with his head cocked and his

arms akimbo, "what are you driving at? Let's have it straight,

now."

"It is straight enough. I should like to know who sold you the

geese which you supplied to the Alpha."

"Well then, I shan't tell you. So now!"

"Oh, it is a matter of no importance; but I don't know why

you should be so warm over such a trifle."

"Warm! You'd be as warm, maybe, if you were as pestered

as I am. When I pay good money for a good article there should

be an end of the business; but it's 'Where are the geese?' and

'Who did you sell the geese to?' and 'What will you take for the

geese?' One would think they were the only geese in the world,

to hear the fuss that is made over them."

"Well, I have no connection with any other people who have

been making inquiries," said Holmes carelessly. "If you won't