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had the same for supper with no ill effects. Which man of the world, Colonel, you know that men do
of them, then, had access to that dish without the not carry other people’s bills about in their pockets.
maid seeing them? We have most of us quite enough to do to settle our
own. I at once concluded that Straker was leading
“Before deciding that question I had grasped
a double life, and keeping a second establishment.
the significance of the silence of the dog, for one
The nature of the bill showed that there was a lady
true inference invariably suggests others. The Simp-
in the case, and one who had expensive tastes. Lib-
son incident had shown me that a dog was kept
eral as you are with your servants, one can hardly
in the stables, and yet, though some one had been
expect that they can buy twenty-guinea walking
in and had fetched out a horse, he had not barked
dresses for their ladies. I questioned Mrs. Straker
enough to arouse the two lads in the loft. Obvi-
ously the midnight visitor was some one whom the as to the dress without her knowing it, and hav-
dog knew well. ing satisfied myself that it had never reached her, I
made a note of the milliner’s address, and felt that
“I was already convinced, or almost convinced, by calling there with Straker’s photograph I could
that John Straker went down to the stables in the easily dispose of the mythical Derbyshire.
dead of the night and took out Silver Blaze. For
“From that time on all was plain. Straker had
what purpose? For a dishonest one, obviously, or
led out the horse to a hollow where his light would
why should he drug his own stable-boy? And yet
be invisible. Simpson in his flight had dropped his
I was at a loss to know why. There have been
cravat, and Straker had picked it up—with some
cases before now where trainers have made sure of
idea, perhaps, that he might use it in securing the
great sums of money by laying against their own
horse’s leg. Once in the hollow, he had got behind
horses, through agents, and then preventing them
the horse and had struck a light; but the creature
from winning by fraud. Sometimes it is a pulling
frightened at the sudden glare, and with the strange
jockey. Sometimes it is some surer and subtler
means. What was it here? I hoped that the contents instinct of animals feeling that some mischief was
of his pockets might help me to form a conclusion. intended, had lashed out, and the steel shoe had
struck Straker full on the forehead. He had already,
“And they did so. You cannot have forgotten in spite of the rain, taken off his overcoat in order
the singular knife which was found in the dead to do his delicate task, and so, as he fell, his knife
man’s hand, a knife which certainly no sane man gashed his thigh. Do I make it clear?”
would choose for a weapon. It was, as Dr. Wat- “Wonderful!” cried the Colonel. “Wonderful!
son told us, a form of knife which is used for the You might have been there!”
most delicate operations known in surgery. And it
was to be used for a delicate operation that night. “My final shot was, I confess a very long one. It
You must know, with your wide experience of turf struck me that so astute a man as Straker would not
matters, Colonel Ross, that it is possible to make a undertake this delicate tendon-nicking without a
slight nick upon the tendons of a horse’s ham, and little practice. What could he practice on? My eyes
fell upon the sheep, and I asked a question which,
to do it subcutaneously, so as to leave absolutely
rather to my surprise, showed that my surmise was
no trace. A horse so treated would develop a slight
correct.
lameness, which would be put down to a strain in
exercise or a touch of rheumatism, but never to foul “When I returned to London I called upon the
play.” milliner, who had recognized Straker as an excel-
lent customer of the name of Derbyshire, who had
“Villain! Scoundrel!” cried the Colonel.
a very dashing wife, with a strong partiality for
“We have here the explanation of why John expensive dresses. I have no doubt that this woman
Straker wished to take the horse out on to the moor. had plunged him over head and ears in debt, and
So spirited a creature would have certainly roused so led him into this miserable plot.”
the soundest of sleepers when it felt the prick of
“You have explained all but one thing,” cried
the knife. It was absolutely necessary to do it in the
the Colonel. “Where was the horse?”
open air.”
“Ah, it bolted, and was cared for by one of your
“I have been blind!” cried the Colonel. “Of neighbors. We must have an amnesty in that direc-
course that was why he needed the candle, and tion, I think. This is Clapham Junction, if I am not
struck the match.”
mistaken, and we shall be in Victoria in less than
“Undoubtedly. But in examining his belongings ten minutes. If you care to smoke a cigar in our
I was fortunate enough to discover not only the rooms, Colonel, I shall be happy to give you any
method of the crime, but even its motives. As a other details which might interest you.”

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