of the

tool-house. i saw a dark, creeping figure which crawled

round the corner and squatted in front of the door.

seizing my pistol i was rushing out, when my wife threw her

arms round me and held me with convulsive strength. i

tried to throw her off, but she clung to me most

desperately. at last i got clear, but by the time i had

opened the door and reached the house the creature was

gone. he had left a trace of his presence, however, for

there on the door was the very same arrangement of dancing

men which had already twice appeared, and which i have

copied on that paper. there was no other sign of the

fellow anywhere, though i ran all over the grounds. and

yet the amazing thing is that he must have been there all

the time, for when i examined the door again in the morning

he had scrawled some more of his pictures under the line

which i had already seen."

"have you that fresh drawing?"

"yes; it is very short, but i made a copy of it, and here

it is."

again he produced a paper. the new dance was in this form:--

{graphic}

"tell me," said holmes -- and i could see by his eyes that

he was much excited -- "was this a mere addition to the

first, or did it appear to be entirely separate?"

"it was on a different panel of the door."

"excellent! this is far the most important of all for our

purpose. it fills me with hopes. now, mr. hilton cubitt,

please continue your most interesting statement."

"i have nothing more to say, mr. holmes, except that i was

angry with my wife that night for having held me back when

i might have caught the skulking rascal. she said that she

feared that i might come to harm. for an instant it had

crossed my mind that perhaps what she really feared was

that _he_ might come to harm, for i could not doubt that

she knew who this man was and what he meant by these

strange signals. but there is a tone in my wife's voice,

mr. holmes, and a look in her eyes which forbid doubt, and

i am sure that it was indeed my own safety that was in her

mind. there's the whole case, and now i want your advice

as to what i ought to do. my own inclination is to put

half-a-dozen of my farm lads in the shrubbery, and when

this fellow comes again to give him such a hiding that he

will leave us in peace for the future."

"i fear it is too deep a case for such simple remedies,"

said holmes. "how long can you stay in london?"

"i must go back to-day. i would not leave my wife alone

all night for anything. she is very nervous and begged me

to come back."

"i dare say you are right. but if you could have stopped i

might possibly have been able to return with you in a day

or two. meanwhile you will leave me these papers, and i

think that it is very likely that i shall be able to pay

you a visit shortly and to throw some light upon your

case."

sherlock holmes preserved his calm professional manner

until our visitor had left us, although it was easy for me,

who knew him so well, to see that he was profoundly

excited. the moment that hilton cubitt's broad back had

disappeared through the door my comrade rushed to the

table, laid out all the slips of paper containing dancing

men in front of him, and threw himself into an intricate

and elaborate calculation. for two hours i watched him as

he covered sheet after sheet of paper with figures and

letters, so completely absorbed in his task that he had

evidently forgotten my presence. sometimes he was making

progress and whistled and sang at his work; sometimes he

was puzzled, and would sit for long spells with a furrowed

brow and a vacant eye. finally he sprang from his chair

with a cry of satisfaction, and walked up and down the room

rubbing his hands together. then he wrote a long telegram

upon a cable form. "if my answer to this is as i hope, you

will have a very pretty case to add to your collection,

watson," said he. "i expect that we shall be able to go

down to norfolk to-morrow, and to take our friend some very

definite news as to the secret of his annoyance."

i confess that i was filled with curiosity, but i was aware

that holmes liked to make his disclosures at his own time

and in his own way; so i waited until it should suit him to

take me into his confidence.

but there was a delay in that answering telegram, and two

days of impatience followed, during which holmes pricked up

his ears at every ring of the bell. on the evening of the

second there came a letter from hilton cubitt. all was

quiet with him, save that a long inscription had appeared

that morning upon the pedestal of the sun-dial. he

enclosed a copy of it, which is here reproduced:--

{graphic}

holmes bent over this grotesque frieze for some minutes,

and then suddenly sprang to his feet with an exclamation of

surprise and dismay. his face was