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
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