The Valley of Fear

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

A Warning

A letter arrived for Sherlock Holmes. We were sitting in our rooms at 221b Baker Street.

'It's Porlock's writing,' he said. 'It must be very important.'

'Who is Porlock?' I asked.

'Porlock is just a name: it's not his real one. He is a man who is in touch with the great criminal mastermind, Professor Moriarty. You've heard me talk about him?'

'Yes, he's famous among criminals but unknown to the public.'

That's right. He's the "brain" that controls all crime; we'll catch him one day, Watson.'

'Anyway, what about this letter and Porlock?'

'He works for Professor Moriarty. He has sent me information twice before which has helped to prevent crimes.'

Holmes opened the letter and read it. The message said that a man called Douglas at Birlstone Manor House was in great danger.

There was a knock at the door and Inspector MacDonald of Scotland Yard walked in. Holmes looked pleased to see him.

'You're out early,' he said.

But the inspector had stopped suddenly. He was staring at the message.

'Douglas! Birlstone? What's this, Mr Holmes? Magic? How did you get those names?'

'Why?' asked Holmes. 'What's wrong with those names?'

'Mr Douglas of Birlstone Manor House was murdered this morning.'

Sherlock Holmes explained to the inspector how he had just received the letter.

'I was on my way to Birlstone,' said the inspector. 'I came to ask if you and Doctor Watson wanted to come with me but, from what you say about this Porlock, we'll find out more in London.'

'I don't think so,' said Holmes.

'Well, if there's a man in London who knew about the crime before it happened, then we need to find him!'

'And how do you suggest we find Porlock?' asked Holmes. 'I don't know him, I've never seen him, I don't know where he is and, what's more, I know that Professor Moriarty is involved. We'll find nothing in London, MacDonald, we must go to Birlstone to solve this crime.'

The inspector stood up.

'Let's go. Can you be ready in five minutes?'

On our way down to Birlstone, the inspector told us what he knew about the case, which was not very much. John Douglas of Birlstone Manor House was shot in the head with a shotgun. It happened at around midnight the night before. The police had not yet arrested anyone.

Birlstone was a small village in Sussex. About half a mile from the village was the Manor House of Birlstone. It was a very old house, built in the seventeenth century. A moat surrounded the house. The only way to get into the house was over the drawbridge. This drawbridge was raised every night and lowered every morning by the owners of the Manor House. This meant that the house was like an island during the night. This was a very important fact in the mystery at Birlstone.

The owners were Mr John Douglas and his wife. Douglas was a handsome American man about fifty years old. He was popular in the village because he was friendly and also rich. He had earned his money in California, then came to live in England, where he met his wife.

Mrs Douglas was a beautiful woman, about twenty years younger than her husband. They were very happy together, although it seemed that Mrs Douglas did not know everything about her husband's past.

There was one other person who often stayed with the couple and was also at the Manor House at the time of the murder. His name was Cecil Barker. He was a good friend of John Douglas and was the only person from Douglas's unknown past life. Although Barker was English, he had met John Douglas in America. Barker was friendly with both Douglas and his wife. Sometimes his friendship with Mrs Douglas seemed to irritate John Douglas. The other people who were in the house at the time of the murder were Ames the butler and Mrs Allen the housekeeper.

It was at eleven forty-five at night on 6th January that Cecil Barker told Sergeant Wilson at the local police station that someone had murdered Mr John Douglas.

When he reached the house, Sergeant Wilson found the drawbridge down and everyone was confused and alarmed. Only Cecil Barker seemed calm and in control.

The dead man was in the center of the room, lying on his back. The shotgun was lying on his chest; the end of the gun was sawn off. The murderer had fired the gun very close to his victim and the shot had almost blown his head to pieces. The doctor was called but he knew there was nothing he could do.

The country policeman was not used to such serious crime.

'We won't touch anything until the officers from London arrive,' he said.

'I haven't touched anything,' said Cecil Barker. 'This is exactly as I found it. It was just after half past eleven and I was sitting in my bedroom when I heard the shot. It wasn't very loud. I rushed down.'

'Was the door open?'

'Yes, it was open. Douglas was lying just as you see him now. There was a candle burning on the table. I lit the lamp.'

'Did you see anyone?'

'No, I heard Mrs Douglas coming down the stairs behind me and I rushed out to stop her from seeing this terrible sight.'

'But wasn't the drawbridge raised as usual?'

'Yes, it was up until I lowered it,' said Barker.

'Then how could the murderer have got away?'

'Look.' Barker pulled back the curtain. One of the windows was wide open. 'Look at this.' He pointed to a blood stain that was shaped like a footprint. 'Someone has climbed out here.'

'You think that someone waded across the moat?'

'Exactly.'

'Well, you were in the room half a minute after the murder, so this means that he was in the water then.'

'I know. I didn't know the window was open because it was hidden by the curtain.'

The policeman was thinking.

'You're saying that the man escaped by wading across the moat. But how did he get into the house if the drawbridge was up?

'That's a good question,' agreed Barker.

CHAPTER TWO

Murder at Birlstone

'What time was the bridge raised?' asked the policeman.

'It was six o'clock,' said Ames the butler. 'Mrs Douglas had visitors so I raised it after they left.'

'So if anyone came in from outside - if they did - then they came into the house before six and hid there until Mr Douglas came into the room at about eleven o'clock.'

'That's right. Mr Douglas always checked all the lights in the house before he went to bed. He came in here, where the man was waiting to shoot him. Then the murderer got away through the window and left the gun behind. That's what I think.'

The policeman picked up a card which was lying on the floor beside the dead man. The initials V.V. and the number 341 were written on the card.

'What's this?' asked the policeman.

Barker looked at it.

'I didn't notice it before. The murderer probably left it behind.'

'V.V. 341. What does it mean? Somebody's initials, maybe.'

The policeman walked slowly around the room. He pulled back a window curtain. 'Look at this!' he said excitedly. 'Someone was hiding here, look at these muddy footprints.'

'What's this mark on his arm?' asked the doctor.

On the dead man's right arm was a strange brown design: a triangle inside a circle.

'It's not a tattoo,' said the doctor. 'I've never seen anything like it. This mark has been burnt onto the man. What does it mean?'

'I don't know what it means but Douglas has had that mark for at least ten years,' said Cecil Barker.

'Yes,' agreed the butler. 'I've often noticed it and wondered what it is.'

'Then it has nothing to do with the crime anyway,' said the policeman.

The butler suddenly gave a shout of surprise.

'What is it now?' said the policeman.

'They've taken his wedding ring! He always wore his wedding ring below this other one with the snake on it,' said the butler.

'You mean that the murderer first took off this snake ring, then the wedding ring and afterwards put the snake ring back on again?'

'It looks that way,' said the butler.

The policeman shook his head. 'The sooner the London police get here the better,' he said.

The Chief Detective for Sussex was Mr Mason. He was waiting for us at the railway station in Birlstone the next day.

'A very interesting case, MacDonald,' he said. He took us to our hotel. We sat down and Mason told us the details. Sherlock Holmes listened carefully.

'So what have you discovered so far?' he said when Mason had finished.

'I examined the shotgun,' said Mason. 'The gun wasn't very long and could easily be hidden under a coat. It was made in America. The butler says he has never seen it in the house before. It suggests that the stranger who entered the house and killed Douglas is American.'

MacDonald shook his head.

'I've heard nothing that proves that a stranger was even in the house.'

'What about the open window, the blood by the window, the muddy footprints?'

'They are all things which can be set up. The business with the ring and the card suggests premeditated murder for a private reason. But why would the murderer choose such a noisy weapon if he wanted to get away unnoticed? What do you think, Holmes?'

'It does seem strange,' agreed Holmes. 'Can we go to the house now? There may be some clues that will help us,' he added.

We walked through the village towards Birlstone Manor. Sergeant Wilson was still there.

'Anything new?' Mason asked the policeman.

'No, sir.'

'Then go home. You're tired. The butler can wait outside. Tell Cecil Barker and Mrs Douglas we want to talk to them in a short while. Now, I'll tell you what I think so far. I think it's murder. The question is, was it done by someone from outside or inside the house? It doesn't seem likely that it was someone inside the house: they did it at a time when the house was quiet but no one was asleep, and used the noisiest weapon possible, which hasn't been seen inside the house before. So we come back to the theory that it was done by someone from the outside.'

Holmes nodded in agreement.

'So, the man gets into the house sometime between four thirty and six. He hid behind the curtain until about eleven, when Douglas entered the room. If the two men spoke, then it was not for long. Mrs Douglas said her husband had left her only a few minutes before she heard the shot.'

'The candle shows that. It's a new candle but it has only burnt down a little,' said Holmes.

'Exactly. That means he put it on the table before he was attacked. This shows he wasn't attacked as soon as he entered the room. When Barker arrived, the candle was lit and the lamp was out.'

'That all seems clear,' said Holmes.

'So Douglas enters the room. He puts down the candle. A man appears from behind the curtain with a gun. He asks for the wedding ring - we don't know why but it seems so. Mr Douglas gives it to him. Then the man shoots Douglas. He drops the gun and this card "V.V. 341", whatever that means, and then escapes through the window and across the moat, just as Cecil Barker discovers the crime. How does that sound, Mr Holmes?'

'Interesting, but not very believable,' said Holmes.

'What's your theory then, Holmes?'

'I'd like a few more facts before I come up with a theory,' said Holmes. 'Ames, can you come in here for a moment please?'

The butler came in. 'Now, you've seen this mark on Mr Douglas's arm before?'

'Often, sir,' agreed Ames.

'There is also a small piece of plaster on Mr Douglas's chin. Did you see that when he was alive?' asked Holmes.

'Yes sir, he cut himself shaving yesterday morning,' said Ames.

'Did he often cut himself shaving?' asked Holmes.

'Not for a very long time, sir.'

'Interesting!' said Holmes. 'This might mean he was nervous and knew that he was in danger. Did you notice anything unusual in his behavior yesterday, Ames?'

'He did seem a bit nervous, sir,' said the butler.

'So, perhaps the attack wasn't unexpected then. Now, what about the card - V.V. 341. What do you think that means, MacDonald?'

'It seems like a secret society of some sort. I thought the same about the mark on the arm.'

'Someone from a secret society gets into the house, kills Mr Douglas and leaves this card. The newspapers will report it, so other members of the society will know that vengeance has been done. But why this gun? Why the missing ring? Why has no one been arrested yet?'

Holmes walked over to the window and examined the blood stain.

'It's a footprint but it looks very wide to me, wider than the other footprints over in the corner. What's this under the table?' asked Holmes, bending to pick up the object.

'Mr Douglas's dumbbells,' said Ames.

'Dumbbell,' corrected Holmes. 'There's only one of them. Where's the other?'

'I don't know, Mr Holmes. Perhaps there was only one. I haven't noticed them for months.'

Holmes looked serious. 'One dumbbell...' He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Cecil Barker came in.

'Sorry to interrupt,' he said, 'but they've found his bicycle. The man left it behind. Come and look.'

CHAPTER THREE

The People of the Drama

The bicycle was hidden behind some bushes.

'Well, it's something,' said Mason. 'But why has the man left it behind? How did he get away without it? We are no closer to solving this mystery, Holmes.'

'Aren't we?' answered Holmes thoughtfully.

We moved to the dining room to hear evidence from the people who were in the house at the time of the murder. Ames the butler told us what he had heard and seen. He had not heard the shot because he was at the back of the house in the kitchen. He heard the ringing of the bell which called for the servants of the house. He and the housekeeper went to the front of the house together. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Mrs Douglas was coming down. She was not hurrying and she did not seem agitated. Then Mr Barker came rushing out of the study telling Mrs Douglas to go back.

'Go back to your room! John is dead! There is nothing you can do! Please go back to your room!'

Mrs Douglas did as he said. She did not scream. The housekeeper went with her. Barker and the butler went into the study, where they found everything just as the police had seen it. The candle was not lit at that time but the lamp was. They looked out of the window but it was very dark and they had seen and heard nothing. The housekeeper said that Mrs Douglas had been scared but had not tried to go downstairs. The housekeeper stayed with her that night.

Cecil Barker was next. He told the police his theory about the murder. There were some events in Douglas's life that he never spoke about. Barker had met Douglas, who was a widower at the time, in California. They ran a successful mining company together. Douglas had suddenly sold his share and gone to England. Afterwards, Barker also sold his share and went to England where he and John Douglas met again. Barker thought that Douglas was in some danger. He thought that a secret society was after John and wanted to kill him.

'How long were you together in California?' asked MacDonald.

'Five years altogether,' said Barker.

'And he was a widower, you said? Do you know where his first wife was from?' he asked.

'No, but I saw a picture of her. She was a very beautiful woman. She died the year before I met him.'

'Was there anything strange about him in California?'

Only that he didn't like to be near other men. That's why I thought someone was after him. I think he had a warning of some sort, that's why he left so suddenly for Europe. Only a few days after he left, some men were asking about him,' said Barker.

That was six years ago. Before that you were together for five years in California. Eleven years is a long time to keep a fight going. It was definitely something serious. Did you know Mrs Douglas before the marriage?'

'No, I didn't.'

'But you've seen a lot of her since?'

'What are you saying, detective? I've seen a lot of him since. And so of course I have become friends with Mrs Douglas.'

'Was Mr Douglas happy about your friendship with his wife?'

'You have no right to ask such questions!' said Barker angrily.

The inspector waited.

'Well, I suppose you have to do your job. Please don't ask Mrs Douglas about this. She is worried enough. Douglas had just one fault and that was his jealousy. But no man had a more loving and faithful wife or a more loyal friend.'

'But the fact that the wedding ring has gone suggests that the marriage and the murder are connected, don't you think?'

'I don't know what it suggests,' said Barker, 'but I think you're on the wrong track.'

The next witness was Mrs Douglas. She was a tall, beautiful woman of thirty. Her face was very white but she seemed calm. 'Have you found anything out yet?' she asked.

'We are doing all we can, Mrs Douglas. Perhaps you may be able to help us. Mr Barker said that you were never actually in the room where the tragedy took place.'

'That's right. He told me to go back to my room.'

'You have only known your husband in England, is that right?'

'Yes, we've been married for five years.'

'Have you heard him speak of something that happened in America which may be dangerous for him?'

Mrs Douglas thought carefully before answering.

'Yes,' she said finally. 'I have always felt that there was some sort of danger from his past, but he didn't talk to me about it.'

'How did you know then?' asked the detective.

'In many ways,' she replied. 'Because of the way he didn't talk about some parts of his life in America. Because of some of the things he said. The way he looked at strangers. I always felt sure that he had some powerful enemies and that he was always ready to defend himself.'

'What sort of things did he say?' asked Sherlock Holmes.

'"The Valley of Fear",' replied Mrs Douglas. 'He said, ''I have been in the Valley of Fear and I'm not out of it yet." I asked him, "Can we ever get out of the Valley of Fear?" and he said very seriously, "Sometimes I don't think we ever will".'

'But didn't you ask him what he meant by "the Valley of Fear"?'

'Of course, but he never told me. All I know is that it was a real valley that he lived in once where something terrible happened. I can't tell you anymore.'

'Did he ever mention any names?'

'Yes, once, when he had a fever, he said the name "Master McGinty". There was definitely a connection between the Valley of Fear and Master McGinty.'

'You've heard that his wedding ring was taken; why do you think that is?'

'I really don't know,' she replied. 'It's an extraordinary thing.'

'Well, we won't keep you any longer. Thank you for your time, Mrs Douglas. If there is anything else, we can ask you later.'

Mrs Douglas left the room.

'She's a very beautiful woman,' said MacDonald thoughtfully. 'This man Barker has been here a lot. There may be something between them. He admits that the dead man was jealous. Then there's that wedding ring. What do you think, Mr Holmes?'

CHAPTER FOUR

The Missing Dumbbell

Holmes called the butler in.

'Can you remember, Ames, what Mr Barker was wearing on his feet when you joined him in the study?'

'Yes, Mr Holmes. He had a pair of bedroom slippers on. I brought him his boots when he went for the police.'

'Where are the slippers now?'

'They are still under a chair in the hall.'

'Good. It's important to know which footprints belong to Mr Barker and which come from outside.'

'Yes, sir. I noticed that the slippers were marked with blood, sir. So were mine.'

'Thank you, Ames.'

We returned to the study. Holmes brought the slippers with him from the hall. The slippers were dark with blood.

'Strange!' said Holmes. He was examining the slippers by the light of the window. 'Very strange indeed!'

He placed the slipper on the blood stain under the window. It matched exactly. Holmes looked at the others.

MacDonald looked excited. 'Barker made the mark under the window himself! What's going on Holmes? What does it mean?'

'That's the question,' said Holmes. 'What does it mean?'

The three detectives had many small details to investigate. I decided to return to the village on my own. I walked through the garden of the house. At the far end was a hedge of yew trees. Behind these was a stone seat, hidden from view. As I approached, I heard some voices coming from the area of the stone seat. I came around the trees and saw Mrs Douglas and Mr Barker. They did not see me straight away. I was shocked by Mrs Douglas's appearance. Before, she had been very quiet. Now her eyes were shining and she was laughing at something Barker had just said. Barker was also smiling. Just too late they both saw me and assumed more serious expressions. They spoke briefly to each other, then Barker got up and walked towards me.

'Excuse me sir, but are you Doctor Watson? Mrs Douglas wants to ask you something.'

I did not really want to talk to her. I saw clearly in my mind the body of the dead man lying on the floor. Here, only a few hours after the tragedy, was his wife laughing with another man. But I went over to them.

'You're a good friend of Mr Holmes. Tell me,' she asked, 'if I told him something, does he have to tell the detectives? Is he working on his own or is he with them?'

'Mr Holmes is independent,' I replied, 'but he won't hide anything from the detectives. You must ask Holmes himself.'

I left them and continued walking.

When I told Holmes what had happened, he said that he did not want to hear anything from them.

'It can get complicated if we have to make an arrest for murder,' he said.

'Why, have you solved it, Holmes?'

'Oh, not yet, but when we find the missing dumbbell-'

'The dumbbell?'

'Watson, you must realize how important that missing dumbbell is! What use is one dumbbell?' He continued talking.

'A lie, Watson - that's what we have here. A great big lie. Barker's story is a lie and Mrs Douglas is helping him. They are both lying. So why are they lying and what is the truth that they are trying to hide?'

'How can you be so sure they're lying?' I asked.

'Because it simply can't be true! According to their story, the murderer had less than a minute after the murder to take the wedding ring, which was under another ring, then to replace the other ring and put the card by the victim. This is impossible. I don't think that the ring was taken before the victim was killed. The candle was lit for only a short time. I think the murderer was alone with the dead man for some time with the lamp lit. But the gunshot was the cause of death: therefore the gun was fired much earlier than we have been told. So the two people who heard the gunshot, Mr Barker and Mrs Douglas, are obviously both lying for some reason. And now we can also show that Barker put the footprint under the window. It doesn't look good for Barker.'

'So what time did the murder actually occur? The housekeeper said she heard a noise at about quarter to eleven, about half an hour before Barker called them. I think that this was the gunshot and the real time of the murder. If I'm correct, what were Mr Barker and Mrs Douglas doing, if they aren't the actual murderers, from a quarter to eleven when they heard the shot, to a quarter past eleven when they rang the bell for the servants?'

'I'm sure there is something going on between those two,' I agreed. 'Do you think that they are guilty of the murder?' I asked.

'I think that Mr Barker and Mrs Douglas know the truth about this murder. I'm not sure that they are the murderers themselves. I think that an evening alone in the study will help a lot. Can I borrow your umbrella please, Watson?'

I was confused, but I gave him my umbrella anyway.

Later that evening, Inspector MacDonald and Mr Mason returned. They had found out more about the owner of the bicycle: he was an American who was staying at a hotel in the nearby town of Tunbridge Wells. According to the people at the hotel he was a tall, handsome man of about fifty. He was dressed in a grey suit and a short yellow coat and cap.

'He sounds very similar to Mr Douglas,' remarked Holmes.

Holmes told the detectives about his theories and what he intended to do that evening. The detectives asked if they could help.

'No, no,' said Holmes. 'All I need is darkness and Watson's umbrella.'

CHAPTER FIVE

The Mystery is Solved

The next morning, the detectives were trying to find the owner of the bicycle.

'Any luck?' asked Holmes.

'Well, so far, we have reports of a man in a yellow coat in Leicester, Nottingham, Southampton and Liverpool. The country seems to be full of people in yellow coats,' replied MacDonald. 'What about you? Did you find out anything last night?'

'I can't really tell you at the moment. However, I have found out that Charles I was once hidden in this house for several days during the Civil War,' said Holmes.

'I don't see what that has to do with this case,' said Mason.

'Well, I want to give you both some advice. I can't tell you everything that I know yet, but my advice to you is to abandon the case for today. Meet me here this evening and things will become clear.'

The detectives were not very happy about this but eventually agreed.

'One more thing, I want you to write a letter to Mr Barker. Write this down. "Dear Sir, we have decided to drain the moat in the hope that we may find some-"'

MacDonald interrupted. 'It's impossible. We've already made inquiries.'

'"- in the hope that we may find something which will help in the case. I have made arrangements and the workmen will begin tomorrow morning." Now sign that and deliver it this afternoon. Then meet me here when it gets dark.'

The detectives were obviously annoyed but agreed to do as Holmes asked.

Later that evening, Holmes took us outside into the grounds of the Manor House. We stopped opposite the windows of the study. 'Now what?' asked MacDonald.

'We must wait,' said Holmes. 'We need to be patient.'

We waited and waited.

'What exactly are we waiting for?' asked MacDonald finally. 'And how much longer do we have to wait?'

'I don't know how long we'll have to wait but I can tell you what we are waiting for. Look - that's what we're waiting for!' As he spoke, we saw a man open the window of the study. We heard the splashing of water as the man searched for something. Then suddenly we saw him raise a large round object from the moat and take it into the study.

'Now!' shouted Holmes. 'Now!'

We all jumped to our feet and ran into the house and into the study: there was Cecil Barker.

'What do you want?' he said.

'That's what we want,' said Holmes. 'That package, weighted with the dumbbell that you have just pulled from the moat.'

'How do you know about it?'

'Well, I put it there,' said Holmes, 'or, rather, I "replaced" it there after hooking it out last night with the handle of Watson's umbrella.'

He opened the package. Inside was a pair of boots, a grey suit, a yellow coat and a dangerous-looking knife.

'The label in the coat is from Vermissa, USA. Earlier today, I found out that Vermissa is a mining valley. Perhaps the V.V. on the card might stand for Vermissa Valley and may even be the Valley of Fear, I think. This seems clear. Perhaps you could explain further, Mr Barker?' asked Holmes.

Barker did not know what to say. Eventually he said, 'Well, if you know such a lot, Holmes, why don't you tell us?'

Mrs Douglas came in. She had heard everything. 'You have done enough for us, Cecil. Whatever happens in the future, you have done enough.'

'More than enough,' said Holmes. 'Now I think it is time to hear the truth from Mr Douglas himself.'

We were all astonished at Holmes's words. As he spoke, a man seemed to have come out from the wall in a dark corner of the room. Mrs Douglas turned and put her arms around her husband.

'I'm sure it's best this way, John,' she said.

The man looked at us. He came to me and gave me a package.

'I've heard of you,' he said. 'Well, Doctor Watson, you've never heard a story like this one. Tell it your own way, but these are the facts. I've been hiding in there for two days and I've written it all down. This is the story of the Valley of Fear.'

MacDonald was staring at John Douglas in amazement.

'Well, if you're John Douglas, whose murder have we been investigating for the past two days? And where did you just come from?'

'Don't you remember me telling you that Charles I was once hidden in this house?' Holmes reminded him. 'When I found the clothes in the moat, it became clear that the body was not that of John Douglas, but must be the body of the cyclist from Tunbridge Wells. So, then I had to find out where Mr Douglas was hiding.'

'He's right. I won't start at the beginning,' said John Douglas, 'but there are some men who won't leave me alone until I'm dead. They forced me out of America. I wanted to spend my last years here in peace. I never told my wife how things were because I didn't want to worry her.

'I was in Tunbridge Wells the day before these events, and I saw a man in the street who I recognised immediately. He was my worst enemy, so I knew that there was trouble coming. I came home and prepared myself. All day I was nervous but when the drawbridge was up I felt safe. Then, when I was checking the lights before going to bed, I saw his boot under the curtain. I put down the candle and he jumped out at me and got the gun from under his coat. We were fighting and I was trying to take the gun out of his hands before he could fire.

'Maybe it was me that pulled the trigger or maybe it just went off in the fight. Anyway, he took the shot full in the face. I was looking at all that was left of Ted Baldwin. I was in shock when I heard Barker and my wife coming. I ran to the door and stopped her. We thought that the servants would be there any minute. But they didn't come. They hadn't heard anything. That was when I thought of the plan.

'The man has the same mark as I have, the mark of the lodge. He was also about the same height and size as me. His face was unrecognizable. We tied his clothes to the dumbbell and threw them out of the window. Then we put my clothes on him. The card that was meant for my body was lying by his and we put my ring on his finger. I didn't want to part with my wedding ring, but as you can see, I can't get it off anyway. I put a plaster on his chin where I have one myself at the moment.

'I thought that if I could hide for a while, we might, at last, have a chance to live the rest of our lives in peace. So, I hid in the hiding place and Barker did what he had to do. He made the mark by the window and then, when everything was fixed, he rang the bell for the servants. That's the truth.'

Holmes looked serious. 'I don't think this story is over yet, Mr Douglas. I see trouble ahead.'

And now, let us go back twenty years in time and travel thousands of miles to the west, so that I can tell you the beginning of this terrible story of John Douglas. And then, we will meet in the rooms of Baker Street once more to hear how it ends.

PART TWO

CHAPTER ONE

Vermissa

It was 4th February, 1875. It was evening and the train was travelling to Vermissa, U.S.A., the small town at the top of the valley. The train was full of miners, who had been working all day. In the first carriage there were also two policemen and one other young man sitting alone.

He was about thirty years old, with brown hair and grey eyes. He stared out of the window into the darkness. At one point, he took a large gun from his pocket. It was loaded. He checked it quickly then replaced it, but a miner sitting near him had noticed it.

'Oh!' he said. 'You seem ready for action.'

The young man smiled. 'Yes,' he said, 'we need them sometimes where I come from.'

'And where's that?' asked the miner.

'Chicago,' answered the young man.

'You might find that you need it here too.'

'Is that right?' asked the young man, surprised. 'I'm looking for work here.'

'Do you have friends here?'

'No', but I can make them,' answered the young man. 'I belong to the Ancient Order of Freemen. There's no town without a lodge so I'll find my friends there.'

The other man's manner changed. He got up, came over to sit next to the young man and held out his hand. The two men shook hands in a special way.

'I see you're telling the truth,' said the miner. Then he raised his right hand to his right eyebrow. The young traveller raised his left hand to his left eyebrow.

'Dark nights are unpleasant,' said the miner.

'Yes, for strangers to travel,' answered the young man.

'That's good enough for me. I'm Brother Scanlan, Lodge 341, Vermissa Valley. Welcome.'

'Thank you. I'm Brother Jack McMurdo, Lodge 29, Chicago, Master, J. H. Scott. I'm lucky to meet a brother so early.'

'But why did you leave Chicago?' asked the miner.

McMurdo nodded towards the policemen.

'They'd be very interested to know,' he said. 'But I don't really want to talk about it. I've my own good reason for leaving Chicago.'

'Okay. Where are you going tonight?'

'To Vermissa.'

'That's the third stop. Where are you staying?'

'With Jacob Shafter, Sheridan Street.'

'Well, I'm getting off at the next stop. But I'll give you some advice. If you're in trouble in Vermissa, go and see Master McGinty. Maybe we'll meet at the lodge one evening.' The train stopped and the miner got off.

The train moved off.

'You're new around here then?' one of the policemen asked McMurdo.

'What if I am?' he answered rudely.

'Just be careful who you choose to be your friends. I wouldn't start with Mike Scanlan and his gang if I were you.'

'What business is it of yours who my friends are?' shouted McMurdo. Everyone looked round at him. 'Did I ask for your advice?' The two policemen were shocked.

'No offence, stranger. It was a warning, seeing that you're new here.'

'I'm new here but I'm not new to you and your kind,' shouted McMurdo. 'You're all the same, giving your advice when nobody asks for it!'

'Well. We'll probably be seeing more of you by the sound of it,' said one of the policemen. 'You're a troublemaker if ever I saw one!' 'I'm not afraid of you!' cried McMurdo. 'My name's Jack McMurdo and if you want me, I'm staying at Jacob Shafter's at Sheridan Street, Vermissa, so I'm not hiding from you, am I?'

A few minutes later the train stopped at Vermissa station and McMurdo and many of the other workers got off the train. McMurdo was about to walk off when one of the miners stopped him.

'You really know how to talk to the police,' he said admiringly. 'I'm passing by Shafter's place. Let me carry your bag and I'll show you where it is.'

Many of the other miners said goodnight as they left. Before he had even arrived in the town, Jack McMurdo had a reputation in Vermissa. The two men walked along.

'That's the Union House,' said the miner pointing to one of the bigger buildings. 'Jack McGinty is the boss there.'

'What's he like?'

'Haven't you heard of him? He's been in the papers often enough because of the Scowrers.'

'The Scowrers? Aren't they a group of murderers?' asked McMurdo. 'Sssh!' cried the miner. 'You won't last long here if you talk like that, on the street so that anyone can hear you. There are murders but McGinty's name mustn't be connected with them. He hears everything. Now, here's Jacob Shafter's house.'

'Thanks,' said McMurdo. He knocked on the door.

It was opened by a beautiful young woman. She was blonde with dark eyes. McMurdo stared at her, lost for words.

She spoke first. 'I thought it was Father,' she said. 'Are you looking for him? He'll be back soon.'

'I'm in no hurry,' said McMurdo at last. 'But I'm looking for a place to stay and your house was recommended to me.'

'Well then come in, sir. I'm Ettie Shafter, Mr Shafter's daughter. My mother's dead, so I run the house. You can wait by the fire for my father. Ah, here he is now.'

An old man walked slowly up the path. The two men talked and Jack McMurdo agreed to pay seven dollars a week to stay with them.

McMurdo quickly became popular at the Shafter's house. Within a few days everyone knew who he was and they liked and respected him. He had also fallen in love with Shafter's daughter Ettie and told her so everyday. He was determined to marry her even though she told him that she had already promised to marry someone else.

CHAPTER TWO

Meeting Boss McGinty

One evening, Mike Scanlan came to see McMurdo.

'McMurdo, why haven't you been to introduce yourself to Master McGinty?' he asked.

'I had to find a job,' replied McMurdo. 'I'm working as a bookkeeper now.'

Scanlan seemed worried.

'But you have to see Boss McGinty,' he said. 'The lodge isn't the same here as it is in Chicago. Go tonight.'

But someone else wanted to talk to McMurdo that evening Mr Shafter called McMurdo into his room and asked him about his feelings for Ettie, his daughter.

'It's no good, McMurdo,' said the old man. 'Someone has got there before you.'

'Yes, Ettie told me so, but she won't tell me his name. So who is it?' said McMurdo.

'It's one of the Scowrers,' said Shafter. 'His name is Teddy Baldwin.'

'Who are these Scowrers? Why are you all so afraid of them?'

'The Scowrers are the Ancient Order of Freemen,' replied the old man.

'But I belong to that order myself,' said McMurdo.

'You! I wouldn't have let you into my house if I had known that!'

'But why? The Order is for charity and friendship, the rules say so.'

'Maybe in some places but not here,' said the old man. 'Here they are a group of murderers. It's bad enough that I have one of these people coming after my Ettie and that I cannot say no to him. I won't have another one staying in my house. You must leave!'

McMurdo went to see Ettie.

'If I had been first Ettie, would I have had a chance?' he asked her.

Ettie started crying. 'Things would have been very different if you'd been the first,' she cried.

'We can't be together because of a promise to someone you don't love? That's wrong, Ettie.'

'But I'm afraid of him, Jack, both for myself and my father. Can't we go away together somewhere else? We can take Father with us!'

'I can't take you away, I can't leave here yet. But I promise you, no harm will come to you or your father. But you may find that I am as bad as other men, Ettie,' said Jack.

'Oh no, Jack. I trust you,' replied the girl.

The door opened suddenly and a handsome young man walked in. Ettie jumped to her feet looking alarmed.

'I'm glad to see you, Mr Baldwin. You're early. Please sit down.'

Mr Baldwin did not sit down. 'Who's he?' he demanded.

Ettie explained that McMurdo was staying with them.

'Well, McMurdo, this young lady is mine. Perhaps she told you.'

'No, I didn't know there was anything between you.'

'Well, you know now,' replied Baldwin. 'Perhaps you're ready for a fight, Mr McMurdo?'

McMurdo jumped up. 'I am!' he cried. 'Come on, outside!'

'Oh, Jack, Jack, be careful! He'll hurt you!' cried Ettie.

'Oh, it's "Jack" is it? I see how it is. Well, I'll sort this out without getting into a fight.' He rolled up his sleeve and showed McMurdo a strange mark on his arm. It was a triangle inside a circle. 'Do you know what that means?'

'I don't know and I don't care!'

'Well, you will know, I promise you that. Perhaps Miss Ettie can tell you about it. And you, girl, you'll come back to me, do you hear?' He turned and left the house.

McMurdo decided to go straight down to the Union House and introduce himself to Boss McGinty, whose bar was crowded as usual. Boss McGinty was not an honest man and he was getting richer and richer. As a councilor, he controlled taxes, roadwork's and various accounts for the area. The citizens of Vermissa were blackmailed into silence, scared that they might be killed.

McMurdo went into the bar. He saw a tall, strong, heavy looking man with black hair and a beard who had to be McGinty. He looked friendly, but he had evil eyes. McMurdo walked up to the man, looked him in the eye and introduced himself. He made a signal so that McGinty would know he was also a Freeman.

McGinty looked surprised, but then he took McMurdo to a back room. He sat down and, without saying a word, examined McMurdo carefully. For a couple of minutes he sat in silence. Then, suddenly, he pulled out a gun.

'If this is a game of yours, it won't last long,' said McGinty dangerously.

'That is a strange welcome from one brother to another,' replied McMurdo calmly.

'That's just what you have to prove - that you really are a brother!'

McGinty then asked him some details about where he was made a Freeman and the reason why he had left Chicago. McMurdo gave him a page from a newspaper. McGinty read it quickly; it was about the shooting of a man called Jonas Pinto in the Lake Bar in Chicago in January 1874.

'Did you shoot this man?' asked McGinty. 'Why?'

'I was making fake dollars. This man Pinto was helping me; then he said he wanted to go to the police. Maybe he did but I didn't wait to see. I just shot him and came down here.'

'So can you still make these fake dollars?' asked McGinty. McMurdo gave him a handful of notes. 'Well, these aren't real,' he said. At this moment, Ted Baldwin walked in.

'So, you got here first, McMurdo,' he said angrily.

Boss McGinty wanted to know what the problem was. McMurdo told him about Ettie.

'She's free to choose for herself,' he finished.

'Between two brothers of the lodge, she certainly is,' agreed McGinty.

'And that's your answer?' shouted Ted Baldwin. 'You've known me for years and now you take the side of this newcomer?'

McGinty jumped on him like a tiger. He grabbed his neck and threw him across the room.

'While I'm the Master of this lodge, you had better accept my rules,' he shouted.

Ted Baldwin nodded.

'So we're all friends, right?' said McGinty. 'And there's an end to the matter.'

Ted Baldwin was back on his feet. He nodded again but he did not look happy.

CHAPTER THREE

Lodge 341, Vermissa

The next day, McMurdo moved from Jacob Shafter's and went to stay with Mrs MacNamara, who was a widow. Scanlan now also worked in Vermissa and so he stayed at the same house. McMurdo was still allowed to go for meals with the Shafters, so his relationship with Ettie continued to develop.

One Saturday night, McMurdo was made a full brother of the lodge in Vermissa. He was warned that something might happen to him but he did not know what it was. Many men had gathered for the ceremony. McMurdo was tied up and blindfolded. Then they took off his coat and rolled up the sleeve on his right arm.

It was very dark and McMurdo could hear the voices of the men around him. Then he heard Boss McGinty's voice.

'Jack McMurdo, are you a member of the Ancient Order of Freemen?' McMurdo nodded.

'Are you from Lodge No. 29, Chicago?' Again McMurdo nodded.

'Are you ready to be tested?' asked McGinty.

'I am,' replied McMurdo.

'Very well.'

McMurdo wanted to cry out because of the terrible pain in his arm. He felt faint but he bit his lip and he did not cry out.

'I can take more than that,' he said. There was loud applause. 'I welcome you to Lodge 341, Vermissa. Let's drink to our new brother!' said McGinty.

McMurdo took off his blindfold and examined his arm. There was a circle with a triangle in it, burnt deep and red onto his arm.

'So, now to business,' said McGinty. 'How is our bank balance?'

And so McMurdo learnt of the way this community worked. Small companies gave money to the Order so that they were protected. If they did not give money, machinery went wrong, buildings burnt down and men were murdered. Nothing could be proved against the Order as most of the policemen were paid by the society and the others were too scared to do anything. Nobody wanted to give evidence against the Order.

But towards the end of the meeting, another man spoke. Brother Morris told them of how one large company had forced - all the smaller companies out of the valley and bought their businesses.

'I don't see that it matters to us who has bought the businesses, Brother Morris,' said Boss McGinty.

But Brother Morris continued. 'With respect, sir, I think it will matter very much to us in the future. If big companies like the Railroad or General Iron own large parts of this valley, and their bosses are in New York or Philadelphia, they won't care about our threats. The small men can't harm us. They haven't the money or the power. But if these big companies find that we are stopping their profits, they won't stop until they have brought us to justice.'

But McGinty took no notice of Brother Morris.

'I expect the big companies will find it easier to pay than to fight, the same as the small companies,' he said. 'And now, let's drink.'

There was one last piece of business to be sorted out that night. The editor of the local newspaper, the Herald, had recently printed an article criticizing the lodge. His name was James Stanger. The headline was 'Reign of Terror in the Coal and Iron District'. McGinty read the article to the men, who were by now drunk and restless.

'That's what he says about us. Now what shall we say to him?' he shouted.

'Kill him!' shouted back many voices.

'No, we must be careful. But he must get a severe warning,' ordered McGinty. 'Who will go this evening?'

Ted Baldwin volunteered, with five or six other men.

'Take our new brother with you,' added McGinty. Baldwin did not look pleased. 'You can come if you want,' he said to McMurdo.

It was a very cold night. The men walked through the town and stopped outside a high building.

'You stay down here, McMurdo. Watch the door,' said Baldwin. 'You others come with me.'

The men went in and up some stairs. From the room above came a cry for help, then the sound of crashing chairs. A gray-haired old man rushed out of the room. He was grabbed before he could go any further and his glasses came falling down the stairs to McMurdo's feet. The old man was on his face and the men hit him again and again with sticks. The others stopped, but Baldwin kept attacking the old man, who was now covered in blood.

McMurdo went up and pulled Baldwin away.

'Leave it! You'll kill the man! The boss said that we shouldn't kill him and look what you're doing! We'd better go home.'

The others agreed with McMurdo.

Hurry! said one of the men. 'There are lights coming on. All the town will be here in a minute. Run!'

They left the beaten body of the editor on the stairs and moved quickly away up the streets and back to their homes.

CHAPTER FOUR

The Valley of Fear

When McMurdo woke up the next morning, his head ached and his arm was very painful from the mark. Because he had his own illegal way of making money, he did not always go to work and this morning was one of those times. He sat and read the paper. There was an article about last night's events. 'Editor Seriously Injured at the Herald Office' was the headline. McMurdo put down the newspaper. The landlady bought him a note. It read 'I want to speak to you. Meet me on Miller Hill. I have something important to tell you.' The note was not signed. McMurdo was surprised but decided to go.

When he got to the hill, Brother Morris was waiting for him.

'I wanted to ask you something. But please don't tell Boss McGinty. When you joined the Freemen's Society did you think that it would lead you to a life of crime?' he asked.

'If you call it crime,' said McMurdo. 'Some call it war.'

'Of course it's crime,' cried Morris. 'When I arrived here, I wanted to do the best for myself and my family. But then I was forced to join the lodge and ordered to carry out a murder. I went but I couldn't do it. But it made me a criminal. I was a good Catholic but now the priest will no longer speak to me. I see you going the same way. Can't we do anything to stop it?'

'What are you going to do?' asked McMurdo. 'I think you're making too much of this.'

'Too much? Wait until you've been here longer. Then you'll understand how it is. There is a cloud over this valley, a cloud of murder. It is the Valley of Fear, the Valley of Death. These people are terrified from morning until night. Wait and you'll see.'

'I'll tell you when I've seen more. You're not the man for this place, that's clear. Why don't you sell your business and leave? What you have said is safe with me. I'm going now.'

'Just one thing. Perhaps someone has seen us together. McGinty will want to know what we're talking about. Tell him that I offered you a job in my shop.'

'Good thinking. And I refused your offer. Goodbye Brother Morris.'

The same afternoon, McGinty came to McMurdo's house and asked why he had been with Morris. McMurdo told him the story. 'Did Morris say anything against the lodge?' asked McGinty. McMurdo told him that he had not. Just as McGinty was about to leave, the door crashed open and Captain Marvin of the police walked in with two other policemen.

'You're coming with me, McMurdo. Take his gun,' said Marvin.

'What have I done?' asked McMurdo.

'You can't do this,' said McGinty.

'You stay out of this, Councillor,' said the policeman. Then he turned to McMurdo. 'You were involved in the beating of Mr Stanger at the Herald office last night.'

'Well, he can't have been,' said McGinty. 'This man was at my bar all night playing cards with me.'

'Well, we'll see about that in court,' replied Marvin. 'Come on, you're coming with me.'

But the Freemen had power even over the courts. The next morning in court, the witnesses were uncertain as to the identity of the men who had attacked Mr Stanger. Stanger himself said that he was so taken by surprise that he did not see his attackers. McMurdo was released. The court was full of brothers who cheered and applauded. But there were others there who looked less happy. One man shouted as they went out, 'You murderers! We'll catch you yet!'

McMurdo's arrest made him even more popular in Vermissa. Only Ted Baldwin and a few other members of the lodge did not like him. But McMurdo also lost favour with another person far more important to him: Ettie. Her father wanted nothing to do with him. Ettie was very much in love with McMurdo but her common sense told her that it was better not to marry a criminal. She decided to go and see him one last time, to try to get him away from the evil influence of the lodge.

'But you don't know what you're asking me! Do you think the lodge will let a man go free knowing all its secrets?'

'But I've thought of that. Father has some money saved up and he is ready to leave this place. Let's go together to New York or Philadelphia.'

'But they have lodges there too. We can't get away that easily,' said McMurdo.

'Well, to England or Sweden or anywhere to get away from this Valley of Fear!'

'Look, Ettie, the best I can say is that in six months or so, I'll find a way so that we can leave here with no problems.'

'Really? Six months?' Ettie was happy. 'Is that a promise?'

'I promise,' said McMurdo.

Life in the valley continued as before. The Scowrers murdered people and terrorized the district. McMurdo was given a job of his own to do; he had to blow up the house of a man named Chester Wilcox. There was no other way of doing it except at night when his wife and two small children were also in the house. McMurdo set the explosives and the house blew up. However, someone had told Wilcox that he was in danger, and the night before the explosion he and his family moved to a safe place. But in general, life had never seemed so hopeless and dark in the Valley of Fear.

One Saturday evening in May, Brother Morris came to see McMurdo again.

'I must speak to you,' he said. 'I spoke to you once before and you didn't tell McGinty so I know I can trust you. I have something to tell you.'

The man was white and shaking. McMurdo gave him some whisky and waited.

'There's a detective after us,' he said. 'You've heard of Pinkerton's? When they send a man after you, they don't stop until they have what they want. The lodge will be finished.'

'We must kill him,' said McMurdo at once. 'Who is he? Where is he? How do you know about him? Tell me the facts.'

Morris answered all McMurdo's questions. 'His name is Birdy Edwards, but here he is using Steve Wilson as his name. He's staying in Hobson's Patch. I know because I have a friend who works for the telegraph service. He told me about him. Those big corporations have hired Pinkerton's best man!'

'Leave this to me,' said McMurdo. 'Don't worry.'

McMurdo went to the Shafter's. He told Ettie the news and asked her if she was willing to go with him when the time came to leave.

'Day or night, Jack, I'll be ready when you come for me,' she said.

CHAPTER FIVE

Birdy Edwards's Trap

Later that evening, McMurdo went to the lodge. As it was Saturday, the brothers were already there. Jack went to his seat.

'Master,' he said. 'I have urgent news.'

McMurdo told them what he knew and what he planned to do about it.

'There's only one answer,' said McMurdo.

'Birdy Edwards must never leave the valley,' said Baldwin. 'Exactly,' agreed McMurdo. 'Here's what we'll do.'

He told them his plan. Birdy Edwards was pretending to be a journalist called Steve Wilson. He had spoken to McMurdo, offering him money for information on the Scowrers. McMurdo had told him some stories that he had made up and Wilson gave him twenty dollars. Wilson offered him more money for more information. McMurdo arranged for Wilson to come to his house so that he could tell him all the secrets of the lodge in exchange for more money. Wilson was to come to Mrs MacNamara's house at ten o'clock. The house was isolated and Mrs MacNamara did not hear very well. Seven of the other Freemen were to come to the house at nine o'clock, ready for Mr Wilson.

'Once we get the door shut behind him, that'll be the end of Birdy Edwards,' said McMurdo.

McMurdo returned home and prepared for the evening ahead. He cleaned and oiled his gun. He spoke to Scanlan who was also staying at the house. Although he was a Scowrer, Scanlan did not like what the men did. McMurdo told him to go out that evening and stay away until the morning.

The seven Freemen, including Boss McGinty, arrived at nine o'clock. McMurdo put the whisky on the table and the men began to drink, ready for the job that was ahead of them.

'Maybe he won't come, maybe he knows there's danger,' said one of the men.

'Don't worry, he'll come,' said McMurdo. 'Listen!'

There were three loud knocks on the door.

'Be quiet!' whispered McMurdo to the others. He went down the passage to the door. The others heard McMurdo open the door, then an unfamiliar voice. Then they heard the door close. Birdy Edwards was inside. The door opened and McMurdo reappeared. He came to the end of the table and looked at the men. He said nothing.

'Well,' said McGinty impatiently, 'is he here?'

'Yes,' replied McMurdo slowly. 'Birdy Edwards is here. I am Birdy Edwards!'

The room was silent. Then the windows were suddenly broken and guns were pointing in through them. McGinty jumped up from his chair and ran for the door, but Captain Marvin of the police appeared and pointed his gun at him.

'Stay where you are, McGinty,' said the man they had known as McMurdo. 'Take their guns, Marvin!'

The men could do nothing. They were trapped. They sat around the table, staring at McMurdo with confusion and hatred in their eyes.

'I'd like to speak to you before we leave,' said the man who had trapped them. 'I am Birdy Edwards of Pinkerton's Detective Agency. I was chosen to break up your gang. It's taken me a long time and it's been hard and dangerous, but I've won! Maybe you think the game isn't over yet. I'll take my chances. You and sixty more of you will be in prison tonight. Before I took this job, I never believed that there was a society like yours. In Chicago, the society of Freemen weren't bad men. I never killed a man in Chicago, I never printed any false money. I gave Chester Wilcox a warning so that when I blew up his house, he and his family were already gone.'

'You traitor!' shouted McGinty.

'You can call me a traitor, but there are many people in this valley who will call me a savior. I've been here three months in order to get to know every man and every secret. I never want to live another three months like it, not for all the money in the world. Now, Captain Marvin, take them away.'

Scanlan had delivered a note to Ettie and her father. The two left the Valley of Fear and never went back. Ten days later, Ettie and Birdy Edwards were married in Chicago.

The trial of the Scowrers was held and McGinty was hanged, along with eight others. Many other men went to prison. Birdy Edwards's job was done.

But, as he had thought, it was not over. Ted Baldwin was not sentenced to death. He was in prison for ten years, but when he came out, he spent all his time looking for Birdy Edwards. Birdy Edwards changed his name again and moved to California and it was there that Ettie Edwards died. He took the name John Douglas and was nearly killed when he was working in the mining industry with an English partner named Barker. A warning came just in time and Douglas left for England, where he married for the second time. And so we return to Sussex, and the fate of John Douglas.

At the trial, John Douglas was freed for having acted in self-defense. But Holmes's advice was to leave England.

Two months had gone by and we had nearly forgotten about the case. But then, one night, a message arrived for Holmes. All it said was 'Dear me, Mr Holmes! Dear me!' It was from Moriarty.

Holmes looked very serious. Later that night, Cecil Barker came to visit us.

'I have very bad news, Mr Holmes,' he said.

'I thought so,' said Holmes.

'It's poor Douglas. They tell me his real name is Edwards, but he'll always be Douglas to me. I told you that they left for South Africa three weeks ago?'

Holmes nodded.

'I received this message from Mrs Douglas last night: "John has been lost overboard. No one knows how the accident occurred. Ivy Douglas".'

'It was no accident,' said Holmes.

'He was murdered? These Scowrers, these criminals, why couldn't they leave him alone-'

'No, no,' interrupted Holmes. 'There has been a master at work here. This is the work of Moriarty.'

'But what has he to do with all this?'

'The Americans had a job to do in England. Like any other criminals they asked Moriarty for help. From that moment, John Douglas was doomed.'

'But what can be done? Can't this Moriarty be stopped?' asked Barker.

'Oh yes,' said Holmes, 'he can be stopped - I just need more time.'

- THE END -

Text Analysis: Unique words: 1274 Total words: 10290.

Hard words: birdy, hooking, allen, terrorized, blindfolded, councillor, favour, telegraph, councilor, wading, premeditated, drawbridge, admiringly, yew, offence, oiled, bookkeeper, shaving, goodnight, unrecognizable, rolled, landlady, matched, blindfold, whisky, moat, doomed, assumed, mastermind, troublemaker.

Hope you have enjoyed the reading!

Come back to www.english.vavo.co/ to find more fascinating and exciting stories!