“Yes， yes， so you are. But don’t trouble to trace the mysteriousgentleman upon the bicycle. I assure you that it won’t help you.”
“Then what do you suggest that we do？”
“I will tell you exactly what to do， if you will do it.”
“Well， I’m bound to say I’ve always found you had reason behindall your queer ways. I’ll do what you advise.”
“And you， Mr. White Mason？”
The country detective looked helplessly from one to the other.
Holmes and his methods were new to him. “Well， if it is goodenough for the inspector， it is good enough for me，” he said at last.
“Capital！” said Holmes. “Well， then， I should recommend a nice，cheery country walk for both of you. They tell me that the viewsfrom Birlstone Ridge over the Weald are very remarkable. Nodoubt lunch could be got at some suitable hostelry； though myignorance of the country prevents me from recommending one. Inthe evening， tired but happy—”
“Man， this is getting past a joke！” cried MacDonald， risingangrily from his chair.
“Well， well， spend the day as you like，” said Holmes， patting himcheerfully upon the shoulder. “Do what you like and go where you will，but meet me here before dusk without fail—without fail， Mr. Mac.”
“That sounds more like sanity.”
“All of it was excellent advice； but I don’t insist， so long as youare here when I need you. But now， before we part， I want you towrite a note to Mr. Barker.”
“Well？”
“I’ll dictate it， if you like. Ready？
“Dear Sir：
“It has struck me that it is our duty to drain the moat， in the hopethat we may find some—”
“It’s impossible，” said the inspector. “I’ve made inquiry.”
“Tut， tut！ My dear sir， please do what I ask you.”
“Well， go on.”
“—in the hope that we may find something which may bear uponour investigation. I have made arrangements， and the workmen willbe at work early to-morrow morning diverting the stream—”
“Impossible！”
“—diverting the stream； so I thought it best to explain mattersbeforehand.
“Now sign that， and send it by hand about four o’clock. At thathour we shall meet again in this room. Until then we may each dowhat we like； for I can assure you that this inquiry has come to adefinite pause.”
Evening was drawing in when we reassembled. Holmes was veryserious in his manner， myself curious， and the detectives obviouslycritical and annoyed.
“Well， gentlemen，” said my friend gravely， “I am asking younow to put everything to the test with me， and you will judgefor yourselves whether the observations I have made justify theconclusions to which I have come. It is a chill evening， and I donot know how long our expedition may last； so I beg that youwill wear your warmest coats. It is of the first importance thatwe should be in our places before it grows dark； so with yourpermission we shall get started at once.”
We passed along the outer bounds of the Manor House parkuntil we came to a place where there was a gap in the rails whichfenced it. Through this we slipped， and then in the gatheringgloom we followed Holmes until we had reached a shrubberywhich lies nearly opposite to the main door and the drawbridge.
The latter had not been raised. Holmes crouched down behindthe screen of laurels， and we all three followed his example.
“Well， what are we to do now？” asked MacDonald with somegruffness.
“Possess our souls in patience and make as little noise aspossible，” Holmes answered.
“What are we here for at all？ I really think that you might treatus with more frankness.”
Holmes laughed. “Watson insists that I am the dramatist inreal life，” said he. “Some touch of the artist wells up within me，and calls insistently for a well-staged performance. Surely ourprofession， Mr. Mac， would be a drab and sordid one if we didnot sometimes set the scene so as to glorify our results. The bluntaccusation， the brutal tap upon the shoulder—what can one makeof such a dénouement？ But the quick inference， the subtle trap， theclever forecast of coming events， the triumphant vindication ofbold theories—are these not the pride and the justification of ourlife’s work？ At the present moment you thrill with the glamour ofthe situation and the anticipation of the hunt. Where would bethat thrill if I had been as definite as a timetable？ I only ask a littlepatience， Mr. Mac， and all will be clear to you.”
“Well， I hope the pride and justification and the rest of itwill come before we all get our death of cold，” said the Londondetective with comic resignation.
We all had good reason to join in the aspiration； for our vigilwas a long and bitter one. Slowly the shadows darkened over thelong， sombre face of the old house. A cold， damp reek from themoat chilled us to the bones and set our teeth chattering. Therewas a single lamp over the gateway and a steady globe of light inthe fatal study. Everything else was dark and still.
“How long is this to last？” asked the inspector finally. “And whatis it we are watching for？”
“I have no more notion than you how long it is to last，” Holmesanswered with some asperity. “If criminals would always scheduletheir movements like railway trains， it would certainly be moreconvenient for all of us. As to what it is we—Well， that’s what weare watching for！”
As he spoke the bright， yellow light in the study was obscuredby somebody passing to and fro before it. The laurels among whichwe lay were immediately opposite the window and not more than ahundred feet from it. Presently it was thrown open with a whiningof hinges， and we could dimly see the dark outline of a man’s headand shoulders looking out into the gloom. For some minutes hepeered forth in furtive， stealthy fashion， as one who wishes to beassured that he is unobserved. Then he leaned forward， and in theintense silence we were aware of the soft lapping of agitated water.
He seemed to be stirring up the moat with something whichhe held in his hand. Then suddenly he hauled something in as afisherman lands a fish—some large， round object which obscuredthe light as it was dragged through the open casement.