I waited, therefore—but to my ever-deepening disappointmentI waited in vain. Day succeeded day, and my friend took no stepforward. One morning he spent in town, and I learned from acasual reference that he had visited the British Museum. Save forthis one excursion, he spent his days in long and often solitarywalks, or in chatting with a number of village gossips whoseacquaintance he had cultivated.
“I’m sure, Watson, a week in the country will be invaluableto you,” he remarked. “It is very pleasant to see the first greenshoots upon the hedges and the catkins on the hazels once again.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
With a spud, a tin box, and an elementary book on botany, thereare instructive days to be spent.” He prowled about with thisequipment himself, but it was a poor show of plants which hewould bring back of an evening.
Occasionally in our rambles we came across Inspector Baynes.
His fat, red face wreathed itself in smiles and his small eyesglittered as he greeted my companion. He said little aboutthe case, but from that little we gathered that he also was notdissatisfied at the course of events. I must admit, however, that Iwas somewhat surprised when, some five days after the crime, Iopened my morning paper to find in large letters:
THE OXSHOTT MYSTERY
A SOLUTION
ARREST OF SUPPOSED ASSASSIN
Holmes sprang in his chair as if he had been stung when I readthe headlines.
“By Jove!” he cried. “You don’t mean that Baynes has got him?”
“Apparently,” said I as I read the following report:
“Great excitement was caused in Esher and the neighbouringdistrict when it was learned late last night that an arrest hadbeen effected in connection with the Oxshott murder. It willbe remembered that Mr. Garcia, of Wisteria Lodge, was founddead on Oxshott Common, his body showing signs of extremeviolence, and that on the same night his servant and his cookfled, which appeared to show their participation in the crime. Itwas suggested, but never proved, that the deceased gentlemanmay have had valuables in the house, and that their abstractionwas the motive of the crime. Every effort was made by InspectorBaynes, who has the case in hand, to ascertain the hiding place ofthe fugitives, and he had good reason to believe that they had notgone far but were lurking in some retreat which had been alreadyprepared. It was certain from the first, however, that they wouldeventually be detected, as the cook, from the evidence of one ortwo tradespeople who have caught a glimpse of him through thewindow, was a man of most remarkable appearance—being a hugeand hideous mulatto, with yellowish features of a pronouncednegroid type. This man has been seen since the crime, for he wasdetected and pursued by Constable Walters on the same evening,when he had the audacity to revisit Wisteria Lodge. InspectorBaynes, considering that such a visit must have some purposein view and was likely, therefore, to be repeated, abandoned thehouse but left an ambuscade in the shrubbery. The man walkedinto the trap and was captured last night after a struggle in whichThe Adventure of Wisteria Lodge Constable Downing was badly bitten by the savage. We understandthat when the prison is brought before the magistrates a remandwill be applied for by the police, and that great developments arehoped from his capture.”
“Really we must see Baynes at once,” cried Holmes, pickingup his hat. “We will just catch him before he starts.” We hurrieddown the village street and found, as we had expected, that theinspector was just leaving his lodgings.
“You’ve seen the paper, Mr. Holmes?” he asked, holding one outto us.
“Yes, Baynes, I’ve seen it. Pray don’t think it a liberty if I giveyou a word of friendly warning.”
“Of warning, Mr. Holmes?”
“I have looked into this case with some care, and I am notconvinced that you are on the right lines. I don’t want you tocommit yourself too far unless you are sure.”
“You’re very kind, Mr. Holmes.”
“I assure you I speak for your good.”
It seemed to me that something like a wink quivered for aninstant over one of Mr. Baynes’s tiny eyes.
“We agreed to work on our own lines, Mr. Holmes. That’s whatI am doing.”
“Oh, very good,” said Holmes. “Don’t blame me.”
“No, sir; I believe you mean well by me. But we all have our ownsystems, Mr. Holmes. You have yours, and maybe I have mine.”
“Let us say no more about it.”
“You’re welcome always to my news. This fellow is a perfectsavage, as strong as a cart-horse and as fierce as the devil. Hechewed Downing’s thumb nearly off before they could master him.
He hardly speaks a word of English, and we can get nothing out ofhim but grunts.”
“And you think you have evidence that he murdered his latemaster?”
“I didn’t say so, Mr. Holmes; I didn’t say so. We all have our littleways. You try yours and I will try mine. That’s the agreement.”
Holmes shrugged his shoulders as we walked away together.
“I can’t make the man out. He seems to be riding for a fall. Well,as he says, we must each try our own way and see what comes ofit. But there’s something in Inspector Baynes which I can’t quiteunderstand.”
“Just sit down in that chair, Watson,” said Sherlock Holmeswhen we had returned to our apartment at the Bull. “I want to putyou in touch with the situation, as I may need your help to-night.
Let me show you the evolution of this case so far as I have beenable to follow it. Simple as it has been in its leading features, it1104 The Complete Sherlock Holmes
has none the less presented surprising difficulties in the way of anarrest. There are gaps in that direction which we have still to fill.