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"Do not iine," said Holmes, "that I depend for my success in this case upon theput his foot in the chee nohich would enable me to trace them in many different ways This, however, is the readiest and, since fortune has put it into our hands, I should be culpable if I neglected it It has, however, prevented the case fro the pretty little intellectual probleht have been soained out of it, but for this too palpable clue"

"There is credit, and to spare," said I "I assure you, Holmes, that I marvel at the means by which you obtain your results in this case, evenseems to me to be deeper and more inexplicable How, for exaed man?"

"Pshaw, my dear boy! it was simplicity itself I don't wish to be theatrical It is all patent and above-board Two officers who are in couard learn an important secret as to buried treasure A lishman named Jonathan Small You remember thatthe naned it in behalf of hin of the four, as he somewhat dramatically called it Aided by this chart, the officers--or one of the, ill suppose, some condition under which he received it unfulfilled Now, then, why did not Jonathan Set the treasure himself? The answer is obvious The chart is dated at a tiht into close association with convicts Jonathan Set the treasure because he and his associates were theet away"

"But that is mere speculation," said I

"It is more than that It is the only hypothesis which covers the facts Let us see how it fits in with the sequel Major Sholto remains at peace for some years, happy in the possession of his treasure Then he receives a letter froht What was that?"

"A letter to say that the ed had been set free"

"Or had escaped That is much more likely, for he would have knohat their term of imprisonment was It would not have been a surprise to hiainst a wooden-legged man,--a white man, mark you, for he mistakes a white tradesman for him, and actually fires a pistol at him Now, only one white man's name is on the chart The others are Hindoos or Mohammedans There is no other white edstrike you as being faulty?"