His Last Bow | Page 9

A SOLUTION ARREST OF
SUPPOSED ASSASSIN
Holmes sprang in his chair as if he had been stung when I read the
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 neighbouring district
when it was learned late last night that an arrest had been effected in
connection with the Oxshott murder. It will be remembered that Mr.
Garcia, of Wisteria Lodge, was found dead on Oxshott Common, his
body showing signs of extreme violence, and that on the same night his
servant and his cook fled, which appeared to show their participation in
the crime. It was suggested, but never proved, that the deceased
gentleman may have had valuables in the house, and that their
abstraction was the motive of the crime. Every effort was made by
Inspector Baynes, who has the case in hand, to ascertain the hiding
place of the fugitives, and he had good reason to believe that they had
not gone far but were lurking in some retreat which had been already
prepared. It was certain from the first, however, that they would
eventually be detected, as the cook, from the evidence of one or two
tradespeople who have caught a glimpse of him through the window,
was a man of most remarkable appearance--being a huge and hideous
mulatto, with yellowish features of a pronounced negroid type. This
man has been seen since the crime, for he was detected and pursued by
Constable Walters on the same evening, when he had the audacity to

revisit Wisteria Lodge. Inspector Baynes, considering that such a visit
must have some purpose in view and was likely, therefore, to be
repeated, abandoned the house but left an ambuscade in the shrubbery.
The man walked into the trap and was captured last night after a
struggle in which Constable Downing was badly bitten by the savage.
We understand that when the prison is brought before the magistrates a
remand will be applied for by the police, and that great developments
are hoped from his capture."
"Really we must see Baynes at once," cried Holmes, picking up his hat.
"We will just catch him before he starts." We hurried down the village
street and found, as we had expected, that the inspector was just leaving
his lodgings.
"You've seen the paper, Mr. Holmes?" he asked, holding one out to us.
"Yes, Baynes, I've seen it. Pray don't think it a liberty if I give you a
word of friendly warning."
"Of warning, Mr. Holmes?"
"I have looked into this case with some care, and I am not convinced
that you are on the right lines. I don't want you to commit 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 an instant over
one of Mr. Baynes's tiny eyes.
"We agreed to work on our own lines, Mr. Holmes. That's what I 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 own
systems, 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 perfect savage,
as strong as a cart-horse and as fierce as the devil. He chewed
Downing's thumb nearly off before they could master him. He hardly
speaks a word of English, and we can get nothing out of him but
grunts."
"And you think you have evidence that he murdered his late master?"
"I didn't say so, Mr. Holmes; I didn't say so. We all have our little ways.
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 of it. But there's
something in Inspector Baynes which I can't quite understand."
"Just sit down in that chair, Watson," said Sherlock Holmes when we
had returned to our apartment at the Bull. "I want to put you 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 been able to follow it. Simple
as it has been in its leading features, it has none the less presented
surprising difficulties in the way of an arrest. There are gaps in that
direction which we have still to fill.
"We will go back to the note which was handed in to Garcia upon