nervous
and terse, but limited. The selection of words would hardly lend itself
to the sending of general messages. We will eliminate Bradshaw. The
dictionary is, I fear, inadmissible for the same reason. What then is
left?"

"An almanac!"

"Excellent, Watson! I am very much mistaken if you have not touched the
spot. An almanac! Let us consider the claims of Whitaker's Almanac. It
is in common use. It has the requisite number of pages. It is in double
column. Though reserved in its earlier vocabulary, it becomes, if I
remember right, quite garrulous towards the end." He picked the volume
from his desk. "Here is page 534, column two, a substantial block of
print dealing, I perceive, with the trade and resources of British
India. Jot down the words, Watson! Number thirteen is 'Mahratta.' Not,
I fear, a very auspicious beginning. Number one hundred and
twenty-seven is 'Government'; which at least makes sense, though
somewhat irrelevant to ourselves and Professor Moriarty. Now let us try
again. What does the Mahratta government do? Alas! the next word is
'pig's-bristles.' We are undone, my good Watson! It is finished!"

He had spoken in jesting vein, but the twitching of his bushy eyebrows
bespoke his disappointment and irritation. I sat helpless and unhappy,
staring into the fire. A long silence was broken by a sudden
exclamation from Holmes, who dashed at a cupboard, from which he
emerged with a second yellow-covered volume in his hand.

"We pay the price, Watson, for being too up-to-date!" he cried. "We are
before our time, and suffer the usual penalties. Being the seventh of
January, we have very properly laid in the new almanac. It is more than
likely that Porlock took his message from the old one. No doubt he
would have told us so had his letter of explanation been written. Now
let us see what page 534 has in store for us. Number thirteen is
'There,' which is much more promising. Number one hundred and
twenty-seven is 'is'--'There is'"--Holmes's eyes were gleaming with
excitement, and his thin, nervous fingers twitched as he counted the
words--"'danger.' Ha! Ha! Capital! Put that down, Watson. 'There is
danger--may--come--very--soon--one.' Then we have the name 'Douglas'--
'rich--country--now--at--Birlstone--House--Birlstone--confidence--is--
pressing.' There, Watson! What do you think of pure reason and its
fruit? If the greengrocer had such a thing as a laurel wreath, I
should send Billy round for it."

I was