and that the matter was of the utmost
importance. Close at the heels of his messenger came Cecil Barker, our
friend of the moated Manor House. His face was drawn and haggard.

"I've had bad news--terrible news, Mr. Holmes," said he.

"I feared as much," said Holmes.

"You have not had a cable, have you?"

"I have had a note from someone who has."

"It's poor Douglas. They tell me his name is Edwards; but he will
always be Jack Douglas of Benito Canyon to me. I told you that they
started together for South Africa in the Palmyra three weeks ago."

"Exactly."

"The ship reached Cape Town last night. I received this cable from Mrs
Douglas this morning:--

"Jack has been lost overboard in gale off St Helena. No one knows how
accident occurred.--Ivy Douglas."

"Ha! It came like that, did it?" said Holmes, thoughtfully. "Well, I've
no doubt it was well stage-managed."

"You mean that you think there was no accident?"

"None in the world."

"He was murdered?"

"Surely!"

"So I think also. These infernal Scowrers, this cursed vindictive nest
of criminals--"

"No, no, my good sir," said Holmes. "There is a master hand here. It is
no case of sawed-off shot-guns and clumsy six-shooters. You can tell an
old master by the sweep of his brush. I can tell a Moriarty when I see
one. This crime is from London, not from America."

"But for what motive?"

"Because it is done by a man who cannot afford to fail--one whose whole
unique position depends upon the fact that all he does must succeed. A
great brain and a huge organization have been turned to the extinction
of one man. It is crushing the nut with the hammer--an absurd
extravagance of energy--but the nut is very effectually crushed all the
same."

"How came this man to have anything to do with it?"

"I can only say that the first word that ever came to us of the
business was from one of his lieutenants. These Americans were well
advised. Having an English job to do, they took into partnership, as
any foreign criminal could do, this great consultant in crime. From
that moment their man was doomed. At first he would content himself by
using his machinery in order to find their victim. Then he would
indicate how the matter might be treated. Finally, when he read in the
reports of the failure of this agent, he would step in himself with a
master touch. You heard me warn this man at Birlstone Manor House that
the coming danger was greater than the past. Was I rig