ch came
to just six feet, and I went back with my client to where the elm had
been. The sun was just grazing the top of the oak. I fastened the rod on
end, marked out the direction of the shadow, and measured it. It was 9
ft. in length.

"Of course, the calculation now was a simple one. If a rod of 6 ft.
threw a shadow of 9 ft., a tree of 64 ft. would throw one of 96 ft., and
the line of the one would of course be the line of the other. I measured
out the distance, which brought me almost to the wall of the house, and
I thrust a peg into the spot. You can imagine my exultation, Watson,
when within 2 in. of my peg I saw a conical depression in the ground. I
knew that it was the mark made by Brunton in his measurements, and that
I was still upon his trail.

"From this starting point I proceeded to step, having first taken the
cardinal points by my pocket compass. Ten steps with each foot took me
along parallel with the wall of the house, and again I marked my spot
with a peg. Then I carefully paced off five to the east and two to the
south. It brought me to the very threshold of the old door. Two steps to
the west meant now that I was to go two paces down the stone-flagged
passage, and this was the place indicated by the Ritual.

"Never have I felt such a cold chill of disappointment, Watson. For a
moment it seemed to me that there must be some radical mistake in my
calculations. The setting sun shone full upon the passage floor, and I
could see that the old foot-worn grey stones, with which it was paved,
were firmly cemented together, and had certainly not been moved for many
a long year. Brunton had not been at work here. I tapped upon the floor,
but it sounded the same all over, and there was no sign of any crack or
crevice. But fortunately, Musgrave, who had begun to appreciate the
meaning of my proceedings, and who was now as excited as myself, took
out his manuscript to check my calculations.

[Illustration: "THIS WAS THE PLACE INDICATED."]

"'And under,' he cried: 'you have omitted the "and under."'

"I had thought that it meant that we were to dig, but now of course I
saw at once that I was wrong. 'There is a cellar under this, then?' I
cried.

"'Yes, and as old as the house. Down here, through this door.'

"We went down a winding stone stair, and my companion, striking a match,
lit a large lantern which stood on a barrel in the corner. In an instant
it was obvious that we had at last come upon the true p