hampton,
Derby, East Ham, Richmond, and fourteen other places. In three of
them--East Ham, Leicester, and Liverpool--there is a clear case against
him, and he has actually been arrested. The country seems to be full of
the fugitives with yellow coats."

"Dear me!" said Holmes sympathetically. "Now, Mr. Mac and you, Mr. White
Mason, I wish to give you a very earnest piece of advice. When I went
into this case with you I bargained, as you will no doubt remember, that
I should not present you with half-proved theories, but that I should
retain and work out my own ideas until I had satisfied myself that they
were correct. For this reason I am not at the present moment telling you
all that is in my mind. On the other hand, I said that I would play the
game fairly by you, and I do not think it is a fair game to allow you
for one unnecessary moment to waste your energies upon a profitless
task. Therefore I am here to advise you this morning, and my advice to
you is summed up in three words--abandon the case."

MacDonald and White Mason stared in amazement at their celebrated
colleague.

"You consider it hopeless!" cried the inspector.

"I consider your case to be hopeless. I do not consider that it is
hopeless to arrive at the truth."

"But this cyclist. He is not an invention. We have his description, his
valise, his bicycle. The fellow must be somewhere. Why should we not get
him?"

"Yes, yes, no doubt he is somewhere, and no doubt we shall get him; but
I would not have you waste your energies in East Ham or Liverpool. I am
sure that we can find some shorter cut to a result."

"You are holding something back. It's hardly fair of you, Mr. Holmes."
The inspector was annoyed.

"You know my methods of work, Mr. Mac. But I will hold it back for the
shortest time possible. I only wish to verify my details in one way,
which can very readily be done, and then I make my bow and return to
London, leaving my results entirely at your service. I owe you too much
to act otherwise; for in all my experience I cannot recall any more
singular and interesting study."

"This is clean beyond me, Mr. Holmes. We saw you when we returned from
Tunbridge Wells last night, and you were in general agreement with our
results. What has happened since then to give you a completely new idea
of the case?"

"Well, since you ask me, I spent, as I told you that I would, some hours
last night at the Manor House."

"Well, what happened?"

"Ah, I