I took a step forward. In an instant his strange headgear began

to move, and there reared itself from among his hair the squat

diamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent.

"It is a swamp adder!" cried Holmes; "the deadliest snake in

India. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence

does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls

into the pit which he digs for another. Let us thrust this

creature back into its den, and we can then remove Miss Stoner to

some place of shelter and let the county police know what has

happened."

As he spoke he drew the dog-whip swiftly from the dead man's lap,

and throwing the noose round the reptile's neck he drew it from

its horrid perch and, carrying it at arm's length, threw it into

the iron safe, which he closed upon it.

Such are the true facts of the death of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, of

Stoke Moran. It is not necessary that I should prolong a

narrative which has already run to too great a length by telling

how we broke the sad news to the terrified girl, how we conveyed

her by the morning train to the care of her good aunt at Harrow,

of how the slow process of official inquiry came to the

conclusion that the doctor met his fate while indiscreetly

playing with a dangerous pet. The little which I had yet to learn

of the case was told me by Sherlock Holmes as we travelled back

next day.

"I had," said he, "come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which

shows, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from

insufficient data. The presence of the gypsies, and the use of

the word 'band,' which was used by the poor girl, no doubt to

explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of

by the light of her match, were sufficient to put me upon an

entirely wrong scent. I can only claim the merit that I instantly

reconsidered my position when, however, it became clear to me

that whatever danger threatened an occupant of the room could not

come either from the window or the door. My attention was

speedily drawn, as I have already remarked to you, to this

ventilator, and to the bell-rope which hung down to the bed. The

discovery that this was a dummy, and that the bed was clamped to

the floor, instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was

there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and

coming to the bed. The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me,

and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was

furnished with a supply of creatures from India, I felt that I

was probably on the right track. The idea of using a form of

poison which could not possibly be discovered by any chemical

test was just such a one as would occur to a clever and ruthless

man who had had an Eastern training. The rapidity with which such

a poison would take effect would also, from his point of view, be

an advantage. It would be a sharp-eyed coroner, indeed, who could

distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where

the poison fangs had done their work. Then I thought of the

whistle. Of course he must recall the snake before the morning

light revealed it to the victim. He had trained it, probably by

the use of the milk which we saw, to return to him when summoned.

He would put it through this ventilator at the hour that he

thought best, with the certainty that it would crawl down the

rope and land on the bed. It might or might not bite the

occupant, perhaps she might escape every night for a week, but

sooner or later she must fall a victim.

"I had come to these conclusions before ever I had entered his

room. An inspection of his chair showed me that he had been in

the habit of standing on it, which of course would be necessary

in order that he should reach the ventilator. The sight of the

safe, the saucer of milk, and the loop of whipcord were enough to

finally dispel any doubts which may have remained. The metallic

clang heard by Miss Stoner was obviously caused by her stepfather

hastily closing the door of his safe upon its terrible occupant.

Having once made up my mind, you know the steps which I took in

order to put the matter to the proof. I heard the creature hiss

as I have no doubt that you did also, and I instantly lit the

light and attacked it."

"With the result of driving it through the ventilator."

"And also with the result of causing it to turn upon its master

at the other side. Some of the blows of my cane came home and

roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person

it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr.

Grimesby Roylott's death, and I cannot say that it is likely to

weigh very heavily upon my conscience."