jewel-case of the Countess of Morcar the valuable gem known as the blue

carbuncle. James Ryder, upper-attendant at the hotel, gave his evidence to the

effect that he had shown Horner up to the dressing-room of the Countess of

Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he might solder the second bar

of the grate, which was loose. He had remained with Horner some little time,

but had finally been called away. On returning, he found that Horner had

disappeared, that the bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco

casket in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess was accustomed to

keep her jewel, was lying empty upon the dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave

the alarm, and Horner was arrested the same evening; but the stone could not be

found either upon his person or in his rooms. Catherine Cusack, maid to the

Countess, deposed to having heard Ryder’s cry of dismay on discovering

the robbery, and to having rushed into the room, where she found matters as

described by the last witness. Inspector Bradstreet, B division, gave evidence

as to the arrest of Horner, who struggled frantically, and protested his

innocence in the strongest terms. Evidence of a previous conviction for robbery

having been given against the prisoner, the magistrate refused to deal

summarily with the offence, but referred it to the Assizes. Horner, who had

shown signs of intense emotion during the proceedings, fainted away at the

conclusion and was carried out of court.”


“Hum! So much for the police-court,” said Holmes thoughtfully,

tossing aside the paper. “The question for us now to solve is the

sequence of events leading from a rifled jewel-case at one end to the crop of a

goose in Tottenham Court Road at the other. You see, Watson, our little

deductions have suddenly assumed a much more important and less innocent

aspect. Here is the stone; the stone came from the goose, and the goose came