“That the blonde Lady will make her appearance?”

“No.”

“What then?”

“I am looking for something to occur; some slight incident that will furnish me with a clue to work on.”

“And if it does not occur?”

“Then I must, myself, create the spark that will set fire to the powder.”

A solitary incident—and that of a disagreeable nature—broke the monotony of the forenoon.

A gentleman was riding along the avenue when his horse suddenly turned aside in such a manner that it ran against the bench on which they were sitting, and struck Sholmes a slight blow on the shoulder.

“Ha!” exclaimed Sholmes, “a little more and I would have had a broken shoulder.”

The gentleman struggled with his horse. The Englishman drew his revolver and pointed it; but Wilson seized his arm, and said: