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〃'It　was　there　at　the　Norman　Conquest　in　all

probability；'　he　answered。　　'It　has　a　girth　of

twenty…three　feet。'



〃'Have　you　any　old　elms？'　I　asked。



〃'There　used　to　be　a　very　old　one　over　yonder　but　it

was　struck　by　lightning　ten　years　ago；　and　we　cut　down

the　stump；'



〃'You　can　see　where　it　used　to　be？'



〃'Oh；　yes。'



〃'There　are　no　other　elms？'



〃'No　old　ones；　but　plenty　of　beeches。'



〃'I　should　like　to　see　where　it　grew。'



〃We　had　driven　up　in　a　dogcart；　and　my　client　led　me

away　at　once；　without　our　entering　the　house；　to　the

scar　on　the　lawn　where　the　elm　had　stood。　　It　was

nearly　midway　between　the　oak　and　the　house。　　My

investigation　seemed　to　be　progressing。



〃'I　suppose　it　is　impossible　to　find　out　how　high　the

elm　was？'　I　asked。



〃'I　can　give　you　it　at　once。　　It　was　sixty…four　feet。'



〃'How　do　you　come　to　know　it？'　I　asked；　in　surprise。



〃'When　my　old　tutor　used　to　give　me　an　exercise　in

trigonometry；　it　always　took　the　shape　of　measuring

heights。　　When　I　was　a　lad　I　worked　out　every　tree　and

building　in　the　estate。'



〃This　was　an　unexpected　piece　of　luck。　　My　data　were

coming　more　quickly　than　I　could　have　reasonably

hoped。



〃'Tell　me；'　I　asked；　'did　your　butler　ever　ask　you

such　a　question？'



〃Reginald　Musgrave　looked　at　me　in　astonishment。　　'Now

that　you　call　it　to　my　mind；'　he　answered；　'Brunton

did　ask　me　about　the　height　of　the　tree　some　months

ago；　in　connection　with　some　little　argument　with　the

groom；'



〃This　was　excellent　news；　Watson；　for　it　showed　me

that　I　was　on　the　right　road。　　I　looked　up　at　the　sun。　

It　was　low　in　the　heavens；　and　I　calculated　that　in

less　than　an　hour　it　would　lie　just　above　the　topmost

branches　of　the　old　oak。　　One　condition　mentioned　in

the　Ritual　would　then　be　fulfilled。　　And　the　shadow　of

the　elm　must　mean　the　farther　end　of　the　shadow；

otherwise　the　trunk　would　have　been　chosen　as　the

guide。　　I　had；　then；　to　find　where　the　far　end　of　the

shadow　would　fall　when　the　sun　was　just　clear　of　the

oak。〃



〃That　must　have　been　difficult；　Holmes；　when　the　elm

was　no　longer　there。〃



〃Well；　at　least　I　knew　that　if　Brunton　could　do　it；　I

could　also。　　Besides；　there　was　no　real　difficulty。　　I

went　with　Musgrave　to　his　study　and　whittled　myself

this　peg；　to　which　I　tied　this　long　string　with　a　knot

at　each　yard。　　Then　I　took　two　lengths　of　a

fishing…rod；　which　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　nine　feet　in　length。



〃Of　course　the　calculation　now　was　a　simple　one。　　If　a

rod　of　six　feet　threw　a　shadow　of　nine；　a　tree　of

sixty…four　feet　would　throw　one　of　ninety…six；　and　the

line　of　the　one　would　of　course　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　two　inches　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　is　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

gray　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　calculation。



〃'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　place；　and　that

we　had　not　been　the　only　people　to　visit　the　spot

recently。



〃It　had　been　used　for　the　storage　of　wood；　but　the

billets；　which　had　evidently　been　littered　over　the

floor；　were　now　piled　at　the　sides；　so　as　to　leave　a

clear　space　in　the　middle。　　In　this　space　lay　a　large

and　heavy　flagstone　with　a　rusted　iron　ring　in　the

centre　to　which　a　thick　shepherd's…check　muffler　was

attached。



〃'By　Jove！'　cried　my　client。　　'That's　Brunton's

muffler。　　I　have　seen　it　on　him；　and　could　swear　to

it。　　What　has　the　villain　been　doing　here？'



〃At　my　suggestion　a　couple　of　the　county　police　were

summoned　to　be　present；　and　I　then　endeavored　to　raise

the　stone　by　pulling　on　the　cravat。　　I　could　only　move

it　slightly；　and　it　was　with　the　aid　of　one　of　the

constables　that　I　succeeded　at　last　in　carrying　it　to

one　side。　　A　black　hole　yawned　beneath　into　which　we

all　peered；　while　Musgrave；　kneeling　at　the　side；

pushed　down　the　lantern。



〃A　small　chamber　about　seven　feet　deep　and　four　feet

square　lay　open　to　us。　　At　one　side　of　this　was　a

squat；　brass…bound　wooden　box；　the　lid　of　which　was

hinged　upwards；　with　this　curious　old…fashioned　key

projecting　from　the　lock。　　It　was　furred　outside　by　a

thick　layer　of　dust；　and　damp　and　worms　had　eaten

through　the　wood；　so　that　a　crop　of　livid　fungi　was

growing　on　the　inside　of　it。　　Several　discs　of　metal；

old　coins　apparently；　such　as　I　hold　here；　were

scattered　over　the　bottom　of　the　box；　but　it　contained

nothing　else。



〃At　the　moment；　however；　we　had　no　thought　for　the　old

chest；　for　our　eyes　were　riveted　upon　that　which

crouched　beside　it。　　It　was　the　figure　of　a　man；　clad

in　a　suit　of　black；　who　squatted　down　upon　him　hams

with　his　forehead　sunk　upon　the　edge　of　the　box　and

his　two　arms　thrown　out　on　each　side　of　it。　　The

attitude　had　drawn　all　the　stagnant　blood　to　the　face；

and　no　man　could　have　recognized　that　distorted

liver…colored　countenance；　but　his　height；　his　dress；

and　his　hair　were　all　sufficient　to　show　my　client；

when　we　had　drawn　the　body　up；　that　it　was　indeed　his

missing　butler。　　He　had　been　dead　some　days；　but　there

was　no　wound　or　bruise　upon　his　person　to　show　how　he

had　met　his　dreadful　end。　　When　his　body　had　been

carried　from　the　cellar　we　found　ourselves　still

confronted　with　a　problem　which　was　almost　as

formidable　as　that　with　which　we　had　started。



〃I　confess　that　so　far；　Watson；　I　had　been

disappointed　in　my　investigation。　　I　had　reckoned　upon

solving　the　matter　when　once　I　had　found　the　place

referred　to　in　the　Ritual；　but　now　I　was　there；　and

was　apparently　as　far　as　ever　from　knowing　what　it　was

which　the　family　had　concealed　with　such　elaborate

precautions。　　It　is　true　that　I　had　thrown　a　light

upon　the　fate　of　Brunton；　but　now　I　had　to　ascertain

how　that　fate　had　come　upon　him；　and　what　part　had

been　played　in　the　matter　by　the　woman　who　had

disappeared。　　I　sat　down　upon　a　keg　in　the　corner　and

thought　the　whole　matter　carefully　over。



〃You　know　my　methods　in　such　cases；　Watson。　　I　put

myself　in　the　man's　place　and；　having　first　gauged　his

intelligence；　I　try　to　imagine　how　I　should　myself

have　proceeded　under　the　same　circumstances。　　In　this

case　the　matter　was　simplified　by　Brunton's

intelligence　being　quite　first…rate；　so　that　it　was

unnecessary　to　make　any　allowance　for　the　personal

equation；　as　the　astronomers　have　dubbed　it。　　He　know

that　something　valuable　was　concealed。　　He　had　spotted

the　place。　　He　found　that　the　stone　which　covered　it

was　just　too　heavy　for　a　man　to　move　unaided。　　What

would　he　do　next？　　He　could　not　get　help　from　outside；

even　if　he　had　some　one　whom　he　could　trust；　without

the　unbarring　of　doors　and　considerable　risk　of

detection。　　It　was　better；　if　he　could；　to　have　his

helpmate　inside　the　house。　　But　whom　could　he　ask？　

This　girl　had　been　devoted　to　him。　　A　man　always　finds

it　hard　to　realize　that　he　may　have　finally　lost　a

wo