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servants live on one side； the family on the other。 There's no link
between the two save for Henderson's own servant； who serves the
family's meals。 Everything is carried to a certain door； which forms
the one connection。 Governess and children hardly go out at all；
except into the garden。 Henderson never by any chance walks alone。 His
dark secretary is like his shadow。 The gossip among the servants is
that their master is terribly afraid of something。 'Sold his soul to
the devil in exchange for money；' says Warner； 'and expects his
creditor to come up and claim his own。' Where they came from； or who
they are； nobody has an idea。 They are very violent。 Twice Henderson
has lashed at folk with his dog…whip； and only his long purse and
heavy compensation have kept him out of the courts。
〃Well； now； Watson； let us judge the situation by this new
information。 We may take it that the letter came out of this strange
household and was an invitation to Garcia to carry out some attempt
which had already been planned。 Who wrote the note？ It was someone
within the citadel； and it was a woman。 Who then but Miss Burnet；
the governess？ All our reasoning seems to point that way。 At any rate；
we may take it as a hypothesis and see what consequences it would
entail。 I may add that Miss Burnet's age and character make it certain
that my first idea that there might be a love interest in our story is
out of the question。
〃If she wrote the note she was presumably the friend and confederate
of Garcia。 What； then； might she be expected to do if she heard of his
death？ If he met it in some nefarious enterprise her lips might be
sealed。 Still； in her heart； she must retain bitterness and hatred
against those who had killed him and would presumably help so far as
she could to have revenge upon them。 Could we see her； then； and try
to use her？ That was my first thought。 But now we come to a sinister
fact。 Miss Burnet has not been seen by any human eye since the night
of the murder。 From that evening she has utterly vanished。 Is she
alive？ Has she perhaps met her end on the same night as the friend
whom she had summoned？ Or is she merely a prisoner？ There is the point
which we still have to decide。
〃You will appreciate the difficulty of the situation； Watson。
There is nothing upon which we can apply for a warrant。 Our whole
scheme might seem fantastic if laid before a magistrate。 The woman's
disappearance counts for nothing； since in that extraordinary
household any member of it might be invisible for a week。 And yet
she may at the present moment be in danger of her life。 All I can do
is to watch the house and leave my agent； Warner； on guard at the
gates。 We can't let such a situation continue。 If the law can do
nothing we must take the risk ourselves。〃
〃What do you suggest？〃
〃I know which is her room。 It is accessible from the top of an
outhouse。 My suggestion is that you and I go to…night and see if we
can strike at the very heart of the mystery。〃
It was not； I must confess； a very alluring prospect。 The old
house with its atmosphere of murder； the singular and formidable
inhabitants； the unknown dangers of the approach； and the fact that we
were putting ourselves legally in a false position all combined to
damp my ardour。 But there was something in the ice…cold reasoning of
Holmes which made it impossible to shrink from any adventure which
he might recommend。 One knew that thus； and only thus； could a
solution be found。 I clasped his hand in silence； and the die was
cast。
But it was not destined that our investigation should have so
adventurous an ending。 It was about five o'clock； and the shadows of
the March evening were beginning to fall； when an excited rustic
rushed into our room。
〃They've gone； Mr。 Holmes。 They went by the last train。 The lady
broke away； and I've got her in a cab downstairs。〃
〃Excellent； Warner！〃 cried Holmes； springing to his feet。 〃Watson；
the gaps are closing rapidly。〃
In the cab was a woman； half…collapsed from nervous exhaustion。
She bore upon her aquiline and emaciated face the traces of some
recent tragedy。 Her head hung listlessly upon her breast but as she
raised it and turned her dun eyes upon us I saw that her pupils were
dark dots in the centre of the broad gray iris。 She was drugged with
opium。
〃I watched at the gate； same as you advised； Mr。 Holmes；〃 said our
emissary； the discharged gardener。 〃When the carriage came out I
followed it to the station。 She was like one walking in her sleep； but
when they tried to get her into the train she came to life and
struggled。 They pushed her into the carriage。 She fought her way out
again。 I took her part； got her into a cab； and here we are。 I
shan't forget the face at the carriage window as I led her away。 I'd
have a short life if he had his way… the black…eyed； scowling；
yellow devil。〃
We carried her upstairs； laid her on the sofa； and a couple of
cups of the strongest coffee soon cleared her brain from the mists
of the drug。 Baynes had been summoned by Holmes； and the situation
rapidly explained to him。
〃Why； sir； you've got me the very evidence I want；〃 said the
inspector warmly； shaking my friend by the hand。 〃I was on the same
scent as you from the first。〃
〃What！ You were after Henderson？〃
〃Why； Mr。 Holmes； when you were crawling in the shrubbery at High
Gable I was up one of the trees in the plantation and saw you down
below。 It was just who would get his evidence first。〃
〃Then why did you arrest the mulatto？〃
Baynes chuckled。
〃I was sure Henderson； as he calls himself； felt that he was
suspected； and that he would lie low and make no move so long as he
thought he was in any danger。 I arrested the wrong man to make him
believe that our eyes were off him。 I knew he would be likely to clear
off then and give us a chance of getting at Miss Burnet。〃
Holmes laid his hand upon the inspector's shoulder。
〃You will rise high in your profession。 You have instinct and
intuition；〃 said he。
Baynes flushed with pleasure。
〃I've had a plain…clothes man waiting at the station all the week。
Wherever the High Gable folk go he will keep them in sight。 But he
must have been hard put to it when Miss Burnet broke away。 However；
your man picked her up； and it all ends well。 We can't arrest
without her evidence； that is clear； so the sooner we get a
statement the better。〃
〃Every minute she gets stronger；〃 said Holmes； glancing at the
governess。 〃But tell me； Baynes。 who is this man Henderson？〃
〃Henderson；〃 the inspector answered； 〃is Don Murillo； once called
the Tiger of San Pedro。〃
The Tiger of San Pedro！ The whole history of the man came back to me
in a flash。 He had made his name as the most lewd and bloodthirsty
tyrant that had ever governed any country with a pretence to
civilization。 Strong； fearless； and energetic； he had sufficient
virtue to enable him to impose his odious vices upon a cowering people
for ten or twelve years。 His name was a terror through all Central
America。 At the end of that time there was a universal rising
against him。 But he was as cunning as he was cruel； and at the first
whisper of coming trouble he had secretly conveyed his treasures
aboard a ship which was manned by devoted adherents。 It was an empty
palace which was stormed by the insurgents next day。 The dictator； his
two children； his secretary； and his wealth had all escaped them。 From
that moment he had vanished from the world； and his identity had
been a frequent subject for comment in the European press。
〃Yes； sir； Don Murillo； the Tiger of San Pedro；〃 said Baynes。 〃If
you look it up you will find that the San Pedro colours are green
and white； same as in the note； Mr。 Holmes。 Henderson he called
himself； but I traced him back； Paris and Rome and Madrid to
Barcelona； where his ship came in in '86。 They've been looking for him
all the time for their revenge； but it is only now that they have
begun to find him out。〃
〃They discovered him a year ago；〃 said Miss Burnet； who had sat up
and was now intently following the conversation。 〃Once already his
life has been attempted； but some evil spirit shielded him。 Now；
again； it is the noble； chivalrous Garcia who has fallen； while the
monster goes safe。 But another will come； and yet another； until
some day justice will be done； that is as certain as the rise of
to…morrow's sun。〃 Her thin hands clenched； and her worn face
blanched with the passion of her hatred。
〃But how come you into this matter； Miss Burnet？〃 asked Holmes。 〃How
can an English lady join in such a murderous affair？〃
〃I join in it because there is no other way in the world by which
justice can be gained。 What does the law of England care for the
rivers of blood shed years ago in San Pedro； or for the ship load of
treasure which this man has stolen？ To you they are like crimes
committed in some other planet。 But we know。 We have learned the truth
in sorrow and in suffering。 To us there is no fiend in hell like
Juan Murillo； and no peace in life while his vict