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                                SHERLOCK HOLMES

                   THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING THREE…QUARTER

                           by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle



  We were fairly accustomed to receive weird telegrams at Baker

Street; but I have a particular recollection of one which reached us

on a gloomy February morning; some seven or eight years ago; and

gave Mr。 Sherlock Holmes a puzzled quarter of an hour。 It was

addressed to him; and ran thus:



  Please await me。 Terrible misfortune。 Right wing three…quarter

missing; indispensable to…morrow。

                                                   OVERTON。



  〃Strand postmark; and dispatched ten thirty…six;〃 said Holmes;

reading it over and over。 〃Mr。 Overton was evidently considerably

excited when he sent it; and somewhat incoherent in consequence。 Well;

well; he will be here; I daresay; by the time I have looked through

the Times; and then we shall know all about it。 Even the most

insignificant problem would be welcome in these stagnant days。〃

  Things had indeed been very slow with us; and I had learned to dread

such periods of inaction; for I knew by experience that my companion's

brain was so abnormally active that it was dangerous to leave it

without material upon which to work。 For years I had gradually

weaned him from that drug mania which had threatened once to check his

remarkable career。 Now I knew that under ordinary conditions he no

longer craved for this artificial stimulus; but I was well aware

that the fiend was not dead but sleeping; and I have known that the

sleep was a light one and the waking near when in periods of

idleness I have seen the drawn look upon Holmes's ascetic face; and

the brooding of his deep…set and inscrutable eyes。 Therefore I blessed

this Mr。 Overton whoever he might be; since he had come with his

enigmatic message to break that dangerous calm which brought more

peril to my friend than all the storms of his tempestuous life。

  As we had expected; the telegram was soon followed by its sender;

and the card of Mr。 Cyril Overton; Trinity College; Cambridge;

announced the arrival of an enormous young man; sixteen stone of solid

bone and muscle; who spanned the doorway with his broad shoulders; and

looked from one of us to the other with a comely face which was

haggard with anxiety。

  〃Mr。 Sherlock Holmes?〃

  My companion bowed。

  〃I've been down to Scotland Yard; Mr。 Holmes。 I saw Inspector

Stanley Hopkins。 He advised me to come to you。 He said the case; so

far as he could see; was more in your line than in that of the regular

police。〃

  〃Pray sit down and tell me what is the matter。〃

  〃It's awful; Mr。 Holmes… simply awfull I wonder my hair isn't

gray。 Godfrey Staunton… you've heard of him; of course? He's simply

the hinge that the whole team turns on。 I'd rather spare two from

the pack; and have Godfrey for my three…quarter line。 Whether it's

passing; or tackling; or dribbling; there's no one to touch him; and

then; he's got the head; and can hold us all together。 What am I to

do? That's what I ask you; Mr。 Holmes。 There's Moorhouse; first

reserve; but he is trained as a half; and he always edges right in

on to the scrum instead of keeping out on the touchline。 He's a fine

place…kick; it's true; but then he has no judgment; and he can't

sprint for nuts。 Why; Morton or Johnson; the Oxford fliers; could romp

round him。 Stevenson is fast enough; but he couldn't drop from the

twenty…five line; and a three…quarter who can't either punt or drop

isn't worth a place for pace alone。 No; Mr。 Holmes; we are done unless

you can help me to find Godfrey Staunton。〃

  My friend had listened with amused surprise to this long speech;

which was poured forth with extraordinary vigour and earnestness;

every point being driven home by the slapping of a brawny hand upon

the speaker's knee。 When our visitor was silent Holmes stretched out

his hand and took down letter 〃S〃 of his commonplace book。 For once he

dug in vain into that mine of varied information。

  〃There is Arthur H。 Staunton; the rising young forger;〃 said he;

〃and there was Henry Staunton; whom I helped to hang; but Godfrey

Staunton is a new name to me。〃

  It was our visitor's turn to look surprised。

  〃Why; Mr。 Holmes; I thought you knew things;〃 said he。 〃I suppose;

then; if you have never heard of Godfrey Staunton; you don't know

Cyril Overton either?〃

  Holmes shook his head good humouredly。

  〃Great Scott!〃 cried the athlete。 〃Why; I was first reserve for

England against Wales; and I've skippered the 'Varsity all this

year。 But that's nothing! I didn't think there was a soul in England

who didn't know Godfrey Staunton; the crack three…quarter;

Cambridge; Blackheath; and five Internationals。 Good Lord! Mr。 Holmes;

where have you lived?〃

  Holmes laughed at the young giant's naive astonishment。

  〃You live in a different world to me; Mr。 Overton… a sweeter and

healthier one。 My ramifications stretch out into many sections of

society; but never; I am happy to say; into amateur sport; which is

the best and soundest thing in England。 However; your unexpected visit

this morning shows me that even in that world of fresh air and fair

play; there may be work for me to do。 So now; my good sir; I beg you

to sit down and to tell me; slowly and quietly; exactly what it is

that has occurred; and how you desire that I should help you。〃

  Young Overton's face assumed the bothered look of the man who is

more accustomed to using his muscles than his wits; but by degrees;

with many repetitions and obscurities which I may omit from his

narrative; he laid his strange story before us。

  〃It's this way; Mr。 Holmes。 As I have said; I am the skipper of

the Rugger team of Cambridge 'Varsity; and Godfrey Staunton is my best

man。 To…morrow we play Oxford。 Yesterday we all came up; and we

settled at Bentley's private hotel。 At ten o'clock I went round and

saw that all the fellows had gone to roost; for I believe in strict

training and plenty of sleep to keep a team fit。 I had a word or two

with Godfrey before he turned in。 He seemed to me to be pale and

bothered。 I asked him what was the matter。 He said he was all right…

just a touch of headache。 I bade him good…night and left him。 Half

an hour later; the porter tells me that a rough looking man with a

beard called with a note for Godfrey。 He had not gone to bed; and

the note was taken to his room。 Godfrey read it; and fell back in a

chair as if he had been pole…axed。 The porter was so scared that he

was going to fetch me; but Godfrey stopped him; had a drink of

water; and pulled himself together。 Then he went downstairs; said a

few words to the man who was waiting in the hall; and the two of

them went off together。 The last that the porter saw of them; they

were almost running down the street in the direction of the Strand。

This morning Godfrey's room was empty; his bed had never been slept

in; and his things were all just as I had seen them the night

before。 He had gone off at a moment's notice with this stranger; and

no word has come from him since。 I don't believe he will ever come

back。 He was a sportsman; was Godfrey; down to his marrow; and he

wouldn't have stopped his training and let in his skipper if it were

not for some cause that was too strong for him。 No: I feel as if he

were gone for good; and we should never see him again。〃

  Sherlock Holmes listened with the deepest attention to this singular

narrative。

  〃What did you do?〃 he asked。

  〃I wired to Cambridge to learn if anything had been heard of him

there。 I have had an answer。 No one has seen him。〃

  〃Could he have got back to Cambridge?〃

  〃Yes; there is a late train… quarter…past eleven。〃

  〃But; so far as you can ascertain; he did not take it?〃

  〃No; he has not been seen。〃

  〃What did you do next?〃

  〃I wired to Lord Mount…James。〃

  〃Why to Lord Mount…James?〃

  〃Godfrey is an orphan; and Lord Mount…James is his nearest relative…

his uncle; I believe。〃

  〃Indeed。 This throws new light upon the matter。 Lord Mount…James

is one of the richest men

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