"
I confess that I had my doubts myself when I reflected upon the
great traffic which had passed along the London road in the
interval. My fears were soon appeased, however. Toby never
hesitated or swerved, but waddled on in his peculiar rolling
fashion. Clearly, the pungent smell of the creasote rose high
above all other contending scents.
"Do not imagine," said Holmes, "that I depend for my success in
this case upon the mere chance of one of these fellows having put
his foot in the chemical. I have knowledge now which would
enable me to trace them in many different ways. This, however,
is the readiest and, since fortune has put it into our hands, I
should be culpable if I neglected it. It has, however, prevented
the case from becoming the pretty little intellectual problem
which it at one time promised to be. There might have been some
credit to be gained out of it, but for this too palpable clue."
"There is credit, and to spare," said I. "I assure you, Holmes,
that I marvel at the means by which you obtain your results in
this case, even more than I did in the Jefferson Hope Murder.
The thing seems to me to be deeper and more inexplicable. How,
for example, could you describe with such confidence the wooden-
legged man?"
"Pshaw, my dear boy! it was simplicity itself.
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