rp spikes. As he passed your window he
saw, by means of his great height, these proofs upon your table, and
conjectured what they were. No harm would have been done had it not been
that, as he passed your door, he perceived the key which had been left
by the carelessness of your servant. A sudden impulse came over him to
enter, and see if they were indeed the proofs. It was not a dangerous
exploit for he could always pretend that he had simply looked in to ask
a question.

"Well, when he saw that they were indeed the proofs, it was then that
he yielded to temptation. He put his shoes on the table. What was it you
put on that chair near the window?"

"Gloves," said the young man.

Holmes looked triumphantly at Bannister. "He put his gloves on the
chair, and he took the proofs, sheet by sheet, to copy them. He thought
the tutor must return by the main gate and that he would see him. As we
know, he came back by the side gate. Suddenly he heard him at the very
door. There was no possible escape. He forgot his gloves but he caught
up his shoes and darted into the bedroom. You observe that the scratch
on that table is slight at one side, but deepens in the direction of the
bedroom door. That in itself is enough to show us that the shoe had been
drawn in that direction, and that the culprit had taken refuge there.
The earth round the spike had been left on the table, and a second
sample was loosened and fell in the bedroom. I may add that I walked out
to the athletic grounds this morning, saw that tenacious black clay is
used in the jumping-pit and carried away a specimen of it, together with
some of the fine tan or sawdust which is strewn over it to prevent the
athlete from slipping. Have I told the truth, Mr. Gilchrist?"

The student had drawn himself erect.

"Yes, sir, it is true," said he.

"Good heavens! have you nothing to add?" cried Soames.

"Yes, sir, I have, but the shock of this disgraceful exposure has
bewildered me. I have a letter here, Mr. Soames, which I wrote to you
early this morning in the middle of a restless night. It was before I
knew that my sin had found me out. Here it is, sir. You will see that I
have said, 'I have determined not to go in for the examination. I have
been offered a commission in the Rhodesian Police, and I am going out to
South Africa at once.'"

"I am indeed pleased to hear that you did not intend to profit by your
unfair advantage," said Soames. "But why did you change your