"But, my dear Mrs. Smith," said Holmes, shrugging his shoulders, "You
are frightening yourself about nothing. How could you possibly tell
that it was the wooden-legged man who came in the night? I don't quite
understand how you can be so sure."

"His voice, sir. I knew his voice, which is kind o' thick and foggy.
He tapped at the winder,--about three it would be. 'Show a leg,
matey,' says he: 'time to turn out guard.' My old man woke up
Jim,--that's my eldest,--and away they went, without so much as a word
to me. I could hear the wooden leg clackin' on the stones."

"And was this wooden-legged man alone?"

"Couldn't say, I am sure, sir. I didn't hear no one else."

"I am sorry, Mrs. Smith, for I wanted a steam launch, and I have heard
good reports of the--Let me see, what is her name?"

"The Aurora, sir."

"Ah! She's not that old green launch with a yellow line, very broad in
the beam?"

"No, indeed. She's as trim a little thing as any on the river. She's
been fresh painted, black with two red streaks."

"Thanks. I hope that you will hear soon from Mr. Smith. I am going
down the river; and if I should see anything of the Aurora I shall let
him know that you are uneasy. A black funnel, you say?"

"No, sir. Black with a white band."

"Ah, of course. It was the sides which were black. Good-morning, Mrs.
Smith.--There is a boatman here with a wherry, Watson. We shall take
it and cross the river.

"The main thing with people of that sort," said Holmes, as we sat in
the sheets of the wherry, "is never to let them think that their
information can be of the slightest importance to you. If you do, they
will instantly shut up like an oyster. If you listen to them under
protest, as it were, you are very likely to get what you want."

"Our course now seems pretty clear," said I.

"What would you do, then?"

"I would engage a launch and go down the river on the track of the
Aurora."

"My dear fellow, it would be a colossal task. She may have touched at
any wharf on either side of the stream between here and Greenwich.
Below the bridge there is a perfect labyrinth of landing-places for
miles. It would take you days and days to exhaust them, if you set
about it alone."

"Employ the police, then."

"No. I shall probably call Athelney Jones in at the last moment. He is
not a bad fellow, and I should not like to do anything which would
injure him professionally. But I have a fancy for working