18800    I was still looking rather ruefully after the rapidly disappearing luggage van which contained my wardrobe, when Holmes pulled my sleeve and pointed up the line.

18801    'Already, you see,' said he.

18802    Far away from among the Kentish woods there arose a thin spray of smoke.

18803    A minute later a carriage and engine could be seen flying along the open curve which leads to the station.

18804    We had hardly time to take our places behind a pile of luggage when it passed with a rattle and a roar, beating a blast of hot air into our faces.

18805    'There he goes,' said Holmes, as we watched the carriage swing and rock over the points.

18806    'There are limits, you see, to our friend's intelligence.

18807    It would have been a coup-de-maître had he deduced what I would deduce and acted accordingly.'

18808    'And what would he have done had he overtaken us?'

18809    'There cannot be the least doubt that he would have made a murderous attack upon me.

18810    It is, however, a game at which two may play.

18811    The question now is whether we should take a premature lunch here, or run our chance of starving before we reach the buffet at Newhaven.'

18812    We made our way to Brussels that night and spent two days there, moving on upon the third day as far as Strasburg.

18813    On the Monday morning Holmes had telegraphed to the London police, and in the evening we found a reply waiting for us at our hotel.

18814    Holmes tore it open, and then with a bitter curse hurled it into the grate.