Chapter 9- The Action Day
It was about five in the morning and I could not sleep. Suddenly there was a loud tap at the window. It turned the blood to ice in my veins. I crawled to the window with my pistol.
“Oh! Come on Watson, open up.”
Ah! Holmes. Of course, I opened the window. He jumped inside.
“It’s cold outside and I thought I should stay inside.” said he.
“You are mighty close about this affair Holmes. What’s in the game now?” I asked.
“I have already informed Lestrade. It’s going to be a foggy day today. You just need to be on your schedule and leave the rest to me.” he smiled.
It was a foggy day indeed as Holmes had predicted and Lestrade had his excuse. James was as frightened as ever. We started for the station but we could not find a cab. Must be Holmes. We walked to the station. I saw something of Holmes sitting about 20 metres away from me. I relaxed. At the instant James gave a spine shuddering yell and threw himself face downward. I sprang, my inert hand grasping my pistol, my mind paralyzed by the dreadful creature which had sprang upon James. It was a leopard and it glowing bright crimson red. With long bounds it was leaping after James. I fired at it. It snarled. I thought the bullet hit it in the hind leg. Suddenly Holmes appeared.
He fired about six barrels of his revolver at the creature’s throat. It fell down dead. James made a weak effort to stand. Holmes thrust his brandy flask between his teeth.
“What is it Mr Holmes?” he asked
“We have laid the family ghost once and for all.”
“This is some kind of concentrate.” Arthur said. He collected a powder from the creature’s body.
“Strontium aluminate.” replied Holmes.” Mr James, you must wait here until I return, the rest of the work must be done.”
“It’s already done.” said Lestrade. “When Mr Holmes was battling the leopard, I thought that I should make myself useful. I chased Mortimer into a morass which sucked him in. he is now forever buried in it.” Lestrade sniggered winningly.
We found many traces of Mortimer in the forest later on. We found his cottage. We found the strontium aluminate paste in a jar which was used to make the leopard look hellish. A case had been solved once again with Holmes’ intelligence.
“And now Watson, I am content to go to the opera and have dinner at Marini’s before another dreadful case comes in our way”
The Rising Days 