“Now Watson,” Holmes continued, “on Monday, Silver Blaze was locked in his stable for the night. A boy called Ned Hunter was in the stable with the horse to guard him. The other two boys went up to John Straker’s house for supper. Edith Baxter then took Ned Hunter his supper and…”

“Wait a minute, Holmes, what was the supper?”

“Excellent, Watson!” Holmes exclaimed with a thin smile. “You should be a detective!” Then he continued, “The meal was curry. Edith Baxter was almost at the stable door when suddenly a man shouted, ‘Stop! Can you tell me where I am?’ He was well dressed in a gray jacket, trousers, and a hat. He carried a heavy stick. Edith told him he was at King’s Pyland Farm. The man then asked her if the curry was the supper for the boy who was guarding the horse.

         “Edith Baxter did not like the look of the man. His face was white, and he was very nervous. He took an evelope from his pocket and offered her money if she would give the boy the envelope. She declined the offer and told him to go away. Then she ran past the man to the stable. Ned was standing next to an open window, waiting for his supper. She began to tell Ned about the man when he appeared at the window in the stable wall. He offered Ned money if he would tell him what Silver Blaze’s chances were of winning the race. Well, Ned guessed why the man wanted this information. He obviously intended to bet on the horse that was most likely to win. Angrily, he shouted at the man and undid the rope that tied up his dog. He set the dog on the man, but he got away.”

         I interrupted Holmes. “When Ned and the dog went out of the stable door, did Ned locked the door?” I asked.

         “A good question, Watson!” Holmes replied. “Yes, he locked the door, and the little window was too small for a man to climb through.”

         “I see. What happened then?” I asked.

         “Ned waited for the two other boys to come back from eating their supper. Then he told them what had happened. One of the boys then ran back to Mr. Straker’s house to tell him what had happened. Mr. Straker was worried. He went to bed and tried to sleep, but he could not. At one o’clock, he got out of bed and dressed. He told his wife he was going to check to see if Silver Blaze was alright. At seven in the morning, Mrs. Straker awoke. Mr. Straker was not in the house. He had not returned. Mrs. Straker quickly dressed and went to the stable.”

         “What did she find?” I asked.

         “The stable door was open, and Ned was asleep. She tried to wake him, but she couldn’t. She then went into a little room over the stable where the two other boys were asleep. She shouted at them, and they woke up. She asked them if they had heard anything during the night, but they had not. They suggested that she asked Ned if he had heard anything, but she told them he was asleep. She added that she thought he had been drugged.”

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有練有差阿~比昨天直接進步5個字呢