Chapter 1
Sherlock Holmes has a visitor
Dr Thorneycroft Huxtable visited Sherlock Holmes.'You know about the kidnapping of the son of the Duke of Holdernesse three days ago.'he cried,'The Duke is offering five thousand pounds for news of his son, and another one thousand pounds for the name of his kidnapper.''That is a most interesting offer.'said Holmes,'Watson, I think we are going with Dr Huxtable back to the north of England this afternoon.Now, sir, tell me everything.'
Chapter 2
Dr Huxtable's story
'My school—the Priory School near Mackleton.'began Dr Huxtable,'We have the sons of many important people.Then, on the night of the 13th of May, he disappeared.His window was open, and there is ivy all up the wall of the house.So we think that he went out that way.Then we learnt more bad newsHeidegger, the German teacher, was missing too.Heidegger went down the ivy—we know this because we found his footprints on the ground under the window.And he took his bicycle with him.So, Mr Holmes, we have two missing people.''So. Did the German teacher ride away on his bicycle in the night, with the boy on his back? I don't think so.Did the boy get any letters?'Holmes said.'Yes, one letter. From his father.'Dr Huxtable said.'Did the boy get any letters from France?'Holmes said.'No, I never saw any.'Dr Huxtable said.'Did someone take the boy away, or did the boy go freely? —because he had a letter from France perhaps.Were father and son very friendly?'Holmes said.'The Duke is not a very friendly man.'Dr Huxtable said.'Did the Duke tell you, then?'Holmes said.'Oh no ! The Duke never talks about things like that.'Dr Huxtable said.'So how do you know?'Holmes said.'Mr James Wilder, the Duke's secretary, told me.'Dr Huxtable said.'That last letter of the Duke's—where is it now?'Holmes said.'The boy took it with him,' Dr Huxtable said. 'It's not in his room.'
Chapter 3
Holmes and Watson go north
It was dark when we arrived at Dr Huxtable's famous school in the northern hills.'The Duke and Mr Wilder, his secretary, are in my office. Come and meet them.'Dr Huxtable said.Then Holmes looked at the Duke.'You wrote a letter to your son before he disappeared. When did you post it?'Holmes said.'The Duke does not post letters. I put the letter into the postbag, with all the other letters that day.'Mr Wilder said.A minute or two later the Duke and Mr Wilder left.Then Holmes looked carefully all through the boy's bedroom, and the German teacher's room.But they learnt nothing new. Holmes then left the house, and only came back after eleven o'clock.He had with him a large map.'Look at this map, Watson.The boy and the teacher did not go by road.So let's look to the south and the north.To the south we have a big river.And to the north we have the trees, called Ragged Shaw, and then a great moor.It is possible to ride a bicycle across the moor—difficult, but possible.'Holmes said.Just then Dr Huxtable came quickly into the room.In his hands was a blue school hat. 'Look—this is the boy's hat. One of my gardeners found it this evening.Just north of Ragged Shaw.'Dr Huxtable said.
Chapter 4
The body on the moor
By six o'clock they were through Ragged Shaw, and half an hour later they were on Lower Gill Moor.They found hundreds of sheep tracks, and once some cow tracks—but no bicycle tracks.And then at last,they found track of a bicycle.But Holmes did not look happy.'This tyre is a Dunlop, but Heidegger's bicycle had Palmer tyres.So this is not Heidegger.This track is going away from the school.'They followed the Dunlop track back, nearly to Ragged Shaw.'No,' Holmes said,'We must leave this question for now. Back to the mud by the river, Watson!'Two hours later Holmes gave a happy cry.He looked down at a long thin track in the mud. It was the Palmer tyre.' Here is Heidegger!' cried Holmes. 'Let's follow him, Watson.'For a kilometre or more they followed the Palmer tyre north across the moor.Suddenly, the track stopped.Holmes looked carefully on the ground.On one of the yellow flowers there was something red—the dark, browny-red of blood.'We must follow the blood, Watson.'Holmes said.They soon found the bicycle, and then behind a bush they saw a shoe, and found a body.It was the German teacher.'Now, let's think carefully for a minute.First, the boy left freely.But the German teacher left very suddenly.And why did Heidegger go? Because, from his bedroom window, he saw the boy. Because he wanted to follow him and bring him back.He gets his bicycle. He knows that he needs his bicycle. Why?'said Holmes,'Heidegger dies eight kilometres from the school.So the boy is moving very fast, because it is eight kilometres before a man on a bicycle can get near him.And Heidegger dies because someone hits him very hard on the head. A boy can't do that, so there was someone with the boy—a man.We looked very carefully at the mud all round poor Heidegger's body.No footprints from people, no bicycle tracks.So we must go back to the Dunlop tyre.'They found the Dunlop track again and followed it north.Across the moor they could see the Chesterfield road. They walked down to the road, and along to the Green Man Inn.
Chapter 5
A visit to the Green Man
They walked to the door of the inn.A man stood there watching them.He’s Mr Reuben Hayes.'Can you help me.I can offer you a pound for the use of a bicycle.'Holmes smiled.'Where do you want to go?' asked Mr Hayes.'To Holdernesse Hall.We are friends of the Duke.We are bringing him news of his lost son.'said Holmes.Mr Hayes's face went white, then red.'That’s good news. I worked for the Duke once, but he wasn't good to me. I don't like him, but I'm pleased about the boy.'he said carefully,'I haven't got a bicycle.You can have two horses to take you to the Hall.'Through the window they could see the stables at the back of the inn.Suddenly Holmes laughed,'Watson, did you see any cow tracks today?Lots of cow tracks, but no cows?Now, let's go quietly out and have a look round these stables.'There were two tired-looking horses in the stables.Holmes looked carefully at one of the horse's feet, and laughed.'Look, Watson. Old shoes, but new nails.'Suddenly they heard someone behind them, and there was Mr Reuben Hayes.His face was red and angry.Holmes did not give him time to speak.'I think your horses are tired, Mr Hayes. We can walk to the Hall.'They walked along the road for about a hundred metres.Then they off the road and up the hill.'Who's this? Watson, get down!'Holmes said.There was a bicycle on the road.They saw the rider—Mr James Wilder, the Duke's secretary.They ran down the hill, and stopped when they could see the back door of the inn. Wilder's bicycle was by the wall near the door.Then a man on a horse rode quickly out of the stables and disappeared down the road.They could see Wilder in the light from the door.Ten minutes later another man came down the road and went into the inn.The bicycle was still by the wall. Holmes looked at the wheel, and laughed quietly.'A Dunlop tyre, Watson!Now, I must look through that upstairs window.'But only for a second, and then he was down again.'It's a long walk to the school, so let's start at once. I can give you all the answers to this mystery tomorrow.'he said.
Chapter 6
Sherlock Holmes talks to the Duke
At eleven o'clock the next morning Holmes and Watson were in the Duke's office at Holdernesse Hall.The Duke's eyes never left Holmes's face. 'Where is my son?And the name of the kidnapper?' he said.'He is—or was last night—at the Green Man Inn.And kidnapper’s you.'Holmes said.'Nobody needs to know about this—this little family mystery. Just you and your friend Watson. Look, here is my cheque for twelve thousand pounds.'The Duke said.Holmes gave him a cold little smile. 'I'm sorry, sir. There is a dead man in this case.And I have a little more news for you, sir. The police met Mr Reuben Hayes last night at Chesterfield station. Mr Hayes is not running anywhere for a very long time.''I am pleased to hear about Hayes—he was always a bad man. And that news can only help James.'The Duke said.'James? Your secretary?' said Holmes.'No, sir.James Wilder is my son.'The Duke said.
Chapter 7
The Duke's son
'He hates my younger son, Arthur, because Arthur has everything.James has nothing.And he wants to be the Duke of Holdernesse one day.He kidnaps my poor Arthur.He wants me to say, "Yes, James, now you can be my first son. Arthur can be the number two son." But I can't do that.James asked for Hayes's help.That evening he cycled across the moor and met Arthur in Ragged Shaw. He talked about the Duchess, Arthur's mother. "She wants to see you," he told Arthur. "She's waiting on the moor. Come back at midnight, and a man with a horse can take you to her."So Arthur came.But the German teacher followed them, and Hayes killed him.Hayes then took Arthur to the Green Man.'the Duke said.'Now, what are you going to do about Mr James Wilder?' Holmes said.'James is leaving me and going to Australia next week.'the Duke said.'This man Hayes took two horses across the moor, but the horses' feet made the tracks of a cow in the mud. How was this possible?'said Holmes.The Duke went away and came back two minutes later with a glass box in his hands. In the box were some horse-shoes.It was a shoe for a horse's foot, but it looked like a cloven cow's foot.