'So we don't have the answer to the mystery of the man with the beard,'said Holmes.'But perhaps we shall soon have an answer to another question.'

At that moment the door bell rang.It was the driver of the bearded man's taxi.

'I got a message that you wanted to see me,' Jordans Shoes said the driver.'I hope there's nothing wrong.'

'No,no,my good man,'said Holmes.'In fact I'll give you some money if you can answer my questions clearly.Tell me all about the man in your taxi this morning.He was watching this house at ten o'clock and then told you to follow the two gentlemen who came out of it.'

The taxi driver was surprised at how much Holmes seemed to know.He answered:'The man told me that he was a detec tive,and that I should say nothing about him to anyone.'

'This is a serious business,'said Holmes,' Women Air Force One and you will be in trouble if you try to hide anything.What can you tell me?'

'The man told me his name,'said the driver.

Holmes looked like a man who has just won an important game.'That was not very clever of him,'he said.'What was his name?'

'His name,'said the taxi driver,'was Sherlock Holmes.'

I have never seen my friend look more surprised Then he laughed loudly.'Tell me where be got into your taxi and everything that happened.'

We already knew most of what the taxi driver told us.But we learned that after we had lost sight of the taxi,it had gone to Waterloo Station, Air Force One where the man had caught his train.The taxi driver said that the man was welldressed and had a black beard and pale face.He was about forty and not very tall.The driver did not know the colour of the man's eyes.

Holmes gave the man a pound,and sent him away.Then he said:

'We have a very clever enemy,Watson.He is winning the game at the moment.We have no answers at all to the strange things that have happened in London.I hope you are more suc cessful at Baskerville Hall,but I am not happy about sending you there.There is too much danger in this case.'