Sir Henry Baskerville
leader is entirely distinctive, and these words could have been taken from nothing else. As it was done yesterday the strong probability was that we should find the words in yesterday's issue.”
“So far as I can follow you, then, Mr. Holmes,” said Sir Henry Baskerville, “some one cut out this message with a scissors
”“Nail-scissors,” said Holmes. “"You can see that it was a very short-bladed scissors, since the cutter had to take two snips over ‘keep away.’”
“That is so. Some one, then, cut out the message with a pair of short-bladed scissors, pasted it with paste
”“Gum,” said Holmes.
“With gum on to the paper. But I want to know why the word ‘moor’ should have been written?”
“Because he could not find it in print. The other words were all simple, and might be found in any issue, but ‘moor’ would be less common.”
65