I had so many letters now that I could proceed with considerable confidence to the second message, which worked out in this fashion:

a. elri.es.

a. elri.es.

Here I could only make sense by putting T and G for the missing letters, and supposing that the name was that of some house or inn at which the writer was staying.”

Inspector Martin and I had listened with the utmost interest to the full and clear account of how my friend had produced results which had led to so complete a command over our difficulties.

“What did you do then, sir?” asked the inspector.