"An admirable and unique weapon," said he, "noiseless and of tremendous
power: I knew Von Herder, the blind German mechanic, who constructed it
to the order of the late Professor Moriarty. For years I have been
aware of its existence though I have never before had the opportunity of
handling it. I commend it very specially to your attention, Lestrade and
also the bullets which fit it."

"You can trust us to look after that, Mr. Holmes," said Lestrade, as the
whole party moved towards the door. "Anything further to say?"

"Only to ask what charge you intend to prefer?"

"What charge, sir? Why, of course, the attempted murder of Mr. Sherlock
Holmes."

"Not so, Lestrade. I do not propose to appear in the matter at all. To
you, and to you only, belongs the credit of the remarkable arrest which
you have effected. Yes, Lestrade, I congratulate you! With your usual
happy mixture of cunning and audacity, you have got him."

"Got him! Got whom, Mr. Holmes?"

"The man that the whole force has been seeking in vain--Colonel
Sebastian Moran, who shot the Honourable Ronald Adair with an expanding
bullet from an air-gun through the open window of the second-floor
front of No. 427 Park Lane, upon the thirtieth of last month. That's the
charge, Lestrade. And now, Watson, if you can endure the draught from
a broken window, I think that half an hour in my study over a cigar may
afford you some profitable amusement."