The portrait was that of a Dachshund.

The long body, the broad ears, the unclipped tail, the short hind
legs--all was there.

In a fraction of a second the lightning mind of the Great Detective
had penetrated the whole mystery.

THE PRINCE WAS A DOG!!!!

Hastily throwing a domino over his housemaid's dress, he rushed to
the street. He summoned a passing hansom, and in a few moments was
at his house.

"I have it," he gasped to his secretary. "The mystery is solved.
I have pieced it together. By sheer analysis I have reasoned it out.
Listen--hind legs, hair on back, wet snout, pup--eh, what? does that
suggest nothing to you?"

"Nothing," said the secretary; "it seems perfectly hopeless."

The Great Detective, now recovered from his excitement, smiled faintly.

"It means simply this, my dear fellow. The Prince of Wurttemberg is a
dog, a prize Dachshund. The Countess of Dashleigh bred him, and he is
worth some 25,000 pounds in addition to the prize of 10,000 pounds
offered at the Paris dog show. Can you wonder that----"

At that moment the Great Detective was interrupted by the scream of a