“My head was beginning to clear now, and I made to stand up. In a trice, the thin man’s hand had slipped inside his jacket and emerged holding a long, straight-bladed knife. With one swift movement of his arm, he flung the knife in my direction. I dropped to the floor in terror and closed my eyes as the knife flashed mere inches above me and struck the window shutter with a heavy thud, where it continued to quiver for several moments.

“Before I had time to react, the thin man had followed his evil-looking knife across the room, and, as if to deter me from trying to seize it, had withdrawn a second, identical to the first, from within his jacket. Brandishing this in my face, he pulled the first knife from the shutter and deliberately dropped it at my side, where it stuck in the floorboard, an inch to the side of my foot. The two men laughed heartily at this, in a way that made my blood run cold. Then, still laughing, the thin man retrieved his knife, and the two of them resumed their discussion. Needless to say, I made no further attempt to stand up.

“Presently, the thin man consulted his watch again and, apparently having reached a decision, they left the room, without a word to me. A bolt was shot home on the other side of the door, and I heard their footsteps descending the stair. Unsteadily, I rose to my feet, tried the door, which was securely fastened, and made a circuit of the room. There was nothing to be seen there save the mouldering remains of a dead bird in the large, dusty fireplace. As I was regarding this dismal object, I caught the sound of voices in the distance, and what sounded like a brass band playing in the open air. I suppose these sounds had reached me down the wide chimney.

“Curious as to where I might be, I tried to open the shutters. They were very stiff, and clearly had not been moved for many years, but after some effort I succeeded in lifting the bar and dragging one of them open. Imagine my dismay, then, to find that the window was boarded up on the outside. There were gaps between the boards, through which light streamed into the dusty room, but they were near the top of the tall window, and I could see nothing through them but the sky above.

“Dejected, I sat back down and pondered my predicament. As to why these strangers should have abducted me and imprisoned me in this deserted house, I had no idea whatever. I am not a very wealthy man, so a ransom seemed out of the question. I could only conclude that they were proposing to rob me, although they had shown no inclination in that direction so far. Perhaps, I conjectured, they were awaiting instructions from their leader. For there was something in their manner which seemed to indicate that they were not acting entirely of their own volition.

“As I was considering the matter in this way, I heard voices below and footsteps on the stairs. My captors were returning.”

“How long had they been away?” interrupted Holmes.

“No more than twenty minutes, I should say,” replied Townsend. “I quickly felt in my pockets. The only object of any value in my possession was my cigar case. It is gold-plated and has a diamond set in one corner. It was given to me by the family of my partner, Mr Zeffirelli, on the fifteenth anniversary of our partnership. These villains should not have that, at any rate! I took it from my pocket and quickly pushed it under a loose floorboard, for the footsteps were rapidly approaching the door of the room.

“The bolt was pulled back, the door flung open, and in marched three people, the thin man with the dark moustache, the large, powerful-looking fellow and a third. It was the third that took my entire attention, which you will understand when I give you the details. For, to my very great surprise, the third of my captors was a woman, and one of the most handsome women I have ever seen in my life. She was wearing a long, dark, hooded cloak, which she held together at the front with her hands, as if she had thrown it on hastily. It was apparent, nevertheless, that her figure and carriage were the most graceful imaginable. Beneath the large hood, her features were very dainty, with a bloom upon her cheek that would have softened the heart of a brute.

“She walked straight across the room and stared down at me for a moment. Something seemed to puzzle her and she shook her head slightly. As she did so, her hood slipped back from her forehead, and I saw that she was wearing a small crown or tiara upon her head. Then she turned away and spoke quickly and, it seemed to me, angrily, to her companions, in the same foreign tongue as they had used. The thin man answered her, and I surmised from the tone of his voice that he was excusing himself, or defending his actions. What it was all about, I could not imagine, but it was clear that there was some disagreement or misunderstanding between them. After a moment the big man joined in, in the same tone, then the thin man turned abruptly to me and addressed me in his own tongue. I shook my head and tried to explain that I did not understand, at which the big man stepped forward and raised his arm, as if to strike me, but the woman spoke sharply to him and he turned away.

“‘What is your name?’ said the woman then to me, in English.

“‘Townsend,’ I replied; ‘Godfrey Townsend.’

“At this, the big man raised his arm again, a look of great ferocity upon his face; but it was a gesture only, and he made no attempt to strike me.

“The three of them then began speaking very rapidly in their own tongue, occasionally glancing in my direction. It seemed evident from her manner and tone that the woman was in charge of the business, and I waited with foreboding to see what the outcome of their discussion would be. At length, evidently satisfied, the woman nodded her head, then turned and hurried from the room. The two remaining villains at once directed their attention to me, and I must confess that my stomach turned over with fear as they approached me. I had little doubt that the giant could have broken my neck with his bare hands had he felt so inclined. Without a word, he pulled me roughly to my feet and propelled me towards the door, but before I had gone three paces, the sweet-smelling cloth was clapped over my face again from behind, and I knew no more.

“When I came to, my shoulder was being shaken by an anxious-looking policeman. I rubbed my eyes and looked about me, and found that I was sitting on the grass beneath a tree at the side of Rotten Row in Hyde Park. A glance at my watch showed me that it was almost two o’clock. How I came to be there, and where I had been in the three hours since leaving the tobacconist’s shop, I had no idea. I might almost have dismissed the intervening hours as a terrible dream were it not that my cigar case was not in my pocket. That, gentlemen, is the story of my strange adventure, and I’ll wager you’ve never heard the like!”

“Was anything else missing, apart from your cigar case?” queried Holmes.

“No. I examined the contents of my pockets carefully. Not a farthing had been taken from me!”

“Have you reported the matter to the police?”

“I certainly have. They said it was a very serious business and took a note of all the details, but I don’t think there is much hope of their finding the men who abducted me.”

Holmes frowned and seemed lost in thought for a moment, then he sprang from his chair and began rummaging through a pile of old newspapers that were stacked against the wall in the corner of the room.

“You appear to have borne your ordeal remarkably well,” I observed to Mr Townsend.

“Thank you, Doctor. I must admit that after a visit to my very accommodating dentist and a good night’s sleep I am none the worse for it, but I would dearly like to recover my cigar case, for it means such a lot to me! I realize, however, that it may be a hopeless task!”

“It does appear a somewhat daunting prospect,” I concurred, “considering that you do not know where in London you were held, and that London comprises nearly a hundred and fifty square miles and, so I understand, three thousand miles of streets!”