It grew louder and louder. There was pain and fear and anger all mixed up in it. The scream was so loud that it woke up people in the village, and even further away than that. The horrible scream left a cold feeling in our hearts. I stood looking at Holmes, and Holmes looked at me, until there was silence again.

"What can that scream be for?" I asked.

"It means that it is finished," Holmes answered. "And perhaps, it is the best thing that could have happened. Take your pistol. We will go to Dr. Roylott's room."

But Holmes did not look happy. He lit the lamp and went down the corridor to Dr Roylott's room. He knocked on the door twice but there was no reply. So he went into the room. I went in after him. I had my pistol and I was ready to shoot.

In the room we saw something very strange. There was a lamp on the table. In the light from the lamp we could see that the door of the safe was open. Dr Roylott was sitting next to the table on the wooden chair. He was wearing a grey dressing-gown, and we could see his feet underneath it.