"My stepfather's business papers. I saw inside, once, some years ago. I remember that it was full of papers."

"There isn't a cat in it, do you think? Look at this!" Holmes picked up a small saucer of milk which stood on the top of the safe.

"What a strange idea. No; we don't keep a cat. But there is a cheetah and a baboon."

"Ah, yes, of course! Well, a cheetah is just a big cat, and yet a saucer of milk will not do much to feed it if it is hungry. There is one point which I want to be sure about." He squatted down in front of the wooden chair and examined the seat of it with the greatest attention.

"Thank you. That is quite certain," he said, rising and putting his lens in his pocket. "Hello! Here is something interesting!" The object which had caught his eye was a small dog whip which hung on one corner of the bed. The lash, however, was curled in and tied into a loop.

"What do you think about that, Watson?"