E-text prepared by Bill Tozier, Barbara Tozier, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 16097-h.htm or 16097-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/0/9/16097/16097-h/16097-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/0/9/16097/16097-h.zip) THE PURSUIT OF THE HOUSE-BOAT Being Some Further Account of the Divers Doings of the Associated Shades, under the Leadership of Sherlock Holmes, Esq. by JOHN KENDRICK BANGS Illustrated By Peter Newell New York and London Harper & Brothers Publishers 1897 TO A. CONAN DOYLE, ESQ. WITH THE AUTHOR'S SINCEREST REGARDS AND THANKS FOR THE UNTIMELY DEMISE OF HIS GREAT DETECTIVE WHICH MADE THESE THINGS POSSIBLE CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE ASSOCIATED SHADES TAKE ACTION II. THE STRANGER UNRAVELS A MYSTERY AND REVEALS HIMSELF III. THE SEARCH-PARTY IS ORGANIZED IV. ON BOARD THE HOUSE-BOAT V. A CONFERENCE ON DECK VI. A CONFERENCE BELOW-STAIRS VII. THE "GEHENNA" IS CHARTERED VIII. ON BOARD THE "GEHENNA." IX. CAPTAIN KIDD MEETS WITH AN OBSTACLE X. A WARNING ACCEPTED XI. MAROONED XII. THE ESCAPE AND THE END ILLUSTRATIONS "'DR. JOHNSON'S POINT IS WELL TAKEN'" "'WHAT HAS ALL THIS GOT TO DO WITH THE QUESTION?'" "POOR OLD BOSWELL WAS PUSHED OVERBOARD" "THE STRANGER DREW FORTH A BUNDLE OF BUSINESS CARDS" "THREE ROUSING CHEERS, LED BY HAMLET, WERE GIVEN" A BLACK PERSON BY THE NAME OF FRIDAY FINDS A BOTTLE MADAME RECAMIER HAS A PLAN "THE HARD FEATURES OF KIDD WERE THRUST THROUGH" "'HERE'S A KETTLE OF FISH,' SAID KIDD" "'EVERY BLOOMIN' MILLION WAS REPRESENTED BY A CERTIFIED CHECK, AN' PAYABLE IN LONDON'" QUEEN ELIZABETH DESIRES AN AXE AND ONE HOUR OF HER OLDEN POWER "'THE COMMITTEE ON TREACHERY IS READY TO REPORT'" "'YOU ARE VERY MUCH MISTAKEN, SIR WALTER'" "IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT SHYLOCK HAD STOLEN UP THE GANG-PLANK" JUDGE BLACKSTONE REFUSES TO CLIMB TO THE MIZZENTOP SHEM IN THE LOOKOUT CAPTAIN KIDD CONSENTS TO BE CROSS-EXAMINED BY PORTIA KIDD'S COMPANIONS ENDEAVORING TO RESTORE EVAPORATED PORTIONS OF HIS ANATOMY WITH A STEAM-ATOMIZER "'HE TOLD US WE WERE GOING TO PARIS'" "'YOU ARE A VERY CLEAR-HEADED YOUNG WOMAN, LIZZIE,' SAID MRS. NOAH" "'THAT OUGHT TO BE A LESSON TO YOU'" "THE PIRATES MADE A MAD DASH DOWN THE ROUGH, ROCKY HILL-SIDE" "'NOW, MY CHILD,' SAID MRS. NOAH, FIRMLY, 'I DO NOT WISH ANY WORDS'" "A GREAT HELPLESS HULK TEN FEET TO THE REAR" THE PURSUIT OF THE HOUSE-BOAT I THE ASSOCIATED SHADES TAKE ACTION