When I once read that Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes did not care about the Earth's orbit I thought it might be a good idea to have him collaborate with the Royal Greenwich Observatory. So being in both the "Doyle" and the "Astronomy" Clans, I thought I'd give it a go. This is part two of the "Case of the Vanishing Robbers" -- Laurance R. Doyle

The ride to the observatory was cold given the humidity left from that early evening's rain. However, it had been clear now for some time since, and it was nearing one a.m. when we arrived at the door of the observatory. We stepped out and the stars seemed dazzling on this little London hill. Holmes knocked loudly at the door of the tall silver dome, and a thoughtful young man greeted us.

"Good evening, Sirs. May I help you? I apologize, but we are quite busy just now, so if you'll be brief."

"Indeed so", said Holmes. "I am Sherlock Holmes and this is my colleague Dr. Watson. I wonder if we may have a talk with the resident astronomer?" We were shown into a waiting room with various timepieces and photographs of stars and nebulae on the walls.

"I say Holmes, isn't this a rather peculiar time for a tour of the observatory?"

"What better time to visit astronomers than at night?" he replied, "But I see here is our host."

A small, brisk older man entered the room. He had on large glasses and an overcoat, and was holding several lenses in his left hand. "My goodness, Patrick, we are going to miss the primary eclipse of Algol if we don't hurry! Can I help you gentleman?" he said distractedly.

"I apologize if my timing is not in line with the stars, Sir Barrington", said Holmes, "but if I could have a word with you for five minutes, it could be of great importance."

"All right. Five minutes then...if you'll follow me."

"Watson, perhaps you and Dr...."

"Patrick is just fine..."

"Perhaps Patrick can show you around for a few minutes."

We looked at the pictures and I asked about the art of astronomical photography. In five minutes Holmes emerged with Sir Barrington, who had a grin on his face. "I must say your Mr. Holmes here has some unique applications for our equipment", he said. As we left I must say that I have rarely been as perplexed at the thought processes of my friend as I was at that night. But he was in deep thought on the ride home and, as always, I thought it best not to disturb him.

When I came down for breakfast the next morning my colleague was already up. It could have been that he had stayed the night in his corner chair with his pipe well stuffed. However, he had a square look of satisfaction on his face and held up the morning paper to me. "Mrs. Hudson, could we have some breakfast for Dr. Watson? Look at this."

The paper was folded back to an article about a gold exchange to take place at the Westminster Bank. "Holmes, do you suspect the vanishing robbers to try for that gold shipment?"

"Indeed not, Watson. But I believe they will try for the currency placed in the bank for the exchange. Yes, I believe that is where they will next strike."

"Ah, but when Holmes? Tonight?"

"I don't know. It is not very pleasant out. A bit damp and foggy. It may even rain tonight. I think we can relax for now. By the way, have you ever seen my monogram on the various types of fibers - hair, grass, wood, and so on - that can be used to identify the material and sometimes the location of the objects that criminals have been wearing or carrying at the time of a crime? Most interesting."

"Like the straw reeds we found at the Bank of London?"

"Indeed, Watson. They come from a certain kind of very strong straw grown in only one region of France and very uniquely applied. A most interesting study." We chatted on then about the weather and a bit about horse racing.

As the day passed on, I was somewhat involved with several of my patients. Holmes turned to his chemical analysis of soil salts. It rained again that day, but the sky was clear again when we met for dinner. "Beautiful evening, eh, Watson? Cool, clear. I think we'll have a robbery tonight, if the barometer is not lying."

"Surely the barometer cannot effect the criminal inclinations of men, Holmes?" I replied, remembering my renewed exasperation at this ongoing mystery.

"Indeed, Watson. But we shall know soon enough."

Calling Billy up to our room, Holmes sent two telegrams, one to Lestrade and the other to Sir Barrington at the observatory. Most peculiar, I thought of Holmes sudden interest in astronomy after dismissing it to me previously. Yes, most peculiar, thought I.

Within the hour a telegram came. "This is it Watson, the telegram from the observatory. We have a robbery going on. Bring your pistol."

We grabbed our coats and were off. "To the Westminster Bank" I heard Holmes tell the cab.

We were off through the night at a rush. I must say that I was quite perplexed at what the observatory might have to do with the bank robbery, but we soon arrived to find an excited Lestrade in front of the bank. "They have escaped, Mr. Holmes. And most peculiar, too."

"Have the firecrackers gone off yet?" Holmes asked.

Why yes!" said Lestrade, "we heard the firecrackers going off same as before, just as we arrived. We picked this one up setting them off."

We saw a small, snarling man being held by the nape of his collar by one of the larger constables. He sneered at us and said "Ah, so you think you have me. But I ain't done nothing. What, setting off a few 'crackers ain't no crime, you know."

"Disturbing the peace is", said Lestrade.

"So is accomplice to a robbery", said Holmes. "We know how it was done. Now you can make it easier on yourself if you tell us where your two accomplices have gone. We shall find it out one way or another."

"You ain't got no squealer here", said the small man and began to struggle.

"Alright, take him away, if you are finished with him Mr. Holmes", said Lestrade and my friend nodded. "Now what is this, Holmes? We find the same footprints, two of them going into the bank, and none coming out. We haven't found any tunnel, but we find three high-pressure bottles again. But this time they are left in a hurry on the floor."

"Ah, then they suspect we are on to them now. We had better get them this time."

"But they have gotten clean away."

"Not yet, Lestrade. But hold it... this may be just what I'm waiting for."

A young lad rode up on a bicycle. "Telegram for Mr. Holmes!"

It was from the observatory. Holmes stuck his finger in his mouth and held it up. "Yes. The wind is certainly right. Gentleman, the meadow just off Tilsbury Road. And let us hurry!"

"Holmes", said Lestrade, "you were right about the Westminster Bank, but why are we rushing off to a pasture outside of town?"

"Because, Lestrade, it is where we will find our bank robbers", Holmes said rather enjoying our perplexity, I think. And we were off at a gallop through the night.

In a few minutes we arrived at a pasture just off the road in time to see an amazing sight. As our carriage slowed there were two men in a basket being pulled along beside us apparently coming from nowhere. They were down in the large basket and didn't see us hopping out to intercept them. The basket scrapped along the ground until it tipped and the men and three large bags tumbled out. It was then that I saw that ropes were attached to the basket and were tethered to a great balloon apparently filled with gas or hot air. Quickly, our guns drawn, and taking them completely by surprise, we rushed up to them and told them to stand up.

"How in the world...why even we don't know where we are going to be landing", said one of the men with a look of amazement on this face. Getting up out of the mud, we could see that these two men were rather slightly built, most appropriate for their method of escape.

"Lestrade", said Holmes, "I think you'll find the Westminster Bank's currency in those bags. It should not be difficult to obtain the other funds soon, as well."

"You sure do owe us an explanation on this one Holmes", said Lestrade handcuffing the prisoners. A constable led them away.

"I can now understand the bottles of gas being found. They hid them so that we wouldn't suspect their means of escape. But how about the firecrackers?"

"Why, doesn't a balloon make a lot of noise when it is first being filled with hot air?" I said. "I heard them once at a fair where the bottles of gas made an awful roar when heating up the air inside the balloon."

"Exactly, Watson", said Holmes. "The third man was covering up the noise on the roof with a firecracker barrage. Of course you now see that the men were carrying those high-pressure bottle-tanks in their balloon basket, the latter the source of the peculiar crisscross pattern in the mud and the source of the little straw reeds. When I found out that balloon baskets are only manufactured in a certain region of France, and only of this unique type of straw plant that comes from there, my suspicions were confirmed."

"But how did you know when the second robbery would take place, Holmes?" I asked.

"They certainly needed clear weather to fly away, but the cold air also helped them to get airborne. I told Sir Barrington at the observatory of my problem in tracking a flying object over London and asked if the stars couldn't wait until we had spotted these two over the bank."

"Of course!" I said.

"Well, he didn't have much trouble picking them out in the bright moon tonight. Their first exploit had made them rather bold. He spotted their balloon when it was inflated over the Westminster Bank and reported their position to me when they were coming down. Probably low of fuel, they had to come down very near where they were last spotted, and we overtook them in time to see them land."

"Well, if that don't beat all", said Lestrade. "We thank you again, Mr. Holmes", and he was off with the prisoners.

"We should be in time for a late supper", said Holmes as we entered the carriage and started back to Baker Street.

"A most singular method of getaway", I said, as Holmes wrote a telegram to the observatory. "It certainly added a new dimension to our investigations, eh, Holmes?"

"Assuredly", smiled Holmes. "I must say that while I've been noted for my use of the magnifying glass, until now the criminological applications of the telescope had eluded me. Yes, indeed, Watson, one could certainly say that business has been looking up."