eekselapsedbetweenthethreatanditsfulfilment,inDundeeitwasonlysomethreeorfourdays.Doesthatsuggestanything?”
“Agreaterdistancetotravel.”
“Buttheletterhadalsoagreaterdistancetocome.”
“ThenIdonotseethepoint.”
“Thereisatleastapresumptionthatthevesselinwhichthemanormenareisasailing-ship.Itlooksasiftheyalwayssendtheirsingularwarningortokenbeforethemwhenstartingupontheirmission.YouseehowquicklythedeedfollowedthesignwhenitcamefromDundee.IftheyhadcomefromPondicherryinasteamertheywouldhavearrivedalmostassoonastheirletter.But,asamatteroffact,sevenweekselapsed.Ithinkthatthosesevenweeksrepresentedthedifferencebetweenthemail-boatwhichbroughttheletterandthesailingvesselwhichbroughtthewriter.”
“Itispossible.”
“Morethanthat.Itisprobable.Andnowyouseethedeadlyurgencyofthisnewcase,andwhyIurgedyoungOpenshawtocaution.Theblowhasalwaysfallenattheendofthetimewhichitwouldtakethesenderstotravelthedistance.ButthisonecomesfromLondon,andthereforewecannotcountupondelay.”
“GoodGod!”Icried.“Whatcanitmean,thisrelentlesspersecution?”
“ThepaperswhichOpenshawcarriedareobviouslyofvitalimportancetothepersonorpersonsinthesailing-ship.Ithinkthatitisquiteclearthattheremustbemorethanoneofthem.Asinglemancouldnothavecarriedouttwodeathsinsuchawayastodeceiveacoroner’sjury.Theremusthavebeenseveralinit,andtheymusthavebeenmenofresourceanddetermination.Theirpaperstheymeantohave,betheholderofthemwhoitmay.InthiswayyouseeK.K.K.ceasestobetheinitialsofanindividualandbecomesthebadgeofasociety.”
“Butofwhatsociety?”
“Haveyounever—”saidSherlockHolmes,bendingforwardandsinkinghisvoice—“haveyouneverheardoftheKuKluxKlan?”
“Ineverhave.”
Holmesturnedovertheleavesofthebookuponhisknee.“Hereitis,”saidhepresently:
“‘KuKluxKlan.Anamederivedfromthefancifulresemblancetothesoundproducedbycockingarifle.Thisterriblesecretsocietywasformedbysomeex-ConfederatesoldiersintheSouthernstatesaftertheCivilWar,anditrapidlyformedlocalbranchesindifferentpartsofthecountry,notablyinTennessee,Louisiana,theCarolinas,Georgia,andFlorida.Itspowerwasusedforpoliticalpurposes,principallyfortheterrorisingofthenegrovotersandthemurderinganddrivingfromthecountryofthosewhowereopposedtoitsviews.Itsoutrageswereusuallyprecededbyawarningsenttothemarkedmaninsomefantasticbutgenerallyrecognisedshape—asprigofoak-leavesinsomeparts,melonseedsororangepipsinothers.Onreceivingthisthevictimmighteitheropenlyabjurehisformerways,ormightflyfromthecountry.Ifhebravedthematterout,deathwouldunfailinglycomeuponhim,andusuallyinsomestrangeandunforeseenmanner.Soperfectwastheorganisationofthesociety,andsosystematicitsmethods,thatthereishardlyacaseuponrecordwhereanymansucceededinbravingitwithimpunity,orinwhichanyofitsoutragesweretracedhometotheperpetrators.ForsomeyearstheorganisationflourishedinspiteoftheeffortsoftheUnitedStatesgovernmentandofthebetterclassesofthecommunityintheSouth.Eventually,intheyear1869,themovementrathersuddenlycollapsed,althoughtherehavebeensporadicoutbreaksofthesamesortsincethatdate.’
“Youwillobserve,”saidHolmes,layingdownthevolume,“thatthesuddenbreakingupofthesocietywascoincidentwiththedisappearanceofOpenshawfromAmericawiththeirpapers.Itmaywellhavebeencauseandeffect.Itisnowonderthatheandhisfamilyhavesomeofthemoreimplacablespiritsupontheirtrack.Youcanunderstandthatthisregist