In

partial

fulfillment of the

requirements in

English 102

Submitted by: Roujuie Daimler L. Cañon

Submitted to: Antonio Tolentino III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

I would like to express my gratitude to the author of the novel Arthur Conan Doyle for

providing the necessary information I need. I would never have been able to finish this

without the internet access along with Google which is of a great help. I would also like

to thank Cristy Caumanday for helping me in the process of selection and editing and

specially to God for giving me strength to finish this work.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title Page ----

Cover Page ...............................................................................................................1

Acknowledgement ....................................................................................................2

Table of Contents .....................................................................................................3

Summary:

Part 1:o Chapter 1 - Mr. Sherlock Holmes .....................................................4-5o Chapter 2 - The Science Of Deduction ............................................6-7 o Chapter 3 - The Lauriston Garden Mystery .....................................8-10 o Chapter 4 - What John Rance Had To Tell ....................................11-12 o Chapter 5 - Our Advertisement Brings A Visitor ............................13-14 o Chapter 6 - Tobias Gregson Shows What He Can Do ..................15-16 o Chapter 7 - Light In The Darkness .................................................17-19

Part 2: o Chapter 1 - On The Great Alkali Plain .......................................... 20-21 o Chapter 2 - The Flower Of Utah .....................................................22-23 o Chapter 3 - John Ferrier Talks With The Prophet ..........................24-25 o Chapter 4 - A Flight For Life ...........................................................26-28 o Chapter 5 - The Avenging Angels ..................................................29-31 o Chapter 6 - A Continuation Of The Reminiscences

Of John Watson, M.D .........................................................................32-34 o Chapter 7 - The Conclusion ...........................................................35-36

Conclusion ...............................................................................................................37

SUMMARY:

PART I: CHAPTER I: MR. SHERLOCK HOLMES

The novel opens with Watson giving a first-person narrative about the contemporary

events in his life. He explains that he received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1878

from the University of London but was immediately assigned to wartime duties as

Assistant Surgeon and sent to Bombay. He then traveled to Candahar. The campaign

was quite unfortunate for him as he was struck by a bullet in the shoulder and had to be

dragged back to British lines by his orderly. He then suffered from typhoid fever.

After he was somewhat healed, his country dispatched him to England to spend some

months nourishing his health. He knew no one in London, but the money he had from

the government allowed him to live a "comfortless, meaningless existence" in an

expensive hotel. His money soon came close to running out and as such he sought a

new living situation.

One day at the Criterion Bar he ran into an old acquaintance named Stamford ; Stamford

had been a dresser (a man who dressed wounds on the battlefield) at Barts. Both men

were happy to see a familiar face and began chatting amiably. Watson spoke of his

various misadventures and his current need for a new residence. Stamford replied that

another man at the chemical laboratory where he was working had also told him that

very day that he sought a roommate.

Watson inquired about the details of this man; Stamford explained that Sherlock

Holmes was a very strange man and that while he was not actually a medical student

and "his studies are very desultory and eccentric" he also had "amassed a lot of out-of-

the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors."

Watson was pleased to hear that he potential roommate was studious and quiet, and

asked Stamford to introduce them. Stamford agreed and the two of them made their

way to the hospital. Along the way Stamford spoke more of Holmes; at one point

curiously stated that he would bear no responsibility if the living situation did not work

out for Watson.

The latter was surprised at this statement, and prodded Stamford for more information.

For Stamford, Holmes was too scientific and could tend toward cold-bloodedness. He

did, however, have a "passion for definite and exact knowledge" and conducted strange

experiments.

The two men arrived at the laboratory and entered the room where Holmes was

working. As soon as Holmes saw the men entered he jumped up with glee and

announced that he had found "a reagent that is precipitated by hemoglobin." Stamford

introduced Watson to Holmes, the latter remarking that Watson had clearly been in

Afghanistan recently.

Holmes explained the discovery he had made, which was an "infallible test for blood

stains." He demonstrated how it worked and why it was better than the old tests that

existed. He was sure that several criminals who had walked free would have been jailed

if this test had been used. After a few moments Stamford brought Holmes’ attention

back to the situation at hand, stating that Watson was looking for a roommate. Holmes

was pleased and mentioned that he had his eye upon Baker Street.

Watson and Holmes discussed their vices and shortcomings with each other; Holmes

said that he "got in the dumps at times, and didn’t open his mouth for days on end" and

Watson revealed that he was prone to laziness, weak nerves, and ungodly hours for

rising. As the conversation was pleasing to both parties, they agreed to meet the

following day and visit the available rooms.

As Watson and Stamford left the laboratory, Stamford remarked that he was pleased

the two men got along. Watson replied that he enjoyed the mystery of Holmes, and

quoted Alexander Pope: "The proper study of man is man." Stamford's response was

that Watson would find Holmes "a knotty problem, though" and wagered that "he would

learn more about you than you about him." The two said goodbye and parted ways.

PART I: CHAPTER II: THE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION

Watson narrates that he and Holmes were pleased with their new rooms and living

arrangement. Holmes was not difficult to live with, as he had regular hours and was

often out. He did have occasional bouts of lethargy and immobility, which Watson

believed were not related to drugs because of the man's "temperance and cleanliness."

Watson was incredibly interested in Holmes and his mysterious doings; he had a

copious amount of free time while regaining his health as well as a lack of friends in

London to occupy his time. Holmes was clearly not studying medicine, Watson

concluded, and he was not perusing any other degree. His knowledge seemed exact

and desultory, focused on several small things and amazingly lacking in others. In

particular, Watson was shocked that Holmes had never heard of the Copernican

discovery of Earth's revolutions around the sun; Holmes responded that this was

because "it is of the highest importance...not to have useless facts elbowing out the

useful ones."

At one point, Watson took up a pen and wrote a list of the different types of knowledge

and marked which ones Holmes seemed conversant in. He knew little to nothing of

literature, philosophy, astronomy, and politics. He had a practical but limited

understanding of geography, a variable understanding of botany, a profound knowledge

of chemistry, an accurate but unsystematic knowledge of anatomy, and an immense

knowledge of sensational literature. Holmes was quite talented on the violin, and

seemed to play pieces of music that reflected his current thoughts, whether gloomy or

excited.

Watson believed Holmes to have no friends when they first began their cohabitation, but

soon noticed various individuals from different classes of society visiting him. Holmes

explained that they were his clients but offered no further information.

One morning while Watson was waiting for his breakfast he picked up a magazine from

the table and glanced at an article called "The Book of Life."

This article attempted to explain "how much an observant man might learn by an

accurate and systematic examination of everything that came in his way." A man could

look at a drop of water and know what ocean it came from, or learn a man's calling from

his fingernails or coat-sleeve. Watson scoffed that this article was "ineffable twaddle"

and threw it upon the table. He complained to Holmes, who sat across from him, that

the article was irritating and impractical.

Holmes listened to Watson and then told him that he was in fact the author of the article

and that his job was a "consulting detective." This, in essence, meant that he was a

private detective and he endeavored to help government detectives sort out their

evidence in crimes. Those clients he mentioned were people who came to him to ask

for "enlightening" on some problem they had. For more complex cases, Holmes would

visit the site itself and apply his specialized knowledge and powers of observation. To

make this clearer, he explained to Watson how, upon their first meeting, he had known

Watson was just from Afghanistan.

Watson was surprised at these revelations and commented that Holmes reminded him

of Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin and Gaboriau's detective Lecoq. Holmes was disdainful of

these comparisons, not finding them accurate enough or indicative of his own talents.

He then began to complain that he never got to work on any real cases as there were

no crimes being committed.

Watson, becoming annoyed at Holmes’ "bumptious style of conversation," changed the

topic to wondering who a man on the street below was looking for. Holmes glanced at

the man and said that he was a retired sergeant of Marines. Watson was skeptical at

this instantaneous assessment, but had little time to consider it further because the man

on the street came up to their very door. Upon it being opened, the man handed Holmes

a letter. Before he left Watson asked him his profession, and to his amazement the man

answered that he was a sergeant from the Royal Marine Light Infantry.

PART I: CHAPTER III: THE LAURISTON GARDEN MYSTERY

Watson was shocked by Holmes’ deductive powers; his respect for the man grew

immensely. Upon request, Holmes explained to Watson how he had ascertained the

man at the door was a retired Marine sergeant. He then turned his attention to the letter

and excitedly announced that he was wrong about the dearth of crime in London. He

gave the letter to Watson to read aloud; it seemed that a man was found dead in an

empty house in Lauriston Gardens. A lawman saw a light on in the house, went to

investigate, and discovered a man lying upon the floor with marks of blood in the room

but no bodily wounds. Nothing had been stolen. The man had cards in his pockets with

the name Enoch Drebber from Cleveland, Ohio. The detective from Scotland Yard who

wrote the letter was named Tobias Gregson.

Holmes more or less liked Gregson and another detective, Lestrade, because the two

men, although rivals, were the "pick of a bad lot." Holmes was not initially sure he

should go to the house as Gregson requested because he was the "most incurably lazy

devil," but after some slight prodding from Watson he decided to go observe the scene.

Watson accompanied Holmes to the scene of the crime. In the hansom Watson

remarked that Holmes did not look as if he was giving the matter at hand any thought,

and the latter responded with "no data yet...it is a capital mistake to theorize before you

have all the evidence as it biases the judgment."

The two men arrived at Number 3, Lauriston Gardens. The house, as Watson observed,

looked rather ill-omened with its vacant and blank windows, dying plants, dull gravel,

and bounding fence. Holmes did not run into the house as Watson supposed he might,

but instead spent time looking around the outside of the property, staring at messy and

chaotic footprints in the mud and occasionally exclaiming in excitement.

Gregson met Watson and Holmes at the door to the house, telling Holmes that he left

everything untouched. Holmes was slightly annoyed at this, retorting that it looked as if

a herd of buffalos had passed through the mud outdoors. Gregson said that he and the

other detectives had done everything they could at the scene but wanted Holmes to

take a look. The men went inside the dark house and came to the room where the

incident had occurred.

The room was empty of furniture, the yellowed wallpaper hung off the wall in strips, a

stump of a burned-out red candle sat atop a fireplace mantle, and the dirty windows

made the light that entered the room hazy. On the floor was a man stretched out; he

was of medium build with dark curly hair and a short beard, wearing a coat and trousers

and a top hat lay on the floor. On his face was an "expression of horror, and, as it

seemed to Watson, of hatred, such as [he had] never seen upon human features. This

malignant and terrible contortion, combined with the low forehead, blunt nose, and

prognathous jaw, gave the dead man a singularly serious and ape-like appearance..."

Watson had never seen a death like this.

The splashes of blood in the room were from another person, presumably the murderer,

as Holmes deduced. He looked all over the body and eventually concluded that nothing

more could be learned from it. As the body was raised a woman's wedding ring fell off of

it onto the floor. Holmes asked about the man's possessions, which included two letters-

one addressed to the deceased and the other to a Joseph Stangerson at the American

Exchange in the Strand. Both were to return to New York by the Guion Steamship

Company. Gregson had looked into Stangerson and placed an advertisement in the

newspaper in Cleveland asking for information.

Lestrade, who had left the room during this exchange, returned excitedly and claimed to

have made a very significant discovery in room. The party moved to a corner where the

wallpaper was peeling from the wall. In blood-red letters the word RACHE was spelled

on the plaster. Lestrade was proud of his discovery, and concluded that the word was

RACHEL and the writer/murderer did not have time to finish it.

He smugly averred "It's all very well for you to laugh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You may be

very smart and clever, but the old hound is the best, when all is said and done."

Holmes was unperturbed by the man's rudeness but set about examining the room in

detail. Watson watched him in awe as he dashed about with his tape measure and gave

frequent exclamations of delight and comprehension. Lestrade and Gregson also

watched Holmes with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. When he finished, he noted

that if he were to help it would rob them of the credit of the case, but he would like to

talk to the constable who found the body. He would look up this man -John Rance -the

following day.

As Holmes prepared to leave, he offered a portrait of the murderer: tall, middle-aged,

small-footed, smoked cigars, came with the victim in a cab, had a florid face, and long

fingernails on his right hand. The incredulous detectives asked how Drebber was

murdered, and Holmes succinctly answered that it was poison. On his way out he

tossed over his shoulder, "Rachel" is the German word for revenge; so don't waste your

time by looking for Miss Rachel.

PART I: CHAPTER IV: WHAT JOHN RANCE HAD TO TELL

Watson and Holmes left Lauriston Gardens around 1pm; Holmes mailed a telegram and

the two men drove to the home of John Rance. Along the way Holmes explained to

Watson how he had observed the multiple horses' hooves, the height of the murderer,

and his age. He also offered the fact that he knew the writing on the wall was done with

the man's forefinger dipped in blood, and the ash from the cigar was clearly a

Trichinopoly brand because of the nature of the ash. The florid face was more of a

gamble, but Holmes did not tell Watson why he believed that to be the case.

Watson summed up his confusion at the mysteriousness of the case- why the men were

in an empty house?, what happened to their hansom driver?, what was the motive of

the murderer?, why was there a wedding ring?, and what did the word RACHE mean?

Holmes approved of Watson's summation, and first answered that the word on the wall

was merely a blind to mislead the police. He did not want to add much further, because

"you know a conjurer gets no credit once he has explained his trick; and if I show you

too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very

ordinary individual after all."

Watson rejoined that Holmes was responsible for bringing the act of detection as close

to an exact science a he had ever seen, and Holmes smiled with pride at the flattering

words. The driver stopped at Audley Court where John Rance lived; it was a sordid and

unpleasing street.

The constable looked irritated at being interrupted from his sleep at first, but soon

warmed to the two men when Holmes gave him a coin. The constable started from the

beginning of the tale, explaining that he was on the late shift and it was very quiet

except for a bar fight earlier. It began to rain and he stood with his fellow constable,

Harry Murcher, for awhile on a corner. He then decided to look around Brixton Road

and observed a light on in the empty house.

Holmes noted that he had walked up to the house and then walked back to the gate;

this bit of information shocked the constable, who had no idea how Holmes knew that.

Rance said he wanted to see if Murcher was around so he would not have to go into the

house alone. The latter was not, so Rance went inside anyway. The house was empty

and the candle was flickering on the mantle. Holmes continued to surprise Rance with

his insertions of how exactly Rance traversed the room.

After Rance saw the body he went outside and sounded his whistle and Murcher and

two others appeared. The only other thing he noted was a very drunk man stumbling

about; he did not arrest him due to the dead body, a much more important manner.

Holmes was curious about this drunken man and asked further questions. Rance said

he had a red face and a long heavy overcoat. Holmes asked if he had a whip in his

hand and Rance said no, upon which Holmes muttered that he must have dropped it.

As Holmes rose to leave he commented to Rance that he would never rise in the ranks

of the force because he had no real powers of observation- "The man whom you held in

your hands is the man who holds the key to this mystery, and whom we are seeking."

Watson and Holmes left, Holmes angrily muttering about how Rance was a fool and

missed that piece of luck. Watson wondered aloud why the man would hang around the

house where the murder was committed, and Holmes clarified that it was because he

had come back for the ring. He then thanked Watson for encouraging him to follow up

this "study in scarlet;" he deemed it such because "there's the scarlet thread of murder

running through the colorless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it,

and expose every inch of it."

PART I: CHAPTER V: OUR ADVERTISEMENT BRINGS A VISITOR

When Holmes and Watson returned to the house, Watson laid down to take a nap as

his mind was tumultuous after the events of the morning. He meditated on the

grotesque visage of the dead man and almost thanked the murderer for ridding the

world of such a clearly malignant man. Of course, he did recognize that "justice must be

done, and that the depravity of the victim was no condonement in the eyes of the law."

Watson thought more of the poison which killed Drebber, and remembered that Holmes

had sniffed the man's mouth. Holmes’ "quiet, self-confident manner" was comforting,

however, and Watson looked forward to hearing about his conjectures after he returned

from a concert. When Holmes came in he expressed his feelings that music was

perhaps so moving because the human capacity to produce and appreciate music

existed even before speech.

Watson confessed he was shaken by the events of the morning, even more so than his

experiences in Afghanistan. Holmes agreed that this was understandable since "where

there is no imagination there is no horror." Changing the subject, Holmes told Watson

that he had placed an advertisement in the paper for the lost ring (under Watson's name

as to not arouse suspicion) and told any claimants to come to the apartments between

eight and nine that evening.

Holmes had a facsimile ring ready, and was confident that the man who showed up

would be the murderer. It was clear that "this man would rather risk anything than lose

the ring," and had pretended to be drunk when he returned to the street where he

murdered Drebber and saw the policemen there. He might believe he lost the ring in the

road and would be pleased to see the advertisement in the paper. There would be no

reason to expect a trap.

Watson would meet with the man, keeping a pistol with him since the man would no

doubt be desperate. Holmes took up his violin for a few minutes, and confided to

Watson that he'd had a response to his American telegram and that his view of the case

was the correct one.

The doorbell rang and the servant opened it; the two men heard a "clear but rather

harsh" voice downstairs but were remarkably surprised when the owner of the voice

turned out to be an old woman, not the violent murderer they'd expected! The woman

explained that the ring belonged to her girl Sally, who had recently married a Tom

Dennis, a steward aboard a Union boat, and had lost her wedding ring the last night.

Holmes indicated to Watson to give her the ring, and the two men wished her well.

He told how he had followed the woman on foot for a while, and then jumped on the

back of her cab when she hailed one to take her the rest of the way. When the cab

stopped and Holmes jumped off, he heard the driver exclaim in anger because there

was no longer anyone in the cab. The woman had jumped out at some point, aware that

she was being followed.

Watson marveled that an old woman could elude Holmes like that, but Holmes

exclaimed "Old woman be damned! We were the old women to be so taken in. It must

have been a young man, and an active one, too, besides being an incomparable actor.

The get-up was imitable." The man knew he was being followed and "gave me the slip."

This proved that the murderer was not completely a solitary figure because he had

friends who were willing to risk a lot for him.

After this tale Holmes remarked that Watson was looking tired, and encouraged him to

go to bed. Watson agreed and turned in, but heard Holmes playing his violin late into

the night as he tried to unravel the mystery.

PART I: CHAPTER VI: TOBIAS GREGSON SHOWS WHAT HE CAN DO

The next morning Watson narrated how many of the local papers put forth theories

about the "Brixton Mystery," as they deemed it. Many believed the crime was political in

nature, perhaps with roots in the Liberal Administration or the Socialists. Holmes scoffed

that Lestrade and Gregson were not very effective detectives.

A few moments later, a loud pattering of footsteps was heard in the hall and several

young, ragtag boys burst into the room. Holmes identified them as "the Baker Street

division of the detective police force.” He asked one of them, Wiggins, if they had found

"it" and Wiggins answered in the negative. Holmes paid them and they left; upon their

absence Holmes remarked that they worked harder than the actual police force and

could find out more because no one suspected their espionage abilities.

Gregson was espied outside, bearing "beatitude written upon every feature of his face."

He approached the apartments and was let inside. When he stood before Holmes and

Watson he proclaimed that he had made the whole mystery clear. For a moment

Holmes looked disappointed, but when Gregson announced that the murderer was

one Arthur Charpentier, Holmes looked relieved and smug once more.

Gregson was invited to sit down and commenced his tale of how he had solved the

crime. He first laughed that Lestrade was off after the wrong man, the secretary Joseph

Stangerson, and then began. He explained that he had looked at the hat of the dead

man, which had a label of John Underwood and Sons, 129 Cumberland Road. Holmes

nodded that he had noticed this, which slightly annoyed Gregson, but the detective

continued. He went to Underwood and asked after the hat, learning that

Gregson followed this lead to the boarding house, where he spoke with Madame

Charpentier and her daughter Alice. Alice looked as if she wanted to speak further on

the issue, but Madame Charpentier was quite close-lipped. Finally, the daughter said

there was no point in falsehoods, and the mother decided to tell Gregson the truth, even

if it would indict her son Arthur in this murder. She claimed he was utterly innocent but

the facts would make it look as if he was guilty.

Madame Charpentier told Gregson that Drebber had been with them for three weeks.

Drebber and Stangerson were traveling about the Continent and boarded with her.

While Stangerson was quiet and polite, Drebber was vulgar and rude, acting licentiously

towards the servant girls and even Alice. He was not kicked out because Charpentier

needed money and the men were paying handsomely.

One night when he had been too forward with Alice, Madame Charpentier kicked him

out. However, Drebber returned later that night, clearly drunk. He tried to convince Alice

to run away with him, but she was shocked and disgusted. Suddenly, Madame

Charpentier's son Arthur came in. Armed with a club, he fought with Drebber. The latter

left and Arthur assured his mother that Drebber would bother them no more but that he

would go out and follow him to see what he did with himself.

Gregson told Holmes and Watson that he continued to question Madame Charpentier;

she did not know when her son had returned since she was already in bed. He then left

the boarding house, and with the assistance of other officers, arrested Arthur. The

young man knew that he was being arrested for the murder of Drebber but protested he

was not the murderer. Gregson surmised that perhaps Arthur had given Drebber a

strong blow to the stomach which did not leave a mark.

It seemed to Gregson that Arthur was guilty, as he admitted taking a cab after Drebber.

He claimed he had left him and then taken a walk with a fellow shipmate but could not

say where that shipmate lived. Gregson's story came to a conclusion, and about the

same time Lestrade showed up at the door.

When Lestrade entered the room his dress and his expression revealed intense

perturbation. He seemed embarrassed at seeing Gregson, as if he had come to consult

only with Holmes. Gregson arrogantly asked whether or not he had managed to find the

secretary Stangerson, and Lestrade stated gravely, "The secretary Joseph

Stangerson...was murdered at Halliday's Private Hotel about six o'clock this morning."

PART I: CHAPTER VII: LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

All three men were utterly dumbfounded by Lestrade's pronouncement that Stangerson

was murdered. Lestrade sat down, and Holmes asked him to tell of what he had

discovered. Lestrade began by explaining that he was sure Stangerson had been

involved in the murderer of Drebber, and set about figuring out more about him. It was

clear that Stangerson and Drebber had been together earlier in the day of Drebber's

murder, but Stangerson's whereabouts were unknown from 8:30 to the time of the

murder.

Lestrade called on hotels and lodging-houses and finally lucked out when he questioned

the proprietor at Halliday's Private Hotel on Little George Street. The man told Lestrade

Stangerson had been expecting another man for two days now, and assumed Lestrade

was he. Lestrade and the man went upstairs to Stangerson's quarters and prepared to

knock on the door when Lestrade suddenly glimpsed a rivulet of blood coming from

under Stangerson's door. The men burst into the room and espied Stangerson lying

dead and cold on the floor, with the cause of death a deep stab on the man's left side

that had entered the heart. Most terrifying, however, was that the word RACHE was

written in blood upon the wall.

All the men in the Baker Street apartments were quiet and shocked. Lestrade continued

his tale, saying that he spoke with a young boy who had witnessed a man leaving by

ladder from the window of Stangerson's apartment, but assumed that he was a

carpenter or joiner at the hotel. The boy said the man was "tall, had a reddish face, and

was dressed in a long brownish coat." He had clearly stayed in the room for a bit after

the murder because there was bloody water in the wash basin and marks of the bloody

knife on the sheets.

The only things found in the room were Drebber's purse with money that was

unmolested, a telegram that said "J.H. is in Europe," and a small box with a few pills in

them next to a glass of water on the table. At this news of the pills Holmes jumped from

his seat and loudly exclaimed, "The last link... my case is complete."

Holmes excitedly told the group that he now had all the threads of the case to make a

tangle, and even though there may be some small details lacking, he had the main

facts. He asked if Lestrade had the pills, and when the latter said yes, picked them up

and examined them. Watson noted that they were small, light gray, round, almost

transparent, and clearly water-soluble. Holmes asked Watson to go downstairs and

retrieve a dog that their landlady told them was very sick and needed to be put out of its

misery.

Watson returned with the dog, Holmes took a pill and cut it in half, dissolved one half in

water with some milk to make it palatable, and placed it before the dog. The dog lapped

it up but nothing happened, and Holmes grew frustrated. After a few moments of

consternation understanding dawned upon his face and he took the other pill from the

container and did the same thing. This time, the dog had only barely licked the water

when he gave a shiver and died suddenly. At this Holmes said exultantly, "I ought to

know by this time that when a fact appears to be opposed to a long train of deductions,

it invariably proves to be capable of bearing some other interpretation." One of the pills

was poison, the other a placebo.

Holmes told his nonplussed companions that they were no doubt all perplexed because

none of them seized upon the one important fact from the case that he had; "hence

things which have perplexed you and made the case more obscure have served to

enlighten me and to strengthen my conclusions. It is a mistake to confound strangeness

with mystery. The most commonplace crime is often the most mysterious, because it

presents no new or special features from which deductions may be drawn."

After listening impatiently to this speech Gregson demanded Holmes to tell him what he

had discovered, conceding that Holmes did have a special gift for deduction. Holmes

replied that the man would commit no more murders in the interim, that he was shrewd

and desperate, that he had no idea the law was after him, and that Holmes could not yet

tell them who the man was and that the others needed to trust Holmes on the matter.

Young Wiggins knocked on the door and informed Holmes the cab was ready for him.

Holmes thanked him and took out a pair of handcuffs, showing them to his companions

for their admiration. Watson narrated that he knew nothing regarding Holmes going on a

trip, and wondered at the cab's presence. The driver entered the room and Holmes

asked him to assist him with his luggage. As soon as the man, grumbling, bent over,

Holmes clamped the handcuffs on him and triumphantly announced that this man,

Mr. Jefferson Hope, was the murderer of Stangerson and Drebber.

Jefferson Hope mightily struggled with all four men, whose combined strength was

barely enough to subdue him. Holmes suggested taking the cab to Scotland Yard to

deliver the captive, and told the other men they could now ask him any questions they

wanted about the case and his deductive process.

PART II: CHAPTER I: ON THE GREAT ALKALI PLAIN

Part Two opens with a description of the vast, uninhabitable region of America that

stretches from the Sierra Nevada to Nebraska, the Yellowstone River to the Colorado. It

is a massive, uninhabited desert filled with "barrenness, inhospitality, and misery.” It is

covered with patches of alkali and offers no evidence of movement or life or vitality.

On May 4, 1847, however, someone looking down upon this scene would discern a

traveler who may have been either the "very genius or demon of the region." He was

haggard, emaciated, and dirty. He was toiling with some difficulty to climb down a ravine

while looking for water. It was evident to him that he was actually going to die, as there

was no water anywhere in sight. He set the large bundle he carried upon the floor, and

to an observer's surprise, a young child tumbled out of it. She was small and lovely and

not as near to death as the man.

The little girl's mother had died recently and when the man told her that they too would

most likely die soon, she was actually pleased because then she could see her mother

in heaven. The man was very kind to her, answering all of her childish questions about

the land and indulging her request to get on their knees and pray. The two of them

eventually fell into an exhausted sleep.

Across the plain something else was happening- a massive array of canvas-covered

wagons and horsemen were moving across the plains in their journey to the West. The

people were not merely seeking new opportunities; they were nomads looking for an

entirely new country to escape persecution.

The grave men at the head of the train consulted with each other about their

surroundings. They were interrupted when one cried out and pointed above them to the

crags where a wisp of pink ribbon was espied. One brave man asked Brother

Stangerson, one of the Elders, whether or not he should go and investigate.

A few of the young men thus climbed up to where the mysterious ribbon awaited, and

soon glimpsed the old man and the little girl sleeping. Above them rested three large

and evidently hungry buzzards, which began to scream raucously.

The sleepers awoke, and when the man saw the other travelers in front of him he was

convinced he was delirious and they were apparitions. After he was finally convinced

otherwise, introductions were made. The man was John Ferrier and he called the little

girl Lucy Ferrier, as he was now her guardian. The young men said they were "the

persecuted children of God -the chosen one of the angel Merona" who had come from

Illinois to "seek a refuge from the violent man and the godless, even though it be the

heart of the desert." John Ferrier correctly identified them as the Mormons.

The young men took the Ferrier man and child down to their leader; this man was young

but stern and resolute in appearance. He explained to Ferrier that the two could only

travel with them if they joined their faith, as it was far better for "your bones to bleach in

this wilderness than that you should prove to be that little speck of decay which in time

corrupts the whole fruit." Ferrier smiled and agreed, and the caravan soon continued

along its way to Zion.

The Elder who was to care for the travelers brought them to his wagon to give them

food, and told them that they would soon recover from their fatigues and that they were

now part of the Mormon religion -"Brigham Young has said it, and he has spoken with

the voice of Joseph Smith, which is the voice of God."

PART II: CHAPTER II: THE FLOWER OF UTAH

The Mormons finally reach their promised land, Utah, after many trials and travails that

included "the savage man, and the savage beast, hunger, thirst fatigue, and disease –

every impediment which nature could place in the way..." Young was a capable

administrator as well as a religious leader, and the settlement began to grow in an

organized fashion. A large temple was erected in the center of the town.

John Ferrier prospered as well; he had shown himself to be a talented hunter and guide

during the journey and rose in the esteem of his companions. He was nearly at the

same level as the Elders themselves –Stangerson, Kemball, Johnston, and Drebber. He

built himself a home and soon enlarged it as his material wealth grew. He was richer

than all his neighbors and much admired. He never took a wife, which puzzled some

members of the community.

Lucy blossomed into a beautiful and charming young woman and began garnering looks

of approbation amongst the men. She was "as fair a specimen of American girlhood as

could be found in the whole Pacific slope."

The Mormon settlement of Utah experienced much growth as hordes of travelers

headed west to California for the 1848 gold rush. Trains of immigrants and horses

poured into the city of the Elect, and many glimpsed the lovely Lucy Ferrier riding her

horse one day as she headed to complete an errand for her father.

When she reached the outskirts of the city she came upon a massive herd of cattle that

blocked her path. She decided to try and get through a small opening in the herd rather

than wait for it to pass, and eased her horse in. once she was amid the cattle, however,

she saw how dangerous her choice was. The beasts closed her in and there was the

possibility of falling and be trampled to death at any moment. She could barely hold on

to the saddle and was choked by dust and fear.

All of a sudden a strong arm guided her scared horse out of the horde and brought her

to safety. A young man was her rescuer; he was tall, "savage-looking," wearing the garb

of a hunter, and dark-skinned. His name was Jefferson Hope and he knew of John

Ferrier from St. Louis. Lucy thanked him for her rescue and invited him to come speak

with John Ferrier himself, as Hope had asked her to pass along his regards.

Hope was in Salt Lake City with his companions after spending time in the Nevada

mountains looking for silver, but although he had planned to spend his time doing only

this, the sight of Lucy had stirred something new within him and he fell into the deep

love that is a "wild, fierce passion of a man of strong will and imperious temper." He

began frequenting the Ferrier home and enjoyed the relationships he cultivated with

both Ferrier and his daughter.

One evening he rode up to the house and told Lucy he was off for a period of time but

hoped that when he returned she would go with him the next time. He said he would

only be gone a few months, and that he had asked her father for consent and received

it. Lucy was extremely happy, for she had grown to love Jefferson Hope as well. The

two pledged their troth and Hope rode away, Lucy watching him gallop across the

plains.

PART II: CHAPTER III: JOHN FERRIER TALKS WITH THE PROPHET

Three weeks later, John Ferrier found himself thinking about his daughter's betrothal; he

was sad to see her get married and leave him, but happy for her at the same time. He

reflected upon his personal, secret vow to never allow Lucy to marry a Mormon. He

could never voice that vow, however, as the Mormons were very strict on the subject.

In fact, the "persecuted had now turned persecutors on their own account and

persecutors of the most terrible description." The organization of the Latter Day Saints

was secretive, invisible, and terrifying; fathers vanished and their families were left

wondering when they would return, rumors of murdered immigrants and women brought

in for the Elders' harems abounded, and a band dubbed the Avenging Angels routed out

perceived dissenters. No one "knew who belonged to that ruthless society," and every

man feared his neighbor and refrained from any complaint of any sort.

One morning Ferrier glimpsed Brigham Young himself walking up Ferrier's pathway.

Young came in and immediately informed Ferrier that the latter had violated his promise

to embrace the true faith because he never took any wives. Ferrier protested that this

was not a problem and that he had his daughter to care for him. Young responded that

this daughter was the reason why he was there, for word had come to him that she

planned on marrying a Gentile. This was considered a sin in the Mormon holy creed;

she should marry one the Elders' many sons, who were all young and rich.

Ferrier quietly answered that she was too young to wed, but Young informed him they

had a month to choose either the son of Stangerson or Drebber for Lucy to wed. With

threatening words and gestures, Young departed the Ferrier home. Ferrier sat brooding

over the matter.

He was interrupted from his ruminations by Lucy's hand on his shoulder; she had been

listening to the conversation. Ferrier consoled her that they would be fine. He wanted

her to marryJefferson Hope –"he's a likely lad, and he's a Christian, which is more than

these folks are, in spite o' all their praying and preaching."

Ferrier told Lucy of a party starting for Nevada the next day which could take an urgent

message to Hope and ask him to return to help. Lucy voiced her concerns that opposing

the Prophet was perhaps a death sentence, but Ferrier reminded her they had done

nothing wrong yet and that a month still lay before them.

They would raise as much money as possible and leave Salt Lake City, as Ferrier was

yearning to be free once more. Jefferson Hope would no doubt be able to help them

escape. That night Ferrier took care to lock the doors more diligently and loaded up his

shotgun.

PART II: CHAPTER IV: A FLIGHT FOR LIFE

The next day Ferrier gave the message to Hope to an acquaintance who was setting

out for Nevada, stressing the urgency of the contents. When he returned to his home he

saw that two young men were in his sitting room. One had a long pale face and the

other was "a bull-necked youth with coarse, bloated features." The former was the son

of Elder Stangerson, the latter the son of Elder Drebber. Stangerson explained that they

were there to seek the hand of his daughter; he claimed that he deserved her because

he only had four wives and Drebber had seven, but Drebber retorted that he had better

financial prospects.

Ferrier was enraged at their presumptuousness and ordered them to leave his home

until Lucy summoned them. They were aghast at his rudeness, especially when he told

them the way out of his house could be through the door or the window. They cried out

that Ferrier had defiled the Prophet and the Council of Four and would regret his

insulting manner. Ferrier was about to rush for his gun when Lucy stopped him with

soothing words and a reminder that Hope would soon come for them.

Ferrier knew his behavior was problematic, reflecting that "in the whole history of the

settlement there had ever been such a case of rank disobedience to the authority of the

Elders." Even men richer than him had gone missing. He tried to put on a brave front for

his daughter, but she saw through his facade.

The next morning he woke up and found a note pinned to the coverlet over his breast

that said "Twenty-nine days are given you for amendment, and then –" This was

terrifying in its ambiguity, as well as the fact that Ferrier had no idea how anyone

entered the house undetected. The next morning there was a number 28 scratched on

the ceiling, and the next found a number 27 painted upon the front door. The Ferriers

never heard or glimpsed anyone.

The numbers continued to appear every day as they counted down the days until Lucy

had to make her decision. They instilled a "horror which was almost superstitious" upon

Ferrier, and he could only wait for young Jefferson Hope to return. As the days got

lower and lower, moving past 4 and 3 and finally arriving at 2, Ferrier resolved that the

hunter was not coming but that he would still rather die than let Lucy be dishonored.

As he sat disconsolately on the evening before the last day, he pondered what would

become of his daughter when he was gone. He began to hear a scratching sound

outside the door of the house and a gentle tapping. He got up and went into the hall and

opened the door, wondering if he was about to be ambushed by his enemies. To his

surprise, when he looked down he saw a man lying spread out on his stomach; the man

continued to wriggle on the ground into the house and finally jumped up to reveal the

personage of Jefferson Hope.

Ferrier was shocked, but quickly acceded to Hope's demands for food and water, as he

had not imbibed for 48 hours. After he had eaten Hope asked after Lucy and explained

that his odd method of entering the house was the only way he would not be detected.

The house was being watched on every side. Despite this information, Hope felt better

now that his ally was here.

Hope told Ferrier he had a mule and two horses waiting in the ravine and that they

would push to Carson City, Nevada through the mountains. Ferrier woke up Lucy and

Hope packed as much water as he could. The lovers had a brief reunion and then the

three prepared to leave the house.

Hope explained that they would have to leave through the side windows and run across

the fields to the road, where they would then need to travel two miles to the ravine

where their mounts were waiting. Lights in the house were extinguished and the

escapees crawled out through the windows into the calm and cool night air. As they

moved across the cornfield Hope suddenly pulled them down into the shadows. His

keen hearing had picked up the hooting of an owl, answered by more hooting.

One figure emerged and said "tomorrow at midnight." The other agreed and asked if

they should tell Brother Drebber. The first man said yes, and then said "Nine to seven!"

the second man replied, "Seven to five!" this was a sign of some sorts. When the men

departed Hope guided his companions out across the fields as fast as they could go.

They finally reached the ravine and mounted their animals. Only a hunter as skilled as

Hope could attempt this confusing and menacing path through craggy cliffs and massive

boulders and narrow pathways. At the most dangerous part of the pathway they

suddenly saw a single sentinel on an overhanging rock. This man immediately asked

"Who goes there?" Hope replied that they were travelers to Nevada. The sentinel asked

with whose permission, and Ferrier responded which a phrase he knew –"The Holy

Four." The sentinel then said "Nine to seven!" and Hope cleverly answered with "Seven

to five" and the sentinel let them proceed. Finally, "they had passed the outlying post of

the chosen people, and...freedom lay before them."

PART II: CHAPTER V: THE AVENGING ANGELS

The travelers continued through the treacherous wilderness even though they were

exhausted. Hope pressed the Ferriers onward, exhorting them to remember that their

enemies were no doubt already on their tail. They saw no one, however, and hoped that

they would make it out of the mountains safely.

The afternoon of the second day saw their provisions begin to run out, so Hope decided

to leave Lucy and her father with the horses and look for an animal to hunt. After

walking for a few miles through the twisting ravine he espied a bighorn and was able to

shoot it. As it was too heavy to carry, he cut off some pieces and headed back.

Unfortunately, the ravine pathways were so similar that he could not exactly recall which

path would lead him back to the Ferriers. Night was coming and he was no closer to

finding his way.

Finally, after being gone for about five hours he found his way to familiar territory. Giving

a loud cry to alert the Ferriers of his imminent presence, he was disturbed when it

merely echoed back at him unanswered. He began to dread what he would find when

he got back to the fire. His fears became a reality when he arrived at only the

smoldering remains of the fire, with no horses or human beings in sight. It was obvious

that "some sudden and terrible disaster had occurred during his absence –a disaster

which had embraced them all, and yet left no traces behind it."

Shaking himself out of his bewilderment, Hope investigated the camp and observed the

many hoof prints of multiple riders whose path clearly took them back to Salt Lake City.

There was also a newly dug grave with the inscription on a piece of paper –"JOHN

FERRIER, formerly of Salt Lake City, Died August 4th." There was no grave for Lucy;

she had clearly been taken back to the city of Elect to assume her fate as one of the

wives of Drebber or Stangerson. Hope was disconsolate at this, but almost immediately

resolved that he would devote his life to revenge. He could apply his "strong will and

untiring energy" to that one end.

Hope toiled through the ravine back to a point where he could overlook Salt Lake City.

There were clearly some festivities occurring that day, he observed, and wondering

what was going on. His reverie was interrupted by a solitary rider, whom he recognized

as an old Mormon acquaintance named Cowper. He accosted Cowper for news of Lucy

Ferrier. Cowper was stricken and was nervous to speak with Hope, but after being

pressed, informed Hope that the festivities were celebrating Lucy's marriage to

young Enoch Drebber. Stangerson had shot her father and said his claim was better,

but Drebber's party in the Council was stronger, and Young awarded Lucy to him. After

Cowper bid Hope adieu, Hope slunk away into the mountains.

Lucy pined away and died within a month of her wedding. This was not entirely

distressing to Drebber, who had only really wanted her money. Drebber's other wives

prepared her for burial; while they were doing so, they were shocked when Jefferson

Hope burst into the room and kissed Lucy's brow and removed her wedding ring. He

left before an alarm could be raised.

Hope lived in the nearby wilderness, and scared Drebber and Stangerson with attempts

on their lives. Once a bullet went through Stangerson's window and almost hit him, on

another day a boulder nearly crashed down upon Drebber as he passed by a cliff. The

two men kept up a guard from thenceforth and never went anywhere alone.

Years passed and Hope stayed out of site. His rage had not cooled, however –it was

even stronger after being nursed for so long. He stayed out of sight to gain money to

pursue his object of revenge. After about five years he returned to Salt Lake City and

was shocked to learn that a schism among the Chosen People led to the secession of

many, including Drebber and Stangerson. There were no clues as to their whereabouts.

Even though most men would have abandoned this as a lost cause, Hope was

undaunted. He spent years tracking them down and was finally rewarded when he

learned Drebber was in Cleveland.

Drebber actually caught sight of Hope in that town and hurried away from his would-be

murderer. Stangerson was now his secretary, and the two of them had Jefferson Hope

arrested. He was detained for two weeks on account of not being able to post bail, and

when he was released he discovered his two enemies had fled for Europe.

Hope continued to save money and tracked them all over Europe. He was always a

step behind until he finally caught up with them in London. The rest of the story would

now be told from Dr. Watson's journal.

PART II: CHAPTER VI: A CONTINUATION OF THE REMINISCENCES OF JOHN WATSON, M.D

Once the prisoner found himself powerless, he stopped resisting and told his captors

that he would walk down to the cab and would willingly get in. The men were surprised

at his attitude, as well as his massively, powerfully-built frame. The prisoner was

brought to the police headquarters and the name of the prisoner was taken down.

Jefferson Hope was informed he would be put before the magistrates in a week, but he

could speak a few words now.

Hope replied that he had many words to speak and did not need to wait until his trial. He

said that he would not even be tried, which surprised his captors. Hope asked Watson

to put his ear to his chest; the doctor listened and then burst out, "Why...you have an

aortic aneurism!" Quite calmly, Hope acknowledged the truth of this, explaining that he

got it from years of overexposure and underfeeding in the mountains and that he would

no doubt be dead very soon. It was important to him to leave an account of his crimes

so the world did not think him merely a "common cut-throat."

With the assent of the inspector and detectives, Hope settled down to tell his tale. He

spoke calmly and methodically, and Watson vouched for the validity of his own journal's

accounting of this, as he had access to Lestrade's notebook.

Hope explained that the two men were guilty of the deaths of a father and daughter. The

statute of limitations had run out and they could never be held legally accountable for

their actions. Thus, it was necessary for him to be "judge, jury, and executioner all rolled

into one." Any other man would have done the same. The girl had been married to

Drebber twenty-one years ago and died of a broken heart. Hope took her ring and

viewed revenge. As the men he followed were rich and he was poor, this was not as

easy as he had hoped.

He followed them throughout London, but soon realized he needed a job to put money

in his pockets. He knew driving and riding came naturally to him so he applied to be a

cab-driver.

He managed to scrape by on this small salary, soon learning all the roads and byways

of the tangled city. To his delight he finally learned that Stangerson and Drebber were

staying at a boardinghouse. They were still quite cunning, however, and must have

surmised they were being followed, as they never went anywhere alone. While Drebber

was a drunk, Stangerson was quite alert.

One night while observing their street, Hope saw another cab stop at their house and

both men got in with their luggage. They headed toward the train station and asked after

a Liverpool train. Hope was pleased when the men learned they had just missed it.

Drebber told Stangerson he had some business to do and that they should split up for

the time being. Stangerson was unhappy at this suggestion but after an argument, this

was what occurred.

Hope was elated, for his moment of retribution had finally come. He could not be too

precipitous, however, for "there is no satisfaction in vengeance unless the offender has

time to realize who it is that strikes him, and why retribution has come upon him." Hope

remembered that a few days previous a man who lived on Brixton Road had dropped a

key in his cab and Hope had made a copy of it. The empty house would be perfect for

the murder.

Drebber came out of the bar where he was drinking, got into a cab, and proceeded back

to the boardinghouse. Hope witnessed Drebber's altercation with Arthur, and then,

stumbling into the street, got into Hope's cab. Hope was thrilled, but bided his time and

took Drebber to the bar that he requested. Hope explained to his listeners that he was

not planning on killing Drebber in cold blood, but that he had pills that he had formed

himself from a poison he learned about while working as a janitor at a college. The pills

would be a much better and less violent death for his enemies.

When Drebber got back into the cab, besotted with drink, he did not even notice when

Hope drove him to Brixton Road. Hope helped Drebber out and the two men went into

the dark empty house, Hope lighting a candle he had brought. As soon as the match

was struck Hope looked at Drebber and said "Now, Enoch Drebber...who am I?" Horror

spread across Drebber's face when he recognized his foe.

Hope was filled with contentment as the imminent revenge he had so long desired. He

accused Drebber of Lucy's murder by broken heart and watched with pleasure as

Drebber cowered in fear. Hope then told him that God would decide who was to be

vindicated; he took out both pills and explained that one was poison and one was a

placebo and that whichever one Drebber took, he would take the other. Drebber's cries

for mercy did not avail him and he finally chose one of the pills. Fortunately for Hope,

Drebber chose the poison and died within minutes, his face contorted.

Hope had a bloody nose that he had not noticed while this was occurring, and to

mislead and tease the police he wrote RACHE on the wall with a finger dipped in blood.

He departed the house but was despondent to learn that somewhere along the way he

had dropped the beloved ring. When he returned and saw the police he pretended to be

drunk.

As for Stangerson, Hope climbed up a ladder into his room. He told Stangerson to

account for the deaths and put the same choice of pills to him. However, Stangerson

attacked Hope and the latter was forced to stab him in self-defense.

After the murders Hope continued to drive the cab for a few days. One day a young

street boy came up to him and told him a Sherlock Holmes requested his cab at 221B

Baker Street. Thinking nothing of this, Hope went to the address. That was the end of

his tale. It was told in such a fashion that all the listeners were left dumbstruck and silent

at its close.

Holmes finally asked who Hope's accomplice was who had come to pick up the ring, but

Hope smiled and said he would not get his friend into trouble. Holmes agreed with Hope

that the friend had behaved quite smartly. The conversation was finally ended when the

inspector said it was time to comply with the forms of the law and put Jefferson Hope

into prison. Holmes and Watson returned to Baker Street.

PART II: CHAPTER VII: THE CONCLUSION

Jefferson Hope's aneurism burst that evening; he was found in his cell, dead, with a

placid expression upon his face. After a few pensive moments following the news,

Holmes brightened and commenced explaining to Watson how he had put the pieces of

the case together and found the murderer within three days.

His skill centered upon being able to reason backwards rather than look at a chain of

events and predict what they would lead to. The latter was a common skill but reasoning

backwards was very rare and quite useful indeed. In this case Holmes put this strategy

to effect.

When Holmes first arrived at the murder scene he noted the marks of a cab and

deduced that it was there during the night. The footsteps in the yard revealed two men –

one that was very tall (because of the long stride) and one that was fashionably dressed

(because of the neat little boots). Inside, the well-dressed one was found dead. Holmes

smelled poison upon him and saw that his contorted face was a result of the poison.

This crime was not committed for robbery, so it must have been political or for a woman.

Political motivation was soon dropped, for "political assassins are glad to do their work

and then fly." This must have been a private matter, not a public one. The word in blood

on the wall was no doubt a blind. The ring of course answered the question, especially

when Holmes learned the man came back for it.

Looking around the room at the clues Holmes learned more about the murderer. After

he left he telephoned Cleveland and asked about a marriage of Enoch Drebber. He

learned that Drebber had once invoked the protection of the law against a Jefferson

Hope, a "rival in love" who was now in Europe as well. The man in the cab was no

doubt Jefferson Hope; being a cab driver was an excellent way to follow someone in

London.

Hope would not want to draw attention to himself by leaving his profession right away,

so he would continue to drive the cab for a few days. Holmes sent his street urchin gang

to every cab proprietor in London until he found the one Hope worked for. The murder

of Stangerson was unforeseen, but could hardly have been prevented. Through that he

came into contact with the pills.

Watson warmly lauded Holmes for his detective prowess and encouraged him to

publish an account of the case. Holmes told Watson he could do as he pleased and

handed him the paper. In it was a paragraph about the case they had just solved.

The paper lamented that the true facts of the case may never be known because of

Hope's death, but that "we are informed upon good authority that the crime was the

result of an old-standing and romantic feud, in which love and Mormonism bore a part."

It saidLestrade and Gregson were responsible for the capture, and that an amateur

named Sherlock Holmes helped and might someday "attain to some degree of their

skill."

Holmes laughed at that, and reminded Watson of when they started this whole affair he

had warned him of this –"that's the result of all our Study in Scarlet; to get them a

testimonial!" Watson told him that he had all of the facts in his journal and would make

them known to the public. In the meantime he should remember the Latin words of the

Roman miser that said "the public hiss at me, but I cheer myself when in my own house

I contemplate the coins in my strong-box."

CONCLUSION:

Holmes' success in solving crimes stems from his ability to analyze small pieces of

evidence and draw inferences from them. Adductive reasoning is a more accurate way

of describing what Holmes does, for it is a type of logical inference from guessing.

A Sherlock Holmes story usually begins with a display of Holmes’ amazing abilities.

Watson is astonished that Holmes knew that he came from Afghanistan and that the

man walking out in the street was a retired military man. He is even more astonished at

Holmes' actions at the crime scene; the latter comes up with a portrait of the killer and

enlightens the Scotland Yard detectives on several important components of the case.

At the end of the novel Holmes refers to his skills as reasoning backwards, not

forwards.