Chapter	O
1	O
.	O

Mr.	O
Sherlock	O
Holmes	O
Mr.	O
Sherlock	O
Holmes	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
usually	O
very	O
late	O
in	O
the	O
mornings	O
,	O
save	O
upon	O
those	O
not	O
infrequent	O
occasions	O
when	O
he	O
was	O
up	O
all	O
night	O
,	O
was	O
seated	O
at	O
the	O
breakfast	O
table	O
.	O

I	O
stood	O
upon	O
the	O
hearth-rug	O
and	O
picked	EVENT
up	O
the	O
stick	O
which	O
our	O
visitor	O
had	O
left	EVENT
behind	O
him	O
the	O
night	O
before	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
a	O
fine	O
,	O
thick	O
piece	O
of	O
wood	O
,	O
bulbous-headed	O
,	O
of	O
the	O
sort	O
which	O
is	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
“	O
Penang	O
lawyer	O
.	O
”	O

Just	O
under	O
the	O
head	O
was	O
a	O
broad	O
silver	O
band	O
nearly	O
an	O
inch	O
across	O
.	O

“	O
To	O
James	O
Mortimer	O
,	O
M.R.C.S.	O
,	O
from	O
his	O
friends	O
of	O
the	O
C.C.H.	O
,	O
”	O
was	O
engraved	O
upon	O
it	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
date	O
“	O
1884	O
.	O
”	O

It	O
was	O
just	O
such	O
a	O
stick	O
as	O
the	O
old-fashioned	O
family	O
practitioner	O
used	O
to	O
carry	O
--	O
dignified	O
,	O
solid	O
,	O
and	O
reassuring	O
.	O

“	O
Well	O
,	O
Watson	O
,	O
what	O
do	O
you	O
make	O
of	O
it	O
?	O
”	O

Holmes	O
was	O
sitting	O
with	O
his	O
back	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
had	O
given	O
him	O
no	O
sign	O
of	O
my	O
occupation	EVENT
.	O

“	O
How	O
did	O
you	O
know	O
what	O
I	O
was	O
doing	O
?	O

I	O
believe	O
you	O
have	O
eyes	O
in	O
the	O
back	O
of	O
your	O
head	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
have	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
,	O
a	O
well-polished	O
,	O
silver-plated	O
coffee-pot	O
in	O
front	O
of	O
me	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
he	O
.	O

“	O
But	O
,	O
tell	O
me	O
,	O
Watson	O
,	O
what	O
do	O
you	O
make	O
of	O
our	O
visitor	O
’s	O
stick	O
?	O

Since	O
we	O
have	O
been	O
so	O
unfortunate	O
as	O
to	O
miss	EVENT
him	O
and	O
have	O
no	O
notion	O
of	O
his	O
errand	EVENT
,	O
this	O
accidental	O
souvenir	O
becomes	EVENT
of	O
importance	O
.	O

Let	O
me	O
hear	O
you	O
reconstruct	O
the	O
man	O
by	O
an	O
examination	O
of	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
think	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
I	O
,	O
following	EVENT
as	O
far	O
as	O
I	O
could	O
the	O
methods	O
of	O
my	O
companion	O
,	O
“	O
that	O
Dr.	O
Mortimer	O
is	O
a	O
successful	O
,	O
elderly	O
medical	O
man	O
,	O
well-esteemed	O
since	O
those	O
who	O
know	O
him	O
give	O
him	O
this	O
mark	O
of	O
their	O
appreciation	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Good	O
!	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Holmes	O
.	O

“	O
Excellent	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
think	O
also	O
that	O
the	O
probability	O
is	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
his	O
being	O
a	O
country	O
practitioner	O
who	O
does	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
of	O
his	O
visiting	O
on	O
foot	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Why	O
so	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
Because	O
this	O
stick	O
,	O
though	O
originally	O
a	O
very	O
handsome	O
one	O
has	O
been	O
so	O
knocked	O
about	O
that	O
I	O
can	O
hardly	O
imagine	O
a	O
town	O
practitioner	O
carrying	O
it	O
.	O

The	O
thick-iron	O
ferrule	O
is	O
worn	O
down	O
,	O
so	O
it	O
is	O
evident	O
that	O
he	O
has	O
done	O
a	O
great	O
amount	O
of	O
walking	O
with	O
it	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Perfectly	O
sound	O
!	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Holmes	O
.	O

“	O
And	O
then	O
again	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
the	O
‘	O
friends	O
of	O
the	O
C.C.H.	O
’	O
I	O
should	O
guess	O
that	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
Something	O
Hunt	O
,	O
the	O
local	O
hunt	O
to	O
whose	O
members	O
he	O
has	O
possibly	O
given	O
some	O
surgical	O
assistance	O
,	O
and	O
which	O
has	O
made	O
him	O
a	O
small	O
presentation	O
in	O
return	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Really	O
,	O
Watson	O
,	O
you	O
excel	EVENT
yourself	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Holmes	O
,	O
pushing	EVENT
back	O
his	O
chair	O
and	O
lighting	EVENT
a	O
cigarette	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
am	O
bound	O
to	O
say	EVENT
that	O
in	O
all	O
the	O
accounts	O
which	O
you	O
have	O
been	O
so	O
good	O
as	O
to	O
give	O
of	O
my	O
own	O
small	O
achievements	O
you	O
have	O
habitually	O
underrated	O
your	O
own	O
abilities	O
.	O

It	O
may	O
be	O
that	O
you	O
are	O
not	O
yourself	O
luminous	O
,	O
but	O
you	O
are	O
a	O
conductor	O
of	O
light	O
.	O

Some	O
people	O
without	O
possessing	O
genius	O
have	O
a	O
remarkable	O
power	O
of	O
stimulating	O
it	O
.	O

I	O
confess	EVENT
,	O
my	O
dear	O
fellow	O
,	O
that	O
I	O
am	O
very	O
much	O
in	O
your	O
debt	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
had	O
never	O
said	O
as	O
much	O
before	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
must	O
admit	EVENT
that	O
his	O
words	EVENT
gave	O
me	O
keen	O
pleasure	EVENT
,	O
for	O
I	O
had	O
often	O
been	O
piqued	O
by	O
his	O
indifference	O
to	O
my	O
admiration	O
and	O
to	O
the	O
attempts	O
which	O
I	O
had	O
made	O
to	O
give	O
publicity	O
to	O
his	O
methods	O
.	O

I	O
was	O
proud	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
to	O
think	O
that	O
I	O
had	O
so	O
far	O
mastered	EVENT
his	O
system	O
as	O
to	O
apply	EVENT
it	O
in	O
a	O
way	O
which	O
earned	EVENT
his	O
approval	O
.	O

He	O
now	O
took	EVENT
the	O
stick	O
from	O
my	O
hands	O
and	O
examined	EVENT
it	O
for	O
a	O
few	O
minutes	O
with	O
his	O
naked	O
eyes	O
.	O

Then	O
with	O
an	O
expression	EVENT
of	O
interest	O
he	O
laid	EVENT
down	O
his	O
cigarette	O
,	O
and	O
carrying	EVENT
the	O
cane	O
to	O
the	O
window	O
,	O
he	O
looked	EVENT
over	O
it	O
again	O
with	O
a	O
convex	O
lens	O
.	O

“	O
Interesting	O
,	O
though	O
elementary	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
he	O
as	O
he	O
returned	EVENT
to	O
his	O
favourite	O
corner	O
of	O
the	O
settee	O
.	O

“	O
There	O
are	O
certainly	O
one	O
or	O
two	O
indications	O
upon	O
the	O
stick	O
.	O

It	O
gives	O
us	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
several	O
deductions	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Has	O
anything	O
escaped	O
me	O
?	O
”	O

I	O
asked	EVENT
with	O
some	O
self-importance	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
trust	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
nothing	O
of	O
consequence	O
which	O
I	O
have	O
overlooked	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
am	O
afraid	O
,	O
my	O
dear	O
Watson	O
,	O
that	O
most	O
of	O
your	O
conclusions	EVENT
were	O
erroneous	O
.	O

When	O
I	O
said	EVENT
that	O
you	O
stimulated	O
me	O
I	O
meant	EVENT
,	O
to	O
be	O
frank	O
,	O
that	O
in	O
noting	O
your	O
fallacies	O
I	O
was	O
occasionally	O
guided	O
towards	O
the	O
truth	O
.	O

Not	O
that	O
you	O
are	O
entirely	O
wrong	O
in	O
this	O
instance	O
.	O

The	O
man	O
is	O
certainly	O
a	O
country	O
practitioner	O
.	O

And	O
he	O
walks	O
a	O
good	O
deal	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Then	O
I	O
was	O
right	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
To	O
that	O
extent	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
But	O
that	O
was	O
all	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
No	O
,	O
no	O
,	O
my	O
dear	O
Watson	O
,	O
not	O
all	O
--	O
by	O
no	O
means	O
all	O
.	O

I	O
would	O
suggest	EVENT
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
that	O
a	O
presentation	O
to	O
a	O
doctor	O
is	O
more	O
likely	O
to	O
come	O
from	O
a	O
hospital	O
than	O
from	O
a	O
hunt	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
when	O
the	O
initials	O
‘	O
C.C.	O
’	O
are	O
placed	O
before	O
that	O
hospital	O
the	O
words	O
‘	O
Charing	O
Cross	O
’	O
very	O
naturally	O
suggest	O
themselves	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
You	O
may	O
be	O
right	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
The	O
probability	O
lies	O
in	O
that	O
direction	O
.	O

And	O
if	O
we	O
take	O
this	O
as	O
a	O
working	O
hypothesis	O
we	O
have	O
a	O
fresh	O
basis	O
from	O
which	O
to	O
start	O
our	O
construction	O
of	O
this	O
unknown	O
visitor	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Well	O
,	O
then	O
,	O
supposing	EVENT
that	O
‘	O
C.C.H.	O
’	O
does	O
stand	O
for	O
‘	O
Charing	O
Cross	O
Hospital	O
,	O
’	O
what	O
further	O
inferences	O
may	O
we	O
draw	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
Do	O
none	O
suggest	O
themselves	O
?	O

You	O
know	O
my	O
methods	O
.	O

Apply	O
them	O
!	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
can	O
only	O
think	EVENT
of	O
the	O
obvious	O
conclusion	EVENT
that	O
the	O
man	O
has	O
practised	O
in	O
town	O
before	O
going	EVENT
to	O
the	O
country	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
I	O
think	O
that	O
we	O
might	O
venture	O
a	O
little	O
farther	O
than	O
this	O
.	O

Look	O
at	O
it	O
in	O
this	O
light	O
.	O

On	O
what	O
occasion	O
would	O
it	O
be	O
most	O
probable	O
that	O
such	O
a	O
presentation	O
would	O
be	O
made	O
?	O

When	O
would	O
his	O
friends	O
unite	O
to	O
give	O
him	O
a	O
pledge	O
of	O
their	O
good	O
will	O
?	O

Obviously	O
at	O
the	O
moment	O
when	O
Dr.	O
Mortimer	O
withdrew	EVENT
from	O
the	O
service	O
of	O
the	O
hospital	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
start	O
a	O
practice	O
for	O
himself	O
.	O

We	O
know	O
there	O
has	O
been	O
a	O
presentation	EVENT
.	O

We	O
believe	O
there	O
has	O
been	O
a	O
change	O
from	O
a	O
town	O
hospital	O
to	O
a	O
country	O
practice	O
.	O

Is	O
it	O
,	O
then	O
,	O
stretching	EVENT
our	O
inference	EVENT
too	O
far	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
the	O
presentation	EVENT
was	O
on	O
the	O
occasion	O
of	O
the	O
change	EVENT
?	O
”	O

“	O
It	O
certainly	O
seems	O
probable	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Now	O
,	O
you	O
will	O
observe	O
that	O
he	O
could	O
not	O
have	O
been	O
on	O
the	O
staff	O
of	O
the	O
hospital	O
,	O
since	O
only	O
a	O
man	O
well-established	O
in	O
a	O
London	O
practice	O
could	O
hold	O
such	O
a	O
position	O
,	O
and	O
such	O
a	O
one	O
would	O
not	O
drift	O
into	O
the	O
country	O
.	O

What	O
was	O
he	O
,	O
then	O
?	O

If	O
he	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
hospital	O
and	O
yet	O
not	O
on	O
the	O
staff	O
he	O
could	O
only	O
have	O
been	O
a	O
house-surgeon	O
or	O
a	O
house-physician	O
--	O
little	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
senior	O
student	O
.	O

And	O
he	O
left	EVENT
five	O
years	O
ago	O
--	O
the	O
date	O
is	O
on	O
the	O
stick	O
.	O

So	O
your	O
grave	O
,	O
middle-aged	O
family	O
practitioner	O
vanishes	EVENT
into	O
thin	O
air	O
,	O
my	O
dear	O
Watson	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
emerges	EVENT
a	O
young	O
fellow	O
under	O
thirty	O
,	O
amiable	O
,	O
unambitious	O
,	O
absent-minded	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
possessor	O
of	O
a	O
favourite	O
dog	O
,	O
which	O
I	O
should	O
describe	O
roughly	O
as	O
being	O
larger	O
than	O
a	O
terrier	O
and	O
smaller	O
than	O
a	O
mastiff	O
.	O
”	O

I	O
laughed	EVENT
incredulously	O
as	O
Sherlock	O
Holmes	O
leaned	EVENT
back	O
in	O
his	O
settee	O
and	O
blew	EVENT
little	O
wavering	O
rings	O
of	O
smoke	EVENT
up	O
to	O
the	O
ceiling	O
.	O

“	O
As	O
to	O
the	O
latter	O
part	O
,	O
I	O
have	O
no	O
means	O
of	O
checking	O
you	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
I	O
,	O
“	O
but	O
at	O
least	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
difficult	O
to	O
find	O
out	O
a	O
few	O
particulars	O
about	O
the	O
man	O
’s	O
age	O
and	O
professional	O
career	O
.	O
”	O

From	O
my	O
small	O
medical	O
shelf	O
I	O
took	EVENT
down	O
the	O
Medical	O
Directory	O
and	O
turned	EVENT
up	O
the	O
name	O
.	O

There	O
were	O
several	O
Mortimers	O
,	O
but	O
only	O
one	O
who	O
could	O
be	O
our	O
visitor	O
.	O

I	O
read	EVENT
his	O
record	O
aloud	O
.	O

“	O
Mortimer	O
,	O
James	O
,	O
M.R.C.S.	O
,	O
1882	O
,	O
Grimpen	O
,	O
Dartmoor	O
,	O
Devon	O
.	O

House-surgeon	O
,	O
from	O
1882	O
to	O
1884	O
,	O
at	O
Charing	O
Cross	O
Hospital	O
.	O

Winner	O
of	O
the	O
Jackson	O
prize	O
for	O
Comparative	O
Pathology	O
,	O
with	O
essay	O
entitled	O
‘	O
Is	O
Disease	O
a	O
Reversion	O
?	O
’	O

Corresponding	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Swedish	O
Pathological	O
Society	O
.	O

Author	O
of	O
‘	O
Some	O
Freaks	O
of	O
Atavism	O
’	O
(	O
Lancet	O
1882	O
)	O
.	O

‘	O
Do	O
We	O
Progress	O
?	O
’	O

(	O
Journal	O
of	O
Psychology	O
,	O
March	O
,	O
1883	O
)	O
.	O

Medical	O
Officer	O
for	O
the	O
parishes	O
of	O
Grimpen	O
,	O
Thorsley	O
,	O
and	O
High	O
Barrow	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
No	O
mention	O
of	O
that	O
local	O
hunt	O
,	O
Watson	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
Holmes	O
with	O
a	O
mischievous	O
smile	EVENT
,	O
“	O
but	O
a	O
country	O
doctor	O
,	O
as	O
you	O
very	O
astutely	O
observed	EVENT
.	O

I	O
think	O
that	O
I	O
am	O
fairly	O
justified	O
in	O
my	O
inferences	EVENT
.	O

As	O
to	O
the	O
adjectives	O
,	O
I	O
said	EVENT
,	O
if	O
I	O
remember	O
right	O
,	O
amiable	O
,	O
unambitious	O
,	O
and	O
absent-minded	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
my	O
experience	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
only	O
an	O
amiable	O
man	O
in	O
this	O
world	O
who	O
receives	O
testimonials	O
,	O
only	O
an	O
unambitious	O
one	O
who	O
abandons	O
a	O
London	O
career	O
for	O
the	O
country	O
,	O
and	O
only	O
an	O
absent-minded	O
one	O
who	O
leaves	O
his	O
stick	O
and	O
not	O
his	O
visiting-card	O
after	O
waiting	O
an	O
hour	O
in	O
your	O
room	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
And	O
the	O
dog	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
Has	O
been	O
in	O
the	O
habit	O
of	O
carrying	O
this	O
stick	O
behind	O
his	O
master	O
.	O

Being	O
a	O
heavy	O
stick	O
the	O
dog	O
has	O
held	O
it	O
tightly	O
by	O
the	O
middle	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
marks	O
of	O
his	O
teeth	O
are	O
very	O
plainly	O
visible	O
.	O

The	O
dog	O
’s	O
jaw	O
,	O
as	O
shown	O
in	O
the	O
space	O
between	O
these	O
marks	O
,	O
is	O
too	O
broad	O
in	O
my	O
opinion	O
for	O
a	O
terrier	O
and	O
not	O
broad	O
enough	O
for	O
a	O
mastiff	O
.	O

It	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
--	O
yes	O
,	O
by	O
Jove	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
curly-haired	O
spaniel	O
.	O
”	O

He	O
had	O
risen	EVENT
and	O
paced	EVENT
the	O
room	O
as	O
he	O
spoke	EVENT
.	O

Now	O
he	O
halted	EVENT
in	O
the	O
recess	O
of	O
the	O
window	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
such	O
a	O
ring	O
of	O
conviction	O
in	O
his	O
voice	O
that	O
I	O
glanced	EVENT
up	O
in	O
surprise	EVENT
.	O

“	O
My	O
dear	O
fellow	O
,	O
how	O
can	O
you	O
possibly	O
be	O
so	O
sure	O
of	O
that	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
For	O
the	O
very	O
simple	O
reason	O
that	O
I	O
see	EVENT
the	O
dog	O
himself	O
on	O
our	O
very	O
door-step	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
is	O
the	O
ring	EVENT
of	O
its	O
owner	O
.	O

Do	O
n’t	O
move	O
,	O
I	O
beg	EVENT
you	O
,	O
Watson	O
.	O

He	O
is	O
a	O
professional	O
brother	O
of	O
yours	O
,	O
and	O
your	O
presence	O
may	O
be	O
of	O
assistance	O
to	O
me	O
.	O

Now	O
is	O
the	O
dramatic	O
moment	O
of	O
fate	O
,	O
Watson	O
,	O
when	O
you	O
hear	O
a	O
step	O
upon	O
the	O
stair	O
which	O
is	O
walking	O
into	O
your	O
life	O
,	O
and	O
you	O
know	O
not	O
whether	O
for	O
good	O
or	O
ill	O
.	O

What	O
does	O
Dr.	O
James	O
Mortimer	O
,	O
the	O
man	O
of	O
science	O
,	O
ask	O
of	O
Sherlock	O
Holmes	O
,	O
the	O
specialist	O
in	O
crime	O
?	O

Come	O
in	O
!	O
”	O

The	O
appearance	EVENT
of	O
our	O
visitor	O
was	O
a	O
surprise	EVENT
to	O
me	O
,	O
since	O
I	O
had	O
expected	O
a	O
typical	O
country	O
practitioner	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
a	O
very	O
tall	O
,	O
thin	O
man	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
long	O
nose	O
like	O
a	O
beak	O
,	O
which	O
jutted	O
out	O
between	O
two	O
keen	O
,	O
gray	O
eyes	O
,	O
set	O
closely	O
together	O
and	O
sparkling	O
brightly	O
from	O
behind	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
gold-rimmed	O
glasses	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
clad	O
in	O
a	O
professional	O
but	O
rather	O
slovenly	O
fashion	O
,	O
for	O
his	O
frock-coat	O
was	O
dingy	O
and	O
his	O
trousers	O
frayed	O
.	O

Though	O
young	O
,	O
his	O
long	O
back	O
was	O
already	O
bowed	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
walked	EVENT
with	O
a	O
forward	O
thrust	EVENT
of	O
his	O
head	O
and	O
a	O
general	O
air	O
of	O
peering	O
benevolence	O
.	O

As	O
he	O
entered	EVENT
his	O
eyes	O
fell	EVENT
upon	O
the	O
stick	O
in	O
Holmes	O
’s	O
hand	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
ran	EVENT
towards	O
it	O
with	O
an	O
exclamation	EVENT
of	O
joy	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
am	O
so	O
very	O
glad	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
he	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
was	O
not	O
sure	O
whether	O
I	O
had	O
left	O
it	O
here	O
or	O
in	O
the	O
Shipping	O
Office	O
.	O

I	O
would	O
not	O
lose	O
that	O
stick	O
for	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
”	O