His Last Bow
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Preface
The friends of Mr. Sherlock Holmes will be glad to learn that he is still aliveand well, though somewhat crippled by occasional attacks of rheumatism. Hehas, for many years, lived in a small farm upon the Downs five miles fromEastbourne, where his time is divided between philosophy and agriculture.During this period of rest he has refused the most princely offers to take upvarious cases, having determined that his retirement was a permanent one. Theapproach of the German war caused him, however, to lay his remarkablecombination of intellectual and practical activity at the disposal of theGovernment, with historical results which are recounted in His Last Bow.Several previous experiences which have lain long in my portfolio have beenadded to His Last Bow so as to complete the volume.
John H. Watson, M.D.
Contents
The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge
| The Singular Experience of Mr. John Scott Eccles |
| The Tiger of San Pedro |
1. The Singular Experience of Mr. John ScottEccles
I find it recorded in my notebook that it was a bleak and windy day towards theend of March in the year 1892. Holmes had received a telegram while we sat atour lunch, and he had scribbled a reply. He made no remark, but the matterremained in his thoughts, for he stood in front of the fire afterwards with athoughtful face, smoking his pipe, and casting an occasional glance at themessage. Suddenly he turned upon me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
“I suppose, Watson, we must look upon you as a man of letters,”said he. “How do you define the word ‘grotesque’?”
“Strange—remarkable,” I suggested.
He shook his head at my definition.
“There is surely something more than that,” said he; “someunderlying suggestion of the tragic and the terrible. If you cast your mindback to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted a long-sufferingpublic, you will recognise how often the grotesque has deepened into thecriminal. Think of that little affair of the red-headed men. That was grotesqueenough in the outset, and yet it ended in a desperate attempt at robbery. Or,again, there was that most grotesque affair of the five orange pips, which ledstraight to a murderous conspiracy. The word puts me on the alert.”
“Have you it there?” I asked.
He read the telegram aloud.
“Have just had most incredible and grotesque experience. May I consultyou?<