II.THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE

Ihadcalleduponmyfriend,Mr.SherlockHolmes,onedayintheautumnoflastyearandfoundhimindeepconversationwithaverystout,florid-faced,elderlygentlemanwithfieryredhair.Withanapologyformyintrusion,IwasabouttowithdrawwhenHolmespulledmeabruptlyintotheroomandclosedthedoorbehindme. “Youcouldnotpossiblyhavecomeatabettertime,mydearWatson,”hesaidcordially. “Iwasafraidthatyouwereengaged.” “SoIam.Verymuchso.” “ThenIcanwaitinthenextroom.” “Notatall.Thisgentleman,Mr.Wilson,hasbeenmypartnerandhelperinmanyofmymostsuccessfulcases,andIhavenodoubtthathewillbeoftheutmostusetomeinyoursalso.” Thestoutgentlemanhalfrosefromhischairandgaveabobofgreeting,withaquicklittlequestioningglancefromhissmallfat-encircledeyes. “Trythesettee,”saidHolmes,relapsingintohisarmchairandputtinghisfingertipstogether,aswashiscustomwheninjudicialmoods.“Iknow,mydearWatson,thatyousharemyloveofallthatisbizarreandoutsidetheconventionsandhumdrumroutineofeverydaylife.Youhaveshownyourrelishforitbytheenthusiasmwhichhaspromptedyoutochronicle,and,ifyouwillexcusemysayingso,somewhattoembellishsomanyofmyownlittleadventures.” “Yourcaseshaveindeedbeenofthegreatestinteresttome,”Iobserved. “YouwillrememberthatIremarkedtheotherday,justbeforewewentintotheverysimpleproblempresentedbyMissMarySutherland,thatforstrangeeffectsandextraordinarycombinationswemustgotolifeitself,whichisalwaysfarmoredaringthananyeffortoftheimagination.” “ApropositionwhichItookthelibertyofdoubting.” “Youdid,Doctor,butnonethelessyoumustcomeroundtomyview,forotherwiseIshallkeeponpilingfactuponfactonyouuntilyourreasonbreaksdownunderthemandacknowledgesmetoberight.Now,Mr.JabezWilsonherehasbeengoodenoughtocalluponmethismorning,andtobeginanarrativewhichpromisestobeoneofthemostsingularwhichIhavelistenedtoforsometime.Youhaveheardmeremarkthatthestrangestandmostuniquethingsareveryoftenconnectednotwiththelargerbutwiththesmallercrimes,andoccasionally,indeed,wherethereisroomfordoubtwhetheranypositivecrimehasbeencommitted.AsfarasIhaveheard,itisimpossibleformetosaywhetherthepresentcaseisaninstanceofcrimeornot,butthecourseofeventsiscertainlyamongthemostsingularthatIhaveeverlistenedto.Perhaps,Mr.Wilson,youwouldhavethegreatkindnesstorecommenceyournarrative.IaskyounotmerelybecausemyfriendDr.Watsonhasnotheardtheopeningpartbutalsobecausethepeculiarnatureofthestorymakesmeanxioustohaveeverypossibledetailfromyourlips.Asarule,whenIhaveheardsomeslightindicationofthecourseofevents,Iamabletoguidemyselfbythethousandsofothersimilarcaseswhichoccurtomymemory.InthepresentinstanceIamforcedtoadmitthatthefactsare,tothebestofmybelief,unique.” Theportlyclientpuffedouthischestwithanappearanceofsomelittleprideandpulledadirtyandwrinklednewspaperfromtheinsidepocketofhisgreatcoat.Asheglanceddowntheadvertisementcolumn,withhisheadthrustforwardandthepaperflattenedoutuponhisknee,Itookagoodlookatthemanandendeavoured,afterthefashionofmycompanion,toreadtheindicationswhichmightbepresentedbyhisdressorappearance. Ididnotgainverymuch,however,bymyinspection.OurvisitorboreeverymarkofbeinganaveragecommonplaceBritishtradesman,obese,pompous,andslow.Heworeratherbaggygreyshepherd’schecktrousers,anotover-cleanblackfrock-coat,unbuttonedinthefront,andadrabwaistcoatwithaheavybrassyAlbertchain,andasquarepiercedbitofmetaldanglingdownasanornament.Afrayedtop-hatandafadedbrownovercoatwithawrinkledvelvetcollarlayuponachairbesidehim.Altogether,lookasIwould,therewasnothingremarkableaboutthemansavehisblazingredhead,andtheexpressionofextremechagrinanddiscontentuponhisfeatures. SherlockHolmes’quickeyetookinmyoccupation,andheshookhisheadwithasmileashenoticedmyquestioningglances.“Beyondtheobviousfactsthathehasatsometimedonemanuallabour,thathetakessnuff,thatheisaFreemason,thathehasbeeninChina,andthathehasdoneaconsiderableamountofwritinglately,Icandeducenothingelse.” Mr.JabezWilsonstartedupinhischair,withhisforefingeruponthepaper,buthiseyesuponmycompanion. “How,inthenameofgood-fortune,didyouknowallthat,Mr.Holmes?”heasked.“Howdidyouknow,forexample,thatIdidmanuallabour.It’sastrueasgospel,forIbeganasaship’scarpenter.” “Yourhands,mydearsir.Yourrighthandisquiteasizelargerthanyourleft.Youhaveworkedwithit,andthemusclesaremoredeveloped.” “Well,thesnuff,then,andtheFreemasonry?” “Iwon’tinsultyourintelligencebytellingyouhowIreadthat,especiallyas,ratheragainstthestrictrulesofyourorder,youuseanarc-and-compassbreastpin.” “Ah,ofcourse,Iforgotthat.Butthewriting?” “Whatelsecanbeindicatedbythatrightcuffsoveryshinyforfiveinches,andtheleftonewiththesmoothpatchneartheelbowwhereyourestituponthedesk?” “Well,butChina?” “ThefishthatyouhavetattooedimmediatelyaboveyourrightwristcouldonlyhavebeendoneinChina.Ihavemadeasmallstudyoftattoomarksandhaveevencontributedtotheliteratureofthesubject.Thattrickofstainingthefishes’scalesofadelicatepinkisquitepeculiartoChina.When,inaddition,IseeaChinesecoinhangingfromyourwatch-chain,thematterbecomesevenmoresimple.” Mr.JabezWilsonlaughedheavily.“Well,Inever!”saidhe.“Ithoughtatfirstthatyouhaddonesomethingclever,butIseethattherewasnothinginitafterall.” “Ibegintothink,Watson,”saidHolmes,“thatImakeamistakeinexplaining.‘Omneignotumpromagnifico,’youknow,andmypoorlittlereputation,suchasitis,willsuffershipwreckifIamsocandid.Canyounotfindtheadvertisement,Mr.Wilson?” “Yes,Ihavegotitnow,”heansweredwithhisthickredfingerplantedhalfwaydownthecolumn.“Hereitis.Thisiswhatbeganitall.Youjustreaditforyourself,sir.” Itookthepaperfromhimandreadasfollows: “TOTHERED-HEADEDLEAGUE:OnaccountofthebequestofthelateEzekiahHopkins,ofLebanon,Pennsylvania,U.S.A.,thereisnowanothervacancyopenwhichentitlesamemberoftheLeaguetoasalaryof￡4aweekforpurelynominalservices.Allred-headedmenwhoaresoundinbodyandmindandabovetheageoftwenty-oneyears,areeligible.ApplyinpersononMonday,ateleveno’clock,toDuncanRoss,attheofficesoftheLeague,7Pope’sCourt,FleetStreet.” “Whatonearthdoesthismean?”IejaculatedafterIhadtwicereadovertheextraordinaryannouncement. Holmeschuckledandwriggledinhischair,aswashishabitwheninhighspirits.“Itisalittleoffthebeatentrack,isn’tit?”saidhe.“Andnow,Mr.Wilson,offyougoatscratchandtellusallaboutyourself,yourhousehold,andtheeffectwhichthisadvertisementhaduponyourfortunes.Youwillfirstmakeanote,Doctor,ofthepaperandthedate.” “ItisTheMorningChronicleofApril27,1890.Justtwomonthsago.” “Verygood.Now,Mr.Wilson?” “Well,itisjustasIhavebeentellingyou,Mr.SherlockHolmes,”saidJabezWilson,moppinghisforehead“Ihaveasmallpawnbroker’sbusinessatCoburgSquare,neartheCity.It’snotaverylargeaffair,andoflateyearsithasnotdonemorethanjustgivemealiving.Iusedtobeabletokeeptwoassistants,butnowIonlykeeponeandIwouldhaveajobtopayhimbutthatheiswillingtocomeforhalfwagessoastolearnthebusiness.” “Whatisthenameofthisobligingyouth?”askedSherlockHolmes. “HisnameisVincentSpaulding,andhe’snotsuchayouth,either.It’shardtosayhisage.Ishouldnotwishasmarterassistant,Mr.HolmesandIknowverywellthathecouldbetterhimselfandearntwicewhatIamabletogivehim.But,afterall,ifheissatisfied,whyshouldIputideasinhishead?” “Why,indeed?Youseemmostfortunateinhavinganemployéwhocomesunderthefullmarketprice.Itisnotacommonexperienceamongemployersinthisage.Idon’tknowthatyourassistantisnotasremarkableasyouradvertisement.” “Oh,hehashisfaults,too,”saidMr.Wilson.“Neverwassuchafellowforphotography.Snappingawaywithacamerawhenheoughttobeimprovinghismind,andthendivingdownintothecellarlikearabbitintoitsholetodevelophispictures.Thatishismainfault,butonthewholehe’sagoodworker.There’snoviceinhim.” “Heisstillwithyou,Ipresume?” “Yes,sir.Heandagirloffourteen,whodoesabitofsimplecookingandkeepstheplaceclean—that’sallIhaveinthehouse,forIamawidowerandneverhadanyfamily.Weliveveryquietly,sir,thethreeofusandwekeeparoofoverourheadsandpayourdebts,ifwedonothingmore. “Thefirstthingthatputusoutwasthatadvertisement.Spaulding,hecamedownintotheofficejustthisdayeightweeks,withthisverypaperinhishand,andhesays: “‘IwishtotheLord,Mr.Wilson,thatIwasared-headedman.’ “‘Whythat?’Iasks. “‘Why,’sayshe,‘here’sanothervacancyontheLeagueoftheRed-headedMen.It’sworthquitealittlefortunetoanymanwhogetsit,andIunderstandthattherearemorevacanciesthantherearemen,sothatthetrusteesareattheirwi