V.THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS

aps,that.AndyetthisJohnOpenshawseemstometobewalkingamidevengreaterperilsthandidtheSholtos.” “Buthaveyou,”Iasked,“formedanydefiniteconceptionastowhattheseperilsare?” “Therecanbenoquestionastotheirnature,”heanswered. “Thenwhatarethey?WhoisthisK.K.K.,andwhydoeshepursuethisunhappyfamily?” SherlockHolmesclosedhiseyesandplacedhiselbowsuponthearmsofhischair,withhisfinger-tipstogether.“Theidealreasoner,”heremarked,“would,whenhehadoncebeenshownasinglefactinallitsbearings,deducefromitnotonlyallthechainofeventswhichleduptoitbutalsoalltheresultswhichwouldfollowfromit.AsCuviercouldcorrectlydescribeawholeanimalbythecontemplationofasinglebone,sotheobserverwhohasthoroughlyunderstoodonelinkinaseriesofincidentsshouldbeabletoaccuratelystatealltheotherones,bothbeforeandafter.Wehavenotyetgraspedtheresultswhichthereasonalonecanattainto.Problemsmaybesolvedinthestudywhichhavebaffledallthosewhohavesoughtasolutionbytheaidoftheirsenses.Tocarrytheart,however,toitshighestpitch,itisnecessarythatthereasonershouldbeabletoutiliseallthefactswhichhavecometohisknowledgeandthisinitselfimplies,asyouwillreadilysee,apossessionofallknowledge,which,eveninthesedaysoffreeeducationandencyclop?dias,isasomewhatrareaccomplishment.Itisnotsoimpossible,however,thatamanshouldpossessallknowledgewhichislikelytobeusefultohiminhiswork,andthisIhaveendeavouredinmycasetodo.IfIrememberrightly,youononeoccasion,intheearlydaysofourfriendship,definedmylimitsinaveryprecisefashion.” “Yes,”Ianswered,laughing.“Itwasasingulardocument.Philosophy,astronomy,andpoliticsweremarkedatzero,Iremember.Botanyvariable,geologyprofoundasregardsthemud-stainsfromanyregionwithinfiftymilesoftown,chemistryeccentric,anatomyunsystematic,sensationalliteratureandcrimerecordsunique,violin-player,boxer,swordsman,lawyer,andself-poisonerbycocaineandtobacco.Those,Ithink,werethemainpointsofmyanalysis.” Holmesgrinnedatthelastitem.“Well,”hesaid,“Isaynow,asIsaidthen,thatamanshouldkeephislittlebrain-atticstockedwithallthefurniturethatheislikelytouse,andtheresthecanputawayinthelumber-roomofhislibrary,wherehecangetitifhewantsit.Now,forsuchacaseastheonewhichhasbeensubmittedtousto-night,weneedcertainlytomusterallourresources.KindlyhandmedowntheletterKoftheAmericanEncyclop?diawhichstandsupontheshelfbesideyou.Thankyou.Nowletusconsiderthesituationandseewhatmaybededucedfromit.Inthefirstplace,wemaystartwithastrongpresumptionthatColonelOpenshawhadsomeverystrongreasonforleavingAmerica.MenathistimeoflifedonotchangealltheirhabitsandexchangewillinglythecharmingclimateofFloridaforthelonelylifeofanEnglishprovincialtown.HisextremeloveofsolitudeinEnglandsuggeststheideathathewasinfearofsomeoneorsomething,sowemayassumeasaworkinghypothesisthatitwasfearofsomeoneorsomethingwhichdrovehimfromAmerica.Astowhatitwashefeared,wecanonlydeducethatbyconsideringtheformidableletterswhichwerereceivedbyhimselfandhissuccessors.Didyouremarkthepostmarksofthoseletters?” “ThefirstwasfromPondicherry,thesecondfromDundee,andthethirdfromLondon.” “FromEastLondon.Whatdoyoudeducefromthat?” “Theyareallseaports.Thatthewriterwasonboardofaship.” “Excellent.Wehavealreadyaclue.Therecanbenodoubtthattheprobability—thestrongprobability—isthatthewriterwasonboardofaship.Andnowletusconsideranotherpoint.InthecaseofPondicherry,sevenweekselapsedbetweenthethreatanditsfulfilment,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