Five Orange Pips Meaning Forex

The Five Orange Pips Quando eu olho minhas notas e registros dos casos de Sherlock Holmes entre os anos 82 e 90, eu me deparo com tantos que apresentam características estranhas e interessantes que não é fácil saber qual escolher e qual a sair. Alguns, no entanto, já ganharam publicidade através dos jornais, e outros não ofereceram um campo para as qualidades peculiares que meu amigo possuía em um grau tão alto e que é o objeto desses artigos ilustrar. Alguns, também, desconcertaram sua habilidade analítica e seriam, como narrativas, inícios sem um final, enquanto outros já foram parcialmente esclarecidos, e suas explicações foram fundadas sobre conjecturas e surpresas do que com essa prova lógica absoluta que foi tão Querido por ele. Há, no entanto, um desses últimos que foi tão notável em seus detalhes e tão surpreendente em seus resultados que eu estou tentado a dar uma conta disso apesar do fato de que existem pontos em conexão com isso que nunca foram, E provavelmente nunca será, totalmente esclarecido. O ano 87 nos forneceu uma longa série de casos de maior ou menor interesse, dos quais reter os registros. Entre as minhas rubricas no prazo de doze meses, encontro um relato da aventura da Câmara Paradol, da Sociedade Mendicante Amadora, que detinha um luxuoso clube no cofre inferior de um armazém de móveis, dos fatos relacionados à perda dos britânicos Castigar Sophy Anderson. Das aventuras singulares do Grice Patersons na ilha de Uffa e, finalmente, do caso de intoxicação de Camberwell. No último, como pode ser lembrado, Sherlock Holmes conseguiu, ao liquidar o relógio do homem morto, provar que tinha sido liquidado duas horas antes, e que, portanto, o falecido tinha ido dormir naquele tempo - uma dedução Que foi da maior importância para esclarecer o caso. Tudo isso que eu posso esboçar em uma data futura, mas nenhum deles apresenta características tão singulares quanto a estranha série de circunstâncias que agora peguei na minha caneta para descrever. Foi nos últimos dias de setembro, e os distúrbios equinocciais se estabeleceram com violência excepcional. Durante todo o dia, o vento tinha gritado e a chuva batia contra as janelas, de modo que, mesmo aqui, no coração do grande Londres feito à mão, fomos forçados a levantar a mente para o instante da rotina da vida e a reconhecer a presença de Aquelas grandes forças elementais que gritam na humanidade através das barras de sua civilização, como bestas indomadas em uma gaiola. Quando a noite entrou, a tempestade cresceu cada vez mais alto, e o vento chorou e soluçou como uma criança na chaminé. Sherlock Holmes sentou-se humildemente em um lado da lareira, cruzando seus registros de crime, enquanto eu no outro estava profundamente em uma das famosas histórias do mar de Clark Russell até que o uivo do vendaval de fora pareciam se misturar com o texto, E o chapelão da chuva para prolongar-se nas longas ondulações das ondas do mar. Minha esposa estava de visita a suas mães, e por alguns dias eu era morador mais uma vez em meus bairros antigos na Baker Street. Por que, disse eu, olhando para o meu companheiro, era certamente o sino. Quem poderia vir hoje a noite, algum amigo seu, talvez, exceto você, eu não tenho nenhum, ele respondeu. Não incentivo os visitantes. Se assim for, é um caso grave. Nada menos traria um homem para fora em tal dia e em tal hora. Mas acho que é mais provável que seja um amigo dos landladys. Sherlock Holmes estava errado em sua conjectura, no entanto, havia um passo na passagem e uma batida na porta. Ele esticou o braço longo para afastar a lâmpada de si e para a cadeira vazia sobre a qual um recém-chegado deve se sentar. Entre, disse ele. O homem que entrou era jovem, dois e vinte no exterior, bem vestido e vestido, com um pouco de refinamento e delicadeza em seu porte. O guarda-chuva que ele segurava em sua mão e sua longa e imperturbável impermeável contaram o clima feroz pelo qual ele havia vindo. Ele olhou por ele ansiosamente no brilho da lâmpada, e pude ver que seu rosto estava pálido e seus olhos pesados, como os de um homem pesado com uma grande ansiedade. Devo-lhe um pedido de desculpas, disse ele, levantando o olhar dourado de pince-nez. Eu confio que não estou entrando. Temo que traga alguns traços da tempestade e choque na sua câmara confortável. Me dê seu casaco e guarda-chuva, disse Holmes. Eles podem descansar aqui no gancho e estarão secos atualmente. Você veio do sudoeste, eu vejo. Sim, de Horsham. Essa mistura de argila e giz que eu vejo em cima de seus toe caps é bastante distinta. Eu venho para o conselho. Isso é fácil. Isso nem sempre é tão fácil. Ouvi falar de você, Sr. Holmes. Ouvi do Major Prendergast como você o salvou no escândalo do Tankerville Club. Ah, claro. Ele foi injustamente acusado de trapaça em cartas. Ele disse que você poderia resolver qualquer coisa. Ele disse demais. Que você nunca seja espancado. Eu fui espancado quatro vezes - três vezes por homens e uma vez por uma mulher. Mas o que é isso em comparação com o número de seus sucessos É verdade que eu tenho sido geralmente bem sucedido. Então você pode estar comigo. Eu imploro que você tire sua cadeira até o fogo e me favoreça com alguns detalhes quanto ao seu caso. Não é comum. Nenhum desses que vem para mim é. Eu sou o último tribunal de recurso. E ainda pergunto, senhor, se, em toda a sua experiência, você já ouviu uma cadeia de eventos mais misteriosa e inexplicável do que as que aconteceram em minha própria família. Você me enche de interesse, disse Holmes. Ore, dê-nos os fatos essenciais desde o início, e depois posso questioná-lo quanto aos detalhes que me parecem ser os mais importantes. O jovem ergueu a cadeira e empurrou os pés molhados para o incêndio. Meu nome, disse ele, é John Openshaw, mas meus próprios assuntos têm, tanto quanto posso entender, pouco a ver com esse horrível negócio. É uma questão hereditária, de modo a dar-lhe uma ideia dos fatos, devo voltar ao começo do caso. Você deve saber que meu avô teve dois filhos - meu tio Elias e meu pai Joseph. Meu pai tinha uma pequena fábrica em Coventry, que ele ampliou no momento da invenção do ciclismo. Ele era um detentor da patente do pneu incontável de Openshaw, e seu negócio se encontrou com tal sucesso que ele conseguiu vendê-lo e se aposentar com uma bela competência. Meu tio Elias emigrou para a América quando ele era jovem e se tornou um plantador na Flórida, onde ele teria feito muito bem. No momento da guerra ele lutou no exército de Jacksons, e depois sob Hood, onde ele se levantou para ser um coronel. Quando Lee deitou os braços, meu tio retornou à plantação, onde permaneceu por três ou quatro anos. Cerca de 1869 ou 1870 voltou para a Europa e levou uma pequena propriedade em Sussex, perto de Horsham. Ele havia feito uma fortuna considerável nos Estados Unidos, e sua razão para deixá-los era sua aversão para os negros, e sua desagrado com a política republicana na extensão da franquia para eles. Ele era um homem singular, feroz e de temperamento rápido, de boca grossa quando estava com raiva e de uma disposição mais aposentada. Durante todos os anos que ele morava em Horsham, duvido que alguma vez ele pisasse na cidade. Ele tinha um jardim e dois ou três campos em volta de sua casa, e lá ele iria fazer seu exercício, embora muitas vezes durante semanas até o final ele nunca deixaria seu quarto. Ele bebeu um grande conhaque e fumou muito, mas ele não viu nenhuma sociedade e não queria nenhum amigo, nem mesmo seu próprio irmão. Ele não me importou, de fato, ele se apaixonou por mim, pois no momento em que ele me viu primeiro eu era um jovem de doze anos ou mais. Isso seria no ano de 1878, depois que ele tinha oito ou nove anos na Inglaterra. Ele implorou ao meu pai que me deixasse viver com ele e ele era muito gentil comigo no caminho. Quando estava sóbrio, costumava gostar de jogar gamão e rascunhos comigo, e ele me tornaria seu representante tanto com os criados quanto com os comerciantes, de modo que, quando eu tinha dezesseis anos, eu era mestre da casa. Eu mantive todas as chaves e podia ir onde eu gostava e fiz o que eu gostava, desde que não o incomodasse em sua privacidade. No entanto, havia uma excepção singular, pois ele tinha um quarto único, uma sala de madeira entre os sótãos, que estava invariavelmente trancada e que ele nunca permitiria que eu ou qualquer outra pessoa entrássemos. Com uma curiosidade de meninos, peguei o buraco da fechadura, mas nunca consegui ver mais do que uma coleção de troncos e faixas velhas, como seria esperado em tal sala. Um dia - foi em março de 1883 - uma carta com um selo estrangeiro pousava sobre a mesa em frente à placa dos coronéis. Não era comum que ele recebesse cartas, pois suas contas eram todas pagas em dinheiro pronto, e ele não tinha amigos de qualquer tipo. Da Índia disse que, enquanto o levava, o carimbo postal de Pondicherry, o que isso pode ser abrindo com pressa, lá pulou cinco pequenos pips de laranja seco que derrubaram seu prato. Comecei a rir disso, mas a risada foi atingida pelos meus lábios ao ver o rosto dele. O lábio tinha caído, os olhos brilhantes, a pele da cor da massa e olhava para o envelope que ainda segurava na mão trêmula, KKK gritou, e então, meu Deus, meu Deus, meus pecados me alcançaram O que é isso, tio, eu chorei. Morte, disse ele, e, levantando-se da mesa, se retirou para o quarto, deixando-me palpitante de horror. Peguei o envelope e vi rabiscos com tinta vermelha sobre a aba interna, logo acima da chiclete, a letra K repetida três vezes. Não havia mais nada para salvar os cinco pimentos secos. O que poderia ser o motivo de seu excesso de poder de terror, deixei a mesa do café da manhã e, ao subir a escada, encontrei-o descendo com uma velha chave enferrujada, que devia ter pertencido ao sótão, em uma mão e uma pequena Caixa de latão, como uma caixa, na outra. Eles podem fazer o que eles gostam, mas eu vou verificá-los ainda, disse ele com um juramento. Diga a Mary que eu vou querer um incêndio no meu quarto hoje em dia, e enviar para Fordham, o advogado de Horsham. Eu fiz como ele pediu, e quando o advogado chegou, eu fui convidado a entrar no quarto. O fogo estava ardendo, e na grelha havia uma massa de cinzas negras e fofinas, como de papel queimado, enquanto a caixa de latão estava aberta e vazia ao lado. Quando olhei para a caixa, notei, com um começo, que na tampa estava impresso o agudo K que eu tinha lido pela manhã no envelope. Desejo que você, John, disse meu tio, para testemunhar minha vontade. Deixo minha propriedade, com todas as suas vantagens e todas as suas desvantagens, para meu irmão, seu pai, de onde, sem dúvida, descerá para você. Se você pode apreciá-lo em paz, bom e bom Se você achar que não pode, pegue meu conselho, meu filho, e deixe-o para seu inimigo mais mortal. Desculpe-me de lhe dar uma coisa de dois gumes, mas não posso dizer o que as coisas vão levar. Por favor, assine o artigo onde o Sr. Fordham mostra. Assinei o papel como indicado, e o advogado o tirou com ele. O incidente singular fez, como você pensa, a impressão mais profunda sobre mim, e eu pensei sobre isso e o tornei em todos os sentidos na minha mente sem poder fazer nada disso. No entanto, não consegui afastar o vago sentimento de pavor que deixou para trás, embora a sensação tenha ficado menos entusiasmada à medida que as semanas se passaram e nada aconteceu para perturbar a rotina habitual de nossas vidas. Posso ver uma mudança no meu tio, no entanto. Ele bebeu mais do que nunca, e ele estava menos inclinado para qualquer tipo de sociedade. Na maior parte do tempo, ele passaria no quarto dele, com a porta trancada no lado de dentro, mas às vezes ele emergia em uma espécie de frenesi bêbado e explodiu fora da casa e rasgou o jardim com um revólver na mão, gritando Que ele não tinha medo de nenhum homem, e que ele não devia ser encerrado, como uma ovelha em uma caneta, pelo homem ou pelo demônio. Quando esses ataques quentes foram terminados, ele se apressaria tumultuosamente na porta e trancava-a e atrás dele, como um homem que pode descartá-lo, não mais contra o terror que está nas raízes de sua alma. Nessas ocasiões, eu vi seu rosto, mesmo em um dia frio, brilhando com umidade, como se fosse novo levantado de uma bacia. Bem, para chegar ao fim do assunto, Sr. Holmes, e para não abusar da sua paciência, veio uma noite em que ele fez um daqueles salsichas bêbados dos quais ele nunca voltou. Encontramo-lo, quando fomos buscá-lo, debruçamos para baixo em uma pequena piscina de escória verde, que estava ao pé do jardim. Não havia sinal de violência, e a água tinha apenas dois metros de profundidade, de modo que o júri, tendo em conta sua excentricidade conhecida, trouxe um veredicto de suicídio. Mas eu, que sabia como ele estremeceu com o pensamento da morte, tinha muito a ver com ele mesmo que tinha saído do caminho para encontrá-lo. A questão passou, no entanto, e meu pai entrou na posse da propriedade, e de cerca de 14.000 libras, que ficava a seu critério no banco. Um momento, Holmes interpôs, sua declaração é, eu prevejo, uma das mais notáveis ​​que eu já ouvi. Deixe-me ter a data da recepção pelo seu tio da carta, e a data de seu suposto suicídio. A carta chegou em 10 de março de 1883. Sua morte foi sete semanas depois, na noite de 2 de maio. Obrigado. Ore continue. Quando meu pai assumiu a propriedade de Horsham, ele, a meu pedido, fez um exame cuidadoso do sótão, que sempre estava trancado. Encontramos a caixa de latão lá, embora seu conteúdo tenha sido destruído. No interior da capa estava um rótulo de papel, com as iniciais de K. K. K. repetidas sobre ele, e Cartas, memorandos, recibos e um registro escrito abaixo. Estes, presumimos, indicam a natureza dos documentos que foram destruídos pelo coronel Openshaw. Para o resto, não havia nada de muito importante no sótão, exceto um grande número de papéis dispersos e cadernos sobre a vida de meus tios na América. Alguns deles eram do tempo de guerra e mostraram que ele tinha cumprido o dever dele e tinha assumido a reputação de um bravo soldado. Outros eram de um encontro durante a reconstrução dos estados do sul, e eram principalmente preocupados com a política, pois, evidentemente, ele havia tomado uma parte forte em se opor aos políticos do tapete que haviam sido enviados do norte. Bem, foi o começo de 84 quando meu pai veio morar em Horsham, e todos foram o mais possível com a gente até o janeiro de 85. No quarto dia depois do ano novo eu ouvi meu pai chorar de surpresa Enquanto nos sentamos juntos na mesa do café da manhã. Lá estava ele, sentado com um envelope recém-aberto em uma mão e cinco pips de laranja seco na palma estendida do outro. Ele sempre riu do que ele chamou de minha história de galo e touro sobre o coronel, mas ele parecia muito assustado e intrigado agora que o mesmo aconteceu com ele. Por que, o que isso significa, John, ele balbuciou. Meu coração se voltou para liderar. É K. K. K. disse: olhava para dentro do envelope. Então, ele chorou. Aqui estão as próprias letras. Mas o que está escrito acima deles Coloque os papéis no relógio de sol, eu li, espiando por cima do ombro. O que documenta o relógio de sol que ele pediu. O relógio de sol no jardim. Não há outro, disse eu, mas os papéis devem ser aqueles que são destruídos. Pooh disse que ele, agarrando sua coragem. Nós estamos em uma terra civilizada aqui, e não podemos ter um tomfoolery desse tipo. De onde vem o assunto De Dundee, respondi, olhando para o carimbo do correio. Uma piada prática absurda, disse ele. O que devo fazer com relógios de sol e papéis, eu não tomarei conhecimento de tonturas. Eu certamente deveria falar com a polícia, eu disse. E seja reído por minhas dores. Nada do tipo. Então deixe-me fazê-lo, não, eu proíbo você. Eu não terei um alvoroço feito por tantas bobagens. Era inútil argumentar com ele, pois ele era um homem muito obstinado. Entrei, porém, com um coração cheio de pressentimentos. No terceiro dia após a chegada da carta, meu pai foi de casa para visitar um velho amigo dele, Major Freebody, que está no comando de um dos fortes em Portsdown Hill. Fiquei feliz por ele ir, pois me pareceu que ele estava mais distante do seu perigo quando ele estava longe de casa. Nesse sentido, no entanto, eu estava com erro. No segundo dia de sua ausência, recebi um telegrama do major, implorando-me que viesse ao mesmo tempo. Meu pai havia caído sobre um dos profundos poemas de giz que abundam no bairro e estava sem sentido, com um crânio quebrado. Eu corri para ele, mas ele faleceu sem ter recuperado sua consciência. Ele, como parece, estava voltando de Fareham no crepúsculo, e como o país era desconhecido para ele, e o beco de giz não estava fechado, o júri não hesitou em trazer um veredito de morte por causas acidentais. Com cuidado, enquanto examinei todos os fatos relacionados com a morte dele, não consegui encontrar nada que pudesse sugerir a idéia de assassinato. Não houve sinais de violência, sem pegadas, sem roubo, sem registro de estranhos visto nas estradas. E, no entanto, não preciso dizer-lhe que minha mente estava longe de estar à vontade e que eu estava quase certo de que algum traço sujo tinha sido tecido ao redor dele. Nessa maneira sinistra eu entrei na minha herança. Você vai me perguntar por que não descartei, respondo, porque estava bem convencido de que nossos problemas dependiam, de alguma forma, de um incidente na vida de meus tios, e que o perigo seria tão urgente em uma casa como em outra. Foi em janeiro de 85, que meu pobre pai encontrou seu fim, e dois anos e oito meses se passaram desde então. Durante esse tempo, eu vivi feliz em Horsham, e eu comecei a esperar que essa maldição tivesse passado da família e que tivesse terminado com a última geração. Eu já comecei a me convencer muito cedo, no entanto, ontem de manhã, o golpe caiu na própria forma em que veio sobre meu pai. O jovem tirou do colete um envelope esfarrapado e, virando-se para a mesa, sacudiu cinco pedaços de laranja seco. Este é o envelope, ele continuou. O carimbo postal é a divisão londrina - leste. Dentro estão as próprias palavras que foram sobre a última mensagem dos meus pais: K. K. K. e depois Coloque os papéis no relógio de sol. O que você fez perguntou a Holmes. Para dizer a verdade - ele afundou o rosto em suas mãos finas e brancas - eu me senti indefeso. Eu me senti como um daqueles coelhos pobres quando a cobra se contorcia para isso. Parece estar no alcance de algum mal rebelde e inexorável, que nenhuma previsão e nenhuma precaução podem se proteger. Tut tut gritou Sherlock Holmes. Você deve agir, cara, ou você está perdido. Nada além de energia pode salvá-lo. Não é hora de se desesperar. Eu vi a polícia. Mas eles ouviram minha história com um sorriso. Estou convencido de que o inspetor formou a opinião de que as letras são todas piadas práticas e que as mortes de minhas relações eram realmente acidentes, como afirmou o júri, e não deveriam estar relacionadas com as advertências. Holmes sacudiu as mãos cerradas no ar. Imbecilidade incrível que ele chorou. Contudo, me permitiram um policial, que pode ficar na casa comigo. Ele veio com você esta noite. Não. Suas ordens foram ficar na casa. Novamente Holmes raved no ar. Por que você não veio até mim, ele chorou e, acima de tudo, por que você não veio de uma vez que eu não sabia. Foi apenas hoje que falei com o Major Prendergast sobre os meus problemas e foi aconselhado por ele a vir para você. São realmente dois dias desde que você recebeu a carta. Deveríamos ter agido antes disso. Você não tem mais evidências, suponho, do que o que você colocou antes de nós - nenhum detalhe sugestivo que possa nos ajudar. Há uma coisa, disse John Openshaw. Ele revirou no bolso do casaco e, tirando um pedaço de papel descolorido e azulado, colocou-o sobre a mesa. Tenho alguma lembrança, disse ele, que no dia em que meu tio queimou os papéis, observei que as pequenas margens não queimadas que se encontravam entre as cinzas eram dessa cor particular. Encontrei esta única folha no chão do seu quarto, e estou inclinado a pensar que pode ser um dos papéis que, talvez, tenha disparado entre os outros, e dessa forma escapou da destruição. Além da menção de pips, não vejo que isso nos ajude muito. Eu acho que é uma página de algum diário privado. A escrita é, sem dúvida, meus tios. Holmes moveu a lâmpada, e ambos nos dobramos sobre a folha de papel, que mostrou por sua borda esfarrapada que realmente tinha sido arrancada de um livro. Chegou, em março de 1869, e abaixo estavam os seguintes avisos enigmáticos: 4º. Hudson veio. A mesma plataforma antiga. 7º. Defina os pips em McCauley, Paramore e John Swain, de St. Augustine. 9º. McCauley desmarcou. 10. John Swain desmarcou. 12º. Visitou Paramore. Tudo bem. Obrigado, disse Holmes, dobrando o papel e devolvendo-o ao nosso visitante. E agora você não deve em nada perder outro instante. Não podemos poupar tempo até para discutir o que você me disse. Você deve chegar em casa instantaneamente e agir. O que devo fazer. Há apenas uma coisa a fazer. Deve ser feito de uma só vez. Você deve colocar este pedaço de papel que você nos mostrou na caixa de latão que você descreveu. Você também deve colocar uma nota para dizer que todos os outros papéis foram queimados por seu tio e que esse é o único que permanece. Você deve afirmar que, em palavras que levem convicção com elas. Tendo feito isso, você deve imediatamente colocar a caixa no relógio de sol, conforme indicado. Você entende Não pense em vingança, ou qualquer coisa desse tipo, no momento. Eu acho que podemos ganhar isso por meio da lei, mas nós temos nossa web para tecer, enquanto a sua já está tecida. A primeira consideração é remover o perigo pressionador que o ameaça. O segundo é esclarecer o mistério e punir os culpados. Agradeço-lhe, disse o jovem, levantando-se e puxando o sobretudo. Você me deu nova vida e esperança. Eu certamente farei conforme você aconselhar. Não perca um instante. E, acima de tudo, cuide-se enquanto isso, pois não acho que possa haver uma dúvida de que você está ameaçado por um perigo muito real e iminente. Como você volta De trem de Waterloo. Ainda não são nove. As ruas ficarão lotadas, por isso confio em que você esteja em segurança. E, no entanto, você não pode se proteger muito bem. Isso está bem. Amanhã, vou preparar o seu caso. Eu o vejo em Horsham, então não, seu segredo fica em Londres. É lá que eu vou procurá-lo. Então eu vou convocá-lo em um dia, ou em dois dias, com notícias sobre a caixa e os papéis. Eu tomarei seu conselho em cada particular. Ele apertou a mão conosco e se despediu. Fora o vento ainda gritava e a chuva salpicava e batalhava contra as janelas. Esta história estranha e selvagem parecia ter vindo até nós em meio aos elementos loucos - lançados sobre nós como uma folha de erva do mar em um vendaval - e agora ter sido reabsorvido por eles mais uma vez. Sherlock Holmes sentou-se por algum tempo em silêncio, com a cabeça afundada e os olhos inclinados sobre o brilho vermelho do fogo. Então ele acendeu o cachimbo e, inclinando-se para trás em sua cadeira, observou os anéis de fumaça azuis enquanto se perseguiam até o teto. Penso, Watson, ele observou, finalmente, que de todos os nossos casos não tivemos mais nada do que isso. Salve, talvez, o Sinal dos Quatro. Bem, sim. Salve, talvez, isso. E, no entanto, este John Openshaw parece-me andar em meio a perigos ainda maiores do que os Sholtos. Mas você, perguntei, formou uma concepção definitiva sobre o que esses perigos são. Não pode haver dúvida quanto à sua natureza, ele respondeu. Então, o que eles são? Quem é esse K. K. K. e por que ele persegue essa família infeliz Sherlock Holmes fechou os olhos e colocou os cotovelos nos braços de sua cadeira, com as pontas dos dedos juntas. O raciocínio ideal, ele observou, seria, quando ele já havia sido mostrado um único fato em todos os seus rolamentos, deduzi-lo não só de toda a cadeia de eventos que levaram a ele, mas também de todos os resultados que dela resultariam. Como Cuvier pode descrever corretamente um animal inteiro pela contemplação de um único osso, então o observador que compreendeu completamente um link em uma série de incidentes deve ser capaz de indicar com precisão todos os outros, tanto antes quanto depois. Ainda não entendemos os resultados que o único motivo pode alcançar. Os problemas podem ser resolvidos no estudo que desconcertaram todos aqueles que buscaram uma solução com a ajuda de seus sentidos. Para levar a arte, no entanto, ao seu tom mais elevado, é necessário que o raciocinador possa utilizar todos os fatos que vieram ao seu conhecimento e isso, por si só, implica, como você verá facilmente, uma posse de todo conhecimento, Que, mesmo nestes dias de educação gratuita e enciclopédias, é uma realização um pouco rara. Não é tão impossível, no entanto, que um homem possua todos os conhecimentos susceptíveis de ser úteis para ele em seu trabalho, e isso eu tentei fazer no meu caso. Se eu lembro com razão, você em uma ocasião, nos primeiros dias de nossa amizade, definiu meus limites de uma maneira muito precisa. Sim, respondi, rindo. Era um documento singular. Filosofia, astronomia e política foram marcadas em zero, lembro. Botânica variável, geologia profunda em relação às manchas de lama de qualquer região dentro de 50 milhas de cidade, química excêntrica, anatomia não sistemática, literatura sensacional e registros criminais únicos, violinista, boxer, espadachim, advogado e auto-envenenador por cocaína e tabaco. Aqueles, penso eu, foram os principais pontos da minha análise. Holmes sorriu para o último item. Bem, ele disse, eu digo agora, como eu disse então, que um homem deve manter seu pequeno esconderijo com todos os móveis que ele provavelmente usará, e o resto ele pode guardar na sala de madeira da sua Biblioteca, onde ele pode obtê-lo se ele quiser. Agora, para um caso como o que nos foi enviado hoje à noite, precisamos reunir todos os nossos recursos. Por favor, entregue-me a letra K da Enciclopédia americana que fica sobre a prateleira ao seu lado. Obrigado. Agora, considere a situação e veja o que pode ser deduzido. Em primeiro lugar, podemos começar com uma forte presunção de que o Coronel Openshaw teve uma razão muito forte para deixar a América. Os homens em seu tempo de vida não mudam todos os seus hábitos e trocam voluntariamente o clima encantador da Flórida para a vida solitária de uma cidade provincial inglesa. Seu extremo amor pela solidão na Inglaterra sugere a idéia de ter medo de alguém ou algo, então podemos assumir como uma hipótese de trabalho que era medo de alguém ou algo que o expulsava da América. Quanto ao que ele temia, só podemos deduzir que, considerando as formidáveis ​​cartas que foram recebidas por ele e seus sucessores. Você observou os carimbos postais dessas cartas. O primeiro foi de Pondicherry, o segundo de Dundee e o terceiro de Londres. Do leste de Londres. O que você deduz daquilo. São todos os portos marítimos. Que o escritor estava a bordo de um navio. Excelente. Nós já temos uma pista. Não há dúvida de que a probabilidade - a forte probabilidade - é que o escritor estava a bordo de um navio. E agora vamos considerar outro ponto. No caso de Pondicherry, transcorreram sete semanas entre a ameaça eo cumprimento, em Dundee foram apenas cerca de três ou quatro dias. Isso sugere algo maior distância para viajar. Mas a carta também tinha uma distância maior a chegar. Então não vejo o ponto. Há pelo menos uma presunção de que a embarcação em que o homem ou os homens são é um navio de vela. Parece que eles sempre enviaram seu aviso singular ou símbolo antes deles quando começaram a missão. Você vê com que rapidez a ação seguiu o sinal quando veio de Dundee. Se eles vieram de Pondicherry em um navio a vapor, eles teriam chegado quase assim que sua carta. Mas, de fato, sete semanas se passaram. Eu acho que essas sete semanas representaram a diferença entre o barco de correio que trouxe a carta eo navio de vela que trouxe o escritor. Mais que isso. É provável. E agora você vê a urgência mortal deste novo caso, e por que exorto o jovem Openshaw a cautela. O golpe sempre caiu no final do tempo, que levaria os remetentes a percorrer a distância. Mas este vem de Londres e, portanto, não podemos contar com atrasos. Deus bom que chorei. O que isso pode significar, essa perseguição implacável. Os papéis que Openshaw carregou são, obviamente, de vital importância para a pessoa ou pessoas no barco de vela. Eu acho que é bastante claro que deve haver mais de um deles. Um único homem não poderia ter realizado duas mortes de forma a enganar um júri de forenses. Deve ter havido vários, e eles devem ter sido homens de recursos e determinação. Seus papéis, eles querem ter, ser o detentor deles quem pode. Desta forma, você vê K. K. K. deixa de ser as iniciais de um indivíduo e se torna o emblema de uma sociedade. Mas de que sociedade você nunca disse - disse Sherlock Holmes, curvando-se e afundando a voz - você nunca ouviu falar do Ku Klux Klan Holmes virar as folhas do livro sobre o joelho. Aqui está, disse ele atualmente: Ku Klux Klan. Um nome derivado da semelhança fantasiosa com o som produzido pela armadura de um rifle. Esta terrível sociedade secreta foi formada por alguns ex-soldados confederados nos estados do sul após a Guerra Civil, e rapidamente formou filiais locais em diferentes partes do país, principalmente no Tennessee, Louisiana, Carolinas, Geórgia e Flórida. Seu poder foi usado para fins políticos, principalmente pelo terrorismo dos eleitores negros e pelo assassinato e condução do país daqueles que se opunham aos seus pontos de vista. Os atentados foram geralmente precedidos por um aviso enviado ao homem marcado em alguma forma fantástica, mas geralmente reconhecida - um raminho de folhas de carvalho em algumas partes, sementes de melão ou pips de laranja em outros. Ao receber isso, a vítima pode abjurar abiertamente seus modos anteriores ou pode voar do país. Se ele desafiava o assunto, a morte viria infalivelmente sobre ele, e geralmente de maneira estranha e imprevista. Tão perfeita era a organização da sociedade, e tão sistemática dos seus métodos, que dificilmente há um caso no registro onde qualquer homem conseguiu desafiá-lo com impunidade, ou em que qualquer um dos seus atropelos foi atendido aos autores. Por alguns anos, a organização floresceu apesar dos esforços do governo dos Estados Unidos e das melhores classes da comunidade no sul. Eventualmente, no ano de 1869, o movimento subitamente colapsou, embora tenha havido surtos esporádicos do mesmo tipo desde essa data. Você observará, disse Holmes, deitando o volume, que a ruptura repentina da sociedade coincidiu com o desaparecimento de Openshaw da América com seus papéis. Pode muito bem ter sido causa e efeito. Não é de admirar que ele e sua família tenham alguns dos espíritos mais implacáveis ​​em sua trilha. You can understand that this register and diary may implicate some of the first men in the South, and that there may be many who will not sleep easy at night until it is recovered. Then the page we have seen -- Is such as we might expect. It ran, if I remember right, sent the pips to A, B, and C -- that is, sent the societys warning to them. Then there are successive entries that A and B cleared, or left the country, and finally that C was visited, with, I fear, a sinister result for C. Well, I think, Doctor, that we may let some light into this dark place, and I believe that the only chance young Openshaw has in the meantime is to do what I have told him. There is nothing more to be said or to be done to-night, so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for half an hour the miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our fellowmen. It had cleared in the morning, and the sun was shining with a subdued brightness through the dim veil which hangs over the great city. Sherlock Holmes was already at breakfast when I came down. You will excuse me for not waiting for you, said he I have, I foresee, a very busy day before me in looking into this case of young Openshaws. What steps will you take I asked. It will very much depend upon the results of my first inquiries. I may have to go down to Horsham, after all. You will not go there first No, I shall commence with the City. Just ring the bell and the maid will bring up your coffee. As I waited, I lifted the unopened newspaper from the table and glanced my eye over it. It rested upon a heading which sent a chill to my heart. Holmes, I cried, you are too late. Ah said he, laying down his cup, I feared as much. How was it done He spoke calmly, but I could see that he was deeply moved. My eye caught the name of Openshaw, and the heading Tragedy Near Waterloo Bridge. Here is the account: Between nine and ten last night Police-Constable Cook, of the H Division, on duty near Waterloo Bridge, heard a cry for help and a splash in the water. The night, however, was extremely dark and stormy, so that, in spite of the help of several passers-by, it was quite impossible to effect a rescue. The alarm, however, was given, and, by the aid of the water-police, the body was eventually recovered. It proved to be that of a young gentleman whose name, as it appears from an envelope which was found in his pocket, was John Openshaw, and whose residence is near Horsham. It is conjectured that he may have been hurrying down to catch the last train from Waterloo Station, and that in his haste and the extreme darkness he missed his path and walked over the edge of one of the small landing-places for river steamboats. The body exhibited no traces of violence, and there can be no doubt that the deceased had been the victim of an unfortunate accident, which should have the effect of calling the attention of the authorities to the condition of the riverside landing-stages. We sat in silence for some minutes, Holmes more depressed and shaken than I had ever seen him. That hurts my pride, Watson, he said at last. It is a petty feeling, no doubt, but it hurts my pride. It becomes a personal matter with me now, and, if God sends me health, I shall set my hand upon this gang. That he should come to me for help, and that I should send him away to his death -- He sprang from his chair and paced about the room in uncontrollable agitation, with a flush upon his sallow cheeks and a nervous clasping and unclasping of his long thin hands. They must be cunning devils, he exclaimed at last. How could they have decoyed him down there The Embankment is not on the direct line to the station. The bridge, no doubt, was too crowded, even on such a night, for their purpose. Well, Watson, we shall see who will win in the long run. I am going out now No I shall be my own police. When I have spun the web they may take the flies, but not before. All day I was engaged in my professional work, and it was late in the evening before I returned to Baker Street. Sherlock Holmes had not come back yet. It was nearly ten oclock before he entered, looking pale and worn. He walked up to the sideboard, and tearing a piece from the loaf he devoured it voraciously, washing it down with a long draught of water. You are hungry, I remarked. Starving. It had escaped my memory. I have had nothing since breakfast. Not a bite. I had no time to think of it. And how have you succeeded You have a clue I have them in the hollow of my hand. Young Openshaw shall not long remain unavenged. Why, Watson, let us put their own devilish trade-mark upon them. It is well thought of What do you mean He took an orange from the cupboard, and tearing it to pieces he squeezed out the pips upon the table. Of these he took five and thrust them into an envelope. On the inside of the flap he wrote S. H. for J. O. Then he sealed it and addressed it to Captain James Calhoun, Bark Lone Star, Savannah, Georgia. That will await him when he enters port, said he, chuckling. It may give him a sleepless night. He will find it as sure a precursor of his fate as Openshaw did before him. And who is this Captain Calhoun The leader of the gang. I shall have the others, but he first. How did you trace it, then He took a large sheet of paper from his pocket, all covered with dates and names. I have spent the whole day, said he, over Lloyds registers and files of the old papers, following the future career of every vessel which touched at Pondicherry in January and February in 83. There were thirty-six ships of fair tonnage which were reported there during those months. Of these, one, the Lone Star, instantly attracted my attention, since, although it was reported as having cleared from London, the name is that which is given to one of the states of the Union. I was not and am not sure which but I knew that the ship must have an American origin. I searched the Dundee records, and when I found that the bark Lone Star was there in January, 85, my suspicion became a certainty. I then inquired as to the vessels which lay at present in the port of London. The Lone Star had arrived here last week. I went down to the Albert Dock and found that she had been taken down the river by the early tide this morning, homeward bound to Savannah. I wired to Gravesend and learned that she had passed some time ago, and as the wind is easterly I have no doubt that she is now past the Goodwins and not very far from the Isle of Wight. What will you do, then Oh, I have my hand upon him. He and the two mates, are as I learn, the only native-born Americans in the ship. The others are Finns and Germans. I know, also, that they were all three away from the ship last night. I had it from the stevedore who has been loading their cargo. By the time that their sailing-ship reaches Savannah the mail-boat will have carried this letter, and the cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these three gentlemen are badly wanted here upon a charge of murder. There is ever a flaw, however, in the best laid of human plans, and the murderers of John Openshaw were never to receive the orange pips which would show them that another, as cunning and as resolute as themselves, was upon their track. Very long and very severe were the equinoctial gales that year. We waited long for news of the Lone Star of Savannah, but none ever reached us. We did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic a shattered stern-post of the boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave, with the letters L. S. carved upon it, and that is all which we shall ever know of the fate of the Lone Star. The Five Orange Pips Sherlock Holmes From 1882 to 1890. he was involved in many cases which present strange and interesting features. (1 ) Except Watson, he has no friends. (17 ) He has been beaten four times - three times by men and once by a woman. (48 ) He has zero knowledge in philosophy, astronomy, and politics. (293 ) . but in botany variable, geology profound as regards the mud-stains from any region within fifty miles of town, chemistry eccentric, anatomy unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique, violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco. (294 ) John Watson He has many notes about Sherlock Holmes cases between 1882 and 1890. (1 ) He read Clark Russell s fine sea stories. (12 ) He is maried. (13 ) While his wife was on a visit to her aunts, he was a dweller once more in his old quarters at Baker Street. (13 ) Deductions By winding up a dead mans watch, to prove that it had been wound up two hours ago, and that therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time. (7 ) Clay and chalk mixture which I see upon the clieny toe-caps: the client comes from the south-west. (36 ) Letters sent from 3 towns with port: the writer was on board a ship. (311 ) Delay between two letters: the vessel is a sailing ship. (321 ) Baker Street Newspapers amp Books The American Encyclopedia (299 ) Newspaper with an article: 160 Tragedy near Waterloo Bridge 160. (373 ) Lloyds registers (432 ) Chronology As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents, should be able accurately to state all the other ones, both before and after.160 - Holmes (285 ) 160A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it.160 - Holmes (297 ) 160It becomes a personal matter with me now, and, if God sends me health, I shall set my hand upon this gang.160 - Holmes. (389 ) Filmography Radiography From 1882 to 1890. Some cases have baffled his analytical skill, and would be, as narratives, beginnings, without an ending, while others have been but partially cleared up, and have their explanations founded rather upon conjecture and surmise than on that absolute logical proof which was so dear to Holmes. (3 ) The year 1887 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater or less interest. (5 ) In the latter days of september, the equinoctial gales had set in with exceptional violence. (9 ) Joseph Openshaw was the patentee of the Openshaw unbreakable tyre. (64 ) According to Holmes, of all his cases he have had none more fantastic than this one, save perhaps the Sign of Four. (274 ) One of the 12 prefered stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Plot summary (spoiler) A young man, John Openshaw asked Sherlock Holmes for help. He told the story of his uncle which after participating to the Civil War in the Confederates army went to settle in England. One day, he received a letter with five orange pips and only signature the initials K. K.K.. He died soon after. A few times later, Johns father died all the same after a similar letter. Two years has passed since, and now John received the dreadful letter with instructions to deliver some documents. Holmes advise him to obey. Unfortunately, John is killed on his way home. Sherlock Holmes promised to avenge his later client. He succeed to identify the Ku Klux Klan members but too late, they all fled by sea. He later learnt that the criminals perished on sea with the boat. Storys Text When I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years 82 and 90, I am faced by so many which present strange and interesting features, that it is no easy matter to know which to choose and which to leave. Some, however, have already gained publicity through the papers, and others have not offered a field for those peculiar qualities which my friend possessed in so high a degree, and which it is the object of these papers to illustrate. Some, too, have baffled his analytical skill, and would be, as narratives, beginnings, without an ending, while others have been but partially cleared up, and have their explanations founded rather upon conjecture and surmise than on that absolute logical proof which was so dear to him. There is, however, one of these last which was so remarkable in its details and so startling in its results, that I am tempted to give some account of it, in spite of the fact that there are points in connection with it which never have been, and probably never will be, entirely cleared up. The year 87 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater or less interest, of which I retain the records. Among my headings under this one twelve months, I find an account of the adventure of the Paradol Chamber, of the Amateur Mendicant Society, who held a luxurious club in the lower vault of a furniture warehouse, of the facts connected with the loss of the British barque Sophy Anderson, of the singular adventures of the Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa, and finally of the Camberwell poisoning case. In the latter, as may be remembered, Sherlock Holmes was able, by winding up the dead mans watch, to prove that it had been wound up two hours ago, and that therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time - a deduction which was of the greatest importance in clearing up the case. All these I may sketch out at some future date, but none of them present such singular features as the strange train of circumstances which I have now taken up my pen to describe. It was in the latter days of September, and the equinoctial gales had set in with exceptional violence. All day the wind had screamed and the rain had beaten against the windows, so that even here in the heart of great, hand-made London we were forced to raise our minds for the instant from the routine of life, and to recognize the presence of those great elemental forces which shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilization, like untamed beasts in a cage. As evening drew in the storm grew louder and louder, and the wind cried and sobbed like a child in the chimney. Sherlock Holmes sat moodily at one side of the fireplace cross-indexing his records of crime, whilst I at the other was deep in one of Clark Russells fine sea stories, until the howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with the text, and the splash of the rain to lengthen out into the long swash of the sea waves. My wife was on a visit to her aunts, and for a few days I was a dweller once more in my old quarters at Baker Street. Why, said I, glancing up at my companion, that was surely the bell Who could come tonight Some friend of yours, perhaps Except yourself I have none, he answered. I do not encourage visitors. If so, it is a serious case. Nothing less would bring a man out on such a day, and at such an hour. But I take it that it is more likely to be some crony of the landladys. Sherlock Holmes was wrong in his conjecture, however, for there came a step in the passage, and a tapping at the door. He stretched out his long arm to turn the lamp away from himself and towards the vacant chair upon which a newcomer must sit. Come in said he. The man who entered was young, some two-and-twenty at the outside, well groomed and trimly clad, with something of refinement and delicacy in his bearing. The streaming umbrella which he held in his hand, and his long shining waterproof told of the fierce weather through which he had come. He looked about him anxiously in the glare of the lamp, and I could see that his face was pale and his eyes heavy, like those of a man who is weighed down with some great anxiety. I owe you an apology, he said, raising his golden pince-nez to his eyes. I trust that I am not intruding. I fear that I have brought some traces of the storm and the rain into your snug chamber. Give me your coat and umbrella, said Holmes. They may rest here on the hook, and will be dry presently. You have come up from the south-west, I see. Yes, from Horsham. That clay and chalk mixture which I see upon your toe-caps is quite distinctive: I have come for advice. That is easily got. That is not always so easy. I have heard of you, Mr Holmes. I heard from Major Prendergast how you saved him in the Tankerville Club Scandal. Ah, of course. He was wrongfully accused of cheating at cards. He said that you could solve anything. He said too much. That you are never beaten. I have been beaten four times - three times by men and once by a woman. But what is that compared with the number of your successes It is true that I have been generally successful. Then you may be so with me. I beg that you will draw your chair up to the fire, and favour me with some details as to your case. It is no ordinary one. None of those which come to me are. I am the last court of appeal. And yet I question, sir, whether, in all your experience, you have ever listened to a more mysterious and inexplicable chain of events than those which have happened in my own family. You fill me with interest, said Holmes. Pray give us the essential facts from the commencement, and I can afterwards question you as to those details which seem to me to be most important. The young man pulled his chair up, and pushed his wet feet out towards the blaze. My name, said he, is John Openshaw, but my own affairs have, so far as I can understand it, little to do with this awful business. It is a hereditary matter, so in order to give you an idea of the facts, I must go back to the commencement of the affair. You must know that my grandfather had two sons - my uncle Elias and my father Joseph. My father had a small factory at Coventry, which he enlarged at the time of the invention of bicycling. He was the patentee of the Openshaw unbreakable tyre, and his business met with such success that he was able to sell it, and to retire upon a handsome competence. My uncle Elias emigrated to America when he was a young man, and became a planter in Florida, where he was reported to have done very well. At the time of the war he fought in Jacksons army, and afterwards under Hood, where he rose to be a colonel. When Lee laid down his arms my uncle returned to his plantation, where he remained for three or four years. About 1869 or 1870 he came back to Europe, and took a small estate in Sussex, near Horsham. He had made a very considerable fortune in the States, and his reason for leaving them was his aversion to the negroes, and his dislike of the Republican policy in extending the franchise to them. He was a singular man, fierce and quick-tempered, very foul-mouthed when he was angry, and of a most retiring disposition. During all the years that he lived at Horsham I doubt if ever he set foot in the town. He had a garden and two or three fields round his house, and there he would take his exercise, though very often for weeks on end he would never leave his room. He drank a great deal of brandy, and smoked very heavily, but he would see no society, and did riot want any friends, not even his own brother. He didnt mind me, in fact he took a fancy to me, for at the time when he saw me first I was a youngster of twelve or so. That would be in the year 1878, after he had been eight or nine years in England. He begged my father to let me live with him, and he was very kind to me in his way. When he was sober he used to be fond of playing backgammon and draughts with me, and he would make me his representative both with the servants and with the tradespeople, so that by the time that I was sixteen I was quite master of the house. I kept all the keys, and could go where I liked and do what I liked, so long as I did not disturb him in his privacy. There was one singular exception, however, for he had a single room, a lumber-room up among the attics, which was invariably locked, and which he would never permit either me or anyone else to enter. With a boys curiosity I have peeped through the keyhole, but I was never able to see more than such a collection of old trunks and bundles as would be expected in such a room. One day - it was in March, 1883 - a letter with a foreign stamp lay upon the table in front of the Colonels plate. It was not a common thing for him to receive letters, for his bills were all paid in ready money, and he had no friends of any sort. From India said he, as he took it up, Pondicherry post-mark What can this be Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips, which pattered down upon his plate. I began to laugh at this, but the laugh was struck from my lips at the sight of his face. His lip had fallen, his eyes were protruding, his skin the colour of putty, and he glared at the envelope which he still held in his trembling hand. K. K. K., he shrieked, and then: My God, my God, my sins have overtaken me. What is it, uncle I cried. Death, said he, and rising from the table he retired to his room, leaving me palpitating with horror. I took up the envelope, and saw scrawled in red ink upon the inner flap, just above the gum, the letter K three times repeated. There was nothing else save the five dried pips. What could be the reason of his overpowering terror I left the breakfast-table, and as I ascended the stairs I met him coming down with an old rusty key, which must have belonged to the attic, in one hand, and a small brass box, like a cash box, in the other. They may do what they like, but Ill checkmate them still, said he, with an oath. Tell Mary that I shall want a fire in my room today, and send down to Fordham, the Horsham lawyer. I did as he ordered, and when the lawyer arrived I was asked to step up to the room. The fire was burning brightly, and in the grate there was a mass of black, fluffy ashes, as of burned paper, while the brass box stood open and empty beside it. As I glanced at the box I noticed, with a start, that upon the lid were printed the treble K which I had read in the morning upon the envelope. I wish you, John, said my uncle, to witness my will. I leave my estate, with all its advantages and all its disadvantages to my brother, your father, whence it will, no doubt, descend to you. If you can enjoy it in peace, well and good If you find you cannot, take my advice, my boy, and leave it to your deadliest enemy. I am sorry to give you such a two-edged thing, but I cant say what turn things are going to take. Kindly sign the paper where Mr Fordham shows you. I signed the paper as directed, and the lawyer took it away with him. The singular incident made, as you may think, the deepest impression upon me, and I pondered over it, and turned it every way in my mind without being able to make anything of it. Yet I could not shake off the vague feeling of dread which it left behind it, though the sensation grew less keen as the weeks passed, and nothing happened to disturb the usual routine of our lives. I could see a change in my uncle, however. He drank more than ever, and he was less inclined for any sort of society. Most of his time he would spend in his room, with the door locked upon the inside, but sometimes he would emerge in a sort of drunken frenzy and would burst out of the house and tear about the garden with a revolver in his hand, screaming out that he was afraid of no man, and that he was not to be cooped up, like a sheep in a pen, by man or devil. When these hot fits were over, however, he would rush tumultuously in at the door, and lock and bar it behind him, like a man who can brazen it out no longer against the terror which lies at the roots of his soul. At such times I have seen his face even on a cold day, glisten with moisture as though it were new raised from a basin. Well, to come to an end of the matter, Mr Holmes, and not to abuse your patience, there came a night when he made one of those drunken sallies from which he never came back. We found him, when we went to search for him, face downwards in a little green-scummed pool, which lay at the foot of the garden. There was no sign of any violence, and the water was but two feet deep, so that the jury, having regard to his known eccentricity, brought in a verdict of suicide. But I, who knew how he winced from the very thought of death, had much ado to persuade myself that he had gone out of his way to meet it. The matter passed, however, and my father entered into possession of the estate, and of some fourteen thousand pounds, which lay to his credit at the bank. One moment, Holmes interposed. Your statement is, I foresee, one of the most remarkable to which I have ever listened. Let me have the date of the reception by your uncle of the letter, and the date of his supposed suicide. The letter arrived on March the 10th, 1883. His death was seven weeks later, upon the night of the 2nd of May. Obrigado. Pray proceed. When my father took over the Horsham property, he, at my request, made a careful examination of the attic, which had been always locked up. We found the brass box there, although its contents had been destroyed. On the inside of the cover was a paper label, with the initials K. K. K. repeated upon it, and Letters, memoranda, receipts and a register written beneath. These, we presume, indicated the nature of the papers which had been destroyed by Colonel Openshaw. For the rest, there was nothing of much importance in the attic, save a great many scattered papers and notebooks bearing upon my uncles life in America. Some of them were of the war time, and showed that he had done his duty well, and had borne the repute of being a brave soldier. Others were of a date during the reconstruction of the Southern States, and were mostly concerned with politics, for he had evidently taken a strong part in opposing the carpet-bag politicians who had been sent down from the North. Well, it was the beginning of 84, when my father came to live at Horsham, and all went as well as possible with us until the January of 85. On the fourth day after the New Year I heard my father give a sharp cry of surprise as we sat together at the breakfast-table. There he was, sitting with a newly opened envelope in one hand and five dried orange pips in the out-stretched palm of the other one. He had always laughed at what he called my cock-and-bull story about the Colonel, but he looked very puzzled and scared now that the same thing had come upon himself. Why, what on earth does this mean, John he stammered. My heart had turned to lead. It is K. K. K., said I. He looked inside the envelope. So it is, he cried. Here are the very letters. But what is this written above them Put the papers on the sun-dial, I read, peeping over his shoulder. What papers What sun-dial he asked. The sun-dial in the garden. There is no other, said I but the papers must be those that are destroyed. Pooh said he, gripping hard at his courage. We are in a civilized land here, and we cant have tomfoolery of this kind. Where does the thing come from From Dundee, I answered, glancing at the postmark. Some preposterous practical joke, said he. What have I to do with sun-dials and papers I shall take no notice of such nonsense. I should certainly speak to the police, I said. And be laughed at for my pains. Nothing of the sort. Then let me do so. No, I forbid you. I wont have a fuss made over such nonsense. It was in vain to argue with him, for he was a very obstinate man. I went about, however, with a heart which was full of forebodings. On the third day after the coming of the letter my father went from home to visit an old friend of his, Major Freebody, who is in command of one of the forts upon Portsdown Hill. I was glad that he should go, for it seemed to me that he was further from danger when he was away from home. In that, however, I was in error. Upon the second day of his absence I received a telegram from the Major, imploring me to come at once. My father had fallen over one of the deep chalk-pits which abound in the neighbourhood, and was lying senseless, with a shattered skull. I hurried to him, but he passed away without having ever recovered his consciousness. He had, as it appears, been returning from Fareham in the twilight, and as the country was unknown to him, and the chalk-pit unfenced, the jury had no hesitation in bringing in a verdict of Death from accidental causes. Carefully as I examined every fact connected with his death, I was unable to find anything which could suggest the idea of murder. There were no signs of violence, no footmarks, no robbery, no record of strangers having been seen upon the roads. And yet I need not tell you that my mind was far from at ease, and that I was well-nigh certain that some foul plot had been woven round him. In this sinister way I came into my inheritance. You will ask me why I did not dispose of it I answer because I was well convinced that our troubles were in some way dependent upon an incident in my uncles life, and that the danger would be as pressing in one house as in another. It was in January, 85, that my poor father met his end, and two years and eight months have elapsed since then. During that time I have lived happily at Horsham, and I had begun to hope that this curse had passed away from the family, and that it had ended with the last generation. I had begun to take comfort too soon, however yesterday morning the blow fell in the very shape in which it had come upon my father. The young man took from his waistcoat a crumpled envelope, and, turning to the table, he shook out upon it five little dried orange pips. This is the envelope, he continued. The postmark is London - eastern division. Within are the very words which were upon my fathers last message. K. K. K. and then Put the papers on the sundial. What have you done asked Holmes. To tell the truth - he sank his face into his thin, white hands - I have felt helpless. I have felt like one of those poor rabbits when the snake is writhing towards it. I seem to be in the grasp of some resistless, inexorable evil, which no foresight and no precautions can guard against. Tut Tut cried Sherlock Holmes. You must act, man, or you are lost. Nothing but energy can save you. This is no time for despair. I have seen the police. But they listened to my story with a smile. I am convinced that the inspector has formed the opinion that the letters are all practical jokes, and that the deaths of my relations were really accidents, as the jury stated, and were not to be connected with the warnings. Holmes shook his clenched hands in the air. Incredible imbecility he cried. They have, however, allowed me a policeman, who may remain in the house with me. Has he come with you to-night No. His orders were to stay in the house. Again Holmes raved in the air. Why did you come to me he said and, above all, why did you not come at once I did not know. It was only to-day that I spoke to Major Prendergast about my trouble, and was advised by him to come to you. It is really two days since you had the letter. We should have acted before this. You have no further evidence, I suppose, than that which you have placed before us - no suggestive detail which might help us There is one thing, said John Openshaw. He rummaged in his coat pocket, and drawing out a piece of discoloured, blue-tinted paper, he laid it out upon the table. I have some remembrance, said he, that on the day when my uncle burned the papers I observed that the small, unburned margins which lay amid the ashes were of this particular colour. I found this single sheet upon the floor of his room, and I am inclined to think that it may be one of the papers which had, perhaps, fluttered out from among the others, and in that way escaped destruction. Beyond the mention of pips, I do not see that it helps us much. I think myself that it is a page from some private diary. The writing is undoubtedly my uncles. Holmes moved the lamp, and we both bent over the sheet of paper, which showed by its ragged edge that it had indeed been torn from a book. It was headed March, 1869, and beneath were the following enigmatical notices: 4th. Hudson came. Same old platform. 7th. Set the pips on McCauley, Paramore, and John Swain of St Augustine. 9th. McCauley cleared. 10th. John Swain cleared. 12th. Visited Paramore. All well. Thank you said Holmes, folding up the paper and returning it to our visitor. And now you must on no account lose another instant. We cannot spare time even to discuss what you have told me. You must get home instantly, and act. What shall I do There is but one thing to do. It must be done at once. You must put this piece of paper which you have shown us into the brass box which you have described. You must also put in a note to say that all the other papers were burned by your uncle, and that this is the only one which remains. You must assert that in such words as will carry conviction with them. Having done this, you must at once put the box out upon the sun-dial, as directed. Do you understand Do not think of revenge, or anything of the sort, at present. I think that we may gain that by means of the law but we have our web to weave, while theirs is already woven. The first consideration is to remove the pressing danger which threatens you. The second is to clear up the mystery, and to punish the guilty parties. I thank you, said the young man, rising, and pulling on his overcoat. You have given me fresh life and hope. I shall certainly do as you advise. Do not lose an instant. And, above all, take care of yourself in the meanwhile, for I do not think that there can be a doubt that you are threatened by a very real and imminent danger. How do you go back By train from Waterloo. It is not yet nine. The streets will be crowded, so I trust that you may be in safety. And yet you cannot guard yourself too closely. That is well. To-morrow I shall set to work upon your case. I shall see you at Horsham, then No, your secret lies in London. It is there that I shall seek it. Then I shall call upon you in a day, or in two days, with news as to the box and the papers. I shall take your advice in every particular. He shook hands with us, and took his leave. Outside the wind still screamed, and the rain splashed and pattered against the windows. This strange, wild story seemed to have come to us from amid the mad elements - blown in upon us like a sheet of sea-weed in a gale - and now to have been re-absorbed by them once more. Sherlock Holmes sat for some time in silence with his head sunk forward, and his eyes bent upon the red glow of the fire. Then he lit his pipe, and leaning back in his chair he watched the blue smoke rings as they chased each other up to the ceiling. I think, Watson, he remarked at last, that of all our cases we have had none more fantastic than this. Save, perhaps, the Sign of Four. Well, yes. Save, perhaps, that. And yet this John Openshaw seems to me to be walking amid even greater perils than did the Sholtos. But have you, I asked, formed any definite conception as to what these perils are There can be no question as to their nature, he answered. Then what are they Who is this K. K.K. and why does he pursue this unhappy family Sherlock Holmes closed his eyes, and placed his elbows upon the arms of his chair, with his finger-tips together. The ideal reasoner, he remarked, would, when he has once been shown a single fact in all its bearings, deduce from it not only all the chain of events which led up to it, but also all the results which would follow from it. As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents, should be able accurately to state all the other ones, both before and after. We have not yet grasped the results which the reason alone can attain to. Problems may be solved in the study which have baffled all those who have sought a solution by the aid of their senses. To carry the art, however, to its highest pitch, it is necessary that the reasoner should be able to utilize all the facts which have come to his knowledge, arid this in itself implies, as you will readily see, a possession of all knowledge, which, even in these days of free education and encyclopedias, is a somewhat rare accomplishment. It is not so impossible, however, that a man should possess all knowledge which is likely to be useful to him in his work, and this I have endeavoured in my case to do. If I remember rightly, you on one occasion, in the early days of our friendship, defined my limits in a very precise fashion. Yes, I answered, laughing. It was a singular document. Philosophy, astronomy, and politics were marked at zero, I remember. Botany variable, geology profound as regards the mud-stains from any region within fifty miles of town, chemistry eccentric, anatomy unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique, violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco. Those, I think, were the main points of my analysis. Holmes grinned at the last item. Well, he said, say now, as I said then, that a man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it. Now, for such a case as the one which has been submitted to us tonight, we need certainly to muster all our resources. Kindly hand me down the letter K of the American Encyclopedia which stands upon the shelf beside you. Obrigado. Now let us consider the situation, and see what may be deduced from it. In the first place, we may start with a strong presumption that Colonel Openshaw had some very strong reason for leaving America. Men at his time of life do not change all their habits, and exchange willingly the charming climate of Florida for the lonely life of an English provincial town. His extreme love of solitude in England suggests the idea that he was in fear of someone or something, which drove him from America. As to what it was he feared, we can only deduce that by considering the formidable letters which were received by himself and his successors. Did you remark the postmarks of those letters The first was from Pondicherry, the second from Dundee, and the third from London. From East London. What do you deduce from that They are all sea-ports. That the writer was on board a ship. Excelente. We have already a clue. There can be no doubt that the probability - the strong probability - is that the writer was on board of a ship. And now let us consider another point. In the case of Pondicherry seven weeks elapsed between the threat and its fulfilment, in Dundee it was only some three or four days. Does that suggest anything A greater distance to travel. But the letter had also a greater distance to come. Then I do not see the point. There is at least a presumption that the vessel in which the man or men are is a sailing ship. It looks as if they always sent their singular warning or token before them when starting upon their mission. You see how quickly the deed followed the sign when it came from Dundee. If they had come from Pondicherry in a steamer they would have arrived almost as soon as their letter. But as a matter of fact seven weeks elapsed. I think that those seven weeks represented the difference between the mail boat which brought the letter, and the sailing vessel which brought the writer. Mais que isso. It is probable. And now you see the deadly urgency of this new case, and why I urged young Openshaw to caution. The blow has always fallen at the end of the time which it would take the senders to travel the distance. But this one comes from London, and therefore we cannot count upon delay. Good God I cried. What can it mean, this relentless persecution The papers which Openshaw carried are obviously of vital importance to the person or persons in the sailing ship. I think that it is quite clear that there must be more than one of them. A single man could not have carried out two deaths in such a way as to deceive a coroners jury. There must have been several in it, and they must have been men of resource and determination. Their papers they mean to have, be the holder of them who it may. In this way you see K. K.K. ceases to be the initials of an individual, and becomes the badge of a society. But of what society Have you never - said Sherlock Holmes, bending forward and sinking his voice - have you never heard of the Ku Klux Klan Holmes turned over the leaves of the book upon his knee. Here it is, said he presently, Ku Klux Klan. A name derived from a fanciful resemblance to the sound produced by cocking a rifle. This terrible secret society was formed by some ex-Confederate soldiers in the Southern States after the Civil War, and it rapidly formed local branches in different parts of the country, notably in Tennessee, Louisiana, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Its power was used for political purposes, principally for the terrorizing of the negro voters, and the murdering or driving from the country of those who were opposed to its views. Its outrages were usually preceded by a warning sent to the marked man in some fantastic but generally recognized shape - a sprig of oak leaves in some parts, melon seeds or orange pips in others. On receiving this the victim might either openly abjure his former ways, or might fly from the country. If he braved the matter out, death would unfailingly come upon him, and usually in some strange and unforeseen manner. So perfect was the organization of the society, and so systematic its methods, that there is hardly a case upon record where any man succeeded in braving it with impunity, or in which any of its outrages were traced home to the perpetrators. For some years the organization flourished, in spite of the efforts of the United States Government, and of the better classes of the community in the South. Eventually, in the year 1869, the movement rather suddenly collapsed, although there have been sporadic outbreaks of the same sort since that date. You will observe, said Holmes, laying down the volume, that the sudden breaking up of the society was coincident with the disappearance of Openshaw from America with their papers. It may well have been cause and effect. It is no wonder that he and his family have some of the more implacable spirits upon their track. You can understand that this register and diary may implicate some of the first men in the South, and that there may be many who will not sleep easy at night until it is recovered. Then the page which we have seen - Is such as we might expect. It ran, if I remember right, sent the pips to A, B, and C - that is, sent the societys warning to them. Then there are successive entries that A and B cleared, or left the country, and finally that C was visited, with, I fear, a sinister result for C. Well, I think, Doctor, that we may let some light into this dark place, and I believe that the only chance young Openshaw has in the meantime is to do what I have told him. There is nothing more to be said or to be done tonight, so hand me over my violin and let us try to forget for half an hour the miserable weather, and the still more miserable ways of our fellow-men. It had cleared in the morning, and the sun was shining with a subdued brightness through the dim veil which hangs over the great city. Sherlock Holmes was already at breakfast when I came down. You will excuse me for not waiting for you, said he I have, I foresee, a very busy day before me in looking into this case of young Openshaws. What steps will you take I asked. It will very much depend upon the results of my first inquiries. I may have to go down to Horsham after all. You will not go there first No, I shall commence with the City Just ring the bell, and the maid will bring up your coffee. As I waited, I lifted the unopened newspaper from the table and glanced my eye over it. It rested upon a heading which sent a chill to my heart. Holmes, I cried, you are too late. Ah said he, laying down his cup, I feared as much. How was it done He spoke calmly, but I could see that he was deeply moved. My eye caught the name of Openshaw, and the heading Tragedy near Waterloo Bridge. Here is the account: Between nine and ten last night Police Constable Cook, of the H Division, on duty near Waterloo Bridge, heard a cry for help and a splash in the water. The night, however, was extremely dark and stormy, so that, in spite of the help of several passers-by, it was quite impossible to effect a rescue. The alarm, however, was given, and by the aid of the water police, the body was eventually recovered. It proved to be that of a young gentleman whose name, as it appears from an envelope which was found in his pocket, was John Openshaw, and whose residence is near Horsham. It is conjectured that he may have been hurrying down to catch the last train from Waterloo station, and that in his haste and the extreme darkness, he missed his path and walked - over the edge of one of the small landing-places for river steamboats. The body exhibited no traces of violence, and there can be no doubt that the deceased had been the victim of an unfortunate accident, which should have the effect of calling the attention of the authorities to the condition of the riverside landing-stages. We sat in silence for some minutes, Holmes more depressed and shaken than I had ever seen him. That hurts my pride, Watson, he said at last. It is a petty feeling, no doubt, but it hurts my pride. It becomes a personal matter with me now, and, if God sends me health, I shall set my hand upon this gang. That he should come to me for help, and that I should send him away to his death - He sprang from his chair, and paced about the room - in uncontrollable agitation, with a flush upon his sallow cheeks, and a nervous clasping and unclasping of his long, thin hands. They must be cunning devils, he exclaimed at last. How could they have decoyed him down there The Embankment is not on the direct line to the station. The bridge, no doubt, was too crowded, even on such a night, for their purpose. Well, Watson, we shall see who will win in the long run. I am going out now No I shall be my own police. When I have spun the web they may take the flies, but not before. All day I was engaged in my professional work, and it was late in the evening before I returned to Baker Street. Sherlock Holmes had not come back yet. It was nearly ten oclock before he entered, looking pale and worn. He walked up to the sideboard, and, tearing a piece from the loaf, he devoured it voraciously, washing it down with a long draught of water. You are hungry, I remarked. Starving. It had escaped my memory. I have had nothing since breakfast. Not a bite. I had no time to think of it. And how have you succeeded You have a clue I have them in the hollow of my hand. Young Openshaw shall not remain long unavenged. Why, Watson, let us put their own devilish trade-mark upon them. It is well thought of What do you mean He took an orange from the cupboard, and tearing it to pieces, he squeezed out the pips upon the table. Of these he took five, and thrust them into an envelope. On the inside of the flap he wrote, S. H. for J. O. Then he sealed it and addressed it to Captain James Calhoun, Barque Lone Star, Savannah, Georgia. That will await him when he enters port, said he, chuckling. It may give him a sleepless night. He will find it as sure a precursor of his fate as Openshaw did before him. And who is this Captain Calhoun The leader of the gang. I shall have the others, but he first. How did you trace it, then He took a large sheet of paper from his pocket, all covered with dates and names. I have spent the whole day, said he, over Lloyds registers and the files of old papers, following the future career of every vessel which touched at Pondicherry in January and in February in 83. There were thirty-six ships of fair tonnage which were reported there during those months. Of these, one, the Lone Star instantly attracted my attention, since, although it was reported as having cleared from London, the name is that which is given to one of the States of the Union. I was not and am not sure which but I knew that the ship must have an American origin. I searched the Dundee records, and when I found that the barque Lone Star was there in January, 85, my suspicion became a certainty. I then inquired as to vessels which lay at present in the port of London. The Lone Star had arrived here last week. I went down to the Albert Dock, and found that she had been taken down the river by the early tide this morning, homeward bound to Savannah. I wired to Gravesend, and learned that she had passed some time ago, and as the wind is easterly, I have no doubt that she is now past the Goodwins, and not very far from the Isle of Wight. What will you do, then Oh, I have my hand upon him. He and the two mates are, as I learn, the only native-born Americans in the ship. The others are Finns and Germans. I know also that they were all three away from the ship last night. I had it from the stevedore, who has been loading their cargo. By the time their sailing ship reaches Savannah the mail-boat will have carried this letter, and the cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these three gentlemen are badly wanted here upon a charge of murder. There is ever a flaw, however, in the best laid of human plans, and the murderers of John Openshaw were never to receive the orange pips which would show them that another, as cunning and resolute as themselves, was upon their track. Very long and severe were the equinoctial gales of that year. We waited long for news of the Lone Star of Savannah, but none ever reached us. We did at last hear that somewhere far out in the Atlantic a shattered sternpost of a boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave, with the letters L. S. carved upon it, and that is all which we shall ever know of the fate of the Lone Star.