The Sing Of Four

The Sign of the Four
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Illustrated by Richard Gutschmidt

The preparer of this public-domain (U.S.) text is unknown. However, the Project Gutenberg A edition (“sign410”) was converted to LTEX using GutenMark software and re-edited by Ron Burkey (formatting only) using lyx software. Report problems to info@sandroid.org. B 12/13/02 Proofing completed. C 12/30/02 Addedillustrations from the 1902 Lutz Verlag (German) edition, as archived at bakestreet221b.de. D 01/30/08 “—-” was everywhere replaced with “—”.

Contents
Chapter I. The Science of Deduction Chapter II. The Statement of the Case Chapter III. In Quest of a Solution Chapter IV. The Story of the Bald-Headed Man Chapter V. The Tragedy of Pondicherry Lodge Chapter VI. Sherlock Holmes Gives a DemonstrationChapter VII. The Episode of the Barrel Chapter VIII. The Baker Street Irregulars Chapter IX. A Break in the Chain Chapter X. The End of the Islander Chapter XI. The Great Agra Treasure Chapter XII. The Strange Story of Jonathan Small 1 15 25 35 51 65 79 99 115 133 149 161

i

ii

Chapter I. The Science of Deduction
Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantel-piece andhis hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirtcuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred with innumerable puncture-marks. Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-linedarm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction. Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance, but custom had not reconciled my mind to it. On the contrary, from day to day I had become more irritable at the sight, and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage to protest. Again and again I had registered a vow that I should deliver mysoul upon the subject, but there was that in the 1

2

The Sign of the Four

H IS

EYES RESTED THOUGHTFULLY UPON

THE SINEWY FOREARM AND WRIST.

The Science of Deduction

3

cool, nonchalant air of my companion which made him the last man with whom one would care to take anything approaching to a liberty. His great powers, his masterly manner, and the experience which I had had ofhis many extraordinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward in crossing him. Yet upon that afternoon, whether it was the Beaune which I had taken with my lunch, or the additional exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of his manner, I suddenly felt that I could hold out no longer. “Which is it to-day?” I asked,—“morphine or cocaine?” He raised his eyes languidly from the oldblack-letter volume which he had opened. “It is cocaine,” he said,—“a seven-per-cent. solution. Would you care to try it?” “No, indeed,” I answered, brusquely. “My constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet. I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it.” He smiled at my vehemence. “Perhaps you are right, Watson,” he said. “I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one. I find it,however, so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment.” “But consider!” I said, earnestly. “Count the cost! Your brain may, as you say, be roused and excited, but it is a pathological and morbid process, which involves increased tissuechange and may at last leave a permanent weakness. You know, too, what a black reaction comes uponyou. Surely the game is

4

The Sign of the Four

hardly worth the candle. Why should you, for a mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed? Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to another, but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable.” He did not seem offended. On the contrary, he put his...