elapt1c/ElapticAI-512 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 149M

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 had 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 to accurately 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 utilise all the facts
which have come to his knowledge; and this in itself implies, as you
will readily see, a possession of all knowledge, which, even in these
days of free education and encyclopædias, 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, “I 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
to-night, we need certainly to muster all our resources. Kindly hand me
down the letter K of the American Encyclopædia which stands upon the
shelf beside you. Thank you. 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, so we may assume as a working hypothesis that it was 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 seaports. That the writer was on board of a ship.

“Excellent. 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 send 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

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 had 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 to accurately 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 utilise all the facts

which have come to his knowledge; and this in itself implies, as you

will readily see, a possession of all knowledge, which, even in these

days of free education and encyclopædias, 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, “I 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

to-night, we need certainly to muster all our resources. Kindly hand me

down the letter K of the American Encyclopædia which stands upon the

shelf beside you. Thank you. 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, so we may assume as a working hypothesis that it was 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 seaports. That the writer was on board of a ship.

“Excellent. 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 send 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