-------------------}

{------------------------- textual notes --------------------------}

{source: strand magazine, 27 (feb. 1904)}

{italics in the text are indicated with (_)}

{1} {"encyclopaedia": the a&e are a ligature}

{2} {only an approximation of the cattle track graphics. see the}

{original for comparison}

{3} {...holmes": this extra quote is in the text.}

{---------------------- end of textual notes ----------------------}

{------------------------------------------------------------------}

{blac, rev 4, 1/17/96 rms, 3rd proofing}

{the adventure of the black peter, arthur conan doyle}

{source: the strand magazine, 27 (march 1904)}

{etext prepared by roger squires rsquires@nmia.com}

{braces({}) in the text indicate textual end-notes}

{underscores (_) in the text indicate italics}

vi. -- the adventure of black peter.

i have never known my friend to be in better form, both

mental and physical, than in the year '95. his increasing

fame had brought with it an immense practice, and i should

be guilty of an indiscretion if i were even to hint at the

identity of some of the illustrious clients who crossed our

humble threshold in baker street. holmes, however, like

all great artists, lived for his art's sake, and, save in

the case of the duke of holdernesse, i have seldom known

him claim any large reward for his inestimable services.

so unworldly was he -- or so capricious -- that he

frequently refused his help to the powerful and wealthy

where the problem made no appeal to his sympathies, while

he would devote weeks of most intense application to the

affairs of some humble client whose case presented those

strange and dramatic qualities which appealed to his

imagination and challenged his ingenuity.

in this memorable year '95 a curious and incongruous

succession of cases had engaged his attention, ranging from

his famous investigation of the sudden death of cardinal

tosca -- an inquiry which was carried out by him at the

express desire of his holiness the pope -- down to his

arrest of wilson, the notorious canary-trainer, which

removed a plague-spot from the east-end of london. close

on the heels of these two famous cases came the tragedy of

woodman's lee, and the very obscure circumstances which

surrounded the death of captain peter carey. no record of

the doings of mr. sherlock holmes would be complete which

did not include some account of this very unusual affair.

during the first week of july my friend had been absent so

often and so long from our lodgings that i knew he had

something on hand. the fact that several rough-looking men

called during that time and inquired for captain basil made

me understand that holmes was working somewhere under one

of the numerous disguises and names with which he concealed

his own formidable identity. he had at least five small

refuges in different parts of london in which he was able

to change his personality. he said nothing of his business

to me, and it was not my habit to force a confidence.

the first positive sign which he gave me of the direction

which his investigation was taking was an extraordinary one.

he had gone out before breakfast, and i had sat down to mine,

when he strode into the room, his hat upon his head and a huge

barbed-headed spear tucked like an umbrella under his arm.

"good gracious, holmes!" i cried. "you don't mean to say

that you have been walking about london with that thing?"

"i drove to the butcher's and back."

"the butcher's?"

"and i return with an excellent appetite. there can be no

question, my dear watson, of the value of exercise before

breakfast. but i am prepared to bet that you will not

guess the form that my exercise has taken."

"i will not attempt it."

he chuckled as he poured out the coffee.

"if you could have looked into allardyce's back shop you

would have seen a dead pig swung from a hook in the

ceiling, and a gentleman in his shirt-sleeves furiously

stabbing at it with this weapon. i was that energetic

person, and i have satisfied myself that by no exertion

of my strength can i transfix the pig with a single blow.

perhaps you would care to try?"

"not for worlds. but why were you doing this?"

"because it seemed to me to have an indirect bearing upon

the mystery of woodman's lee. ah, hopkins, i got your wire

last night, and i have been expecting you. come and join us."

our visitor was an exceedingly alert man, thirty years of

age, dressed in a quiet tweed suit, but retaining the erect

bearing of one who was accustomed to official uniform.

i recognised him at once as stanley hopkins, a young police

inspector for whose future holmes had high hopes, while he

in turn professed the admiration and respect of a pupil for

the scientific methods of the famous amateur. hopkins's

brow was clouded, and he sat down with an air of deep