Name: The Return of Sherlock Holmes
ISBN: 9780517683668

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

The Return of Sherlock Holmes is a 1905 collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903–1904, by Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the Strand Magazine in Britain and Collier's in the United States. Contains: Adventure of the Empty House Adventure of the Norwood Builder Adventure of the Dancing Men Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist Adventure of the Priory School Black Peter Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton Six Napoleons Adventure of the Three Students Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter Adventure of the Abbey Grange Second Stain

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teddyhJun 2026

Why on earth would you quote a TV version of a book, when the book is readily available to be cited?

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“So, Watson,” said he, suddenly, “you do not propose to invest in South African securities?”

I gave a start of astonishment. Accustomed as I was to Holmes's curious faculties, this sudden intrusion into my most intimate thoughts was utterly inexplicable.

“How on earth do you know that?” I asked.

He wheeled round upon his stool, with a steaming test-tube in his hand and a gleam of amusement in his deep-set eyes.

“Now, Watson, confess yourself utterly taken aback,” said he.

“I am.”

“I ought to make you sign a paper to that effect.”

“Why?”

“Because in five minutes you will say that it is all so absurdly simple.”

“I am sure that I shall say nothing of the kind.”

“You see, my dear Watson”—he propped his test-tube in the rack and began to lecture with the air of a professor addressing his class—“it is not really difficult to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each simple in itself. If, after doing so, one simply knocks out all the central inferences and presents one's audience with the starting-point and the conclusion, one may produce a startling, though possibly a meretricious, effect. Now, it was not really difficult, by an inspection of the groove between your left forefinger and thumb, to feel sure that you did NOT propose to invest your small capital in the goldfields.”

“I see no connection.”

“Very likely not; but I can quickly show you a close connection. Here are the missing links of the very simple chain: 1. You had chalk between your left finger and thumb when you returned from the club last night. 2. You put chalk there when you play billiards to steady the cue. 3. You never play billiards except with Thurston. 4. You told me four weeks ago that Thurston had an option on some South African property which would expire in a month, and which he desired you to share with him. 5. Your cheque-book is locked in my drawer, and you have not asked for the key. 6. You do not propose to invest your money in this manner.”

“How absurdly simple!” I cried.

“Quite so!” said he, a little nettled. “Every problem becomes very childish when once it is explained to you. […]”

— The Adventure of the Dancing Men, The Strand Magazine, Vol. 27, January 1904, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle <https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/108/pg108-images.html#c...>

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anthkJan 2023

Get into books. No, not computer related books. Narrative. Sherlock Holmes' books are now under Public Domain. Get all of them, and try reading them in chronologcal in order.

    A Study in Scarlet

    The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 

    The Sign of Four

    The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

    The Valley of Fear

    The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

    The Return of Sherlock Holmes

    His Last Bow

    The Hound of the Baskervilles

If you are a sysadmin, network engineer with vulnscanning experience, IT forensics expert or a reverse engineer, you might feel at home, because deductive reasoning it's right here.

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vmilnerJul 2022

Thanks - as I suspected, one of those seems to be "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" where "The Dancing Men" story needs the illustration to make the story understandable.

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