The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb

           Ofalltheproblemswhichhavebeensubmittedtomyfriend,Mr.SherlockHolmes,forsolutionduringtheyearsofourintimacy,therewereonlytwowhichIwasthemeansofintroducingtohisnotice—thatofMr.Hatherley’sthumb,andthatofColonelWarburton’smadness. Ofthesethelattermayhaveaffordedafinerfieldforanacuteandoriginalobserver,buttheotherwassostrangeinitsinceptionandsodramaticinitsdetailsthatitmaybethemoreworthyofbeingplaceduponrecord,evenifitgavemyfriendfeweropeningsforthosedeductivemethodsofreasoningbywhichheachievedsuchremarkableresults. Thestoryhas,Ibelieve,beentoldmorethanonceinthenewspapers,but,likeallsuchnarratives,itseffectismuchlessstrikingwhensetforthenblocinasinglehalf-columnofprintthanwhenthefactsslowlyevolvebeforeyourowneyes,andthemysteryclearsgraduallyawayaseachnewdiscoveryfurnishesastepwhichleadsontothecompletetruth. Atthetimethecircumstancesmadeadeepimpressionuponme,andthelapseoftwoyearshashardlyservedtoweakentheeffect. 

           Itwasinthesummerof’89,notlongaftermymarriage,thattheeventsoccurredwhichIamnowabouttosummarize. IhadreturnedtocivilpracticeandhadfinallyabandonedHolmesinhisBakerStreetrooms,althoughIcontinuallyvisitedhimandoccasionallyevenpersuadedhimtoforgohisBohemianhabitssofarastocomeandvisitus. Mypracticehadsteadilyincreased,andasIhappenedtoliveatnoverygreatdistancefromPaddingtonStation,Igotafewpatientsfromamongtheofficials. Oneofthese,whomIhadcuredofapainfulandlingeringdisease,wasneverwearyofadvertisingmyvirtuesandofendeavouringtosendmeoneverysuffereroverwhomhemighthaveanyinfluence. 

           Onemorning,atalittlebeforeseveno’clock,IwasawakenedbythemaidtappingatthedoortoannouncethattwomenhadcomefromPaddingtonandwerewaitingintheconsulting-room.