A Mysterious Letter My name is Dr John Watson. 1 am a friend of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, T got married a few months ago. After I got married, I did not see Holmes very often. He stayed at his house on Baker Street. He was busy with the study of crime. Sherlock Holmes often solves mysteries quicker than the police. One night, I decided to visit Holmes. I saw he was happy to see me. I sat down and he offered me a cigar. Then he stood in front of the fire and looked at me. “You look well. Married life is good for you,” he said. “I can see that you are working as a doctor again. I also know that you went to the countryside, and that you have a careless servant girl.” “My dear Holmes,” I said, “you are very clever. It is true that I went for a walk in the country on Thursday. I came home very dirty. But 1 changed my clothes, so how do you know? Itis also true that we have a careless servant girl. How do you know all these things?” Holmes laughed. “It is easy,” he said. “There are six scratches on your left shoe so I can see that a careless person cleaned your shoes. 1 know that you are working as a doctor again because you smell of antiseptic.” [laughed at his reply. Holmes made everything sound so obvious. “Look,” he said, and showed me a sheet of writing paper. “The postman brought this. Read it aloud.” The letter did not have a date, and there was no signature or address on it. The letter said: Dear Mr Holes, 8 Feet as ou emi 1 sin | our help with very serious, The mau will | wear a mask, 0 do wot t surpried. “hep etre | trust you, Powered by camScanner“This is a mystery,” I said. “What do you think?” Holmes asked. I looked carefully at the writing and the paper. I wanted to be as clever as my friend. “1 think that the writer is rich,” I said. “The paper is unusual. It is expensive and very strong.” “yes, it is unusual,” said Holmes. “And it is not English paper. Hold it up to the light.” Iheld it up. On the paper, I saw the letters Gt, P and Eg. “The Gt stands for ‘Gesellschaft’,” said Holmes. “That means ‘Company’ in German. The P is for ‘Papier’ - paper. So this paper is from a German-speaking country.” Holmes took an encyclopedia from a shelf and opened it. “Look. The Eg is for ‘Egria’. That is in Bohemia. What do you think of that?” “The paper is from Bohemia,” I said. “Precisely, my dear Watson. We must discover what this man. wants. I think I can hear him now.” “This is a mystery,” Watson said. Powered by camScanneres We heard slow, heavy steps on the stairs. Then there was a loud knock at the door. “Come in,” said Holmes. Aman entered. He was tall and wore expensive clothes. There was a white mask on his face. “Did you receive my letter?” he asked. He had a German accent. | “Yes,” said Holmes. “Please sit down. This is my friend and colleague, Dr John Watson. Who are you?” “J am Count von Kramm, a Bohemian nobleman. I want to speak to you alone, please,” said the man. I got up to go, but Holmes stopped me. “You can trust my friend,” he said to the count. “You must both promise to keep my secret,” said the count. “We promise,” said Holmes. “Tam sorry about this mask,” our strange visitor continued. “Count von Kramm is not my real name. I am here to see you because I want to prevent a scandal.” “T know,” said Holmes. “You are Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond yon Ormstein, Grand Duke of Cassel-Falstein, and King of Bohemia. Your Majesty, please tell me how I can help you.” A Visit to Irene Adler ‘The man was shocked. He pulled the mask off his face and threw it to the ground. Then he said, “I don’t know how you know my identity, but I am sure you understand. I came alone because I cannot trust anyone with my secret. Five years ago, I visited Warsaw. I met the famous opera singer Irene Adler there.” The man pulled the mask off his face. Powered by [J CamScanner“Watson, please find the notes I have about her,” said Holmes. Holmes had notes about many interesting people. I found the notes quickly and gave them to him, “Let me see,” he said. “Hmm! She was born in New Jersey. She sang at La Scala and at the Imperial Opera of Warsaw, but she doesn't sing in operas now. Ah — now she is living in London! 1 believe Your Majesty fell in love with this young woman. You wrote her some love letters. And now you want those letters.” “That's correct!” said the king. “But how do you know?” Holmes did not answer the question. He continued, “You think she wants to show the letters to someone — but can she prove that you wrote them?” “Yes. The writing paper is mine,” said the king. “You can say that she stole it,” Holmes suggested. “The letters have my seal,” said the king. “You can say that she copied the seal,” Holmes responded. “But there is also a photograph,” the king explained. “A photograph?” Holmes asked. He was surprised. “Yes, a photograph of me with her,” said the king. “Oh, no. That is very bad. Your Majesty was very careless,” said Holmes. “was mad,” the king replied. “I was only Crown Prince then and Iwas young.” “Your Majesty must obtain this photograph,” said Holmes. “T tried, but it was impossible,” the king answered. “You must buy it from her,” said Holmes. “She does not want to sell it,” the king answered. “Steal it,” said Holmes. “We tried five times, but we did not find it,” the king answered. Holmes laughed. “You have got a big problem,” he said. “Yes, and it is very serious for me,” said the king. “Why does Irene Adler want the photograph?” Holmes asked. “Lam going to get married soon,” explained the king, “to Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, She is the daughter of the King of Scandinavia, Irene will give the photograph to Clotilde’s family and Powered by (@ CamScannerthey will stop the marriage. Irene will not let me marry another woman. She loves me.” “I see. Are you staying in London?” Holmes asked. “Yes. Iam staying at the Langham Hotel. Ask for Count von Kramm when you arrive,” the king answered. “What is Miss Adler's address?” Holmes asked. “She lives at Briony Lodge in St John’s Wood,” the king replied. Holmes wrote the address on a piece of paper. “Good night, Your Majesty. I hope we will have good news for you soon. And good night, Watson. Please come tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock. I want to discuss this with you.” a, I arrived at Baker Street at three o'clock the next day. Holmes was not at home, so I sat down by the fire to wait for him. ‘At four o'clock the door opened. An untidy man walked into the room. His clothes were old and he had a red face. I knew that Holmes often wore disguises. But I was not sure if this person was Holmes. The man walked into the bedroom. Yes, it was my friend! Five minutes later, Holmes came out of the bedroom. He was clean and tidy and he wore a suit. He sat down in a chair by the fire and lit his pipe. "Well, really!” he said. “what?” I asked. “Something very surprising happened this morning,” he replied. “What?” I asked again. “L went to Irene Adler's house, Briony Lodge,” said Holmes. “I was wearing the clothes of a groom. 1 spoke to the carriage drivers there, and they told me about Miss Adler.” “What did they tell you?” I asked. She is very beautiful, She lives quietly and sings at concerts. She drives to the park at five o'clock Powered by (@ CamScannerevery day. She returns at exactly seven o'clock for dinner. She rarely goes out at other times. Only one man visits her - Mr Godfrey Norton. He visits her every day and the carriage drivers often take him home. They told me all about him. “Then, I walked up and down the road near the house and thought about Godfrey Norton. He is a lawyer. Does Miss Adler need his help? Are they friends? Has he got the photograph? “suddenly, a carriage arrived at Briony Lodge. A man jumped ‘out. He was very handsome. I was sure that he was Mr Norton. He shouted to the driver to wait. Then he ran into the house. “1 saw him in the sitting-room with Miss Adler. He walked quickly up and down. He talked a lot and she listened. When he left the house, he was in a hurry. He looked at his watch anxiously. He got into the carriage. “ ‘Drive to St Monica’s church,’ he shouted to the driver, ‘and hurry!” “Drive to St Monica's church,” he shouted to the driver, / “and hurry!” Powered by camScannerThe Plan Sherlock Holmes continued his story. “The handsome man drove away. At that moment, another carriage arrived at Briony Lodge, Miss Adler ran out of the house and got into it. I only saw her for a moment. She is a very beautiful woman. “To St Monica's church, John!’ she said to the driver, and the carriage drove away. “J decided to follow them. At that moment, another carriage came into the street. I stopped it and jumped in. ‘St Monica’s church,’ 1 said. ‘Please drive as fast as you can.’ “We drove very fast. I paid the driver and went into the church, There were only three people there: Miss Adler, Mr Norton and a priest. They were in front of the altar. I sat down like a visitor to a church. Suddenly, to my surprise, the three people looked at me. Godfrey Norton came towards me. “ ‘Thank God!’ he exclaimed, ‘You can help us. Come! Come!” “ ‘How can I help you?’ I asked. “Come, please,’ he said. ‘The priest will not marry us. We need a witness. Can you help, please?” “He pushed me to the altar. I signed some papers. It was very quick. Then Miss Adler thanked me and Mr Norton shook my hand.” Holmes laughed. “What do you think about that?” he asked. “1am very surprised,” I said. “What happened then?” “They spoke at the church door. Miss Adler said, ‘I will come to the park at five o’clock as usual.’ Then she returned to her house alone. Holmes looked into the fire. Then he said, “I have a plan to find the photograph, but I need your help.” “Of course,” I replied. “There is a risk,” Holmes explained. “Yl help you,” I said. “What can I do?” “frene Adler will return home from her drive at seven o’clock this evening. We must be at Briony Lodge when she returns,” said Holmes. Powered by [J CamScanner“and then?” I asked. “J plan to get into the house,” Holmes replied. “Four or five minutes later, the sitting-room window will open, You must stand near the window. You will see me in the room, You must watch me.” “And then what?” I asked. “1 will wave to you and you must then throw this small smoke rocket into the room.” Holmes gave me the rocket. “Then shout, ‘Fire!’ and walk to the end of the street. I will arrive ten minutes later. Do you understand?” “Yes. You can trust me,” I said. “Excellent. Now I must get ready.” Holmes went into the bedroom. He returned a few minutes later. He was dressed as a priest. Holmes returned a few minutes later. He was dressed as a priest. Powered by camScannerAt half past six, we went to Briony Lodge. When we arrived, it was dark. We waited outside for Irene Adler. There were a lot of people in the street. “When will you look for the photograph?” I asked Holmes. “{ won't look for it,” he replied. “How will you find it then?” I asked. “Miss Adler will show me where it is,” Holmes replied. “But how?” I asked. “There is no time to explain. Look! She is coming,” Holmes replied. Irene Adler’s carriage arrived outside the house. A man opened the door for her. Another man pushed him away. He wanted to open the door. The two men started to fight. Suddenly, Holmes ran forward to protect Miss Adler. One of the men hit him. Holmes fell to the ground. He had blood on his face. Irene Adler looked down at him. “Oh, the poor priest. He’s hurt,” she said. “He is very brave,” said a woman. “We can’t leave him in the street. Can we take him into the house?” “Of course,” said Irene Adler. “Take him into the sitting-room.” I stood near the window for a few minutes and watched. I ha the smoke rocket in my hand. Holmes lay on the sofa. He pointed to the window, and a servant opened it. Holmes waved to me and I threw the smoke rocket into the room and shouted, “Fire!” The people in the street heard me and also started shouting, “Fire!” Thick clouds of smoke filled the room. I walked to the corner of the street and waited. Ten minutes later, Holmes arrived. “Oh, the poor priest! He’s hurt,” Irene said. Powered by (@ CamScannerCNA The Promise “Well done, Watson,” Holmes said. “It went very well.” “Have you got the photograph?” I asked. “No, but I know where it is,” he replied. “How?” I asked. “Miss Adler showed me where it is,” he explained. “Why? I don’t understand,” I said. Holmes laughed. “It was very easy. I paid the people in the street to help me.” “Oh,” I said. “{ had red paint in my hand,” continued Holmes. “I fell and put my hand on my face. It looked like blood, it is an old trick. They took me inside and I asked for some fresh air, so the servant opened the window.” “But how did the smoke help you find the photograph?” I asked. “rene Adler thought that her house was on fire,” said Holmes. “She wanted to save the photograph, so she went to get it immediately. It was behind a picture on the wall. Then I shouted, ‘There is no fire. It isa false alarm.’ She quickly returned the picture and went out of the room. I wanted to take the photograph, but there were other people in the room. I waited for a while, but Miss Adler did not return. Then Ileft.” “What are you going to do now?” I asked. “1 am going to tell the king. We will visit Briony Lodge again tomorrow and the king will come with us. The servant will ask us to wait in the sitting-room. Then we will take the photograph. We will leave before Miss Adler arrives.” We returned to Baker Street. A young man was standing in the street. “Good night, Mr Holmes.” he called, and walked on. “I think I know that voice,” said Holmes. “Who was that man?” I slept at Holmes’ house that night. In the morning, we sat down to have breakfast. Suddenly, the King of Bohemia arrived. “Have you got the photograph?” he asked. Powered by (@ CamScanner“Good night, Mr Holmes,” said a young man. “Not yet,” replied Holmes. “But can you get it?” asked the king. “yes, I believe I can,” said Holmes, “but you must come with us this time.” “Then let’s go,” replied the king impatiently. “My carriage is waiting.” We left again for Briony Lodge. “I have got some surprising news for you,” said Holmes on the way. “Irene Adler is married.” The king was very surprised. “Married! When?” he asked. “Yesterday,” replied Holmes. “Who did she marry?” asked the king. “An English lawyer called Norton,” answered Holmes. The king was surprised. “But she cannot love him,” he said. “Well, I hope she does,” answered Holmes. The king was confused. “Why?” he asked. Powered by (@ CamScanner“Because then she will not love you any more,” replied Holmes, “and you can marry another woman. Irene Adler will not stop you.” When we arrived at Briony Lodge, the door of the house was open, Aservant stood on the steps. “Are you Mr Sherlock Holmes?” the servant asked. “yes, Lam Mr Holmes,” answered my friend, surprised. “The lady of the house left this morning with her husband. They left England,” the servant told us. “what?” Sherlock Holmes was very surprised. “Irene Adler is not in England?” he said. “No, and she will never return, “What about the photograph?” asked the king. “Let’s see,” said Holmes. He pushed past the servant and went into the sitting-room. We followed him. Holmes took the picture off the wall. There was a letter and a photograph behind it. The photograph ” the servant answered. Holmes took the picture off the wall. Powered by (@ CamScannerwas of Irene Adler on her own, “She took the photograph with her = this addres is a different one!” said Holmes. “And look ~ the letter is sed to me!” He picked up the letter and started to read it. Dear Mr Holmes, You were very clever in my house yesterday. I did not recognise you. The smoke filled the room and I went to get the photograph. It was exactly as you planned. But then I understood that it was a trick. You are very famous. I followed you to your house. I wore a ‘man’s suit and I said good night to you outside your door. The King of Bohemia does not have to worry. I will not use the photograph. I am keeping it to protect myself. Now I amt in love with a better man than him. The king can’t show the photograph to my husband. 1 will not contact the king again. Here is another picture — it is a gift from me to him. Yours truly, Irene Norton (Adler) “What a wonderful woman!” said the King of Bohemia. “She is a clever woman,” said Holmes. He looked at the king. “She is happy now. But I am sorry I did not get the photograph for you.” “It is not important,” the king replied. “She will keep her promise. She will not show the photograph to anyone.” “Then there is nothing more to do. Goodbye, Your Majesty.” Holmes bowed to the king and we went home. And that is how Sherlock Holmes saved the kingdom of Bohemia from a scandal. But Holmes never forgot Irene Adler because she Tuined his plans. Irene Adler was cleverer than the great Sherlock Holmes. Powered by (@ CamScanneree Ga ai A Frightened Woman When I first worked with Sherlock Holmes, we both lived in hi, house on Baker Street. Holmes usually slept until late, but one morning, he woke me up at quarter past seven. “What's wrong?” I asked. “Is there a fire?” “No,” Holmes replied. “A young lady is waiting in the sitting-room, She is very worried. I think she’s got something interesting to say. Dp you want to hear it?” “Of course,” I said. I quickly got dressed. Then I went to the sitting-room with Holmes, ‘The lady stood up when we entered. She wore a dress and had a veil over her face. “Good moming, madam,” said Holmes. “My name is Sherlock Holmes. This is my friend and colleague, Dr John Watson. You are trembling. Are you cold? I can ask my servant, Mrs Hudson, to light the fire.” “Tam not cold,” said the woman, quietly. “Then why are you trembling?” asked Holmes. “1 am frightened,” she said. “I am terrified.” The woman lifted her veil. We saw the look of fear on her face. She was about 30 years old, but she looked older. “Don't be frightened,” said Holmes, calmly. “I'm sure we can help you.” We saw the look of fear on her face. Powered by camScannerHe looked at her. “I see you travelled by train this morning,” he said. “Mow do you know?” asked the woman, surprised. “you have got half a return train ticket in your left hand. I also know that you walked to my house from the train station, and it was a difficult journey,” explained Holmes. The woman stared at Holmes. She was very surprised. Holmes smiled. “It is easy to see, madam,” he said. “There is mud on the left side of your dress. The marks are wet. You walked for a long time through the mud.” “You are right,” she said. “Oh, sir, I cannot return to my house! I will go mad. You must help me, please. I cannot pay you, Mr Holmes. I'm sorry. But in two months, I am going to get married. Then I will have money.” “1 am happy to help you, madam,” said Holmes. “You do not need to pay me now. Please tell me everything about this case.” “] am in danger,” said the woman. “My name is Helen Stoner. 1 live with my stepfather, Dr Grimesby Roylott.” “1 know the name,” said Holmes. “He is the last of the Roylott family. The Roylotts were very rich in the past. They owned land in many parts of England. But the men lost all the money. Then they sold the land to pay their debts. “My stepfather studied medicine. Then he went to India to work as a doctor. There, he married my mother, Mrs Stoner. She was young and she was a widow. She had twins - my sister Julia and me. My mother was very rich. She gave all her money to Dr Roylott on one condition — it must go to Julia and me when we get married. “While we were living in India, there were several robberies in our house. My stepfather was very angry. He said that one of the servants was the robber and he killed the servant. He went to prison for many years. His prison sentence finished and then we all returned to England. My stepfather is an angry, disillusioned man. “Soon after our return, my mother died in a train accident. Our stepfather took us to live in an old house at Stoke Moran, in Surrey. 11 belongs to his family. Powered by camScanner“Now, my stepfather rarely goes out of the house. He doesn’t have any friends and he doesn’t talk to people. “Julia and I were terribly unhappy at Stoke Moran. We were very lonely there. We have only got one other relation - an aunt in Harrow, near London. We sometimes went to visit her. One day, Julia met a man in Harrow. They fell in love and decided to get married. My stepfather agreed to the marriage and my sister was very happy. But then something terrible happened two years ago.” “what happened?” asked Holmes. “She died two weeks before the wedding,” answered Mrs Stoner. Sherlock Holmes sat down and closed his eyes. Then he opened them again and looked at Miss Stoner. “Please tell me exactly what happened,” he said. A Death in the Family “The night my sister died, my stepfather went to his room early. Julia and I talked about her wedding plans in my room. Then she got up to go to her room. It was between my room and my stepfather’s. She stopped at the door and looked at me. ” ‘Tell me, Helen,’ she said. ‘Did you hear someone whistle last night while you were in your room?’ “No, why” I said. “ ‘Every night, at about three o'clock in the morning, I hear a whistle. I think it comes from the garden,’ ” replied my sister. “ ‘Perhaps it is the gardener,’ I said. “She smiled. ‘It probably isn’t important,’ she said. She went to her room. A few moments later, I heard her Jock the door.” “Did you always lock your doors at night?” asked Holmes. “Yes, always,” replied Miss Stoner. “why?” asked Holmes. Powered by [J CamScannerpecause of the tiger and the monkey. My stepfather loves Indian animals. They live in the gardens at Stoke Moran. We were frightened of the animals,” explained Miss Stoner. “Of course. Please continue,” replied Holmes. j did not sleep that night. As you know, twins are very close and 1 knew my sister was very nervous. Suddenly, I heard a scream. It was my sister! I ran into the passage. Then I heard a whistle, and a few moments later, a bang. It was something metal. I ran to Julia’s room. She opened the door. Her face was white with terror. I put my arms around her. She fell to the ground in terrible pain and shouted in terror, ‘Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!’ “She pointed towards Dr Roylott’s room. I ran to call my stepfather. He came but my sister was unconscious. He sent a servant to the village for a doctor. But it was too late — my sister died.” “Was your sister dressed at the time?” Holmes asked. “No, she was in her nightgown. And she had a burned match in her right hand.” “It was the band! The speckled band!” Powered by (@ CamScanner“Ah, she lit a match,” said Holmes, “so she saw something when she shouted. That is important. What was the cause of death?” “The doctor did not find any cause,” answered Miss Stoner. “Was she poisoned?” asked Holmes. “He didn’t find any poison. My sister was alone in the room. Her door and windows were locked. The doctor did not find any marks on her,” explained Miss Stoner. “was there anybody near the house when she died? Was the gardener there?” asked Holmes. “Yes, the gardener was there. He is there most of the time. He lives ina house in the garden,” replied Miss Stoner. “Your sister was frightened of a speckled band. Do you know what that is?” asked Holmes. “No. I've got no idea,” answered Miss Stoner. Holmes shook his head. “This is a mystery,” he said. “Please continue.” “A month ago, a dear friend proposed marriage to me. His name is Percy Armitage. My stepfather agreed to the marriage. Two days ago, my stepfather decided to do some repair work at the house and builders started to work in my bedroom. Now I sleep in the same room and bed where my sister died. Last night, I heard a whistle. It was the same whistle I heard on the night Julia died. I lit the lamp, put there was nothing in the room. I did not sleep all night. This morning, I came here, to see you.” “There is something else you didn’t mention,” said Holmes. He took Miss Stoner’s hand. The marks of four fingers and a thumb were on her wrist. “Is your stepfather cruel to you?” he asked. “He is a strong man,” she replied, “and he is often violent. The people in the village are frightened of him.” Holmes looked into the fire. “Can we look at the house today?” he asked. “Yes. My stepfather is in London today. He will arrive home late this evening,” replied Miss Stoner. “Excellent. Do you want to come, Watson?” asked Holmes. Powered by (@ CamScanner“of course,” I replied. “We will come to Stoke Moran this afternoon,” Holmes said. “1 will be happy to see you again,” Miss Stoner said. She put her veil over her face and left the room. ‘A few minutes later, the door suddenly opened. An enormous man entered the room. He had a big face and small, ugly eyes. “Who is Holmes?” he asked. “yam, sit,” said my friend, quietly. “{ am Dr Grimesby Roylott, of Stoke Moran,” the man said. “please sit down,” said Holmes. “How can I help you?” “q will not sit down,” Dr Roylott shouted, angrily. “My stepdaughter was here. I followed her. What did she say to you?” Holmes smiled, calmly. “Please go, sir. And close the door behind you.” he said. “I will decide the time to leave,” shouted the angry visitor. “Do not come near my stepdaughter or Stoke Moran. I am a dangerous man when I am angry.” He picked up the poker from next to the fire and broke it with his enormous hands. Then he threw the poker into the fire and left the room. J Z “| will decide the time to leave,” shouted the angry visitor. Powered by (@ CamScannerCHAPTE! A Dangerous Man Holmes laughed. “What a friendly man!” he said. “Dr Roylott is not happy that his stepdaughter is going to get married because according to the condition, he must give her mother’s money to her. He will not have much money for himself. He was also opposed to his other stepdaughter Julia’s marriage. We must call for a carriage and drive to the train station. Please put your pistol in your pocket, Watson. Perhaps we will need it.” We took a train to Leatherhead and then drove in a cart to Stoke Moran. The countryside was lovely and it was a perfect day. Finally, we saw the high roof of an enormous grey house. There were trees around it, “Is that Stoke Moran?” Holmes asked the driver. “Yes, sir,” the driver replied. “That is Dr Grimesby Roylott’s house.” He stopped outside the gardens. Miss Stoner came to meet us. “1 am very happy to see you again,” she said. “J am very happy to see you again,” Miss Stoner said. a Powered by [J CamScannerHolmes immediately told Miss Stoner about our meeting with Dr Roylott. “Please take us quickly to the part of the house where you live,” said Holmes. returns tonight.” We arrived at the house, and saw that many of the windows were broken. However, some parts of the house were in better condition. Holmes examined the windows from outside. “Which window is your room?" he asked Miss Stoner. “That one,” she answered and pointed to the window on the left. Holmes continued, “So the middle one was your sister's and the one on the right is Dr Roylott’s?” “Yes,” said Miss Stoner, “but at the moment, I am sleeping in the middle room.” “Right, you told me that,” said Holmes. “Come on, Miss Stoner. Let’s look for clues inside the house.” We went inside. Holmes went upstairs and walked into the middle ‘We have got a lot to do before your stepfather room. He sat down in a chair and looked at the room carefully. He pointed to a long bell cord above the bed. “Did your sister use the bell?” he asked. “No, never,” said Helen. “It doesn’t ring.” Holmes pulled the cord. “Hmm, a bell but it doesn’t ring,” he said. “Now, why is this cord here?” The cord went up to a small ventilator. “The ventilator goes to Dr Roylott’s room,” he said. “That is very strange - most ventilators go outside.” We followed Holmes into Dr Roylott’s room and he examined everything with interest. He pointed to a metal safe. “What's in here?” he asked. “1 don’t know. I've never seen my stepfather open it,” Helen replied. There was a small plate of milk on top of the safe. “Have you got a cat?” asked Holmes. “No. Perhaps the milk is for the tiger,” said Helen. Powered by camScanner“A tiger needs more than a small plate of milk,” Holmes said. His face was serious. “Miss Stoner, you must listen carefully.” “Of course. What should I do?” asked Miss Stoner. “There is a hotel on the other side of the street. Watson and I can see the house from the hotel. When Dr Roylott returns, go to your sister's room. When he goes to bed, put a lamp next to the window, When we see the light, we will come to the house. Then, go to your own room,” explained Holmes. “Yes, of course. But what will you do?” asked Miss Stoner. “We will go to the middle room and investigate the strange whistle,” replied Holmes. Kenya E 5 a A Deadly Encounter Sherlock Holmes and I went to the hotel on the other side of the street. We had a good view of the house from our window. Later, Dr Roylott arrived home. We saw the light of a lamp in the sitting- room. It was still too early for him to go to bed. We sat in the dark in our hotel room. “I will go to the house alone tonight,” said Holmes. “It is very dangerous.” “But I want to come. I did not see anything dangerous in those rooms,” I said. “Did you see the ventilator and the bell cord?” Holmes asked. “Yes, of course,” I replied. “The bell cord touches the bed,” said Holmes, “and Julia slept in that bed. She is now dead. And the safe in Dr Roylott’s room is made of metal. Helen Stoner heard the bang of something metal before her sister died. There was also a small plate of milk on the safe. Why does Dr Roylott need a plate of milk?” “{ don’t know,” I said, “but I am worried. We must protect Miss Stoner from danger.” At about nine o'clock, there wasn't light in the sitting-room any more. The house was completely dark. We waited. Then we saw a bright light in the middle bedroom. Powered by (@ CamScannerHolmes jumped up. “That is our signal, We must go now. Bring your pistol.” There was no moon and it was very dark outside. We went into the garden and walked through the trees. Holmes picked up a long stick. Suddenly, a horrible creature jumped out of a tree and ran towards the house. “My God!” I whispered. “Did you see that?” For a moment, Holmes was as nervous as I was. Then he laughed “That was the monkey,” he whispered. “1 don’t want to meet the tiger,” I said, Soon we were inside the house and I felt safer. We went upstairs | to the middle bedroom. / “We must sit in the dark,” whispered Holmes. “Dr Roylott can see light from the room through the ventilator.” I nodded. “And don't go to sleep,” he said. “I will sit on the bed. You sit in the chair.” I put my pistol on the corner of the table, Holmes put his stick on the bed next to him. He put a box of matches and a candle next to the stick. “My God”, | whispered”. Did you see that? Powered by (@ CamScannerWe waited nervously for a long time. The room was completely dark. Suddenly we saw light from Dr Roylott’s room through the ventilator. A few minutes later, we heard a whistle. Holmes jumpeq from the bed and lit a match. Then, he hit the bell cord many times with his stick. “Did you see it, Watson?” he shouted. “Did you see it?” “See what?” I asked. I lit the lamp quickly. I looked at Holmes. His face was completely white. He looked up at the ventilator. Then, suddenly, we heard a horrible scream of pain and fear, Then it stopped and there was silence. “It is alll over,” said Holmes. “Let's go to Dr Roylott’s room.” Holmes picked up the lamp. He had the stick in his other hand. 1 followed him into the passage. He knocked on Dr Roylott’s door but there was no reply. Holmes opened the door and went into the room. The door of the safe was open. Dr Roylott was on a chair next to the safe. His eyes were open and he was very still. Around his neck there was a yellow band with brown speckles. “The band! The speckled band!” whispered Holmes. I moved forward. Suddenly, the strange band started to move. It was a snake! “It is a swamp adder,” said Holmes, “the most poisonous snake in India! Dr Roylott died ten seconds after the snake bit him. Julia Stoner died the same way.” Holmes picked up the snake with the long stick and put it into the safe. Then he closed the door. The next day, Holmes and I left Stoke Moran. Miss Stoner did not want to stay at the house, She went to her aunt’s house in Harrow. On our way home, Holmes explained everything to me. “I saw the ventilator and the bell cord touching the bed,” he said. “1 immediately thought of a snake. A snake can go through a small ventilator. It can also move down a cord and can kill a person in seconds. Dr Roylott brought the snake from India. He knew that a doctor cannot discover a snake’s poison. Powered by [J CamScanner“The band! The speckled band!” whispered Holmes. “Dr Roylott trained the snake to return to him when it heard him whistle. The milk on the safe was a reward for the snake.” “What about the bang of metal that Helen Stoner heard?” I asked. “That was the metal door of the safe,” said Holmes. “Dr Roylott closed it after he put the snake in the safe again.” “How did you know that the snake was in the room?” I asked. “T heard the snake hiss when it came through the ventilator. When “” explained Holmes. it came down the cord, I hit it with the sti “And so it went back through the ventilator,” I said. “Yes,” Holmes replied. “It returned to Dr Roylott. Of course, the snake was furious after I hit it. It bit the first person it saw — Dr Roylott, its owner. In a way, I am responsible for Dr Roylott’s death, But I can’t say I'm very sorry.” a Powered by [J CamScannerThe Letter It was a very stormy evening in September, 1887. I was with my friend, Sherlock Holmes, at his house on Baker Street. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. “Who's that?” I asked. “No other friends visit me except you,” said Holmes, “so it is probably a client. The weather is terrible. 1 think our visitor has got a serious problem.” The doorbell rang again. “Come in,” said Holmes. A young man entered. He was about 22 years old. He was wearing a raincoat and had a very wet umbrella. His face was pale. “Your floor is wet now. I’m sorry,” he said. “Give me your coat and umbrella,” said Holmes. “We can dry them next to the fire.” “T have an unusual problem,” said the man. “I need your help.” “All my cases are unusual,” replied Holmes. “But this case is very unusual,” said the man. “Some very strange and mysterious things are happening to my family.” “please tell me everything,” said Holmes. The young man sat down and started to talk. “My name is John Openshaw,” he said. “My grandfather had two sons - Joseph, my father, and my Uncle Elias. My father owned a factory in Coventry. He made tyres for bicycles. Business was good and he became rich. “when my Uncle Elias was a young man, he went to live in America. He bought a plantation in Florida and also became rich. During the American Civil War, he fought in the Confederate army against the Republicans. He became a colonel. He was a brave soldier. At the end of the war, he returned to his plantation. “However, in 1869, he suddenly returned to England and went to live in Horsham. My uncle did not have any friends. He started to drink alcohol and had a bad temper. He did not like visitors, so my father did not visit him. My uncle did not like anyone except me. ill Powered by (9 CamScannerWhen I was 12 years old, I went to live with Uncle Elias. “My uncle was very kind to me. He gave me all the keys to the house and I went everywhere. There was only one room I never entered. This room was in the attic. It was always locked and I did not have the key. “One day, when I was 17 years old, my uncle received a letter. He looked at the postmark. ‘It’s from Pondicherry in India,’ he said. “He sat down and opened the letter. There were five little orange pips in the envelope, nothing else. I started to laugh, but I stopped when I saw my uncle's face. There was a look of terror in his eyes and he was very pale. “K.K.K., he whispered. Then he shouted in terror, ‘My God, this is my punishment!’ “‘What’s the matter, Uncle?’ I asked. “ ‘Death,’ he replied. He got up and went to his room. “I picked up the envelope. On the inside, I saw three red Ks. My uncle returned a few moments later. He had an old key in one hand and a small metal box in the other. “He looked at me. ‘Ask Mr Fordham, the lawyer, to come please,’ he said. There were five little orange pips in the envelope, nothing else. Powered by [J CamScanner“The lawyer arrived, and we went to my uncle’s room. The fire was lit. The small metal box was on the floor next to the fire. There were ashes in the flames, and I saw some blue paper among the ashes, On the lid of the box, there was some writing. I looked closer. 1 was surprised to see the same letters, K. K. K.. The small metal box was on the floor next to the fire. “John, please witness my will’ my uncle said to me. ‘1am leaving my money and property to your father. One day, he will leave it to you. However, if the money brings you trouble, do not keep it. Now, please sign the will’ ” Powered by (@ CamScannerb Two Mysterious Deaths “1 signed the will and the lawyer took it, After that, my uncle started to drink more and more. At night, he went out alone for hours and hours. “One night, my uncle went out for a walk, and did not return. In the morning, we found him next to the lake at the bottom of the garden, His face was in the water. He was dead. The police said that it was suicide because he had no marks on him. “I do not believe that my uncle killed himself. He was frightened of death.” Holmes said, “Please tell me the exact date that your uncle received the envelope from India.” “The envelope arrived on 10th March, 1883,” replied John. “And when did your uncle die?” Holmes asked. “He died seven weeks later, on 2nd May,” John replied. “Thank you. Please continue,” said Holmes. “My father inherited my uncle's money and property, and he came to live in Horsham. One day, in the attic, we found the small box with the letters K. K. K. on the lid. We also discovered my uncle’s diaries. They were about his life in America. Some parts were about the Civil War. Other parts were about the years after the war. During this time, some people wanted to give civil rights to the Negroes in America. My uncle did not want to give rights to them. “Nothing unusual happened until almost two years later. It was 4th January, 1885. At breakfast, my father opened a letter. There were five orange pips in the envelope. He looked at the red letters inside the envelope. “ ‘Look, John. Do you know what these mean?’ he asked. “1 was terrified. I read the letters K. K. K. There was also a message. It said, ‘Put the papers on the sundial.’ “ “What papers? What sundial?’ my father asked. “There is a sundial in the garden,’ I said, ‘and there were some papers in the box in the attic, Uncle Elias burned them.” Powered by camScanner“This is a stupid joke,’ my father said. ‘Where is the letter from?” “1 looked at the postmark. ‘Dundee, in Scotland,’ I replied. ‘We must tell the police.’ “ They will laugh at me,’ he said. “ “Please tell them,’ I insisted. “-¢No, L want to forget this nonsense,’ said my father. “y did not argue with my father. But I was very unhappy about the situation. “My father went to visit a friend. Two days later, I received a telegram from my father’s friend. It said: POSTALTELEGRAPH COMMERCIAL CABLES TELEGRAM eects COME IMMEDIATELY! YOUR FATHER FELL FROM HIS HORSE AND HE IS BADLY HURT. SS ti “I went to be with my father, but a few days later, he died. The police believed it was an accident. But I am sure that my father’s death was not an accident. “J inherited the money and the house from my father and I lived happily in Horsham for two years. I started to think that the curse ended with my father’s death. But two days ago, I received a letter.” John Openshaw took an envelope from his pocket. There were five little orange pips inside it. “This is the envelope,” he said. “Somebody posted it in East London. The same three letters are on the inside, and also the words “Put the papers on the sundial.’” “Did you tell the police?” asked Holmes. “Yes. They think that the letters are a joke. They believe that the deaths of my uncle and my father were accidents. They do not believe that I am in danger.” . | q — Powered by (@ CamScanner“they are wrong!” shouted Holme days ago. We haven’t got much time.” “There is one more thing,” said John Openshaw. He took an old piece of blue paper from his pocket. “My uncle took the papers from the small box and burned them. I saw them in the fire. But this piece ‘of paper was still in the box. The writing is my uncle’s. I think it is a page from one of his diaries.” “You received the letter two | “This piece of paper was still in the box,” said John Openshaw. Powered by {9 CamScannerThe Ku Klux Klan Holmes held a lamp close to the paper. We both examined it. The date, “March, 1869”, was at the top, and there were a few words after it: wu 7th, Lused the pipson McCauley, “> Paramore and Join Swain. The date was at the top. Powered by [J CamScannerHolmes gave the paper to John Openshaw. “we have got very little time,” he said. “You must put the paper on the sundial.” “But the letter asks for all the papers. I haven't got them,” said ‘Mr Openshaw. “You must write a note. Say that your uncle burned all the other papers. Put the note and the piece of paper into the metal box, and put the box on the sundial,” explained Holmes. “Do you understand?” “Yes, L understand. Thank you, Mr Holmes. I will do everything.” John Openshaw got up and put on his coat. “Please hurry,” said Holmes. “And be careful. You are in danger.” “Are you going to come to Horsham?” Mr Openshaw asked. “No. Your letter was from London. I will find the answer to this mystery here,” Holmes replied. “{ will come to see you again soon,” Mr Openshaw said. He shook our hands and went outside into the storm. Sherlock Holmes was silent for a long time. Then he lit his pipe and looked at me. “Watson,” he said. “This really is an extraordinary case.” “| agree,” I replied. “But what is this strange danger?” “1 already know,” replied Holmes. “What is it? Who is this K. K. K., and why does he want to hurt the Openshaw family?” I asked. “Colonel Elias Openshaw had a good life in America,” said Holmes. “Why did he return to England? Horsham is a very small town. I think he went to live in Horsham because he wanted to be alone. He was frightened. Do you remember the postmarks of the letters, Watson?” “The first was from Pondicherry, in India. The second was from Dundee, in Scotland. And the third was from-East London,” I replied. “Yes. They are all near a sea or a river. What does that tell you?” asked Holmes. “The writer of each letter was on a ship,” I answered, “Excellent! That is one clue. And there is something clse. Colonel Openshaw died seven weeks after he received the letter from India. Powered by camScannerBut his brother died only three days after the letter from Dundee, What does that tell you?” asked Holmes, The writer of the letter needed time to travel from India to England,” I said. yes," replied Holmes, “The person posted the letter in Pondicherry and travelled to England by boat. This journey takes several weeks.” Holmes paused for a moment, and then said, “The last letter is from London, That is the reason we must hurry. The writer of the letter is already here.” “But who is doing this terrible thing?” I asked. Holmes spoke in a low voice. “Have you heard of the Ku Kluy Klan?” he asked. “No, Who are they?” I asked. “Let me explain. Please pass me the letter K of the encyclopedia,” said Holmes. I looked on the shelf next to me and found the book. “Thank you,” said Holmes, turning the pages. “Here Then, he started to read. “Here it is,” he said. in the Confederate army sai a 1 Yat Klos Klan after the . gnc War, ‘They did not want «10 be free people. They killed ho tried to resist them. They sent arming before they killed someone, sae wating Was usually the seeds of a ja for example orange pins, 7 Powered by 3 camScannerTragedy at Sea Holmes looked up from the encyclopedia and said, “I believe that Elias Openshaw had some papers and documents about the Ku Klux Klan. The names of the Ku Klux Klan members were on the papers, and the names of their victims. Elias left America with the papers in 1869, but the Ku Klux Klan want them. And now some members of the Ku Klux Klan are in London,” “John Openshaw has got the blue paper. It is part of those documents,” I said. “Correct,” said Holmes. “The people on the paper all received orange pips from the Ku Klux Klan.” “What are you going to do now?" I asked. Then, he started to read. Powered by camScanner“I's very late now. In the morning I will try to find where the Ku Klux Klan members are staying,” Holmes answered. QQ In the morning, the weather was calm. The sun shone through the window. At breakfast, I picked up the newspaper and looked at the front page. I saw the name “Openshaw” and the headline “Tragedy near Waterloo Bridge”. | “Holmes!” | exclaimed. “John Openshaw is dead!” Holmes put down his cup. “Ah!” he said. “I hoped that there was more time. What happened?” I read the article quickly. “He drowned in the River Thames. The police think that he fell into the river because the path was wet. It was very dark and windy. They believe that it was an accident.” “Holmes!” | exclaimed. John Openshaw is dead!” Powered by (@ CamScannerje sat silently for a few minutes. Holmes was very upset. “John yenshaw came to me for help but I sent him to his death!” he said, n he got up and walked up and down the room. “They will not escape!” he shouted. “I am going out.” Holmes returned late in the evening. He was pale and tired. ““[ know where they are,” he said. ‘How did you find them?” I asked. “looked at the register of all the ships that arrived at Pondicherry January and February in 1883. Thirty-six ships arrived during ose months, but only one ship was American. It was called the Star.” “What did you do then?” “{ looked at the Dundee records. The Lone Star was in Dundee in january, 1885. The Lone Star arrived in London last week. I went to dock. The ship left this morning. It is going to America.” “What will you do now?” I asked. “There are only three Americans on the ship: Captain James joun and two sailors. Captain Calhoun is the leader of this Ku lux Klan group. But these three men were not on the ship last night the time when John Openshaw died.” Holmes took an orange from the cupboard and continued, “Now I m going to give them a warning.” “what do you mean?” I asked. Holmes put five orange pips into an envelope. On the inside of the elope, he wrote, S. H. for J. 0. in red. He closed the envelope and \ddressed it to Captain James Calhoun, the Lone Star, Savannah Port, Georgia. “Captain Calhoun will get my letter when he arrives at Savannah Port,” said Holmes. “I sent a telegram to the Savannah police. The captain and his friends will pay for their crimes.” But the murderers of John Openshaw never received the orange pips. The winds were very strong that month. The Lone Star did not reach America. The ship sank far out in the Atlantic ocean. Powered by camScanner