Duncan Ross, 'neither sick-
ness nor business nor anything else.
ness nor business nor anything else.
Warner - World's Best Literature - v08 - Dah to Dra
A frayed top-hat and a faded brown
overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside
him. Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable
about the man save his blazing red head, and the expression of
extreme chagrin and discontent upon his features.
«<
Sherlock Holmes's quick eye took in my occupation, and he
shook his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning
glances. Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time
done manual labor, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason,
that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable
amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else. "
Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger
upon the paper, but his eyes upon my companion.
"How in the name of good fortune did you know all that,
Mr. Holmes? " he asked. "How did you know, for example,
that I did manual labor? It's as true as gospel, for I began as
a ship's carpenter. "
"Your hands, my dear sir.
larger than your left. You
muscles are more developed. "
"Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry ? »
"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read
that; especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order,
you use an arc-and-compass breastpin. "
"Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing? "
"What else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny
for five inches, and the left one with the smooth patch near the
elbow where you rest it upon the desk? "
"Well, but China? »
"The fish that you have tattooed immediately above your
right wrist could only have been done in China. I have made a
small study of tattoo marks, and have even contributed to the
literature of the subject. That trick of staining the fishes' scales
Your right hand is quite a size
have worked with it, and the
## p. 4819 (#617) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4819
of a delicate pink is quite peculiar to China. When in addition
I see a Chinese coin hanging from your watch-chain, the matter
becomes even more simple. "
Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. "Well, I never! " said he.
«< I thought at first that you had done something clever, but I see
that there was nothing in it, after all. "
"I begin to think, Watson," said Holmes, "that I make a
mistake in explaining. 'Omne ignotum pro magnifico,' you
know, and my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer
shipwreck if I am so candid. Can you not find the advertise-
ment, Mr. Wilson ? »
"Yes, I have got it now," he answered, with his thick red
finger planted half-way down the column. "Here it is. This is
what began it all. You just read it for yourself, sir. ”
I took the paper from him, and read as follows:-
"TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE: On account of the bequest of
the late Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pa. , U. S. A. , there is now
another vacancy open, which entitles a member of the League to a
salary of £4 a week for purely nominal services. All red-headed
men who are sound in body and mind, and above the age of twenty-
one years, are eligible. Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o'clock,
to Duncan Ross, at the offices of the League, 7 Pope's Court, Fleet
Street. "
―
"What on earth does this mean? " I ejaculated, after I had
twice read over the extraordinary announcement.
Holmes chuckled, and wriggled in his chair, as was his habit
when in high spirits. "It is a little off the beaten track, isn't
it? " said he. "And now, Mr. Wilson, off you go at scratch, and
tell us all about yourself, your household, and the effect which
this advertisement had upon your fortunes. You will first make
a note, doctor, of the paper and the date. "
"It is the Morning Chronicle of April 27th, 1890. Just two
months ago. "
"Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson?
"Well, it is just as I have been telling you, Mr. Sherlock
Holmes," said Jabez Wilson, mopping his forehead: "I have a
small pawnbroker's business at Coburg Square, near the city.
It's not a very large affair, and of late years it has not done
more than just give me a living. I used to be able to keep two
assistants, but now I only keep one; and I would have a job to
>>
## p. 4820 (#618) ###########################################
4820
A. CONAN DOYLE
pay him, but that he is willing to come for half wages, so as to
learn the business. "
"What is the name of this obliging youth? " asked Sherlock
Holmes.
"His name is Vincent Spaulding, and he's not such a youth,
either. It's hard to say his age. I should not wish a smarter
assistant, Mr. Holmes; and I know very well that he could bet-
ter himself, and earn twice what I am able to give him. But
after all, if he is satisfied, why should I put ideas in his head? "
"Why, indeed? You seem most fortunate in having an em-
ployé who comes under the full market price. It is not a com
mon experience among employers in this age. I don't know that
your assistant is not as remarkable as your advertisement. "
"Oh, he has his faults, too," said Mr. Wilson. "Never was
such a fellow for photography. Snapping away with a camera
when he ought to be improving his mind, and then diving down
into the cellar like a rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures.
That is his main fault; but on the whole, he's a good worker.
There's no vice in him. "
"He is still with you, I presume? »
"Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen, who does a bit of sim-
ple cooking, and keeps the place clean-that's all I have in the
house, for I am a widower, and never had any family. We live
very quietly, sir, the three of us; and we keep a roof over our
heads, and pay our debts, if we do nothing more.
"The first thing that put us out was that advertisement.
Spaulding, he came down into the office just this day eight weeks,
with this very paper in his hand, and he says:-
"I wish to the Lord, Mr. Wilson, that I was a red-headed
man. '
"Why that? ' I asks.
"Why,' says he, here's another vacancy on the League of
the Red-Headed Men. It's worth quite a little fortune to any
man who gets it, and I understand that there are more vacancies
than there are men, so that the trustees are at their wits' end
what to do with the money. If my hair would only change
color, here's a nice little crib all ready for me to step into. '
"Why, what is it, then? ' I asked. You see, Mr. Holmes, I
am a very stay-at-home man, and as my business came to me
instead of my having to go to it, I was often weeks on end with-
out putting my foot over the door-mat. In that way I didn't
## p. 4821 (#619) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4821
know much of what was going on outside, and I was always glad
of a bit of news.
"Have you never heard of the League of the Red-Headed
Men? ' he asked, with his eyes open.
<<< Never. '
« 'Why, I wonder at that, for you are eligible yourself for
one of the vacancies. '
«And what are they worth? ' I asked.
"Oh, merely a couple of hundred a year; but the work is
slight, and it need not interfere very much with one's other
occupations. '
"Well, you can easily think that that made me prick up my
ears, for the business has not been over good for some years,
and an extra couple of hundred would have been very handy.
"Tell me all about it,' said I.
"Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement, 'you can see
for yourself that the League has a vacancy, and there is the
address where you should apply for particulars. As far as I can
make out, the League was founded by an American millionaire,
Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very peculiar in his ways. He was
himself red-headed, and he had a great sympathy for all red-
headed men; so when he died it was found that he had left his
enormous fortune in the hands of trustees, with instructions to
apply the interest to the providing of easy berths to men whose
hair is of that color. From all I hear, it is splendid pay and
very little to do. '
"But,' said I, 'there would be millions of red-headed men
who would apply. '
"Not so many as you might think,' he answered.
'You see
it is really confined to Londoners, and to grown men. This
American had started from London when he was young, and he
wanted to do the old town a good turn. Then again, I have
heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light red, or
dark red, or anything but real bright, blazing, fiery red. Now
if you care to apply, Mr. Wilson, you would just walk in; but
perhaps it would hardly be worth your while to put yourself out
of the way for the sake of a few hundred pounds. '
"Now, it is a fact, gentlemen, as you may see for your-
selves, that my hair is of a very full and rich tint, so that it
seemed to me that if there was to be any competition in the
matter, I stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever
## p. 4822 (#620) ###########################################
4822
A. CONAN DOYLE
met.
Vincent Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that
I thought he might prove useful, so I just ordered him to put
up the shutters for the day, and to come right away with me.
He was very willing to have a holiday; so we shut the business.
up, and started off for the address that was given us in the
advertisement.
"I never hope to see such a sight as that again, Mr. Holmes.
From north, south, east, and west, every man who had a shade
of red in his hair had tramped into the city to answer the adver-
tisement. Fleet Street was choked with red-headed folk, and
Pope's Court looked like a coster's orange-barrow. I should not
have thought there were so many in the whole country as were
brought together by that single advertisement. Every shade of
color they were-straw, lemon, orange, brick, Irish-setter, liver,
clay; but as Spaulding said, there were not many who had the
real vivid flame-colored tint. When I saw how many were wait-
ing, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would
not hear of it. How he did it I could not imagine, but he
pushed and pulled and butted until he got me through the
crowd, and right up to the steps which led to the office. There
was a double stream upon the stair, some going up in hope, and
some coming back dejected; but we wedged in as well as we
could, and soon found ourselves in the office. "
"Your experience has been a most entertaining one," remarked
Holmes, as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a
huge pinch of snuff. "Pray continue your very interesting state-
ment. "
"There was nothing in the office but a couple of wooden
chairs and a deal table, behind which sat a small man, with a
head that was even redder than mine. He said a few words to
each candidate as he came up, and then he always managed to
find some fault in them which would disqualify them. Getting a
vacancy did not seem to be such a very easy matter, after all.
However, when our turn came, the little man was much more
favorable to me than to any of the others, and he closed the
door as we entered, so that he might have a private word with us.
This is Mr. Jabez Wilson,' said my assistant, and he is
willing to fill a vacancy in the League. '
"And he is admirably suited for it,' the other answered.
'He has every requirement. I cannot recall when I have seen
anything so fine. ' He took a step backward, cocked his head on
## p. 4823 (#621) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4823
one side, and gazed at my hair until I felt quite bashful. Then
suddenly he plunged forward, wrung my hand, and congratulated
me warmly on my success.
<
"It would be injustice to hesitate,' said he. 'You will, how-
ever, I am sure, excuse me for taking an obvious precaution. '
With that he seized my hair in both his hands, and tugged until
I yelled with the pain. There is water in your eyes,' said he,
as he released me. 'I perceive that all is as it should be. But
we have to be careful, for we have twice been deceived by wigs
and once by paint. I could tell you tales of cobbler's wax which
would disgust you with human nature. ' He stepped over to the
window, and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the
vacancy was filled. A groan of disappointment came up from
below, and the folk all trooped away in different directions, until
there was not a red head to be seen except my own and that of
the manager.
"My name,' said he, 'is Mr. Duncan Ross, and I am myself
one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor.
Are you a married man, Mr. Wilson? Have you a family? ›
"I answered that I had not.
"His face fell immediately.
"Dear me,' he said, gravely, 'that is very serious indeed! I
am sorry to hear you say that. The fund was of course for the
propagation and spread of the red-heads, as well as for their
maintenance. It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a
bachelor. '
"My face lengthened at this, Mr. Holmes, for I thought that
I was not to have the vacancy after all; but after thinking it
over for a few minutes, he said that it would be all right.
"In the case of another,' said he, 'the objection might be
fatal, but we must stretch a point in favor of a man with such a
head of hair as yours. When shall you be able to enter upon
your new duties? '
"Well, it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,'
said I.
"Oh, never mind about that, Mr. Wilson! ' said Vincent
Spaulding. I shall be able to look after that for you. '
"What would be the hours? ' I asked.
"Ten to two. '
་
"Now a pawnbroker's business is mostly done of an evening,
Mr. Holmes, especially Thursday and Friday evening, which is
## p. 4824 (#622) ###########################################
4824
A. CONAN DOYLE
just before pay-day; so it would suit me very well to earn a
little in the mornings. Besides, I knew that my assistant was a
good man, and that he would see to anything that turned up.
"That would suit me very well,' said I. 'And the pay? '
"Is 4 a week. '
"And the work? '
"Is purely nominal. '
"What do you call purely nominal? '
"Well, you have to be in the office, or at least in the build-
ing, the whole time. If you leave, you forfeit your whole posi-
tion forever. The will is very clear upon that point. You don't
comply with the conditions if you budge from the office during
that time. '
"It's only four hours a day, and I should not think of leav-
ing,' said I.
"No excuse will avail,' said Mr.
Duncan Ross, 'neither sick-
ness nor business nor anything else. There you must stay, or
you lose your billet. '
«And the work? '
Is to copy out the Encyclopædia Britannica. There is the
first volume of it in that press. You must find your own ink,
pens, and blotting-paper, but we provide this table and chair.
Will you be ready to-morrow? ›
"Certainly,' I answered.
"Then good-by, Mr. Jabez Wilson; and let me congratulate
you once more on the important position which you have been
fortunate enough to gain. ' He bowed me out of the room, and
I went home with my assistant, hardly knowing what to say or
do, I was so pleased at my own good fortune.
"Well, I thought over the matter all day, and by evening I
was in low spirits again; for I had quite persuaded myself that
the whole affair must be some great hoax or fraud, though what
its object might be I could not imagine. It seemed altogether
past belief that any one could make such a will, or that they
would pay such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying
out the Encyclopædia Britannica. ' Vincent Spaulding did what
he could to cheer me up, but by bedtime I had reasoned myself
out of the whole thing. However, in the morning I determined
to have a look at it anyhow, so I bought a penny bottle of ink,
and with a quill pen and seven sheets of foolscap paper I started
off for Pope's Court.
<
## p. 4825 (#623) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4825
"Well, to my surprise and delight, everything was as right as
possible. The table was set out ready for me, and Mr. Duncan
Ross was there to see that I got fairly to work. He started me
off upon the letter A, and then he left me; but he would drop
in from time to time to see that all was right with me. At two
o'clock he bade me good-by, complimented me upon the amount
that I had written, and locked the door of the office after me.
"This went on day after day, Mr. Holmes, and on Saturday
the manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns
for my week's work. It was the same next week, and the same
the week after. Every morning I was there at ten, and every
afternoon I left at two. By degrees Mr. Duncan Ross took to
coming in only once of a morning, and then after a time he
did not come in at all. Still, of course, I never dared to leave
the room for an instant, for I was not sure when he might come,
and the billet was such a good one, and suited me so well, that
I would not risk the loss of it.
«< Eight weeks passed away like this, and I had written about
Abbots and Archery and Armor and Architecture and Attica, and
hoped with diligence that I might get on to the B's before very
long. It cost me something in foolscap, and I had pretty nearly
filled a shelf with my writings. And then suddenly the whole
business came to an end. "
"To an end? "
"Yes, sir. And no later than this morning. I went to my
work as usual at ten o'clock, but the door was shut and locked
with a little square of card-board hammered on to the middle of
the panel with a tack. Here it is, and you can read for your-
self. "
He held up a piece of white cardboard about the size of a
sheet of note-paper. It read in this fashion:-
THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE
IS
DISSOLVED.
October 9th, 1890.
Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement and
the rueful face behind it, until the comical side of the affair so
completely overtopped every other consideration that we both
burst out into a roar of laughter.
## p. 4826 (#624) ###########################################
4826
A. CONAN DOYLE
"I cannot see that there is anything very funny," cried our
client, flushing up to the roots of his flaming head. "If you can
do nothing better than laugh at me, I can go elsewhere. "
"No, no," cried Holmes, shoving him back into the chair from
which he had half risen. "I really wouldn't miss your case for
the world. It is most refreshingly unusual. But there is, if you
will excuse my saying so, something just a little funny about it.
Pray, what steps did you take when you found the card upon the
door? »
"I was staggered, sir. I did not know what to do. Then I
called at the offices round, but none of them seemed to know
anything about it. Finally I went to the landlord, who is an
accountant living on the ground-floor, and I asked him if he
could tell me what had become of the Red-Headed League. He
said that he had never heard of any such body. Then I asked
him who Mr. Duncan Ross was. He answered that the name
was new to him.
"Well,' said I, 'the gentleman at No. 4. '
"What, the red-headed man? '
༥ ་
'Yes. '
"Oh,' said he, 'his name was William Morris.
solicitor, and was using my room.
until his new premises were ready.
"Where could I find him? '
He was a
as a temporary convenience
He moved out yesterday. '
"Oh, at his new offices. He did tell me the address. Yes,
17 King Edward Street, near St. Paul's. '
"I started off, Mr. Holmes, but when I got to that address it
was a manufactory of artificial knee-caps, and no one in it had
ever heard of either Mr. William Morris or Mr. Duncan Ross. "
"And what did you do then? " asked Holmes.
"I went home to Saxe-Coburg Square, and I took the advice
of my assistant. But he could not help me in any way.
He
could only say that if I waited I should hear by post. But that
was not quite good enough, Mr. Holmes. I did not wish to lose
such a place without a struggle; so as I had heard that you
were good enough to give advice to poor folk who were in need
of it, I came right away to you. "
"And you did very wisely," said Holmes. "Your case is an
exceedingly remarkable one, and I shall be happy to look into it.
From what you have told me, I think that it is possible that
graver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear. "
## p. 4827 (#625) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4827
"Why, I have lost
"Grave enough! " said Mr. Jabez Wilson.
four pound a week. "
"As far as you are personally concerned," remarked Holmes,
"I do not see that you have any grievance against this extraor-
dinary league. On the contrary, you are, as I understand, richer
by some £30, to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you
have gained on every subject which comes under the letter A.
You have lost nothing by them. "
"No, sir. But I want to find out about them, and who they
are, and what their object was in playing this prank-if it was
a prank - upon me. It was a pretty expensive joke for them,
for it cost them two-and-thirty pounds. "
"We shall endeavor to clear up these points for you. And
first one or two questions, Mr. Wilson. This assistant of yours
who first called your attention to the advertisement-how long
had he been with you? "
"About a month then. "
"How did he come?
"In answer to an advertisement. "
"Was he the only applicant? »
"No; I had a dozen. "
"Why did you pick him? "
"Because he was handy, and would come cheap. "
"At half wages, in fact. "
"Yes. >>>
"What is he like, this Vincent Spaulding? "
"Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his
face, though he's not short of thirty. Has a white splash of acid
upon his forehead. »
« I
Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement.
thought as much," said he. "Have you ever observed that his
ears are pierced for earrings? "
"Yes, sir. He told me that a gipsy had done it for him
when he was a lad. "
"Hum! " said Holmes, sinking back in deep thought. "He is
still with you ? »
"Oh yes, sir; I have only just left him. "
"And has your business been
<< Nothing to complain of, sir.
of a morning. "
attended to in your absence ? »
There's never very much to do
"That will do, Mr. Wilson. I shall be happy to give you an
opinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two. To-day
7
## p. 4828 (#626) ###########################################
4828
A. CONAN DOYLE
is Saturday, and I hope that by Monday we may come to a con-
clusion. "
"Well, Watson," said Holmes, when our visitor had left us,
"what do you make of it all? "
"I make nothing of it," I answered, frankly. "It is a most
mysterious business. "
«< As a rule," said Holmes, "the more bizarre a thing is, the
less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, feature-
less crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face
is the most difficult to identify. But I must be prompt over this
matter. "
>>>
"What are you going to do, then? I asked.
"To smoke," he answered. "It is quite a three-pipe problem,
and I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes. " He
curled himself up in his chair, with his thin knees drawn up to
his hawk-like nose, and there he sat with his eyes closed and his
black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird.
I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep, and
indeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out of his
chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind, and
put his pipe down upon the mantel-piece.
"Sarasate plays at the St. James's Hall this afternoon," he
remarked. "What do you think, Watson? Could your patients
spare you for a few hours? »
"I have nothing to do to-day. My practice is never very
absorbing. "
"Then put on your hat and come. I am going through the
city first, and we can have some lunch on the way. I observe
that there is a good deal of German music on the programme,
which is rather more to my taste than Italian or French. It is
introspective, and I want to introspect. Come along! "
We traveled by the Underground as far as Aldersgate; and a
short walk took us to Saxe-Coburg Square, the scene of the
singular story which we had listened to in the morning. It was
a poky little shabby-genteel place, where four lines of dingy two-
storied brick houses looked out into a small railed-in inclosure,
where a lawn of weedy grass and a few clumps of faded laurel-
bushes made a hard fight against a smoke-laden and uncon-
genial atmosphere. Three gilt balls, and a brown board with
"JABEZ WILSON" in white letters, upon a corner house, announced
the place where our red-headed client carried on his business.
Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of it, with his head on one
## p. 4829 (#627) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4829
side, and looked it all over, with his eyes shining brightly be-
tween puckered lids. Then he walked slowly up the street, and
then down again to the corner, still looking keenly at the houses.
Finally he returned to the pawnbroker's, and having thumped
vigorously upon the pavement with his stick two or three times
he went up to the door and knocked. It was instantly opened
by a bright-looking, clean-shaven young fellow, who asked him.
to step in.
"Thank you," said Holmes, "I only wish to ask you how you
would go from here to the Strand. "
"Third right, fourth left," answered the assistant, promptly,
closing the door.
"Smart fellow, that," observed Holmes, as we walked away.
"He is, in my judgment, the fourth smartest man in London,
and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be
third. I have known something of him before. "
"Evidently," said I, “Mr. Wilson's assistant counts for a good
deal in this mystery of the Red-Headed League. I am sure that
you inquired your way merely in order that you might see him. "
"Not him. "
"What then? »
"The knees of his trousers. "
"And what did you see? "
"What I expected to see. "
"Why did you beat the pavement? "
«< My dear doctor, this is a time for observation, not for talk.
We are spies in an
Saxe-Coburg Square.
behind it. "
enemy's country. We know something of
Let us
Let us now explore the parts which lie
The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the
corner from the retired Saxe-Coburg Square presented as great a
contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back.
It was
one of the main arteries which convey the traffic of the city to
the north and west. The roadway was blocked with the im-
mense stream of commerce, flowing in a double tide inward and
outward, while the foot-paths were black with the hurrying
swarm of pedestrians. It was difficult to realize, as we looked at
the line of fine shops and stately business premises, that they
really abutted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant
square which we had just quitted.
"Let me see," said Holmes, standing at the corner and glanc-
ing along the line, "I should like just to remember the order
## p. 4830 (#628) ###########################################
4830
A. CONAN DOYLE
of the houses here. It is a hobby of mine to have an exact
knowledge of London. There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist, the
little newspaper shop, the Coburg branch of the City and Sub-
urban Bank, the Vegetarian Restaurant, and McFarlane's carriage-
building depot. That carries us right on to the other block.
And now, doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some
play. A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-
land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony, and there
are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums. "
My friend was an enthusiastic musician, being himself not
only a very capable performer, but a composer of no ordinary
merit. All the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the
most perfect happiness, gently waving his long thin fingers in
time to the music, while his gently smiling face and his languid,
dreamy eyes were as unlike those of Holmes the sleuth-hound,
Holmes the relentless, keen-witted, ready-handed criminal agent,
as it was possible to conceive. In his singular character the dual
nature alternately asserted itself, and his extreme exactness and
astuteness represented, as I have often thought, the reaction
against the poetic and contemplative mood which occasionally
predominated in him. The swing of his nature took him from
extreme languor to devouring energy; and as I knew well, he
was never so truly formidable as when for days on end he had
been lounging in his arm-chair, amid his improvisations and his
black-letter editions. Then it was that the lust of the chase
would suddenly come upon him, and that his brilliant reasoning
power would rise to the level of intuition, until those who were
unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on
a man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals. When I
saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St.
overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside
him. Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable
about the man save his blazing red head, and the expression of
extreme chagrin and discontent upon his features.
«<
Sherlock Holmes's quick eye took in my occupation, and he
shook his head with a smile as he noticed my questioning
glances. Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time
done manual labor, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason,
that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable
amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else. "
Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger
upon the paper, but his eyes upon my companion.
"How in the name of good fortune did you know all that,
Mr. Holmes? " he asked. "How did you know, for example,
that I did manual labor? It's as true as gospel, for I began as
a ship's carpenter. "
"Your hands, my dear sir.
larger than your left. You
muscles are more developed. "
"Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry ? »
"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read
that; especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order,
you use an arc-and-compass breastpin. "
"Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing? "
"What else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny
for five inches, and the left one with the smooth patch near the
elbow where you rest it upon the desk? "
"Well, but China? »
"The fish that you have tattooed immediately above your
right wrist could only have been done in China. I have made a
small study of tattoo marks, and have even contributed to the
literature of the subject. That trick of staining the fishes' scales
Your right hand is quite a size
have worked with it, and the
## p. 4819 (#617) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4819
of a delicate pink is quite peculiar to China. When in addition
I see a Chinese coin hanging from your watch-chain, the matter
becomes even more simple. "
Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. "Well, I never! " said he.
«< I thought at first that you had done something clever, but I see
that there was nothing in it, after all. "
"I begin to think, Watson," said Holmes, "that I make a
mistake in explaining. 'Omne ignotum pro magnifico,' you
know, and my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer
shipwreck if I am so candid. Can you not find the advertise-
ment, Mr. Wilson ? »
"Yes, I have got it now," he answered, with his thick red
finger planted half-way down the column. "Here it is. This is
what began it all. You just read it for yourself, sir. ”
I took the paper from him, and read as follows:-
"TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE: On account of the bequest of
the late Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon, Pa. , U. S. A. , there is now
another vacancy open, which entitles a member of the League to a
salary of £4 a week for purely nominal services. All red-headed
men who are sound in body and mind, and above the age of twenty-
one years, are eligible. Apply in person on Monday, at eleven o'clock,
to Duncan Ross, at the offices of the League, 7 Pope's Court, Fleet
Street. "
―
"What on earth does this mean? " I ejaculated, after I had
twice read over the extraordinary announcement.
Holmes chuckled, and wriggled in his chair, as was his habit
when in high spirits. "It is a little off the beaten track, isn't
it? " said he. "And now, Mr. Wilson, off you go at scratch, and
tell us all about yourself, your household, and the effect which
this advertisement had upon your fortunes. You will first make
a note, doctor, of the paper and the date. "
"It is the Morning Chronicle of April 27th, 1890. Just two
months ago. "
"Very good. Now, Mr. Wilson?
"Well, it is just as I have been telling you, Mr. Sherlock
Holmes," said Jabez Wilson, mopping his forehead: "I have a
small pawnbroker's business at Coburg Square, near the city.
It's not a very large affair, and of late years it has not done
more than just give me a living. I used to be able to keep two
assistants, but now I only keep one; and I would have a job to
>>
## p. 4820 (#618) ###########################################
4820
A. CONAN DOYLE
pay him, but that he is willing to come for half wages, so as to
learn the business. "
"What is the name of this obliging youth? " asked Sherlock
Holmes.
"His name is Vincent Spaulding, and he's not such a youth,
either. It's hard to say his age. I should not wish a smarter
assistant, Mr. Holmes; and I know very well that he could bet-
ter himself, and earn twice what I am able to give him. But
after all, if he is satisfied, why should I put ideas in his head? "
"Why, indeed? You seem most fortunate in having an em-
ployé who comes under the full market price. It is not a com
mon experience among employers in this age. I don't know that
your assistant is not as remarkable as your advertisement. "
"Oh, he has his faults, too," said Mr. Wilson. "Never was
such a fellow for photography. Snapping away with a camera
when he ought to be improving his mind, and then diving down
into the cellar like a rabbit into its hole to develop his pictures.
That is his main fault; but on the whole, he's a good worker.
There's no vice in him. "
"He is still with you, I presume? »
"Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen, who does a bit of sim-
ple cooking, and keeps the place clean-that's all I have in the
house, for I am a widower, and never had any family. We live
very quietly, sir, the three of us; and we keep a roof over our
heads, and pay our debts, if we do nothing more.
"The first thing that put us out was that advertisement.
Spaulding, he came down into the office just this day eight weeks,
with this very paper in his hand, and he says:-
"I wish to the Lord, Mr. Wilson, that I was a red-headed
man. '
"Why that? ' I asks.
"Why,' says he, here's another vacancy on the League of
the Red-Headed Men. It's worth quite a little fortune to any
man who gets it, and I understand that there are more vacancies
than there are men, so that the trustees are at their wits' end
what to do with the money. If my hair would only change
color, here's a nice little crib all ready for me to step into. '
"Why, what is it, then? ' I asked. You see, Mr. Holmes, I
am a very stay-at-home man, and as my business came to me
instead of my having to go to it, I was often weeks on end with-
out putting my foot over the door-mat. In that way I didn't
## p. 4821 (#619) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4821
know much of what was going on outside, and I was always glad
of a bit of news.
"Have you never heard of the League of the Red-Headed
Men? ' he asked, with his eyes open.
<<< Never. '
« 'Why, I wonder at that, for you are eligible yourself for
one of the vacancies. '
«And what are they worth? ' I asked.
"Oh, merely a couple of hundred a year; but the work is
slight, and it need not interfere very much with one's other
occupations. '
"Well, you can easily think that that made me prick up my
ears, for the business has not been over good for some years,
and an extra couple of hundred would have been very handy.
"Tell me all about it,' said I.
"Well,' said he, showing me the advertisement, 'you can see
for yourself that the League has a vacancy, and there is the
address where you should apply for particulars. As far as I can
make out, the League was founded by an American millionaire,
Ezekiah Hopkins, who was very peculiar in his ways. He was
himself red-headed, and he had a great sympathy for all red-
headed men; so when he died it was found that he had left his
enormous fortune in the hands of trustees, with instructions to
apply the interest to the providing of easy berths to men whose
hair is of that color. From all I hear, it is splendid pay and
very little to do. '
"But,' said I, 'there would be millions of red-headed men
who would apply. '
"Not so many as you might think,' he answered.
'You see
it is really confined to Londoners, and to grown men. This
American had started from London when he was young, and he
wanted to do the old town a good turn. Then again, I have
heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light red, or
dark red, or anything but real bright, blazing, fiery red. Now
if you care to apply, Mr. Wilson, you would just walk in; but
perhaps it would hardly be worth your while to put yourself out
of the way for the sake of a few hundred pounds. '
"Now, it is a fact, gentlemen, as you may see for your-
selves, that my hair is of a very full and rich tint, so that it
seemed to me that if there was to be any competition in the
matter, I stood as good a chance as any man that I had ever
## p. 4822 (#620) ###########################################
4822
A. CONAN DOYLE
met.
Vincent Spaulding seemed to know so much about it that
I thought he might prove useful, so I just ordered him to put
up the shutters for the day, and to come right away with me.
He was very willing to have a holiday; so we shut the business.
up, and started off for the address that was given us in the
advertisement.
"I never hope to see such a sight as that again, Mr. Holmes.
From north, south, east, and west, every man who had a shade
of red in his hair had tramped into the city to answer the adver-
tisement. Fleet Street was choked with red-headed folk, and
Pope's Court looked like a coster's orange-barrow. I should not
have thought there were so many in the whole country as were
brought together by that single advertisement. Every shade of
color they were-straw, lemon, orange, brick, Irish-setter, liver,
clay; but as Spaulding said, there were not many who had the
real vivid flame-colored tint. When I saw how many were wait-
ing, I would have given it up in despair; but Spaulding would
not hear of it. How he did it I could not imagine, but he
pushed and pulled and butted until he got me through the
crowd, and right up to the steps which led to the office. There
was a double stream upon the stair, some going up in hope, and
some coming back dejected; but we wedged in as well as we
could, and soon found ourselves in the office. "
"Your experience has been a most entertaining one," remarked
Holmes, as his client paused and refreshed his memory with a
huge pinch of snuff. "Pray continue your very interesting state-
ment. "
"There was nothing in the office but a couple of wooden
chairs and a deal table, behind which sat a small man, with a
head that was even redder than mine. He said a few words to
each candidate as he came up, and then he always managed to
find some fault in them which would disqualify them. Getting a
vacancy did not seem to be such a very easy matter, after all.
However, when our turn came, the little man was much more
favorable to me than to any of the others, and he closed the
door as we entered, so that he might have a private word with us.
This is Mr. Jabez Wilson,' said my assistant, and he is
willing to fill a vacancy in the League. '
"And he is admirably suited for it,' the other answered.
'He has every requirement. I cannot recall when I have seen
anything so fine. ' He took a step backward, cocked his head on
## p. 4823 (#621) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4823
one side, and gazed at my hair until I felt quite bashful. Then
suddenly he plunged forward, wrung my hand, and congratulated
me warmly on my success.
<
"It would be injustice to hesitate,' said he. 'You will, how-
ever, I am sure, excuse me for taking an obvious precaution. '
With that he seized my hair in both his hands, and tugged until
I yelled with the pain. There is water in your eyes,' said he,
as he released me. 'I perceive that all is as it should be. But
we have to be careful, for we have twice been deceived by wigs
and once by paint. I could tell you tales of cobbler's wax which
would disgust you with human nature. ' He stepped over to the
window, and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the
vacancy was filled. A groan of disappointment came up from
below, and the folk all trooped away in different directions, until
there was not a red head to be seen except my own and that of
the manager.
"My name,' said he, 'is Mr. Duncan Ross, and I am myself
one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor.
Are you a married man, Mr. Wilson? Have you a family? ›
"I answered that I had not.
"His face fell immediately.
"Dear me,' he said, gravely, 'that is very serious indeed! I
am sorry to hear you say that. The fund was of course for the
propagation and spread of the red-heads, as well as for their
maintenance. It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a
bachelor. '
"My face lengthened at this, Mr. Holmes, for I thought that
I was not to have the vacancy after all; but after thinking it
over for a few minutes, he said that it would be all right.
"In the case of another,' said he, 'the objection might be
fatal, but we must stretch a point in favor of a man with such a
head of hair as yours. When shall you be able to enter upon
your new duties? '
"Well, it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,'
said I.
"Oh, never mind about that, Mr. Wilson! ' said Vincent
Spaulding. I shall be able to look after that for you. '
"What would be the hours? ' I asked.
"Ten to two. '
་
"Now a pawnbroker's business is mostly done of an evening,
Mr. Holmes, especially Thursday and Friday evening, which is
## p. 4824 (#622) ###########################################
4824
A. CONAN DOYLE
just before pay-day; so it would suit me very well to earn a
little in the mornings. Besides, I knew that my assistant was a
good man, and that he would see to anything that turned up.
"That would suit me very well,' said I. 'And the pay? '
"Is 4 a week. '
"And the work? '
"Is purely nominal. '
"What do you call purely nominal? '
"Well, you have to be in the office, or at least in the build-
ing, the whole time. If you leave, you forfeit your whole posi-
tion forever. The will is very clear upon that point. You don't
comply with the conditions if you budge from the office during
that time. '
"It's only four hours a day, and I should not think of leav-
ing,' said I.
"No excuse will avail,' said Mr.
Duncan Ross, 'neither sick-
ness nor business nor anything else. There you must stay, or
you lose your billet. '
«And the work? '
Is to copy out the Encyclopædia Britannica. There is the
first volume of it in that press. You must find your own ink,
pens, and blotting-paper, but we provide this table and chair.
Will you be ready to-morrow? ›
"Certainly,' I answered.
"Then good-by, Mr. Jabez Wilson; and let me congratulate
you once more on the important position which you have been
fortunate enough to gain. ' He bowed me out of the room, and
I went home with my assistant, hardly knowing what to say or
do, I was so pleased at my own good fortune.
"Well, I thought over the matter all day, and by evening I
was in low spirits again; for I had quite persuaded myself that
the whole affair must be some great hoax or fraud, though what
its object might be I could not imagine. It seemed altogether
past belief that any one could make such a will, or that they
would pay such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying
out the Encyclopædia Britannica. ' Vincent Spaulding did what
he could to cheer me up, but by bedtime I had reasoned myself
out of the whole thing. However, in the morning I determined
to have a look at it anyhow, so I bought a penny bottle of ink,
and with a quill pen and seven sheets of foolscap paper I started
off for Pope's Court.
<
## p. 4825 (#623) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4825
"Well, to my surprise and delight, everything was as right as
possible. The table was set out ready for me, and Mr. Duncan
Ross was there to see that I got fairly to work. He started me
off upon the letter A, and then he left me; but he would drop
in from time to time to see that all was right with me. At two
o'clock he bade me good-by, complimented me upon the amount
that I had written, and locked the door of the office after me.
"This went on day after day, Mr. Holmes, and on Saturday
the manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns
for my week's work. It was the same next week, and the same
the week after. Every morning I was there at ten, and every
afternoon I left at two. By degrees Mr. Duncan Ross took to
coming in only once of a morning, and then after a time he
did not come in at all. Still, of course, I never dared to leave
the room for an instant, for I was not sure when he might come,
and the billet was such a good one, and suited me so well, that
I would not risk the loss of it.
«< Eight weeks passed away like this, and I had written about
Abbots and Archery and Armor and Architecture and Attica, and
hoped with diligence that I might get on to the B's before very
long. It cost me something in foolscap, and I had pretty nearly
filled a shelf with my writings. And then suddenly the whole
business came to an end. "
"To an end? "
"Yes, sir. And no later than this morning. I went to my
work as usual at ten o'clock, but the door was shut and locked
with a little square of card-board hammered on to the middle of
the panel with a tack. Here it is, and you can read for your-
self. "
He held up a piece of white cardboard about the size of a
sheet of note-paper. It read in this fashion:-
THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE
IS
DISSOLVED.
October 9th, 1890.
Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement and
the rueful face behind it, until the comical side of the affair so
completely overtopped every other consideration that we both
burst out into a roar of laughter.
## p. 4826 (#624) ###########################################
4826
A. CONAN DOYLE
"I cannot see that there is anything very funny," cried our
client, flushing up to the roots of his flaming head. "If you can
do nothing better than laugh at me, I can go elsewhere. "
"No, no," cried Holmes, shoving him back into the chair from
which he had half risen. "I really wouldn't miss your case for
the world. It is most refreshingly unusual. But there is, if you
will excuse my saying so, something just a little funny about it.
Pray, what steps did you take when you found the card upon the
door? »
"I was staggered, sir. I did not know what to do. Then I
called at the offices round, but none of them seemed to know
anything about it. Finally I went to the landlord, who is an
accountant living on the ground-floor, and I asked him if he
could tell me what had become of the Red-Headed League. He
said that he had never heard of any such body. Then I asked
him who Mr. Duncan Ross was. He answered that the name
was new to him.
"Well,' said I, 'the gentleman at No. 4. '
"What, the red-headed man? '
༥ ་
'Yes. '
"Oh,' said he, 'his name was William Morris.
solicitor, and was using my room.
until his new premises were ready.
"Where could I find him? '
He was a
as a temporary convenience
He moved out yesterday. '
"Oh, at his new offices. He did tell me the address. Yes,
17 King Edward Street, near St. Paul's. '
"I started off, Mr. Holmes, but when I got to that address it
was a manufactory of artificial knee-caps, and no one in it had
ever heard of either Mr. William Morris or Mr. Duncan Ross. "
"And what did you do then? " asked Holmes.
"I went home to Saxe-Coburg Square, and I took the advice
of my assistant. But he could not help me in any way.
He
could only say that if I waited I should hear by post. But that
was not quite good enough, Mr. Holmes. I did not wish to lose
such a place without a struggle; so as I had heard that you
were good enough to give advice to poor folk who were in need
of it, I came right away to you. "
"And you did very wisely," said Holmes. "Your case is an
exceedingly remarkable one, and I shall be happy to look into it.
From what you have told me, I think that it is possible that
graver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear. "
## p. 4827 (#625) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4827
"Why, I have lost
"Grave enough! " said Mr. Jabez Wilson.
four pound a week. "
"As far as you are personally concerned," remarked Holmes,
"I do not see that you have any grievance against this extraor-
dinary league. On the contrary, you are, as I understand, richer
by some £30, to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you
have gained on every subject which comes under the letter A.
You have lost nothing by them. "
"No, sir. But I want to find out about them, and who they
are, and what their object was in playing this prank-if it was
a prank - upon me. It was a pretty expensive joke for them,
for it cost them two-and-thirty pounds. "
"We shall endeavor to clear up these points for you. And
first one or two questions, Mr. Wilson. This assistant of yours
who first called your attention to the advertisement-how long
had he been with you? "
"About a month then. "
"How did he come?
"In answer to an advertisement. "
"Was he the only applicant? »
"No; I had a dozen. "
"Why did you pick him? "
"Because he was handy, and would come cheap. "
"At half wages, in fact. "
"Yes. >>>
"What is he like, this Vincent Spaulding? "
"Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his
face, though he's not short of thirty. Has a white splash of acid
upon his forehead. »
« I
Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement.
thought as much," said he. "Have you ever observed that his
ears are pierced for earrings? "
"Yes, sir. He told me that a gipsy had done it for him
when he was a lad. "
"Hum! " said Holmes, sinking back in deep thought. "He is
still with you ? »
"Oh yes, sir; I have only just left him. "
"And has your business been
<< Nothing to complain of, sir.
of a morning. "
attended to in your absence ? »
There's never very much to do
"That will do, Mr. Wilson. I shall be happy to give you an
opinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two. To-day
7
## p. 4828 (#626) ###########################################
4828
A. CONAN DOYLE
is Saturday, and I hope that by Monday we may come to a con-
clusion. "
"Well, Watson," said Holmes, when our visitor had left us,
"what do you make of it all? "
"I make nothing of it," I answered, frankly. "It is a most
mysterious business. "
«< As a rule," said Holmes, "the more bizarre a thing is, the
less mysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, feature-
less crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face
is the most difficult to identify. But I must be prompt over this
matter. "
>>>
"What are you going to do, then? I asked.
"To smoke," he answered. "It is quite a three-pipe problem,
and I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes. " He
curled himself up in his chair, with his thin knees drawn up to
his hawk-like nose, and there he sat with his eyes closed and his
black clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird.
I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep, and
indeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out of his
chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind, and
put his pipe down upon the mantel-piece.
"Sarasate plays at the St. James's Hall this afternoon," he
remarked. "What do you think, Watson? Could your patients
spare you for a few hours? »
"I have nothing to do to-day. My practice is never very
absorbing. "
"Then put on your hat and come. I am going through the
city first, and we can have some lunch on the way. I observe
that there is a good deal of German music on the programme,
which is rather more to my taste than Italian or French. It is
introspective, and I want to introspect. Come along! "
We traveled by the Underground as far as Aldersgate; and a
short walk took us to Saxe-Coburg Square, the scene of the
singular story which we had listened to in the morning. It was
a poky little shabby-genteel place, where four lines of dingy two-
storied brick houses looked out into a small railed-in inclosure,
where a lawn of weedy grass and a few clumps of faded laurel-
bushes made a hard fight against a smoke-laden and uncon-
genial atmosphere. Three gilt balls, and a brown board with
"JABEZ WILSON" in white letters, upon a corner house, announced
the place where our red-headed client carried on his business.
Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of it, with his head on one
## p. 4829 (#627) ###########################################
A. CONAN DOYLE
4829
side, and looked it all over, with his eyes shining brightly be-
tween puckered lids. Then he walked slowly up the street, and
then down again to the corner, still looking keenly at the houses.
Finally he returned to the pawnbroker's, and having thumped
vigorously upon the pavement with his stick two or three times
he went up to the door and knocked. It was instantly opened
by a bright-looking, clean-shaven young fellow, who asked him.
to step in.
"Thank you," said Holmes, "I only wish to ask you how you
would go from here to the Strand. "
"Third right, fourth left," answered the assistant, promptly,
closing the door.
"Smart fellow, that," observed Holmes, as we walked away.
"He is, in my judgment, the fourth smartest man in London,
and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be
third. I have known something of him before. "
"Evidently," said I, “Mr. Wilson's assistant counts for a good
deal in this mystery of the Red-Headed League. I am sure that
you inquired your way merely in order that you might see him. "
"Not him. "
"What then? »
"The knees of his trousers. "
"And what did you see? "
"What I expected to see. "
"Why did you beat the pavement? "
«< My dear doctor, this is a time for observation, not for talk.
We are spies in an
Saxe-Coburg Square.
behind it. "
enemy's country. We know something of
Let us
Let us now explore the parts which lie
The road in which we found ourselves as we turned round the
corner from the retired Saxe-Coburg Square presented as great a
contrast to it as the front of a picture does to the back.
It was
one of the main arteries which convey the traffic of the city to
the north and west. The roadway was blocked with the im-
mense stream of commerce, flowing in a double tide inward and
outward, while the foot-paths were black with the hurrying
swarm of pedestrians. It was difficult to realize, as we looked at
the line of fine shops and stately business premises, that they
really abutted on the other side upon the faded and stagnant
square which we had just quitted.
"Let me see," said Holmes, standing at the corner and glanc-
ing along the line, "I should like just to remember the order
## p. 4830 (#628) ###########################################
4830
A. CONAN DOYLE
of the houses here. It is a hobby of mine to have an exact
knowledge of London. There is Mortimer's, the tobacconist, the
little newspaper shop, the Coburg branch of the City and Sub-
urban Bank, the Vegetarian Restaurant, and McFarlane's carriage-
building depot. That carries us right on to the other block.
And now, doctor, we've done our work, so it's time we had some
play. A sandwich and a cup of coffee, and then off to violin-
land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony, and there
are no red-headed clients to vex us with their conundrums. "
My friend was an enthusiastic musician, being himself not
only a very capable performer, but a composer of no ordinary
merit. All the afternoon he sat in the stalls wrapped in the
most perfect happiness, gently waving his long thin fingers in
time to the music, while his gently smiling face and his languid,
dreamy eyes were as unlike those of Holmes the sleuth-hound,
Holmes the relentless, keen-witted, ready-handed criminal agent,
as it was possible to conceive. In his singular character the dual
nature alternately asserted itself, and his extreme exactness and
astuteness represented, as I have often thought, the reaction
against the poetic and contemplative mood which occasionally
predominated in him. The swing of his nature took him from
extreme languor to devouring energy; and as I knew well, he
was never so truly formidable as when for days on end he had
been lounging in his arm-chair, amid his improvisations and his
black-letter editions. Then it was that the lust of the chase
would suddenly come upon him, and that his brilliant reasoning
power would rise to the level of intuition, until those who were
unacquainted with his methods would look askance at him as on
a man whose knowledge was not that of other mortals. When I
saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the music at St.
