Mr.SherlockHolmes,whowasusuallyverylateinthemornings,saveuponthosenotinfrequentoccasionswhenhewasupallnight,wasseatedatthebreakfasttable.Istooduponthehearth-rugandpickedupthestickwhichourvisitorhadleftbehindhimthenightbefore.Itwasafine,thickpieceofwood,bulbous-headed,ofthesortwhichisknownasa“Penanglawyer.”Justundertheheadwasabroadsilverbandnearlyaninchacross.“ToJamesMortimer,M.R.C.S.,fromhisfriendsoftheC.C.H.,”wasengraveduponit,withthedate“1884.”Itwasjustsuchastickastheold-fashionedfamilypractitionerusedtocarry—dignified,solid,andreassuring.
“Well,Watson,whatdoyoumakeofit?”
Holmeswassittingwithhisbacktome,andIhadgivenhimnosignofmyoccupation.
“HowdidyouknowwhatIwasdoing?Ibelieveyouhaveeyesinthebackofyourhead.”
“Ihave,atleast,awell-polished,silver-platedcoffee-potinfrontofme,”saidhe.“But,tellme,Watson,whatdoyoumakeofourvisitor’sstick?Sincewehavebeensounfortunateastomisshimandhavenonotionofhiserrand,thisaccidentalsouvenirbecomesofimportance.Letmehearyoureconstructthemanbyanexaminationofit.”
“Ithink,”saidI,followingasfarasIcouldthemethodsofmycompanion,“thatDr.Mortimerisasuccessful,elderlymedicalman,well-esteemedsincethosewhoknowhimgivehimthismarkoftheirappreciation.”
“Good!”saidHolmes.“Excellent!”
“Ithinkalsothattheprobabilityisinfavourofhisbeingacountrypractitionerwhodoesagreatdealofhisvisitingonfoot.”
“Whyso?”
“Becausethisstick,thoughoriginallyaveryhandsomeonehasbeensoknockedaboutthatIcanhardlyimagineatownpractitionercarryingit.Thethick-ironferruleisworndown,soitisevidentthathehasdoneagreatamountofwalkingwithit.”
“Perfectlysound!”saidHolmes.
“Andthenagain,thereisthe‘friendsoftheC.C.H.’IshouldguessthattobetheSomethingHunt,thelocalhunttowhosemembershehaspossiblygivensomesurgicalassistance,andwhichha