3 The Advertisement

Chapter 3 The Advertisement "That, Watson, is the mystery we must solve," said Sherlock Holmes. "We must work out the sequence of events that led from a theft at the Hotel Cosmopolitan to a scuffle on Tottenham Court Road. We have a stone. The stone came from a goose. The goose came from Mr. Henry Baker. We were having a lot of fun trying to work out the man's identity from his hat, but our innocent game has suddenly become a lot more serious. It is now vitally important that we find this gentleman and try to work out what part he played in this mystery." "And how will we do that?" asked Peterson. "We'll start with the most straightforward approach," said Holmes. "We'll place an advertisement in all the evening papers and hope he responds." "And if he doesn't?" I asked. "Then we shall have to try other methods," replied Holmes. "Now pass me a pencil and that slip of paper, will you?" I did so, and Holmes wrote down the following...

"Found on Tottenham Court Road, a goose and a black felt hat. If you are mister Henry Baker and these belong to you, please come to 221B Baker Street this evening at 6:00 PM to pick them up. "Here you are, Peterson," said Holmes. "Run along to the advertising agency and have this placed in the evening papers." "Very well, sir. What about the stone?" "I shall keep the stone, thank you!" said Holmes. "And I say, Peterson, buy a goose on your way back and bring it to me, would you? We must offer Mr. Baker a bird to replace the one you and your wife have eaten." "Very well, sir."

When Peterson had gone, Holmes picked up the blue carbuncle and held it up to the light. "It's glorious, isn't it, Watson?" he said. "See how it glints and sparkles! It is very rare for a carbuncle to be blue. Most are ruby red. This makes it more valuable and, of course, behind every valuable stone there is always a dark history of crime. This one was discovered only twenty years ago on the banks of a river in southern China. Since then, it has prompted no fewer than two murders, a kidnapping, and several robberies. Who would think such a pretty thing would cause so much trouble? I shall lock it in my strongbox for now and write a note to the countess to tell her we have it."

"Do you suppose Henry Baker had anything to do with the theft?" I asked. Holmes shook his head. "I think it quite unlikely that Mr. Baker had a clue about what his bird contained. However, a simple test should be enough to determine his guilt or innocence—so long as he answers our advertisement." "Well," I said, "I suppose there is nothing more to be done until he gets here, and as a doctor, I do have some patients to visit. I'll return this evening at half past six, for I very much want to see how this strange story concludes." "Excellent, Watson, I'll see you then. We dine at seven. Mrs. Hudson will be serving duck. In view of recent events, perhaps I ought to ask her to examine its throat." I was delayed with one of my patients and it wasn't until a little after half past six that I found myself back in Baker Street. As I approached number 221B, I saw a tall man standing there in a coat buttoned up to his chin. The door opened and Mrs. Hudson showed the two of us up to Holmes's room.

"Mr. Henry Baker, I believe," said Holmes, rising from his armchair and greeting his visitor with a friendly shake of the hand. "Please, take this chair by the fire for it is a cold night, and I can see that you are a man who prefers summer to winter. This, by the way, is my friend Dr. Watson. And this, I believe, is your hat." "It most certainly is," said Baker. He was a large man with a broad, intelligent face and a pointed beard. There was a touch of red in his nose and cheeks and a tremble in hands, which was how Holmes deduced he did not enjoy cold weather.

"You are very kind, sir," said Baker, "to have gone to the trouble of advertising my lost property." He spoke slowly and precisely, choosing his words with care. His coat, like his hat, had seen better days. As Holmes had predicted, he seemed like a man who had come down in the world. "We waited a few days before advertising," said Holmes, "because we expected to see an announcement from you giving your address. Why did you not advertise your lost property in the newspaper?" Our visitor blushed. "I have to be a little careful with my pennies these days," he said. "I assumed the gang of