  "the adventure of the missing three-quarter", one of the 56 sherlock holmes short stories written by british author sir arthur conan doyle, is one of 13 stories in the cycle collected as the return of sherlock holmes. it was originally published in strand magazine in 1904 with illustrations by sidney paget. ==plot== thumb|right|160px|holmes and watson use a scenthound to find "the missing three-quarter" mr. cyril overton of trinity college, cambridge comes to holmes seeking his help in godfrey stauntonâs disappearance. staunton is the key man on overtonâs rugby team (who plays at the three-quarters position, hence the story's title), and they will never win the important match tomorrow against oxford if staunton cannot be found. holmes has to admit that sport is outside his field, but he shows the same care he has shown to his other cases. staunton had seemed a bit pale and bothered earlier in the day, but late in the evening, according to a hotel porter, a rough-looking, bearded man came to the hotel with a note for staunton which, judging from stauntonâs reaction, contained rather devastating news. he then left the hotel with the bearded stranger, and the two of them were seen running in the direction of the strand at about half past ten. no-one has seen them since. overton has wired to cambridge to find out if staunton has been seen there; he has not. he has also wired lord mount-james, stauntonâs very wealthy and thoroughly miserly uncle and nearest living kin, but has heard no answer. staunton is the almost-eighty-year-old lord mount-jamesâs heir, but he must meanwhile live in relative poverty owing to his uncleâs miserly behavior. at the hotel, holmes questions the porter. this bearded man who brought the note was neither a gentleman nor a workman, and he seemed to be bothered by something, too, for his hand was trembling as he handed staunton the note. the only word that the porter overheard of their short conversation was âtimeâ. at six oâclock, the porter had brought staunton a telegram, and he saw staunton write a reply. staunton told the porter that he would send it himself. holmes looks at the telegraph forms in stauntonâs room, and then at the blotter, finally finding a clue. the impression on the blotter yields a part of the message that staunton sent: âstand by us for godâs sakeâ. obviously at least one other person is involved (âusâ), and there is some kind of danger. other papers left in the room yield clues. lord mount-james also briefly visits, and can give holmes no useful information a
1896_in_fiction 1904_short_stories Sherlock_Holmes_short_stories_by_Arthur_Conan_Doyle