Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-07-01
CHAPTER Z.
Efr. Sherlock Holmes.


London and proceeded to Netley to go
through the course prescribed for sur
geons in the army Having completed
my studies there, | was duly attached
to the Fifth Northumberland Tusiliers
as assistant surgeon. The regiment
was stationed in India at the time, and
before could join it the second
Afghan war broke out On landing at
Bombay I learned that my corps had
advanced through the passes and was
already deep in the enemy's country.
/ followed, however, with many other
officers who were in the same situation
as myself, and succeeded in reaching
Candahar in safety where | found my
regiment, and at once entered upon my
new duties.
The campaign brought honors and
promotion to many, but for me it had
nothing but misfortune and disaster
I was removed from my brigade and
attached to the Berkshire, with whom
I served at the fatal battle Of Mai
wand. There [ was struck on the
shoulder by a Jezail bullet, which
shattered the bone and grazed the sub
clavian artery. [ should have fallen
into the hands of the murderouS
ton and courage shown by Murray,
my orderly, who threw me across a
pack4horse and succeeded in bringing
me safely to the British lines
TTgTa with pain and weak from the
= l$lt5yafl g6tE nardsnips which I had TN
dergone, Z was removed, with q great
train of wounded sufferers, to the base
hospital at Peshawur. Here 1 rallied,
a116l I'D oil INN co flY p n
be able to walk about the wards, and
even to bask a little upon the veranda,
when / was struck down by enteric
fever, that curse Of our Indian possess
Sions For months my life was de-
SPARED of, and when at last I came to
myself and became convalescent, was
so weak and emaciated that a medical
board determined that not day should
be lost in sending me back to England.
I was dispatched, accordingly, in the
troop ship OronteS, and landed a month
later on Portsmouth jetty, with my
health irretrievably ruined, but with
permission from a paternal govern
ment to spend the next nine months in
attempting to improve it,
I had neither kith nor kin in Eng
land, and was therefore as free as air
Or as free as an income of eleven
Shillings and siXpence a day viii per-
nit a man to be. Under such circum-
stances I naturally gravitated to Lon
don, that great cesspoOl into which all
the loungerS and idlers of the empire
are irreSiSGbly drained. There [ re-
manned for some time at q private
hotel in the Strand, leading a COM
fortress, meaningless existence, and
spending such money as [ had con-
iderably more freely than l ought.
SO alarming did the state Of my
finances become that / soon realized
that | must either leave the metropolis
and rusticate somewhere in the coun-
try, or that [ must make q complete
alteration in my style Of living. ChoOs-
ing the latter alternative, / began by
making up my mind to leave the hotel,
and to take uD my quarters in some
less pretentouS and less expensive
domicile.
On the very day that had come to
this conclusion [ was standing at the
Criterian bar when some one tapped
me on the shoulder, and turning
round I recognized young Stamford,
who had been q dresser under me at
Bart'S. The sight of a friendly face
in the great wilderness Of London is
a pleasant thing indeed to q lonely
man In old days Stamford had never
been a particular crOny Of mine, but
now I hailed him with enthusiasm,
and he, in his turn, appeared to be de
lighted to see me. In the eXuberance
of my joy I asked him to lunch with
me at the HOlborn, and we started off
together in a hanson.
Whatever have you been doing with
yourself, WatsOn?" he asked in undis-
guised wonder as we ratified through
the crowded London streets.
You are as thin as a lath and as
brown as a NUT
I gave him a short sketch of my adj
ventures, and had hardly concluded it
by the tine that we reached our desti-
nation.
Poor devil" ne said, cOmmiserating-
Nv, after he had listened to my mis-
fortunes What are you up to now?'
Looking for lodgings" [ answered.
Trying to solve the problem as to
whether it is possible to get comfort
able rooms at reasonable price"
That's a strange thing" remarked
nv companion; you are the second
man to-day that has used that express
sion to me-"
'And who was the first?" l asked.
"a fellow that is working at the
chemical laboratory up at the hospital.
He was bemoaning himself this morn
ing because DE could not get some one
TO so halves with him in some nice
rooms which he had found, and which
were too much for his purse"
"sBy Jove"' | cried; If lie really
wants some one to share the rooms
and the expense I am the very man
for him. / should prefer having a part
ner to being alone"
Young Stamford looked strangely at
me over his wine glass. You don't
know Sherlock Holmes yet" he sad;
perhaps you would not care for him
SIS a constant companion"
''Why, what is there against him"'
ooh. l didn't say there was anything
against him He is a little queer in
his ideas-an enthusiast il some
branches of science. AS far as l know
he is a decent fellow enough.
"A medical student, l suppoSe?'
said