The Stormy Petrels of BC will continue to meet, for the time being, via Zoom, to discuss “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor” published in The Strand Magazine in April 1892.

According to The Oxford Sherlock Holmes (1993 – edited by Richard Lancelyn Green) explanatory notes: The Philadelphia Inquirer called it “The Story of the Missing Bride”, The St. Louis Dispatch called it “The Adventures of a Nobleman” and The Atlanta Constitution called it “Adventures of a Noble Bachelor”.

Find out what happened to the young, American heiress. What made her drop her bouquet as she walked down the aisle at the church? What happened at the wedding breakfast? Did the “Noble Bachelor” act nobly? What was in the black canvas bag which Lestrade brought to Baker Street?

This adventure mentions Dr. Watson’s wound. “…the Jezail bullet which I had brought back in one of my limbs as a relic of my Afghan campaign…”

Which limb? “In The Sign of Four” Dr. Watson “Sat nursing my wounded leg.” In “Study in Scarlet” Sherlock Holmes notes that “His (Watson’s) left arm had been injured.” In “The Resident Patient” as well as “The Cardboard Box” Holmes notices “…your hand stole towards your own old wound.”

Was it his leg? After all, he did not accompany his friend on his afternoon stroll, but sat with his legs up, surrounded by a litter of newspapers.

Could the following demonstration depict how Dr. Watson was wounded in two separate limbs?

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From “On the Scent with Sherlock Holmes” – Some Old Problems Solved” by Walter Shepherd

Do you agree that this adventure was “remarkable” as Dr. Watson said, or do you agree with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle when he rated it “…about bottom of the list.”

Discussion will take place: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

BONUS QUESTIONS:

1. Mr. Moulton stayed at the Northumberland Hotel. Which other client of Sherlock Holmes also stayed there at one point?
2. Americans were referred to as ………. (two answers here)

If you would like more information, or have any questions, please contact Fran at: franziskah@shaw.ca

A mystery house! A murderous attack! A severed body part!

An injured man is brought to Dr. Watson who, in turn, takes him to Holmes. Bring out the brandy!

The adventure for May’ s discussion is “The Engineer’s Thumb” Which was originally printed in the Strand Magazine in Mach 1892. (And in the Baltimore Weekly Sun as “A Strange Adventure.”

From “The Adventure Of Arthur Conan Doyle – The Life of the Creator of Sherlock Holmes“, Charles Higham reports:

“In further letters, Robert Louis Stevenson expressed pleasure in ACD’s book The Refugees and revealed that he had held his native overseer Simale _⁽¹⁾ enthralled with “The Engineer’s Thumb“, which, he prayed to God to forgive him, he had narrated as though it were a true story.”

⁽¹) RLS was living in Samoa at this time

From Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Memories and Adventure” he wrote:

“…he (Robert Louis Stevenson) complained to me in a comical letter of the difficulty of telling a story when you had to halt every moment to explain what a railway was, what an engineer was, and so forth.”

At this time we are still meeting via Zoom. Sheldon will send the invitation link closer to the meeting date, along with his “Musings” and minutes of the previous meeting.

Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Rich Kriscunas will treat us to another of his interesting and insightful presentations.

Sheldon Goldfarb will read his musings on the adventure.

If you have any question, please contact Fran at: franziskah@shaw.ca

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Here are the Bonus Questions:

(a) What was Sherlock Holmes reading when Dr. Watson brought Victor Hatherley to see him?

(b) What was Sherlock Holmes smoking? (Please be specific)

(c) What did Hatherley see on the round table when he first arrived and was shown into a room by Colonel Stark? (again, please be specific)