No. 12 The Adventure of the Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle
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he returns to London . if I_read his character right he_will devote his whole energies to revenging himself upon me . he_said as_much in_our short interview, and I fancy that he meant it . i_should certainly recommend you to return to your practice ."

it_was hardly an appeal to_be successful with one who was an old campaigner as_well as an old friend . we sat in_the Strasbourg salle-- manger arguing the question for half an hour, but the same night we had resumed our journey and were well on_our way to Geneva .

for acharming week we wandered up the valley of_the Rhone, and then, branching off at Leuk, we_made our way over the Gemmi pass, still deep in snow, and so, by way of Interlaken, to Meiringen . it_was a lovely trip, the dainty green of_the spring below, the virgin white of_the winter above; but it_was clear to_me that never for_one instant did Holmes forget the shadow which lay across him . in_the homely Alpine villages or in_the lonely mountain passes, I_could tell by his quick glancing eyes and_his sharp scrutiny of every face that passed us, that he_was well convinced that, walk where we_would, we_could_not walk ourselves clear of_the danger which_was dogging our footsteps .

once, I remember, as_we passed over the Gemmi, and walked along the border of_the melancholy Daubensee, a large rock which had_been dislodged from_the ridge upon our right clattered down and roared into_the lake behind us . in an instant Holmes had raced up on to_the ridge, and, standing upon a lofty pinnacle, craned his neck in every direction . it_was in vain that_our guide assured him that a fall of stones was a common chance in_the spring- time at_that spot . he_said nothing, but he smiled at me with_the air of a man who sees the fulfilment of_that which he had expected .

and yet for all his watchfulness he_was never depressed . on_the contrary, I_can never recollect having seen him in_such exuberant spirits . again and again he recurred to_the fact that if he_could be assured that society was freed from professor Moriarty he_would cheerfully bring his own career to a conclusion .

" i_think that I_may go so_far as to_say, Watson, that I_have_not lived wholly in vain," he remarked ." if_my record were closed to- night I_could still survey it with equanimity . the air of London is_the sweeter for_my presence . in over a thousand cases I_am not aware that I_have ever used my powers upon_the wrong side . of late I_have_been tempted to look into_the problems furnished by nature rather than those more superficial ones for_which our artificial state of society is responsible . your memoirs will draw to an end, Watson, upon_the day that I crown my career by_the capture or extinction of_the most dangerous and capable criminal in Europe ."

I_shall_be brief, and yet exact, in_the little which remains for_me to_tell . it_is_not a subject on_which i_would willingly dwell, and yet I_am conscious that a duty devolves upon me to omit no detail .

it_was on_the 3d of may that we reached the little village of Meiringen, where we put up at_the Englischer Hof, then kept by Peter Steiler the elder . our landlord was an intelligent man, and spoke excellent English, having served for three years as waiter at_the Grosvenor hotel in London . at his advice, on_the afternoon of_the 4th we set off together, with_the intention of crossing the hills and spending the night at_the hamlet of Rosenlaui . we had strict injunctions, however, on no account to_pass the falls of Reichenbach, which are about half- way up the hill, without making a small detour to_see them .

it_is indeed, a fearful place . the torrent, swollen by_the melting snow, plunges into a tremendous abyss, from_which the spray rolls up like the smoke from aburning house . the shaft into which the river hurls itself is a immense chasm, lined by glistening coal- black rock, and narrowing into acreaming, boiling pit of incalculable depth, which brims over and shoots the stream onward over its jagged lip . the long sweep of green water roaring forever down, and_the thick flickering curtain of spray hissing forever upward, turn a man giddy with their constant whirl and clamour . we stood near the edge peering down at_the gleam of_the breaking water far below us against the black rocks, and listening to_the half- human shout which cam booming up with_the spray out_of_the abyss .

the path has_been cut half- way round the fall to afford a complete view, but it ends abruptly, and_the traveller has_to return as he_came . we had turned to_do_so, when we saw a Swiss lad come running along it with a letter in_his hand . it bore the mark of_the hotel which we had just left, and was addressed to_me by_the landlord . it appeared that within a very few_minutes of_our leaving, and English lady had arrived who was in_the last stage of consumption . she had wintered at Davos Platz, and was journeying now to join her friends at Lucerne, when a sudden haemorrhage had overtaken her . it_was thought that she_could hardly live a few hours, but it would_be a great consolation to her to_see an English doctor, and, if i_would only return, etc . the good Steiler assured me in a postscript that he_would himself look upon my compliance as a very great favour, since_the lady absolutely refused to_see a Swiss physician, and he_could_not but feel that he_was incurring a great responsibility .

the appeal was one which could_not_be ignored . it_was impossible to refuse the request of a fellow-countrywoman dying in a strange land . yet I had my scruples about leaving Holmes . it_was finally agreed, however, that he_should retain the young Swiss messenger with_him as guide and companion while I returned to Meiringen . my friend would stay some little time at_the fall, he_said, and would then walk slowly over the hill to Rosenlaui, where i_was to rejoin him in_the evening . as I turned away I_saw Holmes, with_his back against a rock and_his arms folded, gazing down at_the rush of_the waters . it was_the last that i_was ever destined to_see of him in_this world .

when i_was near the bottom of_the descent I looked back . it_was impossible, from_that position, to_see the fall, but I could_see the curving path which winds over the shoulder of_the hill and leads to_it . along_this a man was, I remember, walking very rapidly .

I could_see his black figure clearly outlined against the green behind him .I noted him, and_the energy wit which he walked but he passed from my mind again as I hurried on upon my errand .

it may have_been a little over an hour before I reached Meiringen . old Steiler was standing at_the porch of_his hotel .

" well," said I, as I_came hurrying up, "I trust that she_is no worse ? "

a look of surprise passed over his face, and at_the first quiver of_his eyebrows my heart turned to lead in my breast .

" you_did_not write this ? " I_said, pulling the letter from my pocket ." there_is no sick Englishwoman in_the hotel ? "

" certainly not ! " he cried ." but it has_the hotel mark upon it ! Ha, it must_have been written by_that tall Englishman who came in after you had gone . he_said--"

but I waited for none_of_the landlord's explanations . in a tingle of fear i_was already running down the village street, and making for_the path which I had so lately descended . it had taken me an hour to_come down . for all my efforts two more had passed before I_found myself at_the fall of Reichenbach once more . there_was Holmes's Alpine- stock still leaning against the rock by_which I had left him . but there_was no sign of him, and it_was in vain that I shouted . my only answer was my own voice reverberating in arolling echo from_the cliffs around me .

it was_the sight of_that Alpine- stock which turned me cold and sick . he had_not gone to Rosenlaui, then . he had remained on_that three- foot path, with sheer wall on one side and sheer drop on_the other, until his enemy had overtaken him . the young Swiss had gone too . he had probably been in_the pay of Moriarty, and had left the two men together . and then what had happened ? who was to_tell us what had happened then ?

I stood for a minute or two to collect myself, for i_was dazed with_the horror of_the thing . then I began to_think of Holmes's own methods and to_try to practise them in reading this tragedy . it_was, alas, only too easy to_do . during our conversation we had_not gone to_the end of_the path, and_the Alpine- stock marked the place where we had stood . the blackish soil is kept forever soft by_the incessant drift of spray, and a bird would leave its tread upon it . two lines of footmarks were clearly marked along the farther end of_the path, both leading away from me . there were none returning .a few yards from_the end the soil was all ploughed up into a patch of mud, and_the branches and ferns which fringed the chasm were torn and bedraggled .I lay upon my face and peered over with_the spray spouting up all around me . it had darkened since I left, and now I_could only see here and there the glistening of moisture upon_the black walls, and far away down at_the end of_the shaft the gleam of_the broken water .I shouted; but only the same half- human cry of_the fall was borne back to my ears .

but it_was destined that i_should after all have a last word of greeting from my friend and comrade . I_have said that his Alpine- stock had_been left leaning against a rock which jutted on to_the path . from_the top of_this bowlder the gleam of something bright caught my eye, and, raising my hand, I_found that_it came from_the silver cigarette- case which he used to carry . as i_took it up a small square of paper upon_which it had lain fluttered down on to_the ground .Unfolding it, I_found that_it consisted of three pages torn from_his note- book and addressed to_me . it_was characteristic of_the man that_the direction was a precise, and_the writing as firm and clear, as_though it had_been written in_his study .

my dear Watson [ it said], I write these few lines through_the courtesy of Mr Moriarty, who awaits my convenience for_the final discussion of_those questions which lie between_us . he has_been giving me a sketch of_the methods by_which he avoided the English police and kept himself informed of_our movements . they certainly confirm the very high opinion which I had formed of_his abilities . I_am pleased to_think that I_shall_be_able to free society from any further effects of_his presence, though I_fear that_it_is at a cost which will give pain to my friends, and especially, my dear Watson, to_you . I_have already explained to_you, however, that my career had in any case reached its crisis, and_that no possible conclusion to_it could_be more congenial to_me than this . indeed, if I_may make a full confession to_you, i_was quite convinced that_the letter from Meiringen was a hoax, and I allowed you to depart on_that errand under the persuasion that some development of_this sort would follow . tell inspector Patterson that_the papers which he_needs to convict the gang are in pigeonhole M ., done up in a blue envelope and inscribed "Moriarty ." I_made every disposition of_my property before leaving England, and handed it to my brother Mycroft . pray give my greetings to Mrs Watson, and believe me to_be, my dear fellow,

very_sincerely_yours,

Sherlock Holmes

a few words may suffice to_tell the little that remains . an examination by experts leaves little doubt that a personal contest between_the two men ended, as it could hardly fail to end in_such a situation, in their reeling over, locked in each_other's arms . any attempt at recovering the bodies was absolutely hopeless, and there, deep down in_that dreadful caldron of swirling water and seething foam, will lie for all time the most dangerous criminal and_the foremost champion of_the law of_their generation . the Swiss youth was never found again, and there can_be no_doubt that he_was one_of_the numerous agents whom Moriarty kept in_this employ . as_to_the gang, it_will_be within_the memory of_the public how completely the evidence which Holmes had accumulated exposed their organisation, and how heavily the hand of_the dead man weighted upon them . of_their terrible chief few details came out during the proceedings, and if I_have now been compelled to_make a clear statement of_his career it_is due to_those injudicious champions who_have endeavoured to clear his memory by attacks upon him whom I_shall ever regard as_the best and_the wisest man whom I_have ever known .

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