No. 5 The Five Orange Pips by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the Five orange Pips

no .5 from_the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

when I glance over my notes and records of_the Sherlock Holmes cases between_the years '82 and '90, I_am faced by so_many which present strange and interesting features that_it_is no easy matter to_know which to_choose and which to leave . some, however, have already gained publicity through_the papers, and others have_not offered a field for_those peculiar qualities which my friend possessed in so high a degree, and which it_is_the object of_these papers to illustrate . some, too, have baffled his analytical skill, and would_be, as narratives, beginnings without an ending, while others have_been but partially cleared up, and_have their explanations founded rather upon conjecture and sur- mise than on_that absolute logical proof which_was so dear to him . there_is, however, one_of_these last which_was so remark- able in its details and so startling in its results that I_am tempted to_give some account of it in_spite of_the fact that_there_are points in connection with it which never have_been, and probably never will_be, entirely cleared up .

the year '87 furnished us with a long series of cases of greater or less interest, of_which I retain the records . among my headings under this_one twelve months I_find an account of_the adventure of_the Paradol chamber, of_the amateur mendicant society, who held a luxurious club in_the lower vault of a furniture warehouse, of_the facts connected with_the loss of_the British bark Sophy Anderson, of_the singular adventures of_the Grice Patersons in_the island of Uffa, and finally of_the Camberwell poisoning case . in_the latter, as may_be remembered, Sherlock Holmes was able, by winding up the dead man's watch, to_prove that_it had_been wound up two hours before, and_that therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that_time -- a deduction which_was of_the greatest importance in clearing up the case . all these I_may sketch out at some future date, but none_of_them present such singular features as_the strange train of circum- stances which I_have now taken up my pen to describe .

it_was in_the latter days of September, and_the equinoctial gales had set in with exceptional violence . all day the wind had screamed and_the rain had beaten against the windows, so_that even here in_the heart of great, hand- made London we were forced to raise our minds for_the instant from_the routine of life and to recognize the presence of_those great elemental forces which shriek at mankind through_the bars of_his civilization, like untamed beasts in a cage . as evening drew in, the storm grew higher and louder, and_the wind cried and sobbed like a child in_the chimney .Sherlock Holmes sat moodily at one side of_the fireplace cross-indexing his records of crime, while I at_the other was deep in one of Clark Russell's fine sea-stories until the howl of_the gale from without seemed to blend with_the text, and_the splash of_the rain to lengthen out into_the long swash of_the sea waves . my wife was on a visit to her mother's, and for_a_few_days i_was adweller once more in my old quarters at baker street .

" why," said I, glancing up at my companion, " that was surely the bell . who_could come to- night ? some friend of yours, perhaps ? "

" except yourself I_have none," he answered ." I_do_not encourage visitors ."

"A client, then ? "

" if_so, it_is a serious case . nothing less would bring a man out on_such a day and at such an hour . but I take it that_it_is more likely to_be some crony of_the landlady's ."

Sherlock Holmes was wrong in_his conjecture, however, for there came a step in_the passage and atapping at_the door . he stretched out his long arm to_turn the lamp away from himself and towards the vacant chair upon_which a newcomer must sit .

" come in ! " said he .

the man who entered was young, some two- and-twenty at_the outside, well- groomed and trimly clad, with something of refine- ment and delicacy in_his bearing . the streaming umbrella which he held in_his hand, and_his long shining waterproof told of_the fierce weather through which he had come . he looked about him anxiously in_the glare of_the lamp, and I could_see that his face was pale and_his eyes heavy, like those of a man who_is weighed down with some great anxiety .

"l owe you an apology," he_said, raising his golden pince-nez to_his eyes ."I trust that I_am not intruding . I_fear that I_have brought some traces of_the storm and rain into your snug chamber ."

" give_me your coat and umbrella," said Holmes ." they_may rest here on_the hook and will_be dry presently . you_have come up from_the south- west, I_see ."

" yes, from Horsham ."

" that clay and chalk mixture which I_see upon your toe caps is quite distinctive ."

" I_have come for advice ."

" that_is easily got ."

" and help ."

" that_is_not always so easy ."

" I_have heard of you, Mr Holmes .I heard from major Prendergast how you saved him in_the Tankerville club scandal ."

"Ah, of_course . he_was wrongfully accused of cheating at cards ."

" he_said that you_could solve anything ."

" he_said too_much ."

" that you_are never beaten ."

" I_have_been beaten four times - three times by men, and once by a woman ."

" but what_is that compared with_the number of your successes ? "

" it_is true that I_have_been generally successful ."

" then you_may_be so with me ."

"I beg that you_will draw your chair up_to_the fire and favour me with some details as_to your case ."

" it_is no ordinary one ."

" none of_those which come to_me are . I_am the last court of appeal ."

" and yet I question, sir, whether, in all your experience, you_have ever listened to a more mysterious and inexplicable chain of events than those which_have happened in my own family ."

" you fill me with interest," said Holmes ." pray give_us the essential facts from_the commencement, and I_can afterwards question you as to_those details which seem to_me to_be most important ."

the young man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet out towards the blaze .

" my name," said he, " is John Openshaw, but my own affairs have, as far as I_can understand, little to_do with_this awful business . it_is a hereditary matter; so in_order to_give_you an idea of_the facts, I_must go back to_the commencement of_the affair .

" you_must know that my grandfather had two sons -- my uncle Elias and my father Joseph . my father had a small factory at Coventry, which he enlarged at_the_time of_the invention of bicycling . he_was a patentee of_the Openshaw unbreakable tire, and_his business met with_such success that he_was able to_sell it and to retire upon a handsome competence .

" my uncle Elias emigrated to America when he_was a young man and became a planter in Florida, where he_was reported to have_done very_well . at_the_time of_the war he fought in Jackson's army, and afterwards under hood, where he rose to_be a colonel . when Lee laid down his arms my uncle returned to_his plantation, where he remained for three or four years . about 1869 or 1870 he_came back to Europe and took a small estate in Sussex, near Horsham . he had made a very considerable fortune in_the States, and_his reason for leaving them was his aversion to_the negroes, and_his dislike of_the republican policy in extend- ing the franchise to_them . he_was a singular man, fierce and quick- tempered, very foul- mouthed when he_was angry, and of a most retiring disposition . during all the years that he lived at Horsham, I_doubt if ever he set foot in_the town . he had a garden and two_or_three fields round his house, and there he_would take his exercise, though very often for weeks on end he_would never leave his room . he drank a great deal of brandy and smoked very heavily, but he_would see no society and did_not want any friends, not even his own brother .

" he didn't mind me; in_fact, he_took a fancy to_me, for at_the_time when he_saw me first i_was a youngster of twelve or so . this_would_be in_the year 1878, after he had_been eight or nine years in England . he begged my father to let me live with_him and he_was very kind to_me in_his way . when he_was sober he used to_be fond of playing backgammon and draughts with me, and he_would make me his representative both with_the servants and with_the tradespeople, so_that by_the_time that i_was sixteen i_was quite master of_the house .I kept all the keys and could go where I liked and do what I liked, so_long as I_did_not disturb him in_his privacy . there_was one singular exception, however, for he had a single room, a lumber- room up among_the attics, which_was invariably locked, and which he_would never permit either me or anyone else to enter . with a boy's curiosity I_have peeped through_the keyhole, but i_was never able to_see more than such a collection of old trunks and bundles as would_be expected in_such a room .

" one day -- it_was in march, 1883 -- a letter with a foreign stamp lay upon_the table in front of_the colonel's plate . it_was not a common thing for him to receive letters, for_his bills were all paid in ready money, and he had no friends of any sort .' from India ! ' said he as he_took it up, 'Pondicherry postmark ! what can this be ? ' Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips, which pattered down upon his plate .I began to laugh at_this, but the laugh was struck from my lips at_the sight of_his face . his lip had fallen, his eyes were protruding, his skin the colour of putty, and he glared at_the envelope which he still held in_his trembling hand, 'K .K .K .! ' he shrieked, and then, ' my god, my god, my sins have overtaken me ! '

" ' what_is it, uncle ? ' I cried .

" ' death,' said he, and rising from_the table he retired to_his room, leaving me palpitating with horror . i_took up the envelope and saw scrawled in red ink upon_the inner flap, just above the gum, the letter K three times repeated . there_was nothing else save the five dried pips . what could_be the reason of_his over- powering terror ? I left the breakfast- table, and as I ascended the stair I met him coming down with an old rusty key, which_must have belonged to_the attic, in one hand, and a small brass box, like a cashbox, in_the other .

" ' they_may do what they like, but I'll checkmate them still,' said he with an oath .' tell Mary that I_shall want a fire in my room to- day, and send down to Fordham, the Horsham lawyer .'

" I_did as he ordered, and when_the lawyer arrived i_was asked to step up_to_the room . the fire was burning brightly, and in_the grate there_was a mass of black, fluffy ashes, as of burned paper, while the brass box stood open and empty beside it . as I glanced at_the box I noticed, with a start, that upon_the lid was printed the treble K which I had read in_the morning upon_the envelope .

" ' i_wish you, John,' said my uncle, ' to witness my will .I leave my estate, with all its advantages and all its disadvantages, to my brother, your father, whence it_will, no_doubt, descend to_you . if_you_can enjoy it in peace, well and good ! if_you find you_cannot, take my advice, my boy, and leave it to your deadliest enemy . I_am sorry to_give_you such a two- edged thing, but I_can't say what turn things are going to_take . kindly sign the paper where Mr Fordham shows you .'

"I signed the paper as directed, and_the lawyer took it away with_him . the singular incident made, as_you_may think, the deepest impression upon me, and I pondered over it and turned it every way in my mind without being able to_make anything of it . yet I_could_not shake off the vague feeling of dread which it left behind, though the sensation grew less keen as_the weeks passed and nothing happened to disturb the usual routine of_our lives .I could_see a change in my uncle, however . he drank more than ever, and he_was less inclined for any sort of society . most of_his time he_would spend in_his room, with_the door locked upon_the inside, but sometimes he_would emerge in a sort of drunken frenzy and would burst out_of_the house and tear about_the garden with a revolver in_his hand, screaming out that he_was afraid of no man, and_that he_was not to_be cooped up, like a sheep in a pen, by man or devil . when these hot fits were over however, he_would rush tumultuously in at_the door and lock and bar it behind him, like a man who_can brazen it out no longer against the terror which lies at_the roots of_his soul . at such times I_have_seen his face, even on a cold day, glisten with moisture, as_though it were new raised from a basin .

" well, to_come to an end of_the matter, Mr Holmes, and not to abuse your patience, there came a night when he_made one of_those drunken sallies from_which he never came back . we_found him, when we went to search for him, face downward in a little green-scummed pool, which lay at_the foot of_the garden . there_was no sign of any violence, and_the water was but two feet deep, so that_the jury, having regard to_his known eccentricity, brought in a verdict of ' suicide .' but I, who knew how he winced from_the very thought of

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