Sherlock Holmes Victorian Parodies and Pastiches by Bill Peschel

Author:Bill Peschel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History
Publisher: Bill Peschel
Published: 2015-04-02T16:00:00+00:00

Our first considerable adventure in the metropolis of the new world occurred on a Fourth avenue car on the third day after our arrival. We stood on the front platform as the car bowled along. Suddenly Holmes touched my elbow with an imperceptible gesture.

“You observe,” he said, “the gentleman in checked pantaloons waiting at the next crossing. He will board the car, and will stand with us on the platform.”

No sooner had my companion spoken these words than the man whom he had indicated raised his hand and signaled to the driver to stop the car.

“Holmes, this is marvelous,” I whispered. “How did you know that he would do that?”

“The fellow is a thief,” replied Holmes. “Anybody could deduce that from the obvious fact that he has got along well in New York. His attire told me that. Seeing that he was a thief, I took this”—here he showed me a large and handsome watch—“from my pocket, while the man had his eye upon us. He will board the car with the intention of taking it.”

Holmes wound the watch in an ostentatious manner, and replaced it in his waistcoat pocket. He then stared up at the top of the buildings. I kept my eye on the stranger and in a few minutes had the pleasure of seeing him deftly abstract the watch from Holmes’s pocket. No sooner had he taken it than a bell inside of it began to ring with a noise like fifty alarm clocks. The man was so startled that he forgot to put the watch into his pocket. He stood and stared at it. Whereupon the watch’s case parted and the works fell out. They consisted of a large steel spring and a bell such as is used on alarm clocks.

“The watch is made of brass,” said Holmes as we gathered up the remains of the thief from the platform. “It is a very simple device but somewhat surprising in its action. I do not wonder that the shock has proved too much for our friend here. Let us hope that when he recovers he will see cause to adopt a better mode of life.”

It may well be imagined that, after this amusing incident, I kept close to Holmes during all his rambles through the city. We were frequently disguised as visitors from the rural districts. On such occasions Holmes was always provided with a large, black leather pocketbook, which protruded conspicuously from the side pocket of his coat. A stout elastic band was fastened to it, and the other end of the band was secured to a strong belt around Holmes’ waist. Nothing could be more amusing than to see a member of the light-fingered fraternity seize the pocketbook and rush away. The band would stretch to a length of nearly a rod, and then it would bring the thief back with the velocity of a shot out of a gun, for not one of them ever failed to hold on to the pocket book. Holmes always braced himself for the shock, and received the thief in his arms on the recoil.

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