Chapter Summaries Sign of Four

The action takes place over 4 days in London and its Suburbs. 

The plot invovles 2 flashbacks - first to 1882 (tThe year Captain Morstan and Major Sholto both die) and the second, towards the end of the novel to the Inidian Mutiny of 1857 - as retold by Jonathan Small. 

* Doctor Watson expresses his concern over Sherlock Holmes' drug use- Sherlock is injecting himself with a "7% cocaine solution" at the beginning of the novel.

* Holmes talks of his profession and his need to constantly be stimulated by work "My mind rebels at stagnation".

* Holmes tells Watson that he advises a French Detective, as well as writing specialist reference books on the scientific aspects of detection. 

* Watson tests Holmes' skill by giving him a Pocket Watch to examine and comment on - It belonged to Watson's father and later his brother. 

* Holmes admits he is bored without a case to work on and says this explains his drug use. 

*The housekeeper- Mrs Hudson - arrives and brings news of a visitor - Miss Mary Morstan. 

* The character of Miss Morstan is introduced. She explains how her employer has recommended Holmes to her. 

*She tells Holmes and Watson of the mysterious disappearance of her father ten years ago when he returned to London on leave from an army post in India. 

*She adds to the mystery by explaining that 4 years later she was tracked down through a newspaper advertisment. SHe has been sent one valuable pearl, anonymousl, every year since. 

*Miss Morstan shows Holmes a letter, requesting a meeting with her in a public placed, outside a theatre, that evening. She is allowed to bring two friends for safety but not the police. 

*Holmes is stimulated by the challenge of the case and immediately agrees to help and begins loking for cludes within the letterf and the handwriting. 

*Watson is distracted by the looks and character of Miss Morstan. He begins to entertain romantic thoughts of her. 

* Holmes has spent the afternoon investigating the case. He makes a connection between the date of Major Sholto's death and Miss Morstan recieving the first of the pearls.

Miss Morstan arrives in a carriage. Holmes and Watson join her to go to the Lyceum Theatre. Holmes takes a revolver and Watson a heavy walkikng cane.

Miss Morstan introduces a new clue a drawing or plan of a building marked with"The Sign of Four" and the names of four men. 

*A coachman meets Holmes, Watson and Miss Morstan outside the theatre. They are driven out of the crowds in central London to the Suburbs. 

*They are surprised to find the door of an ordinary suburban terraced house opened bhy an Indian servant in traditional clothes. 

Holmes, Watson and Miss Morstan are introduced to Thaddeus Sholto. He is presented as an unusual character, living in an unusual house (Eastern furniture and decorations)

Thaddeus tells us that his father died before revealing the whereabouts of the Agra Treasure after seeing a terrifying face at his window.

*It has taken six years for Thaddeus, and his brother Bartholomew, to find the treasure in their Father's house. 

*Holmes, Watson and Miss Morstan accompany Thaddeus Sholto to Pondicherry Lodge late at night. 

*They have trouble being admitted until Holmes reveals who he is to the gatekeeper.

*The house in in darkness and hte housekeeper is clearly frightened. 

*Bartholomew Sholto, Thaddeus' twin brother is locked in his room. 

*Holmes and Watson break into the room to find Bartholomew has been murdered with a poisoned thorn. The Treasure is missing.

*Holmes sends Thaddeus to fetch the police, leaving him free to investigate the crime scene. 

* Holmes investigates the scene of the murder and points out clues for the benefit of both Watson and the reader. 

*They establish that a man with a wooden leg was involved in the crime and needed an accomplice to gain access to the room. 

*Holmes encourages Watson to conclude that the suspect used the roof. They investigate the attic space, where a small bare footprint is found. 

*Their investigation is interrupted by the arrival of the police inspector Athelney Jones. 

*Jones speculates on the crime and seems content to blame Thaddeus Sholto for his brother's death. 

*Holmes, keen to prove Jones wrong, names Jonathan Small as the suspect,

*Holmes despatches Watson to take Miss Morstan home and collect a dog , Toby, to help them track down Small and the accomplice Holmes believes is involved,

* Watson escorts Miss Morstan home to Mrs Forrester's house.

*He continues on to Pinchin Lane where he wakes up Mr Sherman to collect Toby the dog. 

*Back at Pondicherry Lodge Athelney Jones has arrested the entire household, 

*Holmes climbs onto the roof to work out how Small's accomplice entered and left the property. He finds a pouch of poisoned darts. 

*Holmes gives Toby the scent of the creosote to follow. 

*Holmes and Watson are led across London by Toby, 

*Toby leads them to a barrel of creosote and not the suspects. 

*Holmes and Watson retrace thier steps and Toby leads them to the river. 

*Holmes deduces that the suspects have hired a boat from Mordecai Smith's boatyard. He recieves information from Smith's wife confirming that her husband set sail, with the one-legged man, on his steam launch (a river boat running on a steam-powered engine). 

*Holmes and Watson return to Baker Street, stopping only to send a telegram to the Baker Street irregulars. 

*THey have breakfast and read the newspaper account of Jones's arrests. 

*The doorbell rings and they are visited by the Baker Street Irregulars, a group of street urchins, who are paid by Holmes to go in search of the steam launch. 

* Watson visits Mrs Forrester and Miss Morstan to update them on the case. 

Holmes spends the night pacing his room, anxious about the lack of progress in the search for the steam launch.

Athelney Jones arrives at Baker Street after rfecieving a telegram from Holmes.

*An old sailor, claiming to have news, visits Watson adn Jones.

*The sailor turns out to be Holmes in disguise. 

*Holmes issues orders to Jones, before inviting him to stay for dinner.

* Holmes, Watson and Jones enjoy a pleasant supper together before setting out ot capture their suspects. 

* They board the police boat and travel to Jacobson's yard where Holmes has locatted the Aurora (the boat). 

On they way, Holmes explains how he discovered its whereabouts. 

The Aurora leaves the yard and steams swiftly down the Thames, pursued by the police boat. 

*As they gain on the Aurora, it is clear that Jonathan Small is on board with his accomplice who is a small black man. 

*As Small's accomplice makes to shoot a poison dart, Watson and Holmes fire their Pistols and he is killed. 

*Small forces the boat towards the shore, where he attempts to escape on foot, but is captured. 

Small has been captured and is on bard the police boat. 

Watson find Miss Morstan alone and presents her with the box. 

*On forcing the lock, the box is found to be empty. 

*Watson declares his love for Miss Morstan. 

*Watson returns to Baker Street to find Holmes, Jones and Small.

*Small confesses to having scattered the treasure in the river Thames

*He tells the story of his past, from joining the army and being posted to India. 

*Small tells of how he lost his leg in an attack by a crocodile.

*He describes his job as an overseer on a plantation and how his experience of the Indian Mutiny led him back into military service. 

*It is whilst on guard duty that he became involved in the plot to steal the treasure and murder the servant who was transporting it. 

*Convicted for murder and imprisoned on the Andaman Islands. he sought help from two British officers. 

*Captain Morstan and Major Sholto agreed to help recover the treasure for a share. 

* Major Sholto betrayed his accomplices and returned to England with the treasure. 

*Small escaped with the help of an Andaman Island Native he had befriended - Tonga.

*He tracked down Major Sholto, leading to the events Holmes has been investigating for Miss Morstan. 

*Jones takes Small into custody leaving Watson to tell Holmes of his marriage proposal to Miss Morstan.... Holmes reaches for his cocaine bottle once again.