The curried mutton was a clue, also only such a spicy dish could have masked the taste of powdered opium, and it was impossible for Simpson to arrange a highly seasoned meal that evening for his purposes. This establishes his motive: he had a mistress with expensive tastes, and tried to influence the race's outcome to earn himself a large sum of money. He visits the milliner's shop in London and determines, using Straker's photograph, that Straker posed as Derbyshire. Holmes's powers unravel the mystery, and lay bare what villainies there are to be exposed. There is the curious incident with the dog, and a problem with the sheep kept at the stable: a shepherd tells Holmes that three of his animals have recently become suddenly lame. Straker's pockets contained two interesting items: a tallow candle and a milliner's bill for (among other things) a 22- guinea dress, made out to one William Derbyshire. No one else who ate the curried mutton made at the Strakers' house that evening suffered any ill effects, but Hunter was in a profound stupor well into the next day. One of the stable lads, Ned Hunter, was on guard duty the night of the crime, but he proves to have been drugged with powdered opium placed in his supper. Holmes being confronted by Silas Brown, 1892 illustration by Sidney Paget In addition, Straker also seems to have gashed himself in the hip with it. Watson, from his medical experience, identifies it as a cataract knife used for the most delicate surgery-useful as it is for that purpose, it would be unsuitable as a weapon. A knife is found at the crime scene-a peculiarly delicate-looking one, with a small blade. Simpson's cravat is also found in Straker's hand, and the latter's coat is found draped over a furze bush. John Straker, Silver Blaze's late trainer, has been killed by a blow to the skull, assumed to have been administered by Simpson with his " Penang lawyer", a clublike walking stick. Holmes ensures Silver Blaze's safety, and turns his mind to other aspects of the case. Holmes also deduces why the police could not find the horse, despite having looked right at him. Sherlock Holmes soon tracks down Silver Blaze, literally: his tracks (along with a man's) are clearly visible in the soil, albeit intermittently. What good would such a famous thoroughbred be to him? Why has an exhaustive search of the neighbourhood not turned up Silver Blaze? What has Simpson done with him? It seems odd, for instance, that he would lead the horse out on to the moor simply to injure or kill him, which could be done right in his stall. However, to Holmes, there seem to be a number of facts that do not fit the case against Simpson, damning as it looks. He had approached both Straker's maid and a stable boy the night of the horse's disappearance and has been arrested for the murder. Bookmaker Fitzroy Simpson had come to Dartmoor (and specifically to King's Pyland) to gather information about Silver Blaze and his stablemate Bayard. Holmes and Watson arrive at King's Pyland, from which Silver Blaze is missing. Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr Watson travel by train to Dartmoor to investigate a crime of disappearance of the great race horse Silver Blaze and the murder of the horse's trainer, John Straker. ![]() Plot summary The body of John Straker, 1893 illustration by W. ![]() Gregory: The dog did nothing in the night-time. Holmes: To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Gregory ( Scotland Yard detective): Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention? ![]() The plotting hinges on the "curious incident of the dog in the night-time": The tale is distinguished by its atmospheric Dartmoor setting and late-Victorian sporting milieu. One of the most popular Sherlock Holmes short stories, "Silver Blaze" focuses on the disappearance of the eponymous race horse (a famous winner, owned by a Colonel Ross) on the eve of an important race and on the apparent murder of its trainer. ĭoyle considered "Silver Blaze" among his favourite Sherlock Holmes stories. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in December 1892. " The Adventure of Silver Blaze", one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the first from the 12 in the cycle collected as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. The eponymous racehorse Silver Blaze, 1892 illustration by Sidney Paget in The Strand Magazine
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