The Sign of Four: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

Sherlock Holmes and Miss Mary Morstan

Sherlock Holmes receives a visit from Miss Mary Morstan, who, out of boredom, seeks his help in solving a case. Holmes, bored, had been using cocaine to alleviate his boredom. Mary Morstan explains her situation: her father disappeared ten years prior after returning from India. For six years, she has received a valuable pearl annually, and someone has requested a meeting at a theater.

The Rendezvous and the Mysterious House

Holmes and Dr. Watson accompany Mary to the rendezvous. A driver awaits them, leading them to a secluded house. They meet Thaddeus Sholto, son of Arthur Morstan's only friend, who greets Miss Mary. He recounts how Morstan and his father returned from India with a treasure, but they argued, and Morstan accidentally died after falling and hitting his head.

The Secret of the Treasure

Thaddeus's father, to avoid explaining the treasure to the police, disposed of the body. On his deathbed, he confided in his sons, regretting his greed and revealing the treasure's existence, which he had not dared to touch, to his friend's daughter. Before revealing the treasure's location, a face appears in a window, and he dies. The next day, they find a paper with "The Sign of Four" written on it. Only a headband confirms the treasure's existence. The pearls were sent anonymously to Miss Mary each year. Now, years later, the treasure has been found, and Miss Mary has requested her share.

The Death of Bartholomew Sholto

The group goes to Bartholomew's house. Upon arrival at Pondicherry Lodge, they find him dead, with "The Sign of Four" written on a paper. The treasure is gone. Holmes discovers traces of two people: the lame Jonathan Small and someone who appears to be a child.

The Chase and the Discovery

Thanks to the latter, creosote spilled on the attic floor, Holmes and Watson, with the help of a dog, follow the invisible scent trails. Holmes tells Watson that Sholto and Morstan found the treasure in India through a plan by Small, who was among Morstan's belongings. Small and three others, calling themselves "The Sign of Four," expected help escaping prison in exchange for the treasure. But Sholto did not fulfill his part of the deal and fled to England with the treasure. Small, furious, escaped and traveled to London to retrieve the treasure, but it failed because the traitors were dead, and the treasure was hidden until Bartholomew found it.

The Pursuit and the Empty Box

Tracing the dog led them to a pier. Small attempts to escape by boat to reach a ship. Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Jones pursue in another boat. Small's accomplice, an Indian dwarf, dies in the pursuit. Small is captured. The box is recovered, but empty: Small threw the jewels into the Thames during the chase.

A Proposal and a Happy Ending

Watson proposes marriage to Miss Mary, and she accepts.