“It reveals that you have been to China. The fish could only have been done there,” you reply. “I have made a study of tattoo marks. That trick of staining the fishes’ scales with a delicate pink is unique to China. I also see a Chinese coin hanging from your watch chain.”

Mr. Wilson laughs heavily. “You are truly as clever as they say, Mr. Holmes.”

“In addition, I see that you have done a great amount of writing, but I can deduce nothing else,” you add.

“Writing?” he exclaims. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Your right sleeve is shiny for five inches, and the left one has a smooth patch near the elbow where you rest it on the desk,” you note. “Shall we return to business?”

Mr. Wilson nods and begins his tale:

“Spaulding came into the shop eight weeks ago. He told me, ‘There’s an opening on the League of the Red-headed Men. It’s worth quite a little fortune.’

“I asked him what the League was. You see, I am a very stay-at-home man.

“‘Have you never heard of the League of the Red-headed Men?’ Spaulding asked. ‘You are eligible for the opening.’

“He went on to say that it’s worth several thousand dollars a year, and the work is very simple. It need not interfere much with one’s other work. Mr. Holmes, you can imagine that made me listen, for business has not been over-good for some years. Some extra money would have been very handy.

“He showed me the ad and said, ‘The League was started by an American millionaire. He was red-headed, and he had a great sympathy for all red-headed men. When he died, he left his fortune in the hands of trustees. They were instructed to apply his money toward men whose hair is of that color.’

“‘But,’ I said, ‘there would be millions of red-headed men who would apply.’

“‘Not so many as you might think,’ he answered. ‘I have heard it is no use applying if your hair is light red, or dark red, or anything but bright, blazing, fiery red. If you cared to apply, Mr. Wilson, you would just walk in.’

“I was convinced. We shut the business up and started off for the address that was given in the advertisement.

“I never hope to see such a sight as that again. From north, south, east, and west, every man who had any red in his hair had answered the advertisement. I would have given it up, but Spaulding would not hear of it. He pushed and pulled until he got me through the crowd and right up to the steps which led to the office. We wedged in as well as we could and soon found ourselves in the office.

“There was nothing inside but a couple of wooden chairs, a table, and a small man with hair even redder than mine. He immediately liked me. He closed the door as we entered so that he might have a private word with us.

“‘You have every requirement,’ he said. ‘I cannot recall when I have seen anything so fine as your hair.’ Suddenly he plunged forward, shook my hand, and congratulated me warmly on my success. Then he stepped over to the window and shouted that the job was filled. A groan came up from below, and the folks trooped away in different directions.

“‘My name,’ he said, ‘is Mr. Duncan Ross. When shall you be able to begin your new duties?’

“‘Well, it is a little awkward, for I have a business already,’ I answered. But Vincent Spaulding told me not to worry. He would be able to look after the business for me.

“‘What would be the hours?’ I asked.

“‘Ten to two.’

“Now, Mr. Holmes, a pawnbroker’s business is mostly done in the evening. So it would suit me very well to earn a little in the mornings. Besides, I knew my assistant would see to anything that turned up. I agreed to the job.

“‘You have to be in the office, or at least in the building, the whole time,’ Mr. Ross warned. ‘If you leave, you forfeit your position forever.’

“‘It’s only four hours a day. I will not think of leaving,’ I said. ‘And the work?’

“‘To write out the Encyclopedia Britannica, word for word. Will you be ready tomorrow?’

“‘Certainly,’ I answered.

“In the morning, I found everything there. The table was ready for me, and Mr. Duncan Ross was there to see that I got to work. He started me off upon the letter A, and then he left me. But he would drop in from time to time to see that all was right with me.

“This went on day after day, Mr. Holmes. And then on Saturday the manager came in and paid me for my week’s work. It was the same next week, and the same the week after. Eight weeks passed away like this. And then suddenly the whole business came to an end.”