Racing Results
Holmes and I were at the dog track, as research for a case that I will certainly report on in full at the soonest opportunity. While we were there, Holmes – in his usual way – could not resist posing me a teaser or two from the expansive, seemingly inexhaustible collection that sits within his brain.
Holmes posed me the following question:
“See how there are eight dogs on the track. Now tell me, Watson, as quick as you can, if a dog begins to outrun the others and overtakes the dog in second place, what place is that dog in now?”
I answered him that of course the dog was now in first place, that being one better than second, to which Holmes responded with nothing more than an arched eyebrow and the following additional teaser:
“If a dog has just overtaken the dog in last position, what position is that dog in now?”
This seemed so obvious that I barely needed to tell him that the dog was now clearly one from last, or in Holmes’ specific example with eight dogs it must now be in seventh position.
“Ah, Watson. You have made two false conclusions.”
And so I had. What were they?