Section 7, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle Summary

This story begins two days after Christmas with Watson dropping in on Holmes to wish him a Merry Christmas. He finds his friend Holmes investigating a black hat that has been delivered to him by a local policeman. The policeman was heading home when he saw a man with a goose being accosted by a gang outside of a bar. The policeman shouted at the gang, who ran off, but the man, apparently frightened as well, ran off and dropped his goose and hat. The policeman brought the hat to Holmes and took the goose home to his family. Holmes deduces, from studying the hat that its owner is an intelligent man who has fallen on hard times and taken to drink. The goose, no doubt was meant as a peace...