Section 9, The Adventures of the Engineer's Thumb Summary

"The Adventures of the Engineer's Thumb" begins in the summer of 1889 not long after Watson's marriage. A guard who has brought a man that needs treatment to his house awakens Watson. The man is Victor Hatherly, an engineer who has had his thumb cut off in, what he calls, a murderous attack. Watson suggests that they see Sherlock Holmes and the two men travel to Baker Street.

Victor tells the story about how he, a bachelor and an orphan, was approached by a Colonel Lysander Stark to come into the country late at night with him and fix his hydraulic press. Stark offers to pay Victor 50 guineas for his trouble and swears him to absolute secrecy. The next night, Victor follows the mysterious colonel's instructions and takes the train out in...