hat he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done
a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else."

Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger upon the
paper, but his eyes upon my companion.

"How, in the name of good fortune, did you know all that, Mr. Holmes?"
he asked. "How did you know, for example, that I did manual labor? It's
as true as gospel, for I began as a ship's carpenter."

"Your hands, my dear sir. You right hand is quite a size larger than
your left. You have worked with it and the muscles are more developed."

"Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry?"

"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that,
especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order, you use an
arc and compass breastpin."

"Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing?"

"What else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny for five
inches, and the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you
rest it upon the desk."

"Well, but China?"

"The fish which you have tattooed immediately above your wrist could
only have been done in China. I have made a small study of tattoo marks,
and have even contributed to the literature of the subject. That trick
of staining the fishes' scales of a delicate pink is quite peculiar to
China. When, in addition, I see a Chinese coin hanging from your
watch-chain, the matter becomes even more simple."

Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. "Well, I never!" said he. "I thought
at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was
nothing in it after all."

"I begin to think, Watson," said Holmes, "that I make a mistake in
explaining. '_Omne ignotum pro magnifico_,' you know, and my poor little
reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid. Can
you not find the advertisement, Mr. Wilson?"

"Yes, I have got it now," he answered, with his thick, red finger
planted half-way down the column. "Here it is. This is what began it
all. You just read it for yourself, sir."

I took the paper from him and read as follows:

"TO THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE: On account of the
bequest of the late Ezekiah Hopkins, of Lebanon,
Pa., U. S. A., there is now another vacancy open
which entitles a member of the League to a salary
of four pounds a week for purely nominal services.
All red-headed men who are sound in body and