untitled Read online

  Holmes”: The Adventures of Solar Pons. There were

  that Sir Arthur had tossed the manuscript on his

  twelve stories in all, and they were followed by

  shelf (there is no evidence that it ever got into a hat-

  eleven more when The Memoirs of Solar Pons ap-

  box), and that it had lain there, forgotten, until his

  peared in 1951, and by another trilogy in Three Prob-

  heirs and assigns discovered it several years after

  lems for Solar Pons, published in a limited edition in

  his death and ingenuously assumed it to be his. For-

  1952. Now, after too long a lapse, ten new stories –

  tunately, Mr. Whitaker had kept a carbon copy, and

  to which the trilogy of 1952 have been added –

  was able to prove his authorship beyond dispute.

  about this “tall, thin gentleman wearing an Inverness

  What settlement was ever made with him for the fee

  cape and a rakish cap with a visor on it,” with “the

  received from Mr. Hearst I do not know; but I do

  thin, almost feral face; the sharp, keen dark eyes

  know that I have never seen any statement in print

  with their heavy, but not bush brows; the thin lips

  by either the Estate or Cosmopolitan retracting the

  and the leanness of the face in general,” are brought

  egregious misrepresentations made and setting the

  together, happily in this present volume, The Return

  record straight; nor have I seen mention of this hor-

  of Solar Pons.

  rendous example of mistaken identity in any publica-

  tion other than the two mentioned above. It is terrify-

  The flavor is still there: Dr. Watson still walks and

  ing to think that, in the lack of more widespread tes-

  talks in the guise of Dr. Parker; the image of Sher-

  timony to the contrary, the world might come, in its

  lock Holmes is incarnate in the likeness of this man

  innocence, toe believe that this Case of the Man

  called Pons; and, though we are led by the hand to

  Who Was Wanted was a true Canonical tale.

  Mrs. Johnson’s house on Praed Street, we know it is

  Mrs. Hudson who waits to receive us in hallowed

  Here, typically, was a serious pastiche, calling Sher-

  Baker Street itself.

  lock Holmes and Dr. Watson, by their own names,

  bearing persuasively upon the Baker Street scene,

  In his introduction to Three Problems for Solar Pons,

  and attributed, in the accustomed manner, to the

  Mr. Derleth wrote: “These are quite possibly the last

  man who was closer to the Master and his compan-

  Solar Pons pastiches I shall write…I (am persuaded

  ion than any other ever was. And yet, as with so

  to) believe that filling the

  many similar efforts made by the hardest-boiled pro-

  “abhorrent vacuum” as

  fessional or the rankest amateur, the counterfeit

  Anthony Boucher put it…is

  clanked with a muffled sound when it was thrown

  now in more capable

  upon the hard surface of the Irregular mind.

  hands than my own…” Mr.

  Derleth’s mistaken deduc-

  It has remained for one whose love of the Canon is

  tion related to the forth-

  as respectful as it is profound to abandon this pre-

  coming publication of the

  tense and to write a series of tales which are not,

  Exploits, to which I have

  ostensibly, about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

  made reference above. I

  at all. The pastiches he has produced (for they are,

  am glad he has changed

  to any but the utterly benighted, about Sherlock

  his mind since reading them, and that he has once

  Holmes and Dr. Watson) come to the closest of any

  again taken his own – or Dr. Watson’s – pen in hand.

  that have been written, consistently, to capturing the

  We are left with the impression that, just as it was

  true flavor of the Saga, and to making its people and

  Dr. Doyle (in collaboration with ex-Professor Moriarty)

  its places and its happenings entirely credible. Au-

  who tried to kill Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach

  P a g e 2 5

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  Falls, so it was the agent’s son who almost brought

  son’s essay included at the start of The Casebook

  about the death of Solar Pons. But both attempts

  of Solar Pons. Discussion of that essay will be ad-

  resulted in failure, and we rejoice in the fact now as

  dressed in separate monograph in the future, as it

  we rejoiced in it then. Sherlock Holmes returned; and

  really does have too much information to ade-

  here, for our delectation, is The Return of Solar

  quately address in this limited space.

  Pons.

  However, a September 28, 1919 entry in the Dos-

  Edgar Smith’s foreword originally appeared

  in the Mycroft & Moran edition in 1957 and

  sier’s Notebooks discusses Parker’s habit of being

  was reprinted in the Pinnacle edition of

  less than forthcoming about himself. Pons men-

  1973.

  tions that Parker received the Order of Osmanieh

  from the Khedivial Government (Egypt) and a com-

  mission from the British government to continue

  his work in Mansura, Egypt. Also, that Parker had

  Edgar W. Smith was a Presi-

  dent of the Baker Street Ir-

  attended school at Dover College, University Col-

  regulars and the first editor

  lege and Heidelberg. Also, that he had a series of

  of The Baker Street Journal.

  articles on opthalmia in The Lancet.

  This is an intriguing, though rather general, look

  into Parker’s background. However, it is the further

  revelations, dealing specifically with Parker’s ex-

  periences in America, that tantalize us. Parker

  A L i t t l e M o r e

  graduated from Columbia and worked two years

  A b o u t D r . P a r k e r

  B y B o b B y r n e

  for the Allegheny Sheet & Tube Corporation. Cer-

  tainly this company name was influence by the

  Dr. Parker does not reveal a great deal about his

  Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, incorpo-

  backgrounds in the stories. The Agent, August Der-

  rated in Ohio in 1900. Allegheny must refer to that

  leth, wrote a misleadingly titled essay, Concerning

  same region in southwestern Pennsylvania.

  Dr. Parker’s Background, found in A Praed Street

  Dossier. It touches upon the presence of American

  Sadly, Louisa Parker, his first wife, was aboard the

  idiom within Parker’s writings, primarily about Mi-

  maiden voyage of the Titanic, perishing in the trag-

  chael Harrison’s communications to Derleth on this

  edy. Parker closed the book on the American chap-

  topic. But no solutions whatsoever are offered. Der-

  ter of his life and we find him serving in the British

  leth leaves “this entire subject to other, more impar-

  army during World War I.

  tial hands.”

  Surely there is a great deal of specu
lative writing

  There is also A Word From Dr. Lyndon Parker, which

  to be done regarding Parker’s American years.

  can be found at the beginning of the Pinnacle Adven-

  Rest assured, The Gazette will tackle this issue in

  tures. There, Parker recounts his first meeting with

  the future.

  Solar Pons (eerily similar to another famous meeting

  between a detective and a doctor. It does provide a

  In addition to the Harrison and Notebook essays,

  smidgen of information about Parker’s past.

  there is one “unauthorized” addition of note to the

  doctor’s story. So, in an enjoyable speculative pas-

  However, there are two other sources which provide

  tiche about the good Doctor, The Gazette brings

  us with more knowledge regarding the pre-Pons life

  you an article written by Cecil Ryder, Jr., for The

  of Parker. By far the more detailed is Michael Harri-

  Pontine Dossier back in 1976.

  P a g e 2 6

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  T H E I N F A L L I B L E B O S W E L L :

  L Y N D O N P A R K E R , M . D .

  B y C e c i l A . R y d e r , J r .

  Major Lyndon Parker, M.D.,D.S.O., Royal Medical

  bow tie. The army, medi-

  Corps, seconded to the Fifth Northumberland Fusil-

  cine, this was his life and

  iers, fastened the last two buttons on the bishop’s

  now it was going to

  collar of his mess dress uniform. He adjusted a row

  change. After all these

  of miniatures on his left chest. As he patted the dis-

  years as regimental sur-

  tinguished service order into place, he could feel the

  geon in the service of his

  twinge of pain in his left leg and arm. He moved his

  king and country, making

  hand without thinking to the fresh scars on his leg.

  the world sane from the kaiser’s madness.

  He did think of that unforgettable cold of Shato Terry

  and the blistering heat of Africa.

  He was to be returned to civilian life. The wounds he

  had received at the field hospital during a strafing

  His thoughts were pierced by the memory of the clat-

  attack by a squadron of Fokkers had not done their

  ter made by 30 caliber machine gun bullets ripping

  full job. But it was the abominable, bloody influenza

  through more than air. Standing as he was before

  that had brought about his pending discharge from

  the mirror, his image began to fade and he saw re-

  active military service. In his weakened condition

  flected in its phantom depths the bloody and bat-

  from Hines air born missiles of death he was an easy

  tered bodies of the brave British tommies.

  target for mother nature’s air born menace. He

  would have died if it had not been for his batman,

  “Major! Major! Major! Sir, Major, I must insist, sir!”

  Sargent Murray McDuff.

  The strident voice of Sargent McDuff shattered the

  images in the mirror. “Sir, the hour is growen late,

  The Germans were making one great offensive be-

  sir. Let me get the tie for ya, sir. Your left arm and

  fore the Americans were placed in the lines to sup-

  hand ain’t up to the maneuvers o’ one o’ them blu-

  port the French and English. Doctors, nurses and

  men dress ties, sir. Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but you

  hospitals were being used far beyond their capacity,

  must not be late for the regimental dinner, especially

  not to mention their supply; as the German offense

  when it is the king’s birthday, sir. Not like the old

  moved forward, the casualty list kept growing larger

  days, sir. I mean before the war when there would be

  with each bursting shell. Sargent McDuff had be-

  a birthday ball on the sovereign’s birthday, insteaden

  come his doctor, nurse, and confessor, prying him

  just a dinner, sir. But thems the way of wars, ain’t it,

  out of the jaws of death and back to his regiment, a

  sir? No time for the frills and such. But then, the regi-

  dissipated shell of his former self. He had served

  ment don’t need that, does it now, sir? The regi-

  well in France and now what was left of him was

  ment’s got pride. That’s what makes a regiment,

  serving in Africa where part of his regiment had been

  pride and honor, sir.”

  reassigned.

  “Yes, McDuff, you are quite right. The regiment has a

  His regiment.. . and now they were putting him into

  proud and honorable history. It did upset the men

  the jaws of civilian life to face the hostile metropolis

  when the regiment was pulled out of France and

  of London.. . his regiment, his king, his country. But

  reassigned to duty in Africa. It was as if we were

  did it matter; the war would be over soon. The coloni-

  leaving the front at a time when the regiment was

  als had moved in and shown themselves exceedingly

  needed most. But men die and are wounded here,

  well. What did he expect; they were English once and

  as we both know only too well, in this foul smelling,

  they had not forgotten what they had learned from

  stiffling, muggy hell hole of infernal heat just as eas-

  their past. So, with the advancing course of events

  ily as they died in the damnable cold of France. But

  he would be a civilian soon again. What difference

  we have a duty here also and the regiment will do its

  did it make if it were a few months sooner. True, he

  duty.”

  was thinking of making the army his life’s career.

  The Regiment! Yes, the regiment. He was part of the

  He had not really started to practice as a budding

  regiment, the medical corps, the army. Parker’s

  young doctor just out of medical school when the

  thought moved forward in his mind at a stiff regimen-

  war broke out. The brass plaque engraved with his

  tal pace as McDuff finished with his attack on the

  name, Lyndon Parker, M.D., had just been placed on

  Illustration by Roy Hunt

  P a g e 2 7

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  the door of his modest consulting room not too far

  their glasses to the king. The voyage home from Af-

  from Harley street and very few patients had crossed

  rica had been filled with many such memories. Good

  the threshold when he knew he must be a part of the

  memories of his regiment and bad memories of the

  war. These thoughts had engraved a picture on his

  efforts of the world to thwart the Germans in their

  brain which could not be removed by brandy and

  goal of world conquest.

  soda. Even his short sojourn in Cairo did not lessen

  the projection of these images by his mind’s eye. He

  “Sir, I must point out the time again. I hope the leg

  had stood on the deck of the ship lshtear as officers

  ain’t cramping up on ya again, sir. Ya know them

  from his regiment had given him a rousing salute in

  doctors said you’d never walk again. But we fooled
br />   farewell.

  them, sir. Sir, your cane.”

  And now he stood in a pub not far from Paddington

  Parker reached for the cane as if it was a hot poker.

  Station, alone but for his memories. He took a seat

  He hated the use of it. It just seemed to remind him

  and ordered a whiskey and splash.

  that he was not fully recovered and that he would

  soon be leaving the regiment.

  He had been sitting for some time in the pub, rue-

  fully reflecting that the London he had returned to

  “Thank you, McDuff. Don’t wait up for me. I think I

  after the great war, the war to end all wars, was not

  will let the brandy and soda do its work tonight.”

  the city he had left, when a tall, thin gentleman,

  wearing an Inverness cape and a rakish cap with a

  Major Lyndon Parker walked stiffly through the dou-

  visor on it, strode casually into the place.. . .

  ble doors of the regimental mess. The hall was full of

  the things that he loved, the men in their uniforms,

  “A waiter, who was wiping tables next to him, noticed

  the table dressed in white linen and crystal,

  his interest and came over. ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ he

  the crackling flames in the large stone fireplace with

  said. ‘That’s who he is. “The Sherlock Holmes of

  the picture of the king above it. No, it was not the

  Praed Street” is what the papers call him. His real

  things in the room he loved, it was that intangible

  name’s Solar Pons’.”

  spirit that all of these things represented. That

  ethereal, untouchable thing, pride, confidence, re-

  Little did Dr. Lyndon Parker know that day that he

  spect, tradition, courage, and something more.

  would become this man’s closest friend, companion

  Something that would never let you down and you

  in adventure, and above all his infallible Boswell.

  would never let it down. The Regiment.

  This article appeared in the 1975-1976 issue

  Seated at the table, it was all around him, the past,

  (Volume 3, Number 1) of The Pontine Dossier.

  the present, and the future- his regiment. No matter