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a crutch who had stepped out in front of them at a crucial stage of the chase, allowing the robber to get clean away, although neither of them thought these incidents were deliberate and had failed to mention them to Lestrade. It was only when I pressed them for further details, however trivial, that either of them mentioned it. But, in fact, the man with the crutch played an even more significant role in the robberies than that of a mere “stall”. I wonder, my dear Watson, if you, with your enhanced powers of deduction, can suggest what that role might have been? You look puzzled. Then consider the facts. Firstly, what items of jewellery were the thieves interested in stealing?’
    ‘They were rings, were they not, Holmes?’
    ‘Quite so. They never asked to look at bracelets or necklaces or even brooches. Always rings. Now consider one other factor – the crutch which the thirdmember of the gang carried. What was it made of?’
    ‘Wood?’ I suggested, considerably mystified by this aspect of the case. What possible significance could the material of which the crutch was constructed have on the bearing of the matter?
    ‘No, no, Watson!’ Holmes corrected me with a touch of impatience. ‘Remember what I said to you earlier. It was an aluminium crutch. Aluminium ! That is of great, if not crucial importance, to the whole affair. Now do you make the connection?’
    ‘I am afraid not, Holmes,’ I replied, feeling abashed.
    ‘Pray do not trouble yourself, my dear fellow. The solution may come to you later. For the moment, allow me to continue with my account. I now knew that I was dealing with a gang of professional thieves, three in number, which consisted of a woman and two men, one of whom was possibly a cripple, although at that stage in the inquiry, I could not be positive about this particular fact.
    ‘Now at that time, I had already recruited my own little gang of street urchins, whom you are already acquainted with, Watson.’
    ‘The Baker Street Irregulars!’ 4 I cried, recognising them at once. ‘If I remember correctly, they foundJefferson Hope’s cab and traced the whereabouts of the steam launch Aurora in that other investigation of yours into the Sholto affair.’
    Knowing Holmes’ disdain for the softer passions, I did not add that it was during this latter case that I had met and fallen in love with Miss Mary Morstan, whom I was to marry later that same year. 5
    ‘Wiggins was the name of their leader, was it not?’ I continued.
    ‘Yes, and a more intelligent and resourceful youth one could not hope to find. The police would do well to recruit young men of Wiggins’ calibre into their own force. It was Wiggins who made enquiries on my behalf into the gang of three among the members of London’s underworld and came up with a positive identification.
    ‘The couple posing as the husband and wife were, in fact, a brother and sister, George and Rosie Bartlett, a good-looking pair who, because of their stylish appearance, had worked as pickpockets in the West End, George acting as the “dip”, Rosie as the “stickman”, orin her case the “stickwoman”. As soon as George had “lifted” a wallet or a lady’s purse, he would immediately pass them to Rosie who would hide them about her person. Thus, if by an unlucky chance, George was apprehended and searched, the stolen goods were never found on him and he was allowed to go free. No one thought of stopping and searching Rosie, who looked the very picture of a well-dressed, respectable young lady. And anyway, by the time the hue and cry had been raised, she had already disappeared among the throngs of shoppers or theatre-goers.
    ‘Their partnership worked successfully for a number of years and then their luck changed. George fell and broke his wrist and, although it mended, it was stiff and was therefore no longer any use to him for “dipping”. Consequently, they had to earn their living some other way. It was then that they came up