| CHAPTER | PAGE |
| I Early Recollections | [1] |
| Extraction—“H.B.”—Four Remarkable Brothers —My Mother’s Family Tree—An Unrecognized Genius—My First Knockout—Thackeray—The Fenians—Early Reading—My First Story. |
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| II Under the Jesuits | [8] |
| The Preparatory School—The Mistakes of Education —Spartan Schooling—Corporal Punishment— Well-known School Fellows—Gloomy Forecasts— Poetry—London Matriculation—German School— A Happy Year—The Jesuits—Strange Arrival in Paris. |
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| III Recollections of a Student | [17] |
| Edinburgh University—A Sad Disappointment— Original of Professor Challenger—Of Sherlock Holmes—Deductions—Sheffield—Ruyton—Birmingham —Literary Aspirations—First Accepted Story— My Father’s Death—Mental Position—Spiritual Yearnings—An Awkward Business. |
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| IV Whaling in the Arctic Ocean | [29] |
| The Hope—John Gray—Boxing—The Terrible Mate—Our Criminal—First Sight of a Woman—A Hurricane—Dangers of the Fishing—Three Dips in the Arctic—The Idlers’ Boat—Whale Taking—Glamour of the Arctic—Effect of Voyage. |
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| V The Voyage to West Africa | [42] |
| The Mayumba—Fearful Weather—An Escape —Hanno’s Voyage—Atlantis—A Land of Death— Blackwater Fever—Missionaries—Strange Fish—Danger of Luxury—A Foolish Swim—The Ship on Fire—England Once More. |
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| VI My First Experiences in Practice | [52] |
| A Strange Character—His Honeymoon—His Bristol Practice—Telegram from Plymouth—Six Amusing Weeks—A Deep Plot—My Southsea Venture —Furnishing on the Cheap—The Plot Explodes. |
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| VII My Start at Southsea | [59] |
| A Strange Life—Arrival of My Brother—I Buy Up a Shop—Cheap Servants—Queer Patients—Dangers of Medical Practice—Income Tax Joke—My Marriage—Tragedy in My House—A New Phase. |
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| VIII My First Literary Success | [67] |
| New Outlook—James Payn—Genesis of Holmes—“A Study in Scarlet”—“Micah Clarke”—Disappointments —Andrew Lang—Cornhill Dinner—Oscar Wilde— His Criticism of Himself—“The White Company.” |
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| IX Pulling Up the Anchor | [77] |
| Psychic Studies—Experiments in Telepathy—My First Séances—A Curious Test—General Drayson —Opinion on Theosophy—A. P. Sinnett—W. T. Stead—Journey to Berlin—Koch’s Treatment —Brutality of Bergmann—Malcolm Morris— Literary Society—Political Work—Arthur Balfour—Our Departure. |
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| X The Great Break | [88] |
| Vienna—A Specialist in Wimpole Street—The Great Decision—Norwood—“The Refugees” —Reported Death of Holmes. |
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| XI Sidelights on Sherlock Holmes | [96] |
| “The Speckled Band”—Barrie’s Parody on Holmes —Holmes on the Films—Methods of Construction —Problems—Curious Letters—Some Personal Cases—Strange Happenings. |
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| XII Norwood and Switzerland | [111] |
| Psychic Research Society—Psychic Leanings —Literary Circles in London—Young Writers —Henry Irving—A Great Blow—Davos—“Brigadier Gerard”—Major Pond—American Lecturing in 1894—First Lecture—Anti-British Wave—Answer to Prayer. |
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| XIII Egypt in 1896 | [121] |
| Life in Egypt—Accident—The Men Who Made Egypt—Up the Nile—The Salt Lakes—Adventure in the Desert—The Coptic Monastery—Colonel Lewis—A Surprise. |
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| XIV On the Edge of a Storm | [130] |
| The Storm Centre—To the Frontier—Assouan —Excited Officers—With the Press Men—A Long Camel Ride—Night Marches—Halfa—Gwynne of the “Morning Post”—Anley—A Sudden Voyage—Apricots and Rousseau. |
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| XV An Interlude of Peace | [140] |
| Hindhead—“A Duet”—A Haunted House—A Curious Society—Preternatural Powers—The Little Doctor—The Shadow of Africa. |
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| XVI The Start for South Africa | [148] |
| The Black Week—Volunteering—The Langman Hospital—The Voyage—Bloemfontein—Sir Claude de Crespigny—The Epidemic—Advance to the Water Works. |
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| XVII Days with the Army | [160] |
| Pole-Carew—Tucker—Snipers—The Looted Farm— Taking of Brandfort—Artillery Engagement— Advance of the Guards—The Wounded Scout—The Dead Australian—Return. |
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| XVIII Final Experiences in South Africa | [174] |
| Military Jealousies—Football—Cracked Ribs— A Mutiny—De Wet—A Historian under Difficulties —Pretoria—Lord Roberts—With the Boers— Memorable Operation—Altercation. |
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| XIX An Appeal to the World’s Opinion | [184] |
| Misrepresentation—A Sudden Resolve—Reginald Smith—A Week’s Hard Work—“The Cause and Conduct of the War”—Translations—German Letter—Complete Success—Surplus. |
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| XX My Political Adventures | [195] |
| Central Edinburgh—A Knock-out—The Border Burghs—Tariff Reform—Heckling—Interpolations —Defeat—Reflections. |
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| XXI The Years Between the Wars | [204] |
| “History of the War”—Sir Oliver Lodge— Military Arguments—“Sir Nigel”—The Edalji Case—Crowborough—The Oscar Slater Case. |
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| XXII The Years Between the Wars | [222] |
| Constantinople—The Night of Power—A Strange Creature—Dorando—Dramatic Adventures—The Congo Agitation—Olympic Games—Divorce Reform—Psychic Experience—Speculation. |
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| XXIII Some Notable People | [236] |
| President Roosevelt—Lord Balfour—Mr. Asquith —Lord Haldane—George Meredith—Rudyard Kipling—James Barrie—Henry Irving—Bernard Shaw—R. L. S.—Grant Allen—James Payn—Henry Thompson—Royalty. |
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| XXIV Some Recollections of Sport | [262] |
| Racing—Shooting—A Fish Story—Boxing—Past and Present—Carpentier and France—The Reno Fight—Football—Golf with the Sirdar—Billiards —Cricket—W. G. Grace—Queer Experiences —Tragic Matches—Humiliation—Success in Holland—Barrie’s Team—A Precedent—Motor Accidents—Prince Henry Tour—Aviation—The Balloon and the Aeroplane—Ski—Over a Precipice—Rifle Shooting. |
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| XXV To the Rocky Mountains in 1914 | [287] |
| Baseball—Parkman—Ticonderoga—Prairie Towns —Procession of Ceres—Relics of the Past—A Moose—Prospects for Emigrants—Jasper Park— The Great Divide—Algonquin Park. |
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| XXVI The Eve of War | [304] |
| The Prologue of Armageddon—The “Prince Henry” Race—Bernhardi—“England and the Next War”—“Danger”—General Sir H. Wilson—The Channel Tunnel—Naval Defects—Rubber Collars—Mines—Willie Redmond. |
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| XXVII A Remembrance of the Dark Years | [323] |
| Nightmares of the Morning—The Civilian Reserve —The Volunteers—Domestic Life in War Time— German Prisoners—Cipher to Our Prisoners—Sir John French—Empress Eugenie—Miracle Town—Armour—Our Tragedy. |
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| XXVIII Experiences on the British Front | [335] |
| Lord Newton—How I Got Out—Sir W. Robertson—The Destroyer—First Experience of Trenches—Ceremony at Bethune—Mother—The Ypres Salient—Ypres—The Hull Territorial—General Sir Douglas Haig—Artillery Duel—Kingsley—Major Wood—Paris. |
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| XXIX Experiences on the Italian Front | [353] |
| The Polite Front—Udine—Under Fire—Carnic Alps—Italia Irredenta—Trentino—The Voice of the Holy Roman Empire. |
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| XXX Experiences on the French Front | [360] |
| A Dreadful Reception—Robert Donald—Clemenceau —Soissons Cathedral—The Commandant’s Cane—The Extreme Outpost—Adonis—General Henneque—Cyrano in the Argonne—Tir Rapide—French Canadian—Wound Stripes. |
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| XXXI Breaking the Hindenburg Line | [373] |
| Lloyd George—My Second Excursion—The Farthest German Point—Sir Joseph Cook—Night before the Day of Judgment—The Final Battle— On a Tank—Horrible Sight—Speech to Australians —The Magic Carpet. |
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| XXXII The Psychic Quest | [387] |
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| Index | [401] |