"you may place considerable confidence in mr. holmes, sir," said the police agent loftily. "he has his own little methods, which are, if he won’t mind my saying so, just a little too theoretical and fantastic, but he has the makings of a detective in him. it is not too much to say that once or twice, as in that business of the sholto murder and the agra treasure, he has been more nearly correct than the official force."