As she comes to Sherlock for help, he begins revealing his qualities. For example when Holmes meets Helena Stoner, he observed a pitiful appearance and a half of a return ticket in the palm of her left glove. This brought attention to Holmes because she knows that she has come all this way to find him. As soon as Holmes tells Helena all the clues, she is impressed and astonished and she knows that she has come to the right detective. Helena was very confident as soon as she realised that her problem could be solved.
There are many suspects and clues to this mystery of Julia’s death, but the first clue was that Mrs Stoner had a considerable sum of money which she left to Roylott after her death provided her daughters resided with him. They would get part of the money if they married. Is Dr Roylott, trying to kill Helena before she marries so that he can have the money?
Another suspect is Dr Roylott. After Helen had spoken to Holmes about her fears and problems Dr Roylott, her stepfather follows her and threatens Holmes not to meddle with his affairs. The author tells us that he ‘snarls’ this shows that he is like an animal. Dr Roylott shows his physical strength by breaking a poker this shows that he is a violent man. After he left, Holmes straightens the poker, this shows that not only is he intelligent but he has strength as well and he will solve the problem without being threatened by Roylott. Helena talks to the detective about Dr. Roylott. She tells Holmes that he had once lived in India, Calcutta and he had a passion for Indian animals and keeps a baboon and a cheetah. He was a very violent man and had killed his native butler when in India.
Holmes then comes to the house of Dr Roylott and Helena, to look for any clues. The author tells us that the house was ‘like the claws of a crab’ this shows that the house must have been trapping Helena inside the house; this suggests that the house is scary. After Holmes had gone through the house with Dr Watson and Helena, He discovers something very unusual that no one seems to notice in the house. Sherlock Holmes asks ‘Where does this bell communicate with?’ and Helena tells him that it goes to the house keeper’s room. He examines it very closely and he works out that it is a dummy and it is not connected to anything. Dr Watson and Helena don’t think it is very important in this problem but Holmes finds it quite remarkable.
He notices a small saucer of milk and he asks if they have an animal and Helena responds to it as only a cheetah and a baboon. Holmes asks why it is there in a bowl if they have no animals. Is the speckled band an animal?
In many detective stories there are many misleading clues and there were quite a few in the speckled band. One of the clues were that Helena thought it might have been gypsies (dangerous people) on the plantation.
Holmes and Watson arrange to spend the night in Helena’s room. In darkness they wait; suddenly, a slight metallic noise and a dim light through the ventilator prompt Holmes to action. Quickly lighting a candle, he discovers on the bell cord the "speckled band"—a poisonous snake. He strikes the snake with a stick, driving it back through the ventilator; agitated, it attacks Roylott, who had been waiting for it to return after killing Helen. Holmes reveals to Watson that Roylott plotted to remove both daughters before they married because he would have lost most of the fortune he controlled when the daughters took with them the money left them by their mother.
I think the Speckled has a good moral and I think that Dr Roylott deserved to be punished by his own weapon, a poisonous snake. I think it is intelligent on how they solved the problem. It is a well written story and has a gripping ending.
