The short stories in this volume are all over the place. Some happen while Holmes and Watson are living at Baker Street, some happen while Watson has left to live with his wide, some even happen before Watson ever met Sherlock Holmes. I think that Conan Doyle is trying to build a narrative, a description of Holmes that Watson has conceived, but I'm not sure.
The final story is supposed to be the final story. I get the feeling that Conan Doyle was just tired of writing about this one detective. I've seen the climatic battle between Holmes and Moriarty portrayed before but the reading was anticlimactic. The end begins with Watson receiving a completely bogus medical emergency. I can see it's bogus, Holmes can see it's bogus but apparently Watson didn't get the message. When he returns he cannot find his friend. So he pulls a Prince Humperdink and is able to reenact the entire battle between the two foes. All that's left is for him to read the three page letter that Holmes left him. It seems that Moriarty is a gentleman and lent Holmes pen and paper to let him friend know what befell him.
I've read that (since there are more volumes after this one) that Conan Doyle had to (eventually) write how Holmes faked his death. If it involves the whole thing being a scam by Holmes I would not be surprise. No one but him sees Moriarty the whole story so his greatest villain may be a figment of his imagination. The whole flight across the continent a ruse for Watson. Maybe Sherlock Holmes really is a giant dick.
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