The Dancing Men
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

"The Adventure of the Dancing Men" is a Sherlock Holmes short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, part of The Return of Sherlock Holmes cycle published in 1905. It first appeared in The Strand Magazine in the UK and Collier's in the US in December 1903. Ranked third among Doyle's favorite Holmes stories, it is notable for being one of the few where Holmes's client dies after seeking his help. The story centers on Holmes deciphering a mysterious code involving stick-figure "dancing men" symbols.