It is with great sadness that I sit down to write these words. For this is the last story I shall ever be able to tell of the unusual abilities of my friend, Sherlock Holmes. I have already written about some of the strange cases we have worked on since l first met Holmes ten years ago. But I decided to remain silent about the event which has made my life empty for the past two years. However, the recent stories told by Colonel Moriarty about his dead brother have forced me to change my mind. I must give the public the facts exactly as they happened. Only I know the complete truth. So far there have been only three reports in a foreign newspaper, in an English newspaper, and now by Colonel Moriarty. The first and second were very short, and the third is completely false. So now it is my duty to tell for the first time what really happened between Professor Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes.