What does these sentences mean ?

Question

in adventure of Sherlock Holmes , Holmes telling watson "Suppose that I were Brooks or Woodhouse, or any of the fifty

men who have good reason for taking my life, how long could I

survive against my own pursuit?"

what does that sentences mean ? the weather was fog and he was bored .

Answer 1

He is saying, roughly: "If I were one of the guys trying to kill me, how long would I live?" Meaning, how long would it take me to chase after and kill someone like myself. Kind of a confusing idea. Sounds like Holmes is speculating both on how hard or easy he would be to murder and how skilled a murderer he would be.

Answer 2

He was saying that if somebody as smart as him were chasing someone as smart as him, who would win?

Sherlock Holmes is known for having a brilliant deductive mind.  So as a pursuer, he would deduce the location and actions of his prey...but as prey, he would deduce the plan of his pursuer.  I such a situation, you have an impasse (but a very impressive battle of wits nonetheless).

Answer 3

How can he live by doing his job. he have to get these men but death is aganist him. It's his pursuit to kill himself. So how can he live?