In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, what is Watson's attitude toward Holmes?

Dr. Watson is a great admirer of Sherlock Holmes. That is why he has elected to study his friend's unique methods and to write extensively about his cases. Holmes frequently refers to Watson as his "Boswell." James Boswell devoted many years to writing The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., out of his great admiration for that distinguished English man of letters. Watson presents his novels and short stories, including "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," to the reading public as factual studies in detection and criminology, although they are really only pure fiction--or what Graham Greene called "entertainments."  It is because of Dr. Watson's high regard for Holmes, along with the fact that Watson has plenty of leisure time on his hands and the advantage of being Holmes' close friend and confidant, that he is willing and able to devote so much of his time to recording and analyzing the great detective's cases.

At the end of "The Red-Headed League," which Watson also presents as a real case and not as an adventure story, Watson praises Holmes' success in terms that show how much he admires his good friend.

“You reasoned it out beautifully,” I exclaimed in unfeigned admiration. “It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true.”

“It saved me from ennui,” he answered, yawning. “Alas! I already feel it closing in upon me. My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence. These little problems help me to do so.”

“And you are a benefactor of the race,” said I.

And at the very end of "The Final Problem," Watson, who believes Holmes has fallen to his death with Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, offers this final tribute which shows that his accounts of Holmes' genius were inspired by a sense of duty to make his admiration more widely appreciated.

Of their terrible chief [Moriarity] few details came out during the proceedings, and if I have now been compelled to make a clear statement of his career it is due to those injudicious champions who have endeavored to clear his memory by attacks upon him whom I shall ever regard as the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known.

Watson's attitude toward Holmes explains why he is delighted to write about his friend's achievements and why he is always willing to assist him in his investigations, even at the risk of his life, as he does in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band."