Собака Баскервилей / The Hound of the Baskervilles

“After you left I sent for a map of this portion of the moor,” said Holmes.

He pointed to a map which he held on his knee. “That is Baskerville Hall in the middle. I believe this must be the yew alley, with the moor on the right of it. This small group of buildings here is the village of Grimpen. Within a radius of five miles there are, as you see, only a few houses. There is a house here which may be the home of the naturalist—Stapleton. Here are two farms. Then fourteen miles away is the prison of Princetown. Around these buildings extends the lifeless moor.”

“It must be a wild place.”

“Yes, there are two questions waiting for us. The first is whether any crime has been committed at all; the second is, what the crime is and how it was committed. What do you make of it?”

“I don’t know what to make of it.”

“That change in the footprints, for example. What do you make of that?”

“Mortimer said that the man had walked on tiptoe down that portion of the alley.”

“Why should a man walk on tiptoe down the alley? He was running, Watson—running for his life, running until he burst his heart—and fell dead.”

“Running from what?”

“There lies our problem. I presume that the man was crazy with fear before he began to run.”

“How can you say that?”

“I presume that the cause of his fears came to him across the moor. Only a man crazy with fear would have run from the house and not towards it. Then, whom was he waiting for that night, and why was he waiting for him in the yew alley rather than in his own house?”

“You think that he was waiting for someone?”

“The man was elderly and in poor health. The night was damp. Is it natural for him to stand for five or ten minutes? He avoided the moor. That night he waited there. It was the night before he left for London. Now, we will think over this business when we meet Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry Baskerville in the morning.”

Chapter 5

Sir Henry Baskerville

Our clients were punctual, for the clock had just struck ten when Dr. Mortimer was shown in, followed by the young baronet. Sir Henry Baskerville was a small, dark-eyed man of about thirty, very strongly built, with thick black eyebrows and a strong, lively face. He had the weather-beaten appearance of a man who has spent most of his time in the open air.

“This is Sir Henry Baskerville,” said Dr. Mortimer.

“Yes,” said he, “and the strange thing is, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, that if my friend had not suggested coming to you this morning I should have come myself. I understand that you solve little puzzles, and I’ve had one this morning which I am not able to solve.”

“Take a seat, Sir Henry. Do I understand that something has happened since you arrived in London?”

“Nothing important, Mr. Holmes. Only a joke, I think. It was this letter, which reached me this morning.”

He laid an envelope upon the table, and we all looked at it. It was of common quality, grayish in colour. The address was “Sir Henry Baskerville, Northumberland Hotel”.

“Who knew that you were going to the Northumberland Hotel?” asked Holmes.

“No one. We only decided after I met Dr. Mortimer.”

“Hum! Someone seems to be very deeply interested in you.” Out of the envelope he took a sheet of paper. Across it one sentence was formed of printed words pasted on it. It ran:

If you value your life keep away from the moor.

The word “moor” only was written by hand.

“Now,” said Sir Henry Baskerville sharply, “perhaps you will tell me, Mr. Holmes, what it means, and who takes so much interest in my affairs? It seems to me that all you gentlemen know a great deal more than I do about my own affairs.”

“I shall tell you everything before you leave here today. And now, this very interesting document must have been composed and posted yesterday evening. Have you yesterday’s Times, Watson?” said Sherlock Holmes.

“It is here.”

He looked over it.

“What do you think of that, Watson?” cried Holmes.”These words have been taken from here.”

“You’re right! Well, isn’t it smart!” cried Sir Henry.

“So, Mr. Holmes,” said Sir Henry Baskerville, “someone cut out these words with a pair of scissors and pasted them with gum. But I want to know why the word ‘moor’ was written by hand.”

“Because he could not find it in the newspaper. The other words were all simple and might be found easily, but ‘moor’ is less common.”

“Why, of course, that explains it. Have you read anything else in this letter, Mr. Holmes?”

“There are one or two things. The Times is a paper which is only read by the highly educated. We may say, therefore, that the letter was composed by an educated man. The words are not gummed on in an accurate line, some are much higher than others. It may point to hurry in which he was. And now, Sir Henry, has anything else of interest happened to you since you have been in London?”

“Why, no, Mr. Holmes. I think not.”

“You have not observed anyone follow or watch you?”

“Why should anyone follow or watch me?” said our visitor.

“You have nothing else to tell us?”

Sir Henry smiled.

“I don’t know much of British life yet, for I have spent nearly all my time in the States and in Canada. But I hope that to lose one of your boots is not part of the ordinary routine of life over here.”

“You have lost one of your boots?”

“My dear sir,” cried Dr. Mortimer, “You will find it when you return to the hotel. What is the use of troubling Mr. Holmes with trifles of this kind?”

“I only bought the pair last night in the Strand, and I have never worn them. I did a good deal of shopping. Among other things I bought these brown boots—and one of them was stolen before I had them on my feet.”

“It seems a strange thing to steal,” said Sherlock Holmes.

“And, now, gentlemen,” said the baronet, “it seems it is time for you to give me a full account of what you know.”

Dr. Mortimer presented the whole case as he had done on the morning before. Sir Henry Baskerville listened with the deepest attention.

“Of course, I’ve heard of the hound ever since I was a boy,” said he. “It’s a favourite story of the family, though I never thought of taking it seriously before. But as to my uncle’s death—well, you have not made up your mind whether it’s a case for a policeman or a clergyman.”