The Hound of the Baskervilles

eport of

HT UPON

LE HALL,

. In my last report I ended upon my top note with Barrymore at the window, and now I have quite a budget already which will, unless I am much mistaken, considerably surprise you. Things have taken a turn which I c

ws it is only a distant glimpse which can be obtained. It follows, therefore, that Barrymore, since only this window would serve the purpose, must have been looking out for something or somebody upon the moor. The night was very dark, so that I can hardly imagine how he could have hoped to see anyone. It had struck me that it was possible that some love intrigue was on foot. That would have accounted for his stealthy movements and also for the uneasiness of

ng them to myself until I could explain them was more than I could bear. I had an interview with the baronet

k to him about it," said he. "Two or three times I have heard his st

it every night to that part

w him, and see what it is that he is after. I wonde

at you now suggest," said I. "He would

hall do it

y he would

room to-night and wait until he passes." Sir Henry rubbed his hands with pleasure, and it w

are no pains or expense to restore the grandeur of his family. When the house is renovated and refurnished, all that he will need will be a wife to make it complete. Between ourselves there are pretty clear signs that this will not be wanting if the lady is willing, for I have seldom seen a man more infatuated wi

Barrymore, Sir Henry put on his hat and prepare

atson?" he asked, lookin

ther you are going o

, I

but you heard how earnestly Holmes insisted that I should not lea

nd upon my shoulder

ich have happened since I have been on the moor. You understand me? I am sure that you

loss what to say or what to do, and before I had

hat my feelings would be if I had to return to you and to confess that some misfortune had occurred through my disregard for your instructions. I assur

already an understanding between them and that they had met by appointment. They were walking slowly along in deep conversation, and I saw her making quick little movements of her hands as if she were very earnest in what she was saying, while he listened intently, and once or twice shook his head in strong dissent. I stood among the rocks watching them, very much puzzled as to what I should do next. To follow them and break into their intimate conversation seemed to be an outrage, and

eton to his side. His arm was round her, but it seemed to me that she was straining away from him with her face averted. He stooped his head to hers, and she raised one hand as if in protest. Next moment I saw them spring apart and turn hurriedly round. Stapleton was the cause of the interruption. He was running wildly towards them, his absurd net dangling behind him. He gesticulated and almost danced with excitement in front of the lovers. What the scene meant I could not imagine, but it seemed to me that Stapleton was abusing Sir Henr

e without my friend's knowledge. I ran down the hill therefore and met the baronet at the bottom. His

from?" said he. "You don't mean to say

llowed him, and how I had witnessed all that had occurred. For an instant his eyes blazed a

e private," said he, "but, by thunder, the whole country-side seems to have been out

on that

r brother was well up to the front

, I

you as being crazy-t

ay that he

ught to be in a strait-jacket. What's the matter with me, anyhow? You've lived near me for some weeks, Watson. Te

uld sa

down on. What has he against me? I never hurt man or woman in my life that I

he sa

ce of danger, and that she would never be happy until I had left it. I told her that since I had seen her I was in no hurry to leave it, and that if she really wanted me to go, the only way to work it was for her to arrange to go with me. With that I offered in as many words to marry her, but before she could answer, down came this brother of hers, running at us with a face on him like a madman. He was just white with rage, and those light eyes of his were blazing with fury. What was I doing with the lady? How dared I offer her attentions which were distasteful to her? Did I think that because I was a baronet I cou

his advances should be rejected so brusquely without any reference to the lady's own wishes, and that the lady should accept the situation without protest, is very amazing. However, our conjectures were set at rest by a visit from Stapleton himself that very afternoon

forget the look in his eyes when he ran at me this morning, but I must

y explanation o

s that it was really so, and that she might be taken away from him, it gave him such a shock that for a time he was not responsible for what he said or did. He was very sorry for all that had passed, and he recognized how foolish and how selfish it was that he should imagine that he could hold a beautiful woman like his sister to himself for her whole life. If she had to leave him he had rather it was to

le a one as Sir Henry. And now I pass on to another thread which I have extricated out of the tangled skein, the mystery of the sobs in the night, of the tear-stained face of Mrs. Barrymore, of the secret journey of the butler to the western lattic

f us falling asleep in our chairs. Fortunately we were not discouraged, and we determined to try again. The next night we lowered the lamp, and sat smoking cigarettes without making the least sound. It was incredible how slowly the hours crawled by, and yet we were helped through it by the same sort of patient interest which th

down the passage. Then he passed through the same door as before, and the light of the candle framed it in the darkness and shot one single yellow beam across the gloom of the corridor. We shuffled cautiously towards it, trying every plank before we dared to put our whole weight upon it. We had taken the precaution of leaving our boots behind us, but, even so, the old boards snapped and creake

the room, and as he did so Barrymore sprang up from the window with a sharp hiss of his breath and stood, livid and trembling, before

u doing here

and the shadows sprang up and down from the shaking of his candle. "It

second

, all the

to have the truth out of you, so it will save you trouble to tell it soone

nd he wrung his hands together like one who

sir. I was holding a

u holding a cand

, that it is not my secret, and that I cannot tell it. If it c

and I took the candle from the

ht. Vaguely I could discern the black bank of the trees and the lighter expanse of the moor, for the moon was behind the clouds. And then I gave a cry of exul

it is!"

othing at all!" the butler br

moves also! Now, you rascal, do you deny that it is a signal? Come, speak up! Wh

ce became op

s, and not yours.

e my employmen

sir. If I

rself. Your family has lived with mine for over a hundred years und

more horror-struck than her husband, was standing at the door. Her bulky figure in a sha

s the end of it. You can pack

is my doing, Sir Henry-all mine. He has done not

then! What d

t our very gates. The light is a signal to him that food is ready for h

ur broth

vict, sir-Selden

secret and that I could not tell it to you. But now you have heard i

ow. Sir Henry and I both stared at the woman in amazement. Was it possible that this stolidly

the scaffold; but to me, sir, he was always the little curly-headed boy that I had nursed and played with, as an elder sister would. That was why he broke prison, sir. He knew that I was here and that we could not refuse to help him. When he dragged himself here one night, weary and starving, with the warders hard at his heels, what could we do? We took him in and fed him and cared for him. Then you returned, sir, and my brother thought he would be safer on the moor than anywhere else until the hue

an intense earnestness which

true, B

enry. Every

Forget what I have said. Go to your room, you two, and

ng it open, and the cold night wind beat in upon our faces. Far away in

dares," sai

ed as to be only v

How far do you

e Cleft To

han a mile

dly

food to it. And he is waiting, this villain, beside that c

coundrel for whom there was neither pity nor excuse. We were only doing our duty in taking this chance of putting him back where he could do no harm. With his brutal and violent nature, others would have t

come,"

ots. The sooner we start the better, as th

d and the rustle of the falling leaves. The night air was heavy with the smell of damp and decay. Now and again the moon peeped out for an instant, bu

armed?"

a huntin

be a desperate fellow. We shall take him by surpri

Holmes say to this? How about that hour of da

pen Mire. It came with the wind through the silence of the night, a long, deep mutter, then a rising howl, and then the sad moan in which it died away. Again an

hat's that

nd they have on the moor.

nce closed in upon us. We stood st

baronet, "it was

e was a break in his voice which told o

call this so

ho

on the cou

people. Why should you

on. What do th

could not esca

cry of the Hound o

was silent fo

st, "but it seemed to come from

to say when

ind. Isn't that the directio

, it

think yourself that it was the cry of a hound? I am

rd it last. He said that it might

all these stories? Is it possible that I am really in danger

, n

or and to hear such a cry as that. And my uncle! There was the footprint of the hound beside him as he lay. It all f

ld as a bloc

all right

cry out of my head. What do

we turn

ter the convict, and a hell-hound, as likely as not, after us. Come on! We

ight have been within a few yards of us. But at last we could see whence it came, and then we knew that we were indeed very close. A guttering candle was stuck in a crevice of the rocks which flanked it on each side so as to keep the wind from it and also to prevent it from being visible, save in the direction of

do now?" whis

his light. Let us see if w

and scored with vile passions. Foul with mire, with a bristling beard, and hung with matted hair, it might well have belonged to one of those old savages who dwelt in the burrows on the hillsides.

herefore, and Sir Henry did the same. At the same moment the convict screamed out a curse at us and hurled a rock which splintered up against the boulder which had sheltered us. I caught one glimpse of his short, squat, strongly- built figure as he sprang to his feet and turned to run. At the same moment by a lucky chance the moon broke through the c

moonlight until he was only a small speck moving swiftly among the boulders upon the side of a distant hill. We ran and ran until we were completel

tor. Do not think that it was a delusion, Holmes. I assure you that I have never in my life seen anything more clearly. As far as I could judge, the figure was that of a tall, thin man. He stood with his legs a little separated, his arms folded, his head bowed, as if he were brooding over that enormous wilderness of peat and granite which lay before him. He might have been the very spirit of that terrible pla

uld like to have some further proof of it. To-day we mean to communicate to the Princetown people where they should look for their missing man, but it is hard lines that we have not actually had the triumph of bringing him back as our own prisoner. Such are the adventures of last night, and you must acknowledge, my dear Holmes, that I have done you very well in the matter of a report. Much of what I tell you is no doubt quite irrelevant, but still I feel that it is best that I should let you have all the facts and leave you to select