The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes

Chapter 122 The Hound of the Baskervilles (3)
"Why didn't others see it?"

"The paw print was about twenty yards from the body, and no one noticed it. I don't think I would have found it if I hadn't known the legend."

"Are there many sheepdogs in the moor?"

"Of course there are many, but this one is not a collie."

"Did you say it was big?"

"It's huge."

"Didn't it get close to the body?"

"No."

"What kind of night was that?"

"It was wet and cold that night."

"It's not raining, is it?"

"No."

"What's the lane like?"

"There are two rows of old yew hedges, twelve feet high, so closely spaced that no one can pass, with a path between them, eight feet wide."

"Is there anything else between the hedge and the path?"

"Yes, there is a meadow about six feet wide on either side of the path."

"I suppose the hedge was cut off at one point by the gate?"

"Yes, it is the gate that opens onto the moor."

"Any other openings?"

"Nothing."

"So, if you want to get into the water pine alley, you can only enter through the mansion or through the gate that opens to the moor?"

"There's another exit through the gazebo at the other end."

"Has Sir Charles gone there?"

"No, it was about fifty yards from where he lay."

"Now, Dr. Mortimer, please tell me—and this is an important point—that the footprints you see are in the path and not in the grass, are you not?"

"I can't see any marks on the grass."

"On the side of the lane near the gate to the moor?"

"Yes, on the side of the road beyond the gate."

"Your words have greatly interested me. And one more thing, is the gate closed?"

"Closed, and locked with a lock."

"How high is the door?"

"About four feet."

"Then anyone can climb over?"

"Yes."

"What marks do you see on the gate?"

"No particular trace."

"Strange! Has no one checked?"

"I checked, I checked it myself."

"Nothing found?"

"It's just confusing, apparently Sir Childs stood there for five or ten minutes."

"How do you know?"

"Because his cigar fell twice and the ash fell down."

"Excellent, Watson. He is almost a colleague of ours, and thinks like us. But where are the footprints?"

"His footprints were all over that little patch of gravel, and I couldn't see anyone else's footprints."

Sherlock Holmes tapped his knee with impatience. "If only I had been there!" he exclaimed. "Obviously this is a case of great interest, and one which affords criminologists a good opportunity to study it. I could have seen a great deal in that gravel. The clues came, but now those marks have been removed by the rain and the clogs of the onlookers. Ah!

"Dr. Mortimer, Dr. Mortimer, why didn't you ask me to go? Seriously, you are responsible for this."

"Mr. Holmes, if I invite you to go, I will expose these truths to the world. I have already explained my reasons for not wanting to do so. At the same time, at the same time..."

"Why are you stuttering?"

"Some problems, even the most astute and seasoned detective can't do anything about it."

"You mean, this matter has something to do with the gods and monsters?"

"I'm not saying that for sure."

"You didn't say that for sure. But it's clear you thought so."

"Since this tragedy, Mr. Holmes, I have heard things that are not in keeping with the laws of nature."

"Please give me an example."

"I know that before this dreadful thing happened, there were people who had seen in the moor an animal of the same shape as the said monster of the Baskervilles, and which was by no means a beast known to science. They all said with one voice. Said it was a big animal, glowing, and hideous like a devil. I have questioned the people, a shrewd countryman, a horseshoe smith, and a farmer on the moor, and they all said about The same story of this dreadful apparition fits perfectly with the frightful hounds of legend. You may believe that the whole district is gripped with terror, and that the man who dares to walk across the moor at night is a truly daring man."

"Does a scientifically educated person like you believe that it is a supernatural thing?"

"I don't know what to believe."

Holmes shrugged his shoulders and said: "So far, the scope of my investigation work has been limited to the human world. I have only done some struggles with evil. But it may not be possible for me to fight against the god of evil. But no matter what, you have to admit that the footprints are real, right?"

"This queer hound can really rip a man's throat, but it does look like a monster."

"I can see that you have come close to being a supernaturalist. But now, Dr. Mortimer, tell me why you come to me when you hold this view? You tell me that Charle It is useless to investigate Sir Zeus's death and yet expect me to."

"I didn't say I wanted you to investigate."

"So how can I help you?"

"I would like you to tell me what to do with Sir Henry Baskerville, who is about to arrive at Waterloo Station?" Dr. Mortimer looked at his watch. "He will arrive in an hour and a quarter of an hour."

"Is he the heir?"

"Yes, after Sir Childs' death we investigated the young gentleman and found that he had been farming in Canada. He was a very good man in every respect, as far as we could tell. I am not acting as a A doctor, but as trustee and executor of Sir Childs' will."

"I don't think there are any other applicants for inheritance?"

"No. The only other person we can trace back to his relations was Roger Baskerville, the youngest of three brothers, Sir Childs the eldest. , the second brother who died young is Henry's father. The third brother Roger is the bad guy in the family, he is exactly the same as the domineering old Baskerville. It is said that his appearance is exactly the same as the portrait of old Hugo at home. He Made it impossible to gain a foothold in England, fled to Central America, and died of yellow fever in 5. Henry was the last surviving son of the Baskerville family. In an hour and five minutes, I will be at Waterloo Meet him at the station. I have received a telegram that he has arrived at Southampton this morning. What do you propose me to do with him now, Mr. Holmes?"

"Why not let him go back to the home where his ancestors lived for generations?"

"It seems a matter of course, doesn't it? But considering that every Baskerville family has bad luck if he lives there. I thought, if Sir Childs had anything to say to me before he died Said he would certainly warn me not to bring to this accursed place the last heir of this ancient family and heir to a great fortune. But it cannot be denied that the prosperity and happiness of the whole poor and desolate country depended on He is. If there were no master in the estate, all the good deeds done by Sir Childs would be interrupted. As I am personally interested in the matter, I am afraid that my personal opinion will have a great influence on the matter. The case tells you, and your opinion is sought."

Holmes considered for a moment, then said: "The matter is, in short, that your opinion is that there is a diabolical force which has made Dart Moor a place of danger to the lives of the Baskervilles--that is, Do you have an opinion?"

"At least I can say that there are some indications that might be the case."

"Yes. But surely, if your genie holds true, the young man would be as unlucky in London as he is in Devon. A devil would exercise his authority locally, like a parish church. It's unimaginable."

"Mr. Holmes, if you had seen these things yourself, perhaps you would not be so rash as to make such an assertion. I understand you to mean that the young man is as safe in Devonshire as he is in London. He was at five ten minutes It's almost here, what do you say?"

"Sir, I suggest you get into a carriage, and take your spaniel, who is scratching my front door, to Waterloo Station to fetch Sir Henry Baskerville."

"and then?"

"Then, don't tell him anything until I make a decision."

"How long will it take you to make a decision?"

"Twenty-four hours. If you could come to me here at ten o'clock tomorrow, Dr. Mortimer, I would be very grateful. And if you could join Sir Henry Baskerville, it would do me good It would be more helpful to have a plan for the future.”

"I will do as you wish, Mr. Holmes." He penciled the time of his next appointment on his cuff, and hurried away with his strange glance and absent-minded expression.When he reached the landing, Holmes stopped him again.

"One more question for you, Dr. Mortimer. Do you say that, before Sir Charles Baskerville died, some people saw this ghost in the moor?"

"Three people saw it."

"Has anyone else seen it since?"

"I haven't heard of it."

"Thank you and good morning."

Holmes returned to his seat with a quiet, contented air, showing that he had found the work of taste.

"Going out, Watson?"

"Yeah, but if you need my help, I won't go out."

"No, my dear fellow, I will turn to you only for action. How wonderful, in a way, that this event is quite special. When you pass by Bradley's, Would you please send them a pound of strong pipe tobacco? Thank you. If it is convenient, please do not come back until evening. I want to use this time to collect all the impressions I have acquired in the morning about this extremely interesting case. Make a comparison."

I knew that, with intense concentration, analyzing bits and pieces of evidence, making hypotheses, conducting comparative analysis, and finally deciding what was important and what was not true, my friend needed to contemplate behind closed doors.I therefore spent the whole day in the club, and did not return to Baker Street till evening.It was almost nine o'clock when I sat down in the lounge again.

When I opened the door, the first thing I felt was that the house was on fire, because the house was full of smoke, and I couldn't even see the light of the desk lamp clearly.After I walked in, I was finally relieved, because I was coughing non-stop due to the choking smoke.Through the smoke I vaguely saw Holmes curled up in an easy chair in his pajamas, smoking a black clay pipe, surrounded by rolls of papers.

"No cold, Watson?" said he.

"No, it's all because of the strong air."

"Ah, you're right, I think the air is indeed thick enough."

"It's almost unbearably thick."

"Then open the window! I can see you've been in the club all day."

"My dear Holmes!"

"Am I right?"

"Of course, but why—"

He laughed at my inexplicable expression.

"Watson, because seeing you come back in a good mood makes me want to play tricks on you. A gentleman went out on a muddy rainy day and came back in the evening clean, with hair on his hat and shoes. He must have sat still all day in the light. He's still a man without close friends, so where would he go? Isn't that obvious?"

"Yes, it couldn't be more obvious."

"There are obvious things in the world that no one sees. Where do you think I am?"

"Isn't this staying here and not moving?"

"On the contrary, I went to Devonshire."

"Has the 'spirit' gone?"

"Exactly, my physical body has been sitting in this easy chair. Unfortunately, I actually drank two large pots of coffee while the 'spirit' was flying away, and I smoked unbelievably much. Believe Tobacco. After you left, I sent someone to the Stamford police station to get a map of the swamp area. My "spirit" walked on this map for a day. I have no idea about the roads in that area. It's pretty well known."

"I suppose it's a very detailed map?"

"It's very detailed." He opened a part of the map and put it on his lap. "This is the area we want to pay special attention to. In the middle is Baskerville Manor."

"Is it surrounded by woods?"

"Yes. Although the yew line is not marked here, I think it must have been along that line. And the moor, as you can see, is to the right of it. This little pile The house is the village of Greenping, where our friend Dr. Mortimer lives. Within a radius of five miles, you can see only a few scattered houses. This is the Ryford estate mentioned in the case. There is a The house indicated may be that of the biologist, whose surname is Stapleton, if I remember correctly. Here are two farmhouses on the moor, Cottager and Vermeer. XIV A mile or so away is the Great Prison at Princestown. These scattered points, and the desolate moors around them, have been the scene of tragedies, and perhaps, with our help, some good dramas will be staged on this stage."

"This must be a wild place."

"Ah, the surrounding environment is very suitable. If the devil really wants to get involved in the affairs of the world..."

"So, you yourself are inclined to talk about ghosts?"

"Is it not possible that the agents of the devil may be flesh and blood? We are faced with two questions: first, whether a crime ever occurred; second, what kind of crime was it and how was it carried out Of course, if Dr. Mortimer's suspicions are correct, we'd be dealing with supernatural forces. Then our investigation would be unnecessary. However, we can only After that, we can go back to this road to explore. If you have no objection, I think we have to close the windows. It is strange, I always feel that the strong air can make people concentrate. Although I have not yet reached It's hard to think about the box, but I believe that if it continues to develop, it will inevitably get that result. Have you thought about this case?"

"Yes, I think a lot during the day."

"Then what do you think?"

"It's too confusing."

"There is something peculiar about this case. There are a few things that stand out about it. What do you say about the change in footprints, for instance?"

"Mortimer said that the man walked on tiptoe in that part of the aisle."

"He's just repeating what a fool said at the autopsy. Why would a man walk on tiptoe down the aisle?"

"Then how to explain it?"

"He was running, Watson—running as fast as he could, he was running for his life, until his heart burst and he fell dead."

"What was he running from?"

"That's the problem. All indications are that this man was frightened before he started running."

"What is the basis for saying that?"

"As far as I can imagine, the cause of his fear came from the moor. If that were the case, only a man who was terrified out of his wits would run in the opposite direction from the house. If the gypsy's testimony is to be believed, he was running While calling for help, he was running in the direction that was least likely to get help. Also, who was he waiting for that night? Why did he wait for someone in the road between the water pines and not in his own house?"

"Do you think he's waiting for someone?"

"The man is old and frail, and we can understand that he would take a scattered walk in the evening; but the ground is damp and the night is cold. Dr. Mortimer's wisdom is indeed to be admired, and his conclusions from cigar ashes Is it natural that he stood there for five to ten minutes?"

"But he goes out every night!"

"I don't think he waited every night at the door to the moor. On the contrary, there is evidence that he was avoiding the moor. He waited there that night, and it was on his departure for London. The night before. Something is beginning to appear, Watson, and it fits the bill. Give me my violin, please, and we shall wait until tomorrow morning when we meet Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry Baskerville. Let's discuss it further."

[-]. Sir Henry Baskerville
Our breakfast table was cleared early in the morning, and Holmes awaited the agreed visit in his dressing-gown.Our client was very punctual, and at ten o'clock Dr. Mortimer arrived, followed by the young baronet.The baronet was short and dapper, with dark eyes, about thirty, a stocky man with thick eyebrows and a face that looked strong and aggressive.Wearing a red Scottish attire, he looked well-worn and seemed to spend most of his time outdoors.And his calm eyes and safe and confident attitude showed his gentlemanly demeanor.

"This is Sir Henry Baskerville," said Dr. Mortimer.

"Oh, yes," said Sir Henry, "the curious thing is, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, that I would have come to see you this morning myself if this friend of mine had not suggested it. I know you are very keen on little matters. There is research. This morning, I encountered a puzzling thing."

"Sit down, Sir Henry. Do you mean that something strange has happened to you since your arrival in London?"

"Nothing of importance, Mr. Holmes. Mostly in jest. If you can call it a letter, this is the one I received this morning."

He put the letter on the table, and we all leaned over to read it.The letter paper is average in texture and gray in color.The letter was addressed to "Northumberland Hotel," in a very illegible handwriting, postmarked "Cherine Cross," and sent the previous evening.

"Who knew you were staying at the Northumberland Hotel?" asked Holmes, looking keenly at his visitor.

"It's impossible for anyone to know. We decided after I met Dr. Mortimer."

"But surely Dr. Mortimer must have been there?"

"No, I used to live with a friend," said the doctor, "and we didn't say we were going to this hotel."

"Well, it seems that someone is very concerned about your actions." He took out a half-folded 13 x 17-inch letter paper from the envelope.He opened the letter paper and laid it flat on the table.In the middle there is a sentence pasted up in typeface, which reads:

(End of this chapter)