Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 60 The Legendary Hound (9)
We were afraid that he would run away from the light, so I rushed over, and Henry followed.At this moment, a big rock hit us.As he was about to flee, the moon emerged from the clouds.I saw that he was not too tall, but relatively strong.We rushed over this hill, but the man flew down the side of the hill.

At this point, if I had shot with my revolver, I might have crippled him.But my gun is for self-defense, not for intentional wounding.We were both in good shape, fast runners, and well trained, but after a while, the distance between us and him became very far away.

In the moonlight we see him hopping swiftly among the rocks until he disappears into a tiny black speck.We chased and chased until we were so tired that we couldn't even see him.We ended up sitting on a rock, panting.

Just then an even stranger thing happened. As we stood up to leave, the moon was hanging in the sky, and the lower half of the full moon set off a craggy spire of granite.In front of the bright background, I see the figure of a man.He stood at the top like a statue.Don't think I'm hallucinating.I assure you, Holmes, I did see it.He is a tall and thin man, standing upright on the rock, with his arms crossed on his chest, and his head bowed, as if thinking about something.He may be a ghost.He was not the prisoner I was chasing, he was far away from that prisoner, and his figure was not like the escaped prisoner.

I let out an exclamation, and when I was about to point him out to Henry, the man disappeared.At this time, the granite was still standing there as before, but the man on it was gone.

I want to search there, but it's really too far from here.Moreover, Sir Henry has been in a state of high tension all the time, and he doesn't seem to be in the mood to take any more risks.He didn't see the man on the rock, so he couldn't appreciate my nervousness.He said, "Maybe what you saw just now were prison guards. There have been prison guards here since the criminal escaped." Perhaps he was right.But without confirmation, I will not easily believe his statement.Today we sent a telegram to the police, saying that the fugitive is still lurking here.It is really ashamed to say that we did not seize such a good opportunity.

That's all about last night.You must admit, Holmes, that I have done it quite perfectly.Perhaps many of the things I told you are useless.However, I think it is better for me to tell you everything I know, and the rest is up to you to analyze and weigh.We have also gained a lot.We have found out the motives of Barrymore's actions, at least we don't have to worry about the whereabouts of the housekeeper and his wife.But the mysterious swamp and its strange inhabitants are still puzzling.It would be best if you came yourself, though, and I will write to you again in a few days anyway.

From Baskerville Hall

Important Findings for October 10th
I have been quoting from my letters to Holmes.But here I was obliged to abandon this method of narration, and to rely again on my memory, with the aid of my diary of the time.A few diary entries at random remind me of those exhaustive images that have been etched in my memory.Now, let me start with what happened after chasing the fugitive!
October [-]

Today is a cloudy and rainy day, and all the scenery is surrounded by dense fog, until the sun gradually drives away the fog, and the deserted swamp is gradually exposed.On the hillside there was a rushing stream of water, and the surface of the rock was wet and glistening under the sun.Everything here looks so eerie.

Sir Henry may have been horrified by what had happened last night.I also feel a heavy heart, and always feel that one day the disaster will come, but I can't describe it, so it is more panic.

Was this horror a personal thought of mine?
Calm down and think about this series of things, so that people can't help thinking that this is a criminal conspiracy manipulated by someone.The death of Sir Childs proved the veracity of the legends in that family.The farmers insisted that they had seen the hounds, and I had personally heard the hounds howling in the middle of the night.Is this really a supernatural phenomenon?It is neither believable nor possible.It is really puzzling for a magic dog to leave footprints and howl at the sky.

Stapler may believe this nonsense, and so may Mortimer, but I can't believe the legend.It would be so sad if I believed it too.So what is the difference between me and those ignorant peasants?Even if they describe it as a monster, they still feel unable to express this real feeling from the heart.

Holmes would never believe in such legends and myths, and I, as his agent, certainly would not believe it either.But I did hear the hound barking with my own ears.If there were really big hounds in the swamp, everything would be easy.So where is it hiding?What does it feed on?Where did it come from?Why can it only be seen at night?Whether these are in line with the laws of nature, it is difficult to say clearly now.

Leaving aside the hound, there is no doubt about the man who followed us in London, and the man who warned Sir Henry.Is this person his friend or enemy?Whether friend or foe, where is he now?Is he still following us?Was he the same stranger on the rock that day?I only saw him once, but I can assure you that he is by no means the man I have seen here, because I judge from his figure that he is taller than Staplet and thinner than Frankland. If it is Barrymore, no , We left him at home that day, and he didn't follow us.On this presumption, there must be someone else following us, like the stranger in London who has been following us, and we couldn't get rid of him by all means.If we catch this man, everything will be confirmed.

To achieve this goal, we must act.The first plan is to be discussed between Sir Henry and I.The second method, which I think is the most practical, is that I do it alone.He has been reticent for the past few days, and it seems that the fright he suffered that day has been enough for him.I don't want to frighten him any longer.For these, I had to do it myself.

After dinner this morning, Barrymore asked to speak to Sir Henry alone.They were sitting in Sir Henry's study, and I had been sitting in the billiard-room, and I heard them talking very unhappy, and I knew what they were talking about.

Sir Henry let me in after a while.Barrymore said to us indignantly: "After I told you my secret, you went to arrest my brother-in-law. Do you think it is fair?"

Barrymore faced us, pale but composed.

"My lord," said Barrymore, "I was wrong that day, and I beg your pardon. But today I was very surprised to learn that you had taken my brother-in-law. The poor fellow needs no one to bother him, but he will suffer enough." gone."

Henry went on to Barrymore and said: "Maybe if you told us the truth of the matter earlier, you wouldn't have come to this point. But in the end you and your wife spoke out under forced circumstances."

"Sir Henry, is that your reason?"

Sir Henry said: "Do you know how dangerous it is to others that he is lurking like this. The people here are all exclusive households, just like the Staplet family, and he is a desperado .No one here will feel safe unless your brother-in-law is back in jail."

"My lord, I assure you that he will never harm anyone here. In a few days, I will send him to South America. For the sake of our many years of friendship, I beg you not to report this matter To the police station, the police are no longer here to track down. He will leave in a few days. If you inform me, my wife and I will be in big trouble. My lord, please do me a favor and don't let the police know Bar."

"Watson, what do you think we should do?"

I said: "If he can really leave without doing anything, that would be a good thing, at least it can reduce some burdens for us taxpayers."

"But isn't he going to get revenge before he goes?"

"My lord, he will not do this again. If he commits another crime, he will be taken by the police. I have prepared everything he needs."

Sir Henry said: "There, Barrymore..."

"My lord, you are a very good man, and I am very grateful to you. If he is taken away, my wife will surely die."

"Well, well, Barrymore, you go down first. I have something to say to Watson. Watson, I think we are instigating a great crime? But after hearing what he just said In the future, I don’t think it makes much sense to catch him.”

Barrymore had just started out, when he returned and said: "My lord, thank you very much. I should have told you something long ago, but I only discovered it after the post-mortem. about his death."

All of a sudden we were all focused.

"Do you know how he died?"

"No, my lord, that's not what I mean."

"So, what are you going to say?"

"I know Sir Childs was there that day for a woman to meet."

"To meet a woman! Him?"

"Yes, he is going to see a woman."

"Who is that woman?"

"My lord, I can't remember her name, but I know her name begins with LL."

"How do you know this, Barrymore?"

"Sir Henry, your uncle has always been a well-known man, and a good-natured man who would turn to him for anyone in need. That was the letter he had received that morning from Coombe Tracy. A letter, in a woman's handwriting."

"What happened next?"

"My lord, some weeks ago, when my wife was tidying up Sir Childs' study - and hadn't touched it since his death - she found the ashes of a burnt letter behind the grate. Letter Most of it is charred, only a small strip is intact. The writing is gray on a black background, and the writing is still legible. It looks like a postscript at the end of the letter. It reads: 'You are a If you are an honest gentleman, burn this letter and meet me at the gate at ten o'clock.' The following is signed with the initials LL."

"Is that letter still there?"

"My lord, it's just ashes, it will turn into powder if you move it, how can it be preserved until now?"

"Then has my uncle ever received a letter with the same handwriting?"

"My lord, I don't know that. I usually don't pay much attention to his letters, and he usually has a lot of letters."

"Then do you know who LL is?"

"I don't know, my lord. But I think if you can find out who the lady is, it will all be known."

"Barrymore, why didn't you say something so important?"

"Ah, my lord, we have been busy with that matter all this time. Besides, we feel that this matter is not an honorable one, and we are afraid that it will affect Sir Childs' reputation. In addition, this problem needs to be solved. With an unknown woman in mind, I have to be careful. We can't make it public."

"Do you think it will affect his reputation?"

"Well, yes. Because a woman is involved. But you've been so kind to us, and I feel I'd be sorry if I didn't tell you about it."

Sir Henry said to the butler, "Very well, Barrymore, you are right to do so. It's all right now, you go down first." Then the butler left.

Sir Henry asked me: "What do you think of the matter, Watson?"

I replied, "Another unsolved mystery."

"I think the same as you. If there is a way to track down LL, the whole thing will be clear at a glance. Now we have so many leads, the only thing we have to do is find the woman. Where do you think we should start Woolen cloth?"

"I think we should write to Holmes at once. He may be able to draw some conclusions. Holmes must be interested in the matter, and I think he will come. I must go to my room and write to Holmes as soon as possible."

It can be seen from his reply that he is very busy now.Because his letters are very short and rarely ask for our next steps.All this shows that he put all his energy on that anonymous letter.But now there was a new development in the case, which would surely arouse his interest.If only he were here now.

October [-]

It has been raining outside, hitting the ivy with a "swish" sound, and the rain is getting heavier and heavier.At this time, I remembered the fugitive.Where would he be in such heavy rain?No matter what crime he committed, it was now a punishment for him.The man who followed us and the figure on the ledge reappeared before my eyes. Are they now in the pouring rain?
As the sky darkened, I put on my raincoat and rain boots, and when I came to the swamp, my heart was filled with fear. The rain soaked my hair, and the wind blew up.I pray—for those who fall into the mire, for even the hard high ground is turned into mire.

I looked towards the black rock, on this rock, I once saw that mysterious person.At its peak is a gloomy place where nothing grows.The storm, mixed with heavy rain, washed the rocks.Thick low clouds pressed down on the mountain, and there were also a few strands of gray residual cloud, surrounding the strangely shaped mountain side.Baskerville Hall stands on a high place, surrounded by trees from a distance.Except for those primitive man ruins scattered on the hillside, this is the only place where signs of human survival can be seen.There was nowhere to be seen of the man whom I had seen two nights before in the same spot, only dark crags.

When I went back, Dr. Mortimer caught up with me.He was driving a two-wheeled carriage on a rough path.He took very good care of us and came to visit almost every day, asking if we had any difficulties and needed his help.He insisted that I get in his car, and we went home together.He was very sorry for his little dog now, the little yellow long-eared dog who followed the swamp once and never came back.I've been trying to comfort him, but when I think of the pony struggling in the Grimpen Mire, it feels like there's no hope left.

As we were bouncing and rocking in the car, I asked, "Doctor Mortimer, I suppose you know most of the residents here who can be reached by carriage?"

"Yes, most of them know each other."

"So, is there a woman here whose name begins with the letters LL?"

He frowned and thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "No, except for a few gypsies and hard laborers I don't know much about, there is no such person in the village. Well, wait a minute," he paused , and then added, "There's a woman named Laura Lyons who lives in Combe Tracey."

"She is?"

"She is Frankland's daughter."

"What? Frankland?"

"Yes, she married a sketcher called Lyons. But he was a loose man, and he deserted her. But I don't think any fault can be blamed on one person. They married. Without her parents' consent, her father decided to leave nothing to do with her. Frankland and Laura Lyons have been at loggerheads, so she's had a rough life."

"How does the woman support herself?"

"Probably Frankland will give her more or less? But he will definitely not give her more, because he is a nosy person, and his own affairs are enough for him. No matter how much she has done before No, people can't let her down! That's why everyone is helping her. Staplet, I, and the late Sir Childs helped her."

He asked me why I was asking these questions, but I couldn't satisfy his curiosity and didn't tell him much.Because I can't trust anyone casually.

Tomorrow morning, I'm going to Coombe Tracy.If I could meet this Ms. LL, I would clear up those difficult questions.I think I have finally made great progress now.

When Mortimer pressed me too hard to answer, I asked him what type of skull Frankland had.That's great, Mortimer was very interested, and he talked to me about this theory along the way.I have not spent all these years with Holmes in vain.

After this, there is only one thing to remember.That's what Barrymore told me just now.Afterwards we stayed Mortimer and ate dinner at home.Henry and Mortimer played cards after dinner.

Barrymore came in to bring me tea, and I asked him a few questions in passing.

"Is your brother-in-law gone now?"

"I don't know. I hope he'd better go. Because he might cause some trouble here. I haven't heard about him since I delivered his food three days ago. gone."

"So was the last time you saw him?"

"No, but I found that the food delivered has disappeared."

"That means he hasn't left yet."

"Sir, if the thing is not taken by another person, then he is still there."

I picked up the tea and was about to drink it. Hearing what he said, I hurriedly asked, "Is there anyone else in the swamp?"

"Yes, there is one more person."

"Have you seen this man?"

"No, sir."

"Then how do you know this?"

"It was Serdan who told me, sir. When I brought him the food last week, he said there was another man hiding here too, but I don't think he's a fugitive. It's a very nerve-wracking affair, sir. ’ He said these words with all his heart.

(End of this chapter)