Chapter 4
The Problem
Holmes was very excited. "You saw that?"
"Yes, very clearly."
"Why did no one else see them?"
"The tracks were about 20 yards from the body."
"Are there many sheepdogs on the moor?"
"Yes, but this was no sheepdog."
"You say it was large?"
"Huge."
"But it hadn't come near the body?"
"No."
"What sort of night was it?"
"A cold, damp night, but not actually raining."
"Tell me about the alley?"
"There are two lines of hedge, twelve feet high and very thick. There's a wide path between them with grass on either side."
"And there is a gate in the hedge?"
"Yes, the gate to the moor. The gate was closed and locked."
"How high is the gate?"
"about four feet high."
"Then anyone could have climbed over it?"
"Yes."
"Did you see any marks by the gate?"
"Nothing special. Sir Charles Had stood there for five or ten minutes."
"How do you know?"
"Because the ash from his cigar had dropped to the ground twice."
"Excellent!"
"But no other footprints were near the gate?"
"I could see no others."
"And to reach the Yew Alley you have to go from the house or through the gate?"
"There is an exit at the other end too, but Sir Charles never got there."
"A most interesting case," said Holmes. "I wish i had been there.why didn't you call me before, Dr Mortimer?"
"The original hound was able to jump at a man's throat, yet he was devilish too."
"But if you think it was supernatural, why did you ask for my help?"
"I need your advice. Sir Henry Baskerville, Sir Charles's nephew, has come from Canada. In an hour he'll be at waterloo station. He inherits Baskerville Hall."
"There's no other relative, I suppose?"
"No. Sir Charles's youngest brother, Rodger , was the black sheep of the family. He was a wild man who looked like the old Hugo of the legend. He ran off to central America where he died in 1876. Henry is the last Baskerville. What do you suggest I do?"
"Go to waterloo to meet Sir Henry, but don't tell him anything until i've had time to think. Come back to me at ten o'clock tomorrow morning with Sir Henry."
"Thanks,Sir. Good morning."
Sherlock Holmes looked happy with the task he now had. I left for my club and saw him again that evening. The room was so filled with pipe smoke that I hardly saw Holmes in the armchair wearing his robe. He had a large map of Devonshire.
"This is the district of Dartmoor that concerns us. That's Baskerville Hall in the middle. The Yew Alley must run here along the moor. These buildings are the village of Grimpen, where Dr. Mortimer works. There aren't many buildings on the moor. Here's Lafter Hall.This building must be the house of Stapleton, the nature expert. Here are two farmhouses. Fourteen miles away is the prison of Princetown.
"What an empty, wild place!"
"Yes, a place for tragedy...First, we have to decide if a crime took place or not. second, what was the crime and how was it carried out? If we believe Dr. Mortimer - that it was supernatural - then nothing can be done. But our job is to find answers."
"I thought a lot about the case today. It's very strange."
"What about the change in the footprints? What do you make of that?"
"They say that Sir Charles had walked on tiptoe down the alley."
"But why? I think he was running for his life till his heart burst and he fell dead upon his face."
"Running from what?"
"That's the problem. It seems the man was crazy with fear before he began to run."
"Why was that?"
"I think something came at him across the moor. His fear made him run away from the house instead of towards it. But who was he waiting for that night? Why was he waiting outside and not inside his house?"
"You think he was waiting for someone?"
"Sir Charles was old and sick. We can understand that he took an evening walk, but it was cold and damp. Was it natural to stand for five or ten minutes by the gate? Remember that this was the night before he was going to London. Things are getting clearer, Watson. Give me my violin and let's relax until we meet Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry in the morning."
The Problem
Holmes was very excited. "You saw that?"
"Yes, very clearly."
"Why did no one else see them?""The tracks were about 20 yards from the body."
"Are there many sheepdogs on the moor?"
"Yes, but this was no sheepdog."
"You say it was large?"
"Huge."
"But it hadn't come near the body?"
"No."
"What sort of night was it?"
"A cold, damp night, but not actually raining."
"Tell me about the alley?"
"There are two lines of hedge, twelve feet high and very thick. There's a wide path between them with grass on either side."
"And there is a gate in the hedge?"
"Yes, the gate to the moor. The gate was closed and locked."
"How high is the gate?"
"about four feet high."
"Then anyone could have climbed over it?"
"Yes."
"Did you see any marks by the gate?"
"Nothing special. Sir Charles Had stood there for five or ten minutes."
"How do you know?"
"Because the ash from his cigar had dropped to the ground twice."
"Excellent!"
"But no other footprints were near the gate?"
"I could see no others."
"And to reach the Yew Alley you have to go from the house or through the gate?"
"There is an exit at the other end too, but Sir Charles never got there."
"A most interesting case," said Holmes. "I wish i had been there.why didn't you call me before, Dr Mortimer?"
"The original hound was able to jump at a man's throat, yet he was devilish too."
"But if you think it was supernatural, why did you ask for my help?"
"I need your advice. Sir Henry Baskerville, Sir Charles's nephew, has come from Canada. In an hour he'll be at waterloo station. He inherits Baskerville Hall."
"There's no other relative, I suppose?"
"No. Sir Charles's youngest brother, Rodger , was the black sheep of the family. He was a wild man who looked like the old Hugo of the legend. He ran off to central America where he died in 1876. Henry is the last Baskerville. What do you suggest I do?"
"Go to waterloo to meet Sir Henry, but don't tell him anything until i've had time to think. Come back to me at ten o'clock tomorrow morning with Sir Henry."
"Thanks,Sir. Good morning."
Sherlock Holmes looked happy with the task he now had. I left for my club and saw him again that evening. The room was so filled with pipe smoke that I hardly saw Holmes in the armchair wearing his robe. He had a large map of Devonshire.
"This is the district of Dartmoor that concerns us. That's Baskerville Hall in the middle. The Yew Alley must run here along the moor. These buildings are the village of Grimpen, where Dr. Mortimer works. There aren't many buildings on the moor. Here's Lafter Hall.This building must be the house of Stapleton, the nature expert. Here are two farmhouses. Fourteen miles away is the prison of Princetown.
"What an empty, wild place!"
"Yes, a place for tragedy...First, we have to decide if a crime took place or not. second, what was the crime and how was it carried out? If we believe Dr. Mortimer - that it was supernatural - then nothing can be done. But our job is to find answers."
"I thought a lot about the case today. It's very strange."
"What about the change in the footprints? What do you make of that?"
"They say that Sir Charles had walked on tiptoe down the alley."
"But why? I think he was running for his life till his heart burst and he fell dead upon his face."
"Running from what?"
"That's the problem. It seems the man was crazy with fear before he began to run."
"Why was that?"
"I think something came at him across the moor. His fear made him run away from the house instead of towards it. But who was he waiting for that night? Why was he waiting outside and not inside his house?"
"You think he was waiting for someone?"
"Sir Charles was old and sick. We can understand that he took an evening walk, but it was cold and damp. Was it natural to stand for five or ten minutes by the gate? Remember that this was the night before he was going to London. Things are getting clearer, Watson. Give me my violin and let's relax until we meet Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henry in the morning."
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