Chapter 5
Sir Henry Baskerville
Dr. Mortimer came in with Sir Henry exactly at ten o'clock the next morning.
Sir henry was a small, dark-eyed man about thirty years old with a strong face and thick, black eyebrows.
"This is Sir Henry Baskerville," said Dr. Mortimer.
"I have something strange to show you, Mr. Holmes," Sir Henry said.
"Please sit down, gentlemen. Did something surprising happen after you got to London?"
"It's probably just a joke, Mr. Holmes. It's a letter that came this morning."
He put down an envelope on the table. The address. "Sir Henry Baskerville, Northumberland Hotel," was written in printed letters. The envelope was sent from charing Cross the night before.
"Who knew that you were going to the Northumberland Hotel?" asked Holmes.
"No one. We only decided after I met Dr. Mortimer."
"But Dr. Mortimer was already staying there?"
"No, I was at a friend's house," said the doctor. " No one knew about hotel."
"Then someone followed you. for sure."
Holmes took a half sheet of paper from the envelope. There was only one sentence on it. made from words cut from a newspaper. It said: "If you value your life keep away from the moor." only the word "moor" had been written by hand.
"Now," said sir Henry, "please tell me, Mr. Holmes, what on earth this means, and who sent it?"
"Well, Dr. Mortimer, you must agree there's nothing supernatural about this."
"No, Sir, but it may have come from someone who believes in the supernatural."
"Supernatural?" asked Sir Henry sharply. "What are you gentlemen talking about?"
"We'll soon explain, I promise you, Sir Henry, " Said Sherlock Holmes. "So this very interesting letter was put together and sent last night. Do you have yesterday's Times, Watson? can you give me the editorial page."
Holmes soon smiled with satisfaction. "Such a good article on free trade. Let me read some of it: "If you think your own special trade or industry will do better if imports are taxed, you are mistaken. such laws keep away wealth from our country, lower the value of our currency and worsen the general conditions of life here."
"I don't understand ," Sir Henry said. "what does free trade have to do with the letter?"
"Quite a lot," said Holmes. "The letter comes from the newspaper article.
All the cut out words in the letter are taken from it - 'you," 'your,''life,''value,''life,''value,''keep away,''from the.'"
"you're right," cried Sir Henry.
"That's really smart!"
"How did you know where to look?" asked Dr. Mortimer.
"It's my special hobby. I study the fonts of different newspaper. The Times editorial has special lettering. probably the person who sent the letter had used yesterday's Times."
"But why was the word 'moor' written by hand?" asked Sir henry.
"Because it wasn't in the newspaper. The other words were all simple but 'moor' is less common."
"Yes, that would explain it. Did you notice anything else in this message, Mr. Holmes?"
"The writer didn't want to leave clues. He printed the address but the Times is only read by educated people. He didn't write the letter in his own handwriting, because he didn't want anyone to recognize it. Also the words were glued on in a hurry, as if the writer were afraid of being interrupted. And know, sir Henry, what else has happened in London? Has anyone been following you or watching you?"
"Why should anyone do that?" asked Sir Henry.
"We'll explain. You have nothing else to report to us? Nothing unusual? Sir Henry smiled. "I don't know much of British life yet, as I've lived mostly in north america. But I howe that losing one of your one of your boots is not part of the ordinary routine here."
"You lost a boot?"
"Yes, I don't know where it is. I put both boots outside my door last night, and there was only one in the morning.
I asked where the other one was, but could get no answer. They were new boots and I hadn't even worn them yet."
"No one would steal one boot," said Sherlock Holmes. "I'm sure you'll find the missing boot soon."
"And now," said Sir Henry, "It's time you gentlemen keep your promise and explain all that you know."
Dr. Mortimer took out his papers and told his story again. Sir Henry listened carefully and seemed surprised.
"Of course I've heard of the hound since I was little, but I never took it seriously before. As for my uncle's death, you don't seem sure yet if it's a case. for the police or not. And now there's this letter I got at the hotel."
"Exactly. But we have to decide now, Sir Henry, if you should go to Baskerville Hall or not."
"Why shouldn't I go?"
"There seems to be danger."
"Danger from this hound or from human beings?"
"Well, that's what we have to find out."
"In any case, I've made up mt mind. No devil in hell and no man on earth can stop me going to the gome of mt own family, and that's my final answer."
Sir Henry's dark brows frowned and his face reddened as he spoke, as if the hot temper of the Baskervilles lived on. "Meanwhile," he said, "I need to think over all you've told me. It's eleven-thirty now, Mr. Holmes, and I'm going back to my hotel. can you and Dr. Watson come and lunch with us at two? We'll talk some more then."
Sir Henry Baskerville
Dr. Mortimer came in with Sir Henry exactly at ten o'clock the next morning.
Sir henry was a small, dark-eyed man about thirty years old with a strong face and thick, black eyebrows.
"This is Sir Henry Baskerville," said Dr. Mortimer.
"I have something strange to show you, Mr. Holmes," Sir Henry said.
"Please sit down, gentlemen. Did something surprising happen after you got to London?"
"It's probably just a joke, Mr. Holmes. It's a letter that came this morning."
He put down an envelope on the table. The address. "Sir Henry Baskerville, Northumberland Hotel," was written in printed letters. The envelope was sent from charing Cross the night before.
"Who knew that you were going to the Northumberland Hotel?" asked Holmes.
"No one. We only decided after I met Dr. Mortimer.""But Dr. Mortimer was already staying there?"
"No, I was at a friend's house," said the doctor. " No one knew about hotel."
"Then someone followed you. for sure."
Holmes took a half sheet of paper from the envelope. There was only one sentence on it. made from words cut from a newspaper. It said: "If you value your life keep away from the moor." only the word "moor" had been written by hand.
"Now," said sir Henry, "please tell me, Mr. Holmes, what on earth this means, and who sent it?"
"Well, Dr. Mortimer, you must agree there's nothing supernatural about this."
"No, Sir, but it may have come from someone who believes in the supernatural."
"Supernatural?" asked Sir Henry sharply. "What are you gentlemen talking about?"
"We'll soon explain, I promise you, Sir Henry, " Said Sherlock Holmes. "So this very interesting letter was put together and sent last night. Do you have yesterday's Times, Watson? can you give me the editorial page."
Holmes soon smiled with satisfaction. "Such a good article on free trade. Let me read some of it: "If you think your own special trade or industry will do better if imports are taxed, you are mistaken. such laws keep away wealth from our country, lower the value of our currency and worsen the general conditions of life here."
"I don't understand ," Sir Henry said. "what does free trade have to do with the letter?"
"Quite a lot," said Holmes. "The letter comes from the newspaper article.
All the cut out words in the letter are taken from it - 'you," 'your,''life,''value,''life,''value,''keep away,''from the.'"
"you're right," cried Sir Henry.
"That's really smart!"
"How did you know where to look?" asked Dr. Mortimer.
"It's my special hobby. I study the fonts of different newspaper. The Times editorial has special lettering. probably the person who sent the letter had used yesterday's Times."
"But why was the word 'moor' written by hand?" asked Sir henry.
"Because it wasn't in the newspaper. The other words were all simple but 'moor' is less common."
"Yes, that would explain it. Did you notice anything else in this message, Mr. Holmes?"
"The writer didn't want to leave clues. He printed the address but the Times is only read by educated people. He didn't write the letter in his own handwriting, because he didn't want anyone to recognize it. Also the words were glued on in a hurry, as if the writer were afraid of being interrupted. And know, sir Henry, what else has happened in London? Has anyone been following you or watching you?"
"Why should anyone do that?" asked Sir Henry.
"We'll explain. You have nothing else to report to us? Nothing unusual? Sir Henry smiled. "I don't know much of British life yet, as I've lived mostly in north america. But I howe that losing one of your one of your boots is not part of the ordinary routine here."
"You lost a boot?"
"Yes, I don't know where it is. I put both boots outside my door last night, and there was only one in the morning.
I asked where the other one was, but could get no answer. They were new boots and I hadn't even worn them yet."
"No one would steal one boot," said Sherlock Holmes. "I'm sure you'll find the missing boot soon."
"And now," said Sir Henry, "It's time you gentlemen keep your promise and explain all that you know."
Dr. Mortimer took out his papers and told his story again. Sir Henry listened carefully and seemed surprised.
"Of course I've heard of the hound since I was little, but I never took it seriously before. As for my uncle's death, you don't seem sure yet if it's a case. for the police or not. And now there's this letter I got at the hotel."
"Exactly. But we have to decide now, Sir Henry, if you should go to Baskerville Hall or not."
"Why shouldn't I go?"
"There seems to be danger."
"Danger from this hound or from human beings?"
"Well, that's what we have to find out."
"In any case, I've made up mt mind. No devil in hell and no man on earth can stop me going to the gome of mt own family, and that's my final answer."
Sir Henry's dark brows frowned and his face reddened as he spoke, as if the hot temper of the Baskervilles lived on. "Meanwhile," he said, "I need to think over all you've told me. It's eleven-thirty now, Mr. Holmes, and I'm going back to my hotel. can you and Dr. Watson come and lunch with us at two? We'll talk some more then."
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