The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 19 (2/2)

Chapter 10 Extract from the Diary of Dr Watson

So far I have been able to quote fro these early days to Sherlock Holmes Noever, I have arrived at a point in my narrative where I am compelled to abandon this method and to trust once more to my recollections, aided by the diary which I kept at the time A few extracts from the latter will carry me on to those scenes which are indelibly fixed in every detail uponwhich followed our abortive chase of the convict and our other strange experiences upon the y day with a drizzle of rain The house is banked in with rolling clouds, which rise now and then to show the dreary curves of the moor, with thin, silver veins upon the sides of the hills, and the distant boulders gleaht strikes upon their wet faces It is melancholy outside and in The baronet is in a black reaction after the exciteht at er, which is the more terrible because I am unable to define it

And have I not cause for such a feeling? Consider the long sequence of incidents which have all pointed to some sinister influence which is at work around us There is the death of the last occupant of the Hall, fulfilling so exactly the conditions of the faend, and there are the repeated reports froe creature upon the moor Twice I have withof a hound It is incredible, impossible, that it should really be outside the ordinary laws of nature A spectral hound which leavesis surely not to be thought of Stapleton may fall in with such a superstition, and Mortimer also, but if I have one quality upon earth it is co will persuadeTo do so would be to descend to the level of these poor peasants, who are not content with abutfrom his mouth and eyes

Holent But facts are facts, and I have twice heard this crying upon the e hound loose upon it; that would go far to explain everything But where could such a hound lie concealed, where did it get its food, where did it come from, hoas it that no one saw it by day? It must be confessed that the natural explanation offers almost as many difficulties as the other And always, apart froency in London, the ainst the ht have been the work of a protecting friend as easily as of an enemy Where is that friend or enemy now? Has he remained in London, or has he followed us down here? Could he--could he be the stranger whom I saw upon the tor?

It is true that I have had only the one glance at his to which I am ready to swear He is no one whohbours The figure was far taller than that of Stapleton, far thinner than that of Frankland

Barryht possibly have been, but we had left him behind us, and I aer then is still dogging us, just as a stranger dogged us in London We have never shaken him off If I could lay ht find ourselves at the end of all our difficulties To this one purpose I ies

My first impulse was to tell Sir Henry all ame and speak as little as possible to anyone He is silent and distrait His nerves have been strangely shaken by that sound upon theto add to his anxieties, but I will take my own steps to attainafter breakfast Barrymore asked leave to speak with Sir Henry, and they were closeted in his study so in the billiard-room I more than once heard the sound of voices raised, and I had a pretty good idea what the point hich was under discussion After a time the baronet opened his door and called for rievance,” he said ”He thinks that it was unfair on our part to hunt his brother-in-lahen he, of his own free will, had told us the secret”

The butler was standing very pale but very collected before us

”I may have spoken too war your pardon At the saentle and learned that you had been chasing Selden The poor fellow has enough to fight against withoutmore upon his track”

”If you had told us of your own free will it would have been a different thing,” said the baronet, ”you only told us, or rather your wife only told us, when it was forced from you and you could not help yourself”

”I didn't think you would have taken advantage of it, Sir Henry--indeed I didn't”

”The er There are lonely houses scattered over theYou only want to get a glimpse of his face to see that Look at Mr Stapleton's house, for example, with no one but himself to defend it There's no safety for anyone until he is under lock and key”

”He'll break into no house, sir I give you my solemn word upon that

But he will never trouble anyone in this country again I assure you, Sir Henry, that in a very few days the necessary arrangements will have been made and he will be on his way to South A of you not to let the police know that he is still on the iven up the chase there, and he can lie quiet until the shi+p is ready for hito the police”

”What do you say, Watson?”

I shrugged my shoulders ”If he were safely out of the country it would relieve the tax-payer of a burden”

”But how about the chance of his holding so so mad, sir We have provided him with all that he can want To co”

”That is true,” said Sir Henry ”Well, Barrymore--”

”God bless you, sir, and thank you from my heart! It would have killed uess we are aiding and abetting a felony, Watson? But, after e have heard I don't feel as if I could give the ht, Barryratitude the man turned, but he hesitated and then came back

”You've been so kind to us, sir, that I should like to do the best I can for you in return I know so, Sir Henry, and perhaps I should have said it before, but it was long after the inquest that I found it out I've never breathed a word about it yet to mortal man It's about poor Sir Charles's death”

The baronet and I were both upon our feet ”Do you kno he died?”