The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 25 (1/2)
The shape of soh the darkness which had girt
”But are you sure of this, Holmes? How do you know that the woot hiraphy upon the occasion when he first retted it since He was once a schoolland Now, there is no one more easy to trace than a schoolencies by which one may identify any ation showed rief under atrocious circumstances, and that the man who had owned it--the name was different--had disappeared with his wife The descriptions agreed When I learned that the y the identification was co, but much was still hidden by the shadows
”If this woman is in truth his wife, where does Mrs Laura Lyons come in?” I asked
”That is one of the points upon which your own researches have shed a light Your intervieith the lady has cleared the situation very much I did not know about a projected divorce between herself and her husband In that case, regarding Stapleton as an un his wife”
”And when she is undeceived?”
”Why, then we may find the lady of service It must be our first duty to see her--both of us--tomorrow Don't you think, Watson, that you are away fro? Your place should be at Baskerville Hall”
The last red streaks had faded away in the west and night had settled upon thein a violet sky
”One last question, Holmes,” I said as I rose ”Surely there is no need of secrecy between you andof it all? What is he after?”
Holmes's voice sank as he answered:
”It is murder, Watson--refined, cold-blooded, deliberateupon him, even as his are upon Sir Henry, and with your help he is already aler which can threaten us It is that he should strike before we are ready to do so Another day--two at the uard your charge as closely as ever a fondchild Your mission today has justified itself, and yet I could almost wish that you had not left his side Hark!”
A terrible screauish--burst out of the silence of the htful cry turned the blood to ice in asped ”What is it? What does itto his feet, and I saw his dark, athletic outline at the door of the hut, his shoulders stooping, his head thrust forward, his face peering into the darkness
”Hush!+” he whispered ”Hush!+”
The cry had been loud on account of its vehemence, but it had pealed out from somewhere far off on the shadowy plain Now it burst upon our ears, nearer, louder, ent than before
”Where is it?” Holmes whispered; and I knew from the thrill of his voice that he, the man of iron, was shaken to the soul ”Where is it, Watson?”
”There, I think” I pointed into the darkness
”No, there!”
Again the agonized cry swept through the silent night, louder and led with it, a deep,like the low, constant murmur of the sea
”The hound!” cried Holmes ”Come, Watson, come! Great heavens, if we are too late!”
He had started running swiftly over the moor, and I had followed at his heels But now froround i yell, and then a dull, heavy thud We halted and listened Not another sound broke the heavy silence of the windless night
I saw Holmes put his hand to his forehead like a round
”He has beaten us, Watson We are too late”