The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 25 (2/2)
”No, no, surely not!”
”Fool that I was to holdyour charge! But, by Heaven, if the worst has happened we'll avenge hiainst boulders, forcing our way through gorse bushes, panting up hills and rushi+ng down slopes, heading always in the direction whence those dreadful sounds had coerly round hi ?”
”Nothing”
”But, hark, what is that?”
A low ain upon our left!
On that side a ridge of rocks ended in a sheer cliff which overlooked a stone-strewn slope On its jagged face was spread-eagled soue outline hardened into a definite shape It was a prostrate round, the head doubled under hile, the shoulders rounded and the body hunched together as if in the act of throwing a sorotesque was the attitude that I could not for the instant realize that thatof his soul Not a whisper, not a rustle, rose now froure over which we stooped Holain with an exclaleaers and upon the ghastly pool which widened slowly fro else which turned our hearts sick and faint within us--the body of Sir Henry Baskerville!
There was no chance of either of us forgetting that peculiar ruddy tweed suit--the very one which he had worn on the first ht the one clear glimpse of it, and then the one out of our souls Holh the darkness
”The brute! The brute!” I cried with clenched hands ”Oh Hol left him to his fate”
”I am more to blame than you, Watson In order to have my case well rounded and coreatest blohich has befallen me in my career But how could I kno could I know--that he would risk his life alone upon the s?”
”That we should have heard his screams--my God, those screams!--and yet have been unable to save him! Where is this brute of a hound which drove hi these rocks at this instant
And Stapleton, where is he? He shall answer for this deed”
”He shall I will see to that Uncle and nephew have been ht of a beast which he thought to be supernatural, the other driven to his end in his wild flight to escape from it But noe have to prove the connection between the man and the beast Save from e heard, we cannot even swear to the existence of the latter, since Sir Henry has evidently died fro as he is, the fellow shall be in my power before another day is past!”
We stood with bitter hearts on either side of the led body, overwhelht all our long and weary labours to so piteous an end Then as the moon rose we climbed to the top of the rocks over which our poor friend had fallen, and froazed out over the shadowy loole steady yellow light was shi+ning It could only come from the lonely abode of the Stapletons With a bitter curse I shook azed
”Why should we not seize him at once?”
”Our case is not coree It is not e know, but e can prove If we make one false move the villain may escape us yet”
”What can we do?”
”There will be plenty for us to do toht we can only perforether we made our way down the precipitous slope and approached the body, black and clear against the silvered stones The agony of those contorted limbs struck me with a spasm of pain and blurred my eyes with tears
”We must send for help, Holmes! We cannot carry him all the way to the Hall Good heavens, are you mad?”
He had uttered a cry and bent over the body Noas dancing and laughing and wringing my hand Could this be my stern, self-contained friend? These were hidden fires, indeed!
”A beard! A beard! The man has a beard!”
”A beard?”