The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 30 (1/2)
”You're aame”
”My word, it does not seem a very cheerful place,” said the detective with a shi+ver, glancing round hi which lay over the Grihts of a house ahead of us”
”That is Merripit House and the end of our journey I must request you to walk on tiptoe and not to talk above a whisper”
Wethe track as if ere bound for the house, but Holmes halted us ere about two hundred yards froht make an admirable screen”
”We are to wait here?”
”Yes, we shall make our little ambush here Get into this hollow, Lestrade You have been inside the house, have you not, Watson? Can you tell the position of the rooms? What are those latticed s at this end?”
”I think they are the kitchen s”
”And the one beyond, which shi+nes so brightly?”
”That is certainly the dining-room”
”The blinds are up You know the lie of the land best Creep forward quietly and see what they are doing--but for heaven's sake don't let them know that they are watched!”
I tiptoed down the path and stooped behind the lohich surrounded the stunted orchard Creeping in its shadow I reached a point whence I could look straight through the uncurtained
There were only two men in the room, Sir Henry and Stapleton They sat with their profiles towards me on either side of the round table Both of thears, and coffee and ere in front of the with animation, but the baronet looked pale and distrait Perhaps the thought of that lonely walk across the ill-o heavily upon his mind
As I watched them Stapleton rose and left the rooain and leaned back in his chair, puffing at his cigar I heard the creak of a door and the crisp sound of boots upon gravel The steps passed along the path on the other side of the wall under which I crouched Looking over, I saw the naturalist pause at the door of an out-house in the corner of the orchard A key turned in a lock, and as he passed in there was a curious scuffling noise from within He was only a minute or so inside, and then I heard the key turn once more and he passed uest, and I crept quietly back to whereto tell them what I had seen
”You say, Watson, that the lady is not there?” Holmes asked when I had finished my report
”No”
”Where can she be, then, since there is no light in any other room except the kitchen?”
”I cannot think where she is”
I have said that over the great Gri slowly in our direction and banked itself up like a wall on that side of us, low but thick and well defined Theice-field, with the heads of the distant tors as rocks borne upon its surface Holmes's face was turned towards it, and he ish drift
”It'stowards us, Watson”
”Is that serious?”
”Very serious, indeed--the one thing upon earth which could have disarranged , now It is already ten o'clock Our success and even his lifeis over the path”
The night was clear and fine above us The stars shone cold and bright, while a half-ht
Before us lay the dark bulk of the house, its serrated roof and bristling chiled sky Broad bars of golden light from the los stretched across the orchard and the moor One of them was suddenly shut off The servants had left the kitchen There only re-roouest, still chatted over their cigars
Every minute that white woolly plain which covered one-half of thecloser and closer to the house Already the first thin wisps of it were curling across the golden square of the lighted