The Hound of the Baskervilles Part 30 (2/2)

The farther wall of the orchard was already invisible, and the trees were standing out of a swirl of white vapour As atched it the fog-wreaths ca round both corners of the house and rolled slowly into one dense bank on which the upper floor and the roof floated like a strange shi+p upon a shadowy sea Holmes struck his hand passionately upon the rock in front of us and stamped his feet in his impatience

”If he isn't out in a quarter of an hour the path will be covered In half an hour on't be able to see our hands in front of us”

”Shall we round?”

”Yes, I think it would be as well”

So as the fog-bank flowed one fell back before it until ere half a mile from the house, and still that dense white sea, with the e, swept slowly and inexorably on

”We are going too far,” said Hol overtaken before he can reach us At all costs we round where we are” He dropped on his knees and clapped his ear to the ground ”Thank God, I think that I hear hi”

A sound of quick steps broke the silence of thethe stones we stared intently at the silver-tipped bank in front of us

The steps grew louder, and through the fog, as through a curtain, there stepped theHe looked round hiht Then he ca the path, passed close to where we lay, and went on up the long slope behind us As he walked he glanced continually over either shoulder, like a man who is ill at ease

”Hist!” cried Hol pistol

”Look out! It's co!”

There was a thin, crisp, continuous patter fro bank The cloud ithin fifty yards of where we lay, and we glared at it, all three, uncertain what horror was about to break frolanced for an instant at his face It was pale and exultant, his eyes shi+ning brightly in the id, fixed stare, and his lips parted in aave a yell of terror and threw hi tomy pistol,out upon us fro A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen Fire burst frolare, itsflame Never in the delirious dreae, , e face which broke upon us out of the wall of fog

With long bounds the huge black creature was leaping down the track, following hard upon the footsteps of our friend So paralyzed e by the apparition that we allowed him to pass before we had recovered our nerve Then Holave a hideous hohich showed that one at least had hit him He did not pause, however, but bounded onward Far away on the pathSir Henry looking back, his face white in thehelplessly at the frightful thing which was hunting him down But that cry of pain from the hound had blown all our fears to the winds If he was vulnerable he was mortal, and if we could wound him we could kill hiht I am reckoned fleet of foot, but he outpaced me as much as I outpaced the little professional In front of us as we flew up the track we heard scream after scream from Sir Henry and the deep roar of the hound I was in tiround, and worry at his throat But the next instant Holmes had emptied five barrels of his revolver into the creature's flank With a last howl of agony and a vicious snap in the air, it rolled upon its back, four feet pawing furiously, and then fell li, and pressedhead, but it was useless to press the trigger The giant hound was dead

Sir Henry lay insensible where he had fallen We tore away his collar, and Holratitudethat there was no sign of a wound and that the rescue had been in time Already our friend's eyelids shi+vered and he made a feeble effort to move Lestrade thrust his brandy-flask between the baronet's teeth, and two frightened eyes were looking up at us

”My God!” he whispered ”What was it? What, in heaven's name, was it?”

”It's dead, whatever it is,” said Holhost once and forever”

In th it was a terrible creature which was lying stretched before us It was not a pure bloodhound and it was not a pure aunt, savage, and as large as a se jaws see with a bluish flaed with fire I placedleamed in the darkness

”Phosphorus,” I said

”A cunning preparation of it,” said Hol at the dead aniht have interfered with his power of scent

We owe you a deep apology, Sir Henry, for having exposed you to this fright I was prepared for a hound, but not for such a creature as this

And the fog gave us little time to receive hiered it Are you strong enough to stand?”

”Give me anotherSo! Now, if you will help me up What do you propose to do?”

”To leave you here You are not fit for further adventures tonight If you ait, one or other of us will go back with you to the Hall”

He tried to stagger to his feet; but he was still ghastly pale and tre in every li with his face buried in his hands