巴斯克维尔猎犬-第1节

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1　　The　Case　Begins

　　

The　September　sun　was　shining　brightly　into　the　win－dows　of　221B　Baker　Street，and　London　was　enjoying　a　beautiful　late　summer．I　had　finished　my　breakfast　and　was　reading　the　newspaper．As　usual，Holmes　had　got　up　late，and　was　still　eating．We　were　expecting　a　visitor　at　half　past　ten，and　I　wondered　whether　Holmes　would　finish　his　breakfast　be－　fore　our　visitor　arrived．

Holmes　was　in　no　hurry．He　was　reading　once　again　a　letter　he　had　received　three　days　ago．It　was　from　Dr　James　Mortimer，who　asked　for　an　appointment　with　Holmes．

‘Well，Watson，’Holmes　said　to　me，‘I'm　afraid　that　a　doc－　tor　from　Devonshire　won't　bring　us　anything　of　real　interest．His　letter　doesn't　tell　us　anything　about　his　business　though　he　says　it's　very　important．I　hope　we　can　help　him．’

At　exactly　half　past　ten　there　was　a　knock　on　our　front　door．

‘Good，’said　Holmes．‘Dr　Mortimer　is　clearly　a　man　who　will　not　waste　our　time．’

We　stood　up　as　our　visitor　was　brought　into　the　room．

‘Good　morning，gentlemen，’he　said．‘I'm　Dr　James　Mor－　timer，from　Grimpen　in　Devonshire，and　I　think　you　must　be　Mr　Sherlock　Holmes．’He　shook　hands　with　Holmes，who　said：

‘How　do　you　do，Dr　Mortimer？May　I　introduce　my　good　friend，Dr　John　Watson，who　helps　me　with　my　cases．I　hope　you　will　allow　him　to　listen　to　our　conversation．’

‘Of　course，’said　Mortimer，as　he　turned　to　me　and　shook　hands．‘I　need　your　help　very　badly，Mr　Holmes．If　it　will　be　useful　for　Dr　Watson　to　hear　what　I　have　to　say，please　let　him　stay　and　listen．’

Mortimer　did　not　look　like　a　country　doctor．He　was　very　tall　and　thin．He　had　a　long　thin　nose．His　grey　eyes　were　bright，and　he　wore　gold　glasses．His　coat　and　trousers　were　old　and　worn．His　face　was　young，but　his　shoulders　were　bent　like　an　old　man's　and　his　head　was　pushed　forward．He　took　some　pa－　pers　from　his　pocket，and　said：

‘Mr　Holmes，I　need　your　help　and　advice．Something　very　strange　and　frightening　has　been　happening．’

‘Sit　down，Dr　Mortimer，’said　Holmes，‘and　tell　us　your　problem．I'll　help　you　if　I　can．’

　　
2　　The　Baskerville　Papers　

　　

‘These　papers　were　given　to　me　by　Sir　Charles　Baskerville，’said　Dr　Mortimer．‘He　asked　me　to　take　good　care　of　them．You　may　remember　that　Sir　Charles　died　suddenly　three　months　ago．His　death　caused　much　excite－　ment　in　Devonshire，the　county　where　Baskerville　Hall　is．Sir　Charles　was　a　sensible　man，but　he　believed　the　story　which　is　told　in　these　papers．’

Dr　Mortimer　went　on：‘The　story　is　about　the　Baskerville　family．I　have　come　to　see　you　because　I　need　your　help．I　think　that　something　terrible　is　going　to　happen　in　the　next　twenty－　four　hours．But　you　can't　help　me　unless　you　know　the　story　in　these　papers．May　I　read　them　to　you？’

‘Please　continue，Dr　Mortimer，’said　Holmes，and　sat　back　in　his　chair　with　his　eyes　shut．

Mortimer　began　to　read　in　his　high，rather　strange，voice：

I，William　Baskerville，write　this　for　my　sons　in　the　year　1742．My　father　told　me　about　the　Hound　of　the　Baskervilles．He　told　me　when　it　was　first　seen，and　I　be…　lieve　his　story　was　true．I　want　you，my　sons，to　read　this　story　carefully．I　want　you　to　know　that　God　punishes　those　who　do　evil．But　never　forget　that　He　will　forgive　those　who　are　sorry　for　any　evil　they　have　done．

Over　a　hundred　years　ago，in　1640，the　head　of　the　Baskerville　family　was　Sir　Hugo　Baskerville．He　was　a　wild　and　evil　man．He　was　cruel　and　enjoyed　hurting　peo－　ple．Sir　Hugo　fell　in　love　with　the　daughter　of　a　farmer　who　was　a　neighbour　of　his．The　young　woman　was　afraid　of　the　evil　Hugo，and　avoided　him．One　day，Hugo　heard　that　her　father　and　brothers　were　away．He　knew　that　she　would　be　alone．So　he　rode　to　the　farm　with　five　or　six　of　his　evil　friends．They　made　the　girl　go　back　to　Baskerville　Hall　with　them，and　locked　her　in　a　room　upstairs．Then　they　sat　down　in　the　great　dining　hall　to　drink．As　usual，they　drank　bottle　after　bottle　and　soon　they　began　to　sing　and　laugh　and　shout　evil　words．

The　girl　upstairs，who　was　already　very　frightened，felt　desperate　when　she　heard　the　terrible　things　they　were　shouting．So　she　did　a　very　brave　thing．She　opened　the　window，climbed　out　of　the　room　and　down　the　ivy　on　the　wall．Then　she　started　to　run　across　the　moor　towards　her　home．

A　little　while　later，Hugo　left　his　friends　and　went　up…　stairs　to　the　room　to　take　her　some　food　and　drink．When　he　found　an　open　window　and　an　empty　room，he　behaved　like　a　man　who　was　mad．He　ran　down　the　stairs．He　screamed　that　he　would　give　himself　to　the　Devil　if　he　caught　the　girl　before　she　reached　home．Some　of　Hugo's　drunken　friends　told　him　to　let　the　hounds　chase　her，and　so　he　ran　from　the　house　and　unlocked　the　dogs．Then　he　jumped　onto　his　black　horse，and　rode　off　over　the　moor　with　the　hounds　running　and　crying　around　him．

Hugo's　friends　fetched　their　horses　and　followed　him．There　were　thirteen　of　them．After　a　mile　or　two　they　passed　an　old　farmer　and　asked　him　if　he　had　seen　Sir　Hugo　and　the　hounds．The　man　looked　half　mad　with　fear　and　spoke　with　difficulty．He　said　that　he　had　seen　the　girl　and　the　hounds　running　close　behind　her．Sir　Hugo　had　been　riding　just　behind　the　hounds．‘But　I　have　seen　more　than　that，’the　old　man　said．‘Behind　Sir　Hugo　I　saw　a　huge　and　terrible　hound　running　silently．May　God　keep　me　safe　from　that　hound　of　hell．’

The　thirteen　men　laughed　at　the　old　man　and　rode　on．But　their　laughter　soon　stopped　when　they　saw　Sir　Hugo's　horse　running　wildly　towards　them　without　a　rider．

The　thirteen　men　moved　closer　together　as　they　rode　on．They　were　suddenly　afraid．Over　the　moor　they　went　until，at　last，they　caught　up　with　the　hounds．

Everyone　in　the　county　knew　that　the　Baskerville　hounds　were　brave　and　strong．But　now　they　were　stand…　ing　at　the　head　of　a　deep　valley　in　the　moor　with　their　ears　and　tails　down．They　were　very　frightened．Hugo's　friends　stopped．Most　of　them　would　not　go　on，but　three　were　brave　enough　to　go　down　into　the　valley．

The　valley　had　a　wide　flat　floor．In　the　middle　of　the　flat　ground　stood　two　great　stones．They　had　stood　there　for　thousands　of　years．The　moon　was　shining　brightly　on　the　great　stones，and　between　them，on　the　flat　ground，lay　the　girl．She　had　fallen　there，dead　of　fear　and　exhaus…　tion．Sir　Hugo's　body　was　lying　near　her．But　it　was　not　the　sight　of　Sir　Hugo　or　the　girl　that　filled　the　men　with　fear．It　was　the　sight　of　the　huge　animal　that　was　standing　over　Sir　Hugo．Its　teeth　were　at　his　throat．It　was　a　great　black　creature　that　looked　like　a　hound．But　it　was　larger　than　any　hound　they　had　ever　seen．

As　they　watched，it　tore　out　Hugo　Baskerville's　throat．Then　it　turned　towards　them．Its　eyes　were　burning　brightly．Its　body　shone　with　a　strange　light．Blood　ran　from　its　mouth．The　men　screamed　and　kicked　their　horses．They　rode　back　up　the　valley　as　fast　as　they　could　go．Later　that　night　one　died　from　the　horror　he　had　seen．The　other　two　were　mad　for　the　rest　of　their　lives．

That　was　the　first　time　the　Hound　appeared，my　sons．It　has　been　seen　many　times　since　then，and　many　of　the　Baskervilles　have　died　in　strange　and　terrible　ways．Be…　cause　of　this　I　warn　you　not　to　cross　the　moors　at　night．The　Devil　finds　it　easy　to　do　his　work　when　the　world　is　dark．

　　



　
3　　How　Sir　Charles　Died

　　

When　Dr　Mortimer　had　finished　reading　this　strange　story，he　looked　across　at　Sherlock　Holmes．Holmes　looked　bored．

‘Did　you　find　the　story　interesting？’asked　Dr　Mortimer．

‘It　may　interest　a　collector　of　stories　to　frighten　children，’　said　Holmes．

Dr　Mortimer　took　a　newspaper　from　another　pocket．

‘Now，Mr　Holmes，let　me　read　you　something　which　was　written　only　three　months　ago．It　is　from　the　Devonshire　County　Newspaper，and　it　is　about　the　death　of　Sir　Charles　Baskerville．’

Holmes　looked　more　interested．Dr　Mortimer　began　to　read：

The　sudden　death　of　Sir　Charles　Baskerville　has　caused　great　sadness　in　the　county．Although　he　had　lived　at　Baskerville　Hall　for　only　two　years，everyone　liked　him．Sir　Charles　had　lived　abroad　and　made　his　money　there．He　came　back　to　spend　his　fortune　on　repairing　Baskerville　Hall　and　its　farms　and　villages，as　the　buildings　and　lands　were　in　very　poor　condition．He　was　a　friendly　and　generous　man，who　gave　freely　to　the　poor．

The　official　report　of　his　death　does　not　explain　every－　thing　that　happened．However，it　does　show　that　there　was　no　question　of　murder．Sir　Charles　died　from　natural　causes，and　the　strange　stories　people　are　telling　about　his　death　are　not　true．His　friend　and　doctor，Dr　James　Mor－　timer，said　that　Sir　Charles’heart　had　been　weak　for　some　time．

The　facts　are　simple．Every　night　before　going　to　bed，Sir　Charles　went　for　a　walk　in　the　gardens　of　Baskerville　Hall．His　favourite　walk　was　down　a　path　between　two　hedges　of　yew　trees，the　famous　Yew　Alley　of　Baskerville　Hall．On　the　night　of　4th　June　he　went　out　for　his　walk　to　think　and　to　smoke　his　usual　cigar．

Sir　Charles　was　going　to