巴斯克维尔猎犬-第10节

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　waiting　on　the　platform．

‘Any　orders，sir？’he　asked　Holmes．

‘You　will　take　the　train　to　London，my　boy．When　you　get　there，you　will　send　a　telegram　to　Sir　Henry　in　my　name．It　will　ask　him　to　send　to　me　at　Baker　Street　the　pocket　book　I　left　at　the　Hall．’

I　began　to　understand　some　of　Holmes’　plan．When　Sir　Hen…　ry　received　the　telegram　sent　by　Holmes’　boy，he　would　think　that　we　had　arrived　in　London．He　would　tell　Stapleton，who　would　then　also　believe　that　we　were　far　away　from　Baskerville　Hall．In　fact，we　would　be　very　close　in　case　Sir　Henry　needed　us．

We　left　the　station　and　went　to　see　Mrs　Laura　Lyons．I　in…　troduced　Holmes　to　her．After　they　had　shaken　hands，he　said：‘Dr　Watson　has　told　me　everything，Mrs　Lyons．We　see　Sir　Charles’death　as　a　case　of　murder．Both　Stapleton　and　his　wife　are　suspects．

Mrs　Lyons　jumped　from　her　chair．‘His　wife！’she　cried．‘　He　has　no　wife．He　is　not　a　married　man．’

‘I　have　come　here　ready　to　prove　that　he　is　married，and　the　woman　calls　herself　his　sister　is　really　his　wife，’said　Holmes．He　took　some　photographs　and　papers　from　his　pocket，and　showed　them　to　Mrs　Lyons．She　looked　at　the　photographs　and　read　the　papers．When　she　put　them　down，I　could　see　that　she　had　accepted　the　truth．

‘I　thought　this　man　loved　me，’　she　said，‘but　he　has　lied　to　me．Ask　me　what　you　like，Mr　Holmes，and　I　will　tell　you　the　truth．I　never　thought　any　harm　would　come　to　Sir　Charles．He　was　a　dear　old　gentleman　who　was　very　kind　to　me．I　would　do　nothing　to　hurt　him．’

‘I　believe　you，Mrs　Lyons，’said　Holmes．‘Now，let　me　tell　you　what　I　think　happened．You　can　tell　me　If　I'm　right　or　if　I'm　wrong．First　of　all，I　think　Stapleton　told　you　to　write　the　letter　to　Sir　Charles　and　to　ask　him　for　help．He　also　told　you　to　ask　Sir　Charles　to　meet　you　at　the　moor　gate．Then，after　you　had　sent　the　letter，Stapleton　persuaded　you　not　to　meet　Sir　Charles　after　all．’

‘Stapleton　told　me　that　he　could　not　allow　any　other　man　to　give　me　the　money　for　my　divorce，’Mrs　Lyons　said．‘He　said　he　was　poor，but　he　would　give　all　his　money　to　bring　us　to…　gether．Then，after　I　heard　about　Sir　Charles’　death，Stapleton　told　me　to　say　nothing　about　my　letter　and　the　meeting．He　said　I　would　be　a　suspect．He　frightened　me　into　staying　silent．’

‘Yes，’said　Holmes．‘But　you　wondered　about　him？’

She　said　nothing　for　a　moment，and　looked　down．‘　Yes，’she　said．‘　But　since　he　has　lied　to　me　about　marrying　me，I　will　no　longer　keep　his　secrets．’

‘You　are　lucky　that　you　have　escaped　him，’Holmes　said．‘You　know　too　much　But　I　hope　you　are　safe　now．Good　morning，Mrs　Lyons，and　thank　you．You　will　hear　from　us　soon．’

‘So　one　by　one　our　questions　are　answered，’said　Holmes　as　we　left　Newtown．‘When　it　is　over，this　will　be　one　of　the　most　famous　cases　of　our　time．And　now　it　has　nearly　ended．We　must　hope　that　it　ends　safely　and　successfully．’

　　



　
16　　The　Hound　of　the　Baskervilles　

　　

That　evening　Holmes　and　I　drove　across　the　moor　until　we　could　see　the　lights　of　the　Stapletons’　house　in　front　of　us．Then　we　got　out　and　began　to　walk　very　quietly　along　the　path　towards　the　house．When　we　were　very　close，Holmes　told　me　to　stop．He　took　his　revolver　from　his　pocket，and　I　did　the　same．

‘We　shall　hide　behind　these　rocks，’　he　whispered．‘　Watson，you　know　the　house，so　I　want　you　to　go　forward　and　look　through　the　windows．I　want　to　know　where　the　Staple－　tons　and　Sir　Henry　are，and　what　they　are　doing．Take　great　care，because　they　must　not　know　that　somebody　is　watching　them．’

Very　carefully　and　quietly　I　moved　towards　the　house．I　looked　first　into　the　dining…room　window．Statleton　and　Sir　Henry　were　sitting　and　smoking　their　cigars，but　there　was　no　sign　of　Miss　Stapleton．I　moved　round　to　the　other　windows，but　I　could　not　see　her　in　any　of　the　rooms．

I　went　back　to　the　dining…room　window，and　as　I　looked　in　again，Stapleton　left　the　room　and　came　out　of　the　house．He　went　to　a　hut　beside　the　house，and　unlocked　the　door．I　heard　a　strange　sound　coming　from　the　hut，but　I　could　not　think　what　was　making　the　noise．Then　Stapleton　locked　the　door，and　went　back　into　the　house　and　into　the　dining…room．

I　went　back　to　Holmes　and　told　him　what　I　had　seen．He　wanted　to　know　where　Miss　Stapleton　was，and　I　had　to　tell　him　twice　that　there　was　no　sign　of　her　in　the　house．

The　moon　was　shining　on　the　Great　Grimpen　Marsh，and　a　fog　was　rising　from　it　Holmes　watched　the　fog　and　began　to　look　worried　The　fog　was　creeping　up　from　the　marsh　towards　the　house．We　were　hidden　near　the　path，which　was　on　the　far　side　of　the　house　from　the　marsh．

‘The　fog　is　moving　towards　us，Watson，and　that　is　very　serious，’said　Holmes．‘It　is　the　one　thing　that　could　make　my　plans　go　wrong．’

As　we　watched，the　fog，which　had　crept　as　far　as　the　house，began　to　flow　round　it．Angrily　Holmes　hit　the　rock　in　front　of　us　with　his　open　hand．

‘If　Sir　Henry　doesn't　come　out　in　the　next　quarter　of　an　hour，the　path　will　be　covered　by　the　fog．In　half　an　hour　we　shall　not　be　able　to　see　our　hands　in　front　of　our　faces．We　must　move　back　to　higher　ground　above　the　fog．’

We　moved　away　from　the　house　and　out　of　the　fog，which　was　creeping　slowly　along　the　ground　and　hiding　the　path　from　our　view．

‘We　must　not　go　too　far，’said　Holmes．‘If　we　do，Sir　Henry　may　be　caught　before　he　reaches　us．’

Holmes　went　down　on　one　knee，and　put　his　ear　to　the　ground．‘Thank　heaven，I　think　I　hear　him　coming．’

Then　we　heard　quick　footsteps　on　the　path．After　a　few　moments，Sir　Henry　appeared　out　of　the　fog　and　walked　on　in　the　clear　moonlight．He　came　quickly　along　the　path，passed　close　to　where　we　were　hidden，and　began　to　walk　up　the　hill　behind　us．As　he　walked，he　looked　over　his　shoulder　again　and　again，like　a　man　who　is　worried　that　something　is　following　him．

‘Listen！’said　Holmes　sharply．‘Look　out！It's　coming！’

I　heard　him　make　his　revolver　ready　to　fire，and　I　did　the　same．

There　was　a　sound　of　quick，light　footsteps　from　inside　the　curtain　of　fog．The　thick　cloud　had　crept　to　within　fifty　metres　of　where　we　were　hidden．We　tried　to　see　into　it，and　wondered　what　horrible　thing　would　appear．I　looked　at　Holmes．His　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　place　where　the　path　disappeared　into　the　fog．He　was　pale，but　his　eyes　were　bright．He　looked　like　a　man　who　was　going　to　win　the　most　important　game　of　his　life．Then　suddenly　his　eyes　nearly　jumped　out　of　his　head，and　his　mouth　opened　in　frightened　surprise．I　looked　away　from　him　to　see　what　his　eyes　were　fixed　on．When　I　saw　the　awful　shape　that　was　coming　towards　us　out　of　the　fog，my　blood　turned　cold．The　revolver　nearly　fell　from　my　hands，and　my　whole　body　froze　with　fear．

I　saw　a　hound，an　enormous　black　hound．It　was　bigger　than　any　dog　I　had　ever　seen．But　it　was　something　else　that　filled　us　with　terror．No　human　eye　had　ever　seen　a　hound　like　this　one．Fire　came　from　its　open　mouth．Its　eyes　were　burning．Flames　covered　its　head　and　body．It　was　a　more　horrible　sight　than　anyone　could　imagine—a　hell…hound　sent　by　the　devil．It　was　not　a　creature　of　the　natural　world．

The　huge，black，burning　hound　ran　quickly　and　silently　after　Sir　Henry．Far　away　along　the　path　we　saw　him　turn　and　look　back　at　the　hound．His　face　was　white　in　the　moonlight　and　his　hands　were　lifted　in　horror．He　watched　helplessly　as　the　terrible　creature　got　closer　to　him．We　were　so　frozen　bythe　ghostly　and　unnatural　sight　that　we　let　the　hound　go　past　us，and　we　could　not　move．Our　friend　was　near　to　death，and　we　were　helpless　with　fear．

　　



　

17　　The　Search　for　the　Murderer

　　

Then　our　fear　for　Sir　Henry　became　greater　than　our　ter…　ror．Holmes　and　I　fired　our　revolvers　together．The　creature　gave　a　loud　cry　of　pain，and　we　knew　we　had　hit　it．But　it　did　not　stop，and　ran　on，after　Sir　Henry．

When　we　heard　the　cry　of　pain，our　fears　disappeared．This　was　no　supernatural　hound．Our　bullets　could　hurt　it，and　we　could　kill　it．We　ran　after　it　as　fast　as　we　could．I　have　never　seen　anyone　run　as　quickly　as　Holmes　ran　that　night，and　I　could　not　keep　up　with　him．In　front　of　us　on　the　path　we　heard　scream　after　scream　from　Sir　Henry，and　the　deep　voice　of　the　hound．I　saw　the　creature　jump　at　Sir　Henry　and　throw　him　to　the　ground．Its　teeth　went　for　his　throat．But　the　next　moment　Holmes　had　emptied　his　revolver　into　the　hound's　body．It　gave　a　last　deep　cry，its　teeth　closed　on　the　empty　air，and　it　fell　to　the　ground．I　put　my　revolver　to　its　head，but　I　did　not　need　to　fire．The　hound　was　dead．

Sir　Henry　lay　unconscious　where　he　had　fallen．Quickly　we　opened　the　neck　of　his　shirt．Holmes　had　fired　just　in　time，and　the　hound's　teeth　had　not　reached　our　friend's　throat．Already　his　eyes　were　beginning　to　open　and　he　looked　up　at　us．

‘My　God，’he　whispered．‘What　was　it？What　in　heaven's　name　was　it？’

‘It's　dead，whatever　it　was，’said　Holmes．‘We've　killed　the　family　ghost　for　ever．’

The　creature　that　lay　before　us　was　as　large　as　a　small　lion．Its　mouth　and　teeth　were　huge．They　shone　with　blue　flames．There　were　rin