The Hound of the Baskervilles Page 4

  Chapter 4

  Sir Henry Baskerville

  Our breakfast-table was cleared early, and Holmes waited in hisdressing-gown for the promised interview. Our clients werepunctual to their appointment, for the clock had just struck tenwhen Dr. Mortimer was shown up, followed by the young baronet.The latter was a small, alert, dark-eyed man about thirty yearsof age, very sturdily built, with thick black eyebrows and astrong, pugnacious face. He wore a ruddy-tinted tweed suit andhad the weather-beaten appearance of one who has spent most ofhis time in the open air, and yet there was something in hissteady eye and the quiet assurance of his bearing which indicatedthe gentleman.

  "This is Sir Henry Baskerville," said Dr. Mortimer.

  "Why, yes," said he, "and the strange thing is, Mr. SherlockHolmes, that if my friend here had not proposed coming round toyou this morning I should have come on my own account. Iunderstand that you think out little puzzles, and I've had onethis morning which wants more thinking out than I am able to giveit."

  "Pray take a seat, Sir Henry. Do I understand you to say that youhave yourself had some remarkable experience since you arrived inLondon?"

  "Nothing of much importance, Mr. Holmes. Only a joke, as like asnot. It was this letter, if you can call it a letter, whichreached me this morning."

  He laid an envelope upon the table, and we all bent over it. Itwas of common quality, grayish in colour. The address, "Sir HenryBaskerville, Northumberland Hotel," was printed in roughcharacters; the postmark "Charing Cross," and the date of postingthe preceding evening.

  "Who knew that you were going to the Northumberland Hotel?" askedHolmes, glancing keenly across at our visitor.

  "No one could have known. We only decided after I met Dr.Mortimer."

  "But Dr. Mortimer was no doubt already stopping there?"

  "No, I had been staying with a friend," said the doctor. "Therewas no possible indication that we intended to go to this hotel."

  "Hum! Someone seems to be very deeply interested in yourmovements." Out of the envelope he took a half-sheet of foolscappaper folded into four. This he opened and spread flat upon thetable. Across the middle of it a single sentence had been formedby the expedient of pasting printed words upon it. It ran: "Asyou value your life or your reason keep away from the moor." Theword "moor" only was printed in ink.

  "Now," said Sir Henry Baskerville, "perhaps you will tell me, Mr.Holmes, what in thunder is the meaning of that, and who it isthat takes so much interest in my affairs?"

  "What do you make of it, Dr. Mortimer? You must allow that thereis nothing supernatural about this, at any rate?"

  "No, sir, but it might very well come from someone who wasconvinced that the business is supernatural."

  "What business?" asked Sir Henry sharply. "It seems to me thatall you gentlemen know a great deal more than I do about my ownaffairs."

  "You shall share our knowledge before you leave this room, SirHenry. I promise you that," said Sherlock Holmes. "We willconfine ourselves for the present with your permission to thisvery interesting document, which must have been put together andposted yesterday evening. Have you yesterday's Times, Watson?"

  "It is here in the corner."

  "Might I trouble you for it--the inside page, please, with theleading articles?" He glanced swiftly over it, running his eyesup and down the columns. "Capital article this on free trade.Permit me to give you an extract from it. 'You may be cajoledinto imagining that your own special trade or your own industrywill be encouraged by a protective tariff, but it stands toreason that such legislation must in the long run keep awaywealth from the country, diminish the value of our imports, andlower the general conditions of life in this island.' What do youthink of that, Watson?" cried Holmes in high glee, rubbing hishands together with satisfaction. "Don't you think that is anadmirable sentiment?"

  Dr. Mortimer looked at Holmes with an air of professionalinterest, and Sir Henry Baskerville turned a pair of puzzled darkeyes upon me.

  "I don't know much about the tariff and things of that kind,"said he; "but it seems to me we've got a bit off the trail so faras that note is concerned."

  "On the contrary, I think we are particularly hot upon the trail,Sir Henry. Watson here knows more about my methods than you do,but I fear that even he has not quite grasped the significance ofthis sentence."

  "No, I confess that I see no connection."

  "And yet, my dear Watson, there is so very close a connectionthat the one is extracted out of the other. 'You,' 'your,''your,' 'life,' 'reason,' 'value,' 'keep away,' 'from the.' Don'tyou see now whence these words have been taken?"

  "By thunder, you're right! Well, if that isn't smart!" cried SirHenry.

  "If any possible doubt remained it is settled by the fact that'keep away' and 'from the' are cut out in one piece."

  "Well, now--so it is!"

  "Really, Mr. Holmes, this exceeds anything which I could haveimagined," said Dr. Mortimer, gazing at my friend in amazement."I could understand anyone saying that the words were from anewspaper; but that you should name which, and add that it camefrom the leading article, is really one of the most remarkablethings which I have ever known. How did you do it?"

  "I presume, Doctor, that you could tell the skull of a negro fromthat of an Esquimau?"

  "Most certainly."

  "But how?"

  "Because that is my special hobby. The differences are obvious.The supra-orbital crest, the facial angle, the maxillary curve,the --"

  "But this is my special hobby, and the differences are equallyobvious. There is as much difference to my eyes between theleaded bourgeois type of a Times article and the slovenly printof an evening half-penny paper as there could be between yournegro and your Esquimau. The detection of types is one of themost elementary branches of knowledge to the special expert incrime, though I confess that once when I was very young Iconfused the Leeds Mercury with the Western Morning News. But aTimes leader is entirely distinctive, and these words could havebeen taken from nothing else. As it was done yesterday the strongprobability was that we should find the words in yesterday'sissue."

  "So far as I can follow you, then, Mr. Holmes," said Sir HenryBaskerville, "someone cut out this message with a scissors--"

  "Nail-scissors," said Holmes. "You can see that it was a veryshort-bladed scissors, since the cutter had to take two snipsover 'keep away.'"

  "That is so. Someone, then, cut out the message with a pair ofshort-bladed scissors, pasted it with paste--"

  "Gum," said Holmes.

  "With gum on to the paper. But I want to know why the word 'moor'should have been written?"

  "Because he could not find it in print. The other words were allsimple and might be found in any issue, but 'moor' would be lesscommon."

  "Why, of course, that would explain it. Have you read anythingelse in this message, Mr. Holmes?"

  "There are one or two indications, and yet the utmost pains havebeen taken to remove all clues. The address, you observe isprinted in rough characters. But the Times is a paper which isseldom found in any hands but those of the highly educated. Wemay take it, therefore, that the letter was composed by aneducated man who wished to pose as an uneducated one, and hiseffort to conceal his own writing suggests that that writingmight be known, or come to be known, by you. Again, you willobserve that the words are not gummed on in an accurate line, butthat some are much higher than others. 'Life,' for example isquite out of its proper place. That may point to carelessness orit may point to agitation and hurry upon the part of the cutter.On the whole I incline to the latter view, since the matter wasevidently important, and it is unlikely that the composer of sucha letter would be careless. If he were in a hurry it opens up theinteresting question why he should be in a hurry, since anyletter posted up to early morning would reach Sir Henry before hewould leave his hotel. Did the composer fear an interruption--andfrom whom?"

  "We are coming now rather into the region of guesswork," said Dr.Mortimer.

  "Say, rather, into the region
where we balance probabilities andchoose the most likely. It is the scientific use of theimagination, but we have always some material basis on which tostart our speculation. Now, you would call it a guess, no doubt,but I am almost certain that this address has been written in ahotel."

  "How in the world can you say that?"

  "If you examine it carefully you will see that both the pen andthe ink have given the writer trouble. The pen has splutteredtwice in a single word, and has run dry three times in a shortaddress, showing that there was very little ink in the bottle.Now, a private pen or ink-bottle is seldom allowed to be in sucha state, and the combination of the two must be quite rare. Butyou know the hotel ink and the hotel pen, where it is rare to getanything else. Yes, I have very little hesitation in saying thatcould we examine the waste-paper baskets of the hotels aroundCharing Cross until we found the remains of the mutilated Timesleader we could lay our hands straight upon the person who sentthis singular message. Halloa! Halloa! What's this?"

  He was carefully examining the foolscap, upon which the wordswere pasted, holding it only an inch or two from his eyes.

  "Well?"

  "Nothing," said he, throwing it down. "It is a blank half-sheetof paper, without even a water-mark upon it. I think we havedrawn as much as we can from this curious letter; and now, SirHenry, has anything else of interest happened to you since youhave been in London?"

  "Why, no, Mr. Holmes. I think not."

  "You have not observed anyone follow or watch you?"

  "I seem to have walked right into the thick of a dime novel,"said our visitor. "Why in thunder should anyone follow or watchme?"

  "We are coming to that. You have nothing else to report to usbefore we go into this matter?"

  "Well, it depends upon what you think worth reporting."

  "I think anything out of the ordinary routine of life well worthreporting."

  Sir Henry smiled.

  "I don't know much of British life yet, for I have spent nearlyall my time in the States and in Canada. But I hope that to loseone of your boots is not part of the ordinary routine of lifeover here."

  "You have lost one of your boots?"

  "My dear sir," cried Dr. Mortimer, "it is only mislaid. You willfind it when you return to the hotel. What is the use oftroubling Mr. Holmes with trifles of this kind?"

  "Well, he asked me for anything outside the ordinary routine."

  "Exactly," said Holmes, "however foolish the incident may seem.You have lost one of your boots, you say?"

  "Well, mislaid it, anyhow. I put them both outside my door lastnight, and there was only one in the morning. I could get nosense out of the chap who cleans them. The worst of it is that Ionly bought the pair last night in the Strand, and I have neverhad them on."

  "If you have never worn them, why did you put them out to becleaned?"

  "They were tan boots and had never been varnished. That was why Iput them out."

  "Then I understand that on your arrival in London yesterday youwent out at once and bought a pair of boots?"

  "I did a good deal of shopping. Dr. Mortimer here went round withme. You see, if I am to be squire down there I must dress thepart, and it may be that I have got a little careless in my waysout West. Among other things I bought these brown boots--gave sixdollars for them--and had one stolen before ever I had them on myfeet."

  "It seems a singularly useless thing to steal," said SherlockHolmes. "I confess that I share Dr. Mortimer's belief that itwill not be long before the missing boot is found."

  "And, now, gentlemen," said the baronet with decision, "it seemsto me that I have spoken quite enough about the little that Iknow. It is time that you kept your promise and gave me a fullaccount of what we are all driving at."

  "Your request is a very reasonable one," Holmes answered. "Dr.Mortimer, I think you could not do better than to tell your storyas you told it to us."

  Thus encouraged, our scientific friend drew his papers from hispocket, and presented the whole case as he had done upon themorning before. Sir Henry Baskerville listened with the deepestattention, and with an occasional exclamation of surprise.

  "Well, I seem to have come into an inheritance with a vengeance,"said he when the long narrative was finished. "Of course, I'veheard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery. It's the petstory of the family, though I never thought of taking itseriously before. But as to my uncle's death--well, it all seemsboiling up in my head, and I can't get it clear yet. You don'tseem quite to have made up your mind whether it's a case for apoliceman or a clergyman."

  "Precisely."

  "And now there's this affair of the letter to me at the hotel. Isuppose that fits into its place."

  "It seems to show that someone knows more than we do about whatgoes on upon the moor," said Dr. Mortimer.

  "And also," said Holmes, "that someone is not ill-disposedtowards you, since they warn you of danger."

  "Or it may be that they wish, for their own purposes, to scare meaway."

  "Well, of course, that is possible also. I am very much indebtedto you, Dr. Mortimer, for introducing me to a problem whichpresents several interesting alternatives. But the practicalpoint which we now have to decide, Sir Henry, is whether it is oris not advisable for you to go to Baskerville Hall."

  "Why should I not go?"

  "There seems to be danger."

  "Do you mean danger from this family fiend or do you mean dangerfrom human beings?"

  "Well, that is what we have to find out."

  "Whichever it is, my answer is fixed. There is no devil in hell,Mr. Holmes, and there is no man upon earth who can prevent mefrom going to the home of my own people, and you may take that tobe my final answer." His dark brows knitted and his face flushedto a dusky red as he spoke. It was evident that the fiery temperof the Baskervilles was not extinct in this their lastrepresentative. "Meanwhile," said he, "I have hardly had time tothink over all that you have told me. It's a big thing for a manto have to understand and to decide at one sitting. I should liketo have a quiet hour by myself to make up my mind. Now, lookhere, Mr. Holmes, it's half-past eleven now and I am going backright away to my hotel. Suppose you and your friend, Dr. Watson,come round and lunch with us at two. I'll be able to tell youmore clearly then how this thing strikes me."

  "Is that convenient to you, Watson?"

  "Perfectly."

  "Then you may expect us. Shall I have a cab called?"

  "I'd prefer to walk, for this affair has flurried me rather."

  "I'll join you in a walk, with pleasure," said his companion.

  "Then we meet again at two o'clock. Au revoir, and good-morning!"

  We heard the steps of our visitors descend the stair and the bangof the front door. In an instant Holmes had changed from thelanguid dreamer to the man of action.

  "Your hat and boots, Watson, quick! Not a moment to lose!" Herushed into his room in his dressing-gown and was back again in afew seconds in a frock-coat. We hurried together down the stairsand into the street. Dr. Mortimer and Baskerville were stillvisible about two hundred yards ahead of us in the direction ofOxford Street.

  "Shall I run on and stop them?"

  "Not for the world, my dear Watson. I am perfectly satisfied withyour company if you will tolerate mine. Our friends are wise, forit is certainly a very fine morning for a walk."

  He quickened his pace until we had decreased the distance whichdivided us by about half. Then, still keeping a hundred yardsbehind, we followed into Oxford Street and so down Regent Street.Once our friends stopped and stared into a shop window, uponwhich Holmes did the same. An instant afterwards he gave a littlecry of satisfaction, and, following the direction of his eagereyes, I saw that a hansom cab with a man inside which had haltedon the other side of the street was now proceeding slowly onwardagain.

  "There's our man, Watson! Come along! We'll have a good look athim, if we can do no more."

  At that instant I was aware of a bushy black beard and a pair ofpiercing eyes turned upon us thro
ugh the side window of the cab.Instantly the trapdoor at the top flew up, something was screamedto the driver, and the cab flew madly off down Regent Street.Holmes looked eagerly round for another, but no empty one was insight. Then he dashed in wild pursuit amid the stream of thetraffic, but the start was too great, and already the cab was outof sight.

  "There now!" said Holmes bitterly as he emerged panting and whitewith vexation from the tide of vehicles. "Was ever such bad luckand such bad management, too? Watson, Watson, if you are anhonest man you will record this also and set it against mysuccesses!"

  "Who was the man?"

  "I have not an idea."

  "A spy?"

  "Well, it was evident from what we have heard that Baskervillehas been very closely shadowed by someone since he has been intown. How else could it be known so quickly that it was theNorthumberland Hotel which he had chosen? If they had followedhim the first day I argued that they would follow him also thesecond. You may have observed that I twice strolled over to thewindow while Dr. Mortimer was reading his legend."

  "Yes, I remember."

  "I was looking out for loiterers in the street, but I saw none.We are dealing with a clever man, Watson. This matter cuts verydeep, and though I have not finally made up my mind whether it isa benevolent or a malevolent agency which is in touch with us, Iam conscious always of power and design. When our friends left Iat once followed them in the hopes of marking down theirinvisible attendant. So wily was he that he had not trustedhimself upon foot, but he had availed himself of a cab so that hecould loiter behind or dash past them and so escape their notice.His method had the additional advantage that if they were to takea cab he was all ready to follow them. It has, however, oneobvious disadvantage."

  "It puts him in the power of the cabman."

  "Exactly."

  "What a pity we did not get the number!"

  "My dear Watson, clumsy as I have been, you surely do notseriously imagine that I neglected to get the number? No. 2704 isour man. But that is no use to us for the moment."

  "I fail to see how you could have done more."

  "On observing the cab I should have instantly turned and walkedin the other direction. I should then at my leisure have hired asecond cab and followed the first at a respectful distance, or,better still, have driven to the Northumberland Hotel and waitedthere. When our unknown had followed Baskerville home we shouldhave had the opportunity of playing his own game upon himself andseeing where he made for. As it is, by an indiscreet eagerness,which was taken advantage of with extraordinary quickness andenergy by our opponent, we have betrayed ourselves and lost ourman."

  We had been sauntering slowly down Regent Street during thisconversation, and Dr. Mortimer, with his companion, had longvanished in front of us.

  "There is no object in our following them," said Holmes. "Theshadow has departed and will not return. We must see what furthercards we have in our hands and play them with decision. Could youswear to that man's face within the cab?"

  "I could swear only to the beard."

  "And so could I--from which I gather that in all probability itwas a false one. A clever man upon so delicate an errand has nouse for a beard save to conceal his features. Come in here,Watson!"

  He turned into one of the district messenger offices, where hewas warmly greeted by the manager.

  "Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case inwhich I had the good fortune to help you?"

  "No, sir, indeed I have not. You saved my good name, and perhapsmy life."

  "My dear fellow, you exaggerate. I have some recollection,Wilson, that you had among your boys a lad named Cartwright, whoshowed some ability during the investigation."

  "Yes, sir, he is still with us."

  "Could you ring him up?--thank you! And I should be glad to havechange of this five-pound note."

  A lad of fourteen, with a bright, keen face, had obeyed thesummons of the manager. He stood now gazing with great reverenceat the famous detective.

  "Let me have the Hotel Directory," said Holmes. "Thank you! Now,Cartwright, there are the names of twenty-three hotels here, allin the immediate neighbourhood of Charing Cross. Do you see?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "You will visit each of these in turn."

  "Yes, sir."

  "You will begin in each case by giving the outside porter oneshilling. Here are twenty-three shillings."

  "Yes, sir."

  "You will tell him that you want to see the waste-paper ofyesterday. You will say that an important telegram has miscarriedand that you are looking for it. You understand?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "But what you are really looking for is the centre page of theTimes with some holes cut in it with scissors. Here is a copy ofthe Times. It is this page. You could easily recognize it, couldyou not?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "In each case the outside porter will send for the hall porter,to whom also you will give a shilling. Here are twenty-threeshillings. You will then learn in possibly twenty cases out ofthe twenty-three that the waste of the day before has been burnedor removed. In the three other cases you will be shown a heap ofpaper and you will look for this page of the Times among it. Theodds are enormously against your finding it. There are tenshillings over in case of emergencies. Let me have a report bywire at Baker Street before evening. And now, Watson, it onlyremains for us to find out by wire the identity of the cabman,No. 2704, and then we will drop into one of the Bond Streetpicture galleries and fill in the time until we are due at thehotel."