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Books at Bedtime by Calming Anxiety

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The Hounds of the Baskervilles Chapter 2

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The Curse of the Baskervilles

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I have in my pocket a manuscript, said Doctor James Mortimer.

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I observed it as you entered the room said Holmes.

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It is an old manuscript, early 18th century, unless it's a forgery.

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How can you say that, sir?

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You have presented an inch or two of it to my examination all the time that you've been talking.

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It would be a poor expert who could not give the date of the document within a decade or so.

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You may possibly have read my little monograph from the subject.

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I put that at 1730.

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The exact date is 1742, Doctor Mortimer drew it from his breast pocket.

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This family paper was committed to my care by Sir Charles Baskerville, who, suddenly

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and tragic death, came three months ago, created so much excitement and Devonshire.

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I may say that I was his personal friend as well as his medical attendant.

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He was a strong-minded man, sir, true, practical, and as unimaginative as I am myself.

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Yet he took this document very seriously, and his mind was prepared for just such an end

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as did eventually overtake him.

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Holmes stretched out his hand for the manuscript and flattened it upon his knee.

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You will observe Watson, the alternative use of the long S and the short.

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It is one of several indications which enabled me to fix the date.

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I looked over his shoulder at the yellow paper and the faded script.

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At the end was written Baskerville Hall and below in large scrolling figures 1742.

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It appears to be a statement of some sort.

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Yes, it is a statement of a certain legend which runs in the Baskerville family.

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But I understand that it is something more modern and practical upon which you wished

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consult me.

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Most modern, a most practical, pressing matter that must be decided within 24 hours.

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But the manuscript is short and intimately connected with the affair.

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With your permission, I will read it to you.

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Holmes leaned back in his chair, placed his fingertips together and closed his eyes,

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with an air of resignation.

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Dr. Mortimer turned the manuscript to the light and read in a high cracking voice the following

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curious, old world narrative.

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Of the origin of the hound of the Baskervilles, there have been many statements.

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Yet as I come in a direct line from Hugo Baskerville and as I have the story from my father who

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also had it from his.

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I have set it down with all belief that it occurred even as it was here set forth.

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And I would have you believe, my sons, that the same justice which punishes sin may also

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graciously forgive it.

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And that no ban is so heavy, but that by prayer and repentance it may be removed.

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Learn then from this story, not to fear the fruits of the past but rather to be circumspeced

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in the future.

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That those foul passions whereby our family has suffered so grievously may not again be

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loosed by our undoing.

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Know then that in the time of the great rebellion, the history of which, by the learned Lord

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Clarendon, I most earnestly commend to your attention.

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This manner of Baskerville was held by Hugo of that name.

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Or can it be gained said that he was a most wild, profane and godless man?

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This in truth.

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His neighbours might have pardoned, seeing that saints have never flourished in those parts.

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But there was in him a certain wanton and cruel humour which made his name a byword through

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the West.

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It's a chance that this Hugo came to love, if indeed so dark passion, may be known under

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so brighter name.

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The daughter of a yeoman who held hands near the Baskerville estate.

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But the young maiden, being discreet and of God repute, would ever avoid him for she feared

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his evil name.

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So it came to pass that one michael mass this Hugo with five or six of his idol and wicked

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companions, stole down upon the farm and carried off the maiden, her father and brothers being

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from home as he well knew.

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When they had brought her to the hall, the maiden was placed in an upper chamber while Hugo

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and his friends sat down to a long carous, as was then nightly custom.

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Now, the poor lass upstairs was like to have had her wits turned at the singing and shouting

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and terrible oaths which came up to her from below.

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For they say that the words used by Hugo Baskerville when he was in wine was such as might blast

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the man who said them.

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At last, in the stress of her fear, she did that which might have dawned to the bravest

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or most active men.

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For by the aid of the grove of ivy which covered and still covers the south walls, she came

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down from under the eaves and so home would across the mall.

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There being three leagues between the hall and her father's farm.

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It chanced that some little time later Hugo left his guest to carry food and drink, with

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other worse things per chance to his captive and so found the cage empty and the bird escaped.

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Then, as it would seem, he became at one the half of a devil for rushing down the stairs

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into the dining hall, he sprang upon the great table.

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Faggons and trenches flying before him and he cried aloud before all the company that

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he would that very night render his body and soul to the powers of evil if he might but

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overtake the wench.

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And while the revelers stood a guest at the fury of the man, one more wicked or it may be,

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more drunken than the rest, cried out that they should put the hounds upon her.

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Where at Hugo ran from the house, crying to his grooms that they should saddle his mare

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and unken all the pack and giving the hounds a kitchief of the maids he swung them to the

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line and so off full cry in the moonlight over the mall.

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Now, for some space the revelers stood a gate,

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unable to understand all that had been done in such haste.

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But a non there be mused wits awoke to the nature of the deed which was like to be done upon

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the moorlands.

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Everything was narrowing and uproar, some calling for their pistols, some for their horses

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and some for another flask of wine.

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But at length, some sense came over the crazed mines and the whole of them, thirteen in number,

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took horses and started in pursuit.

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The moon shone clear above them and they rode swiftly a breast, taking that course which

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the maid must have taken if she were to reach her own home.

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They had gone a mile or two when they passed one of the night's shepherds upon the moorlands

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and they cried to him to know if he had seen the hunt and the man as the story goes was

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so scared and crazed with fear that he could scare speak.

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But at last he said that he had indeed seen the unhappy maiden with the hounds upon her

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track.

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But I have seen more than that said he.

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The Hugo basketball passed me upon his black mare and therean mute behind him such a

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hound of hell as God forbid should ever be at my heels.

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For the drunken squires cursed the shepherd and rode onward but soon their skins turned

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cold.

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For there came a galloping across the moor and the black mare dabbled with white froth

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went past with trailing bridal and empty saddle.

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Then the revelers rode close together for a great fear was on them but they still followed

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over the moor though each had been alone.

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Would have been right glad to have turned his horses head riding slowly in this fashion

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they came at last upon the hounds.

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These though known for their valla and their breed were whimpering in a cluster at the head

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of a deep or goyl as we call it upon the moor.

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Some slinking away and some with startling hackles and staring eyes gazing down the narrow

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valley before them.

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The company had come to a halt more sober men as you may guess than when they started.

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The most of them would be by no means advanced but three of them the boldest or it may be

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the most drunken rode forward down the goyl.

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Now it opened into a broad space in which the two of those great stones still to be seen

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there which were there set by certain forgotten people in the days of old.

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The moon was shining bright upon the clearing and there in the centre lady unhappy made

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where she had fallen dead or fear and of fatigue.

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But it was not the sight of her body nor yet was it that of the body of Hugo Basqueville

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lying near her which raised her hair upon the heads of these three dare devil roisterers

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but it was that standing over Hugo and plucking at his throat there stood a foul thing, a

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great black beast shaped like a hound yet larger than any hound that it ever mortalised

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has bisted upon.

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And even as they looked the thing tore the throat out of Hugo Basqueville on which as it

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turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them the three shrieked with fear and

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robed for dear life still screaming across the morn.

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One it is said died that very night of what he had seen and the other twain were but broken

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men for the rest of their days.

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Much is the tale, my sons of the coming of the hound which is said to have plagued the

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family so sorely ever since.

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If I have set it down it is because that which is clearly known has less terror than that

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which is but hinted at and guess.

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Nor can it be denied that many of the family have been unhappy in their deaths which have

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been sudden bloody mysterious.

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It may we shelter ourselves in the infinite goodness of providence which would not forever

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punish the innocent beyond the third or fourth generation which is threatened and holy

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rite.

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To that providence my sons I hereby commend you and I counsel you by way of caution to

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forbear from crossing the morn in those dark hours when the powers of evil are exalted.

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This from Hugo Baskerville to his sons Roger and Ron with instructions that they say nothing

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they are of to their sister Elizabeth.

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When Dr Mortimer had finished reading this singular narrative he pushed his spectacles

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up over his forehead and stared across at Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

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The latter yawned and tossed the end of his cigarette into the fire.

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"Well," said he, "do you not find it interesting?"

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to a collector of fairy tales.

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Dr Mortimer drew a folded newspaper out of his pocket.

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Now Mr. Holmes.

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We will give you something a little bit more recent.

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This is the Devon County Chronicle on May 14th of this year.

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To the shorter count of the facts elicitated at the death of Sir Charles Baskerville which

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occurred a few days before that date.

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My friend leaned a little forward and his expression became intent.

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Our visitor readjusted his glasses and began.

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The recent sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville whose name has been mentioned as the probable

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liberal candidate for mid-Devin as the next election has cast a gloom over the county.

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Sir Charles had resided at Baskerville Halls for a comparatively short period.

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His amoeability of character and extreme generosity had won the affection and respect of all who

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had been brought into his contact with him.

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In these days of new Vowritches it is refreshing to find a case with a sion of an old county

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family which is full on evil days is able to make his own fortune and to bring it back

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with him to restore the fallen grandeur of his line.

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Sir Charles as his well known made large sums of money in South African speculation.

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More wise than those who go on until the wheel turns against them.

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He realized his gains and returned to England with him.

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It is only two years since he took up his residence at Baskerville Hall and it is common

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to talk now how large were those schemes of reconstruction and improvement which have

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been interrupted by his death.

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Being himself charlatas it was his openly expressed as eye that the whole countryside should

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within his own lifetime profit by his good fortune and many will have personal reasons

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for bewailing his entire life.

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His generous donations to local and county charities have been frequently chronicled

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in these columns.

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The circumstances connected with the death of Sir Charles cannot be said to have been entirely

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cleared up by the inquest but at least enough has been done to dispose of those rumours

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to which local superstition has given rise.

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There is no reason whatsoever to suspect foul play or to imagine that death could be

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from any but natural causes.

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Sir Charles was a widower and a man who may be said to have been in some ways of an eccentric

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habit of mind.

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In spite of his considerable wealth he was simply in his personal tastes and his indoor

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servants at Baskerville Hall, consisted of a married couple named Baramall, the husband

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acting as a butler and the wife as housekeeper.

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Their evidence corroborated by that of several friends tends to show that Sir Charles's

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health had for some time been impaired and points especially some affection of the heart, manifesting

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itself in changes of colour, breathlessness and a cute attack of nervous depression.

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Dr James Mortimer, the friend and medical attendant of the deceased, has given evidence

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to the same effect.

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The facts of the case are simple.

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Sir Charles Baskerville was in the habit every night before going to bed of walking down

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the famous U-ally of Baskerville Hall.

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The evidence of the Baramall show had been his custom.

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On the 4th of May Sir Charles had declared his intention of starting next day for London

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and adorted Baramall to repair his luggage.

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That night he went out as usual for his nocturnal walk, in the course of which he was in the habit

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of smoking a cigar.

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He never returned.

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At 12 o'clock Baramall finding the hall door still open became alarmed and lighting a

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lantern went in search of his master.

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The day had been wet and Sir Charles's footmarks were easily traced down the alley.

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Halfway down this walk there is a gate which leads out onto the mall.

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There were indications that Sir Charles had stood for some little time here.

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He then proceeded down the alley.

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And it was at the far end of it that his body was discovered.

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One fact which has not been explained in the statement of Baramall that his master's

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footprints altered their character from the time that he passed the mall gate and that

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he appeared from thenc's onward, to have been walking upon his toes.

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Once Murphy, a gypsy horse dealer, was on the mall at no great distance at the time.

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But he appears by his own confession to have been worse for drink.

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He declares that he heard cries but his unable to stay from what direction they came.

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No signs of violence were to be discovered upon Sir Charles's person and though the doctor's

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evidence pointed to an almost incredible facial distortion, so great that Dr. Mortarum

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refused at first to believe that it was indeed his friend and patient who laid before him.

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It was explained that this is a symptom which is not unusual in cases of dysnia and death

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from cardiac extortion.

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The explanation was born by the postmortem examination which showed long standing organic

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disease and a coroner's jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

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It is well known that this is so, for it is obviously of the utmost importance.

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That Sir Charles's heir should settle at the hall and continue the good work which has

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been so sadly interrupted.

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Had the preseic finding of the coroner not finally put an end to the romantic stories which have

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been whispered in connection with the affair, it might have been difficult to find a tenant

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for basketball hall.

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It is understood that the next of Kiernan for Mr Henry Basketball, if he bees to the live,

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the son of Sir Charles's basketball younger brother.

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The young man when last heard of was in America and inquiries are being instituted with a view

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of informing him of his good fortune.

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Dr Mortarum refolded his paper and replaced it in his pocket.

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"I must thank you," said Sherlock Holmes, for calling my attention to a case which certainly

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presents some features of interest.

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I had observed some newspaper comment at the time but I was exceedingly preoccupied by

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that little affair of the Vatican cameos and in my anxiety to oblige the Pope I lost touch

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with several interesting English cases.

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This article you say contains all the public facts it does.

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Then let me have the private ones.

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He leaned back, put his fingertips together and assumed his almost impassive and judicial expression.

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In doing so, said Dr Mortarum who had begun to show signs of some strong emotion, "I am

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telling that which I have not confided to anyone."

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My motive for withholding it from the coroner's inquiry is that a man of science shrinks from

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placing himself in the public position of seeming to endorse a popular superstition.

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I had the further motive that Baskville Hall, as the papers say, would certainly remain

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unattended if anything were done to increase its already rather grim reputation.

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For both these reasons, I thought that I was justified in telling rather less than I knew

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since no practical good could result from it, but with you there is no reason why I should

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not be perfectly frank.

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The more is a very sparsely inhabited and those who live near each other are thrown very

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much together.

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For this reason I saw a good deal of Sir Charles Baskville with the exception of Mr.

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Franklin of Lafdahorn and Mr. Stapledon, the naturalist.

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There are no other men of education within many miles.

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Sir Charles was a retiring man, but the chance for his illness brought us together and the

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community of interest in science kept us so.

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He had brought back much scientific information from South Africa and many a charming evening

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we have spent together, discussing the comparative anatomy of the Bushman and the Hottentot.

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Within the last few months it became increasingly plain to see to me that Sir Charles nervous

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system was strained to the breaking point.

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He had taken his legend which I have read you exceedingly to heart, so much so that although

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he could walk in his own grounds, nothing would induce him to go out upon the moor at night.

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Charles as it may appear to you Mr. Holmes, he was honestly convinced that a dreadful

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fate overhangs family and certainly the records which he was able to give us of his ancestors

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were not encouraging.

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The idea of some ghastly present constantly haunted him and on more than one occasion he

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has asked me whether I had it on my medical journeys at night ever seen a strange creature

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or heard the bane of a hound.

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The latter question he put to me several times and always with a voice which vibrated with

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excitement.

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I can well remember, driving up to his house in the evening, some three weeks before the

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fatal event.

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He chance to be at the hall door.

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I had descended from my gig and was standing in front of him when I saw his eyes fix themselves

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over my shoulder and stared past me with an expression the most dreadful horror.

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I whisked round and had just timed to catch a glimpse of something which I took to be a large

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black cat, passing at the end of the drive.

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So excited and alarmed was he that I was compelled to go down to the spot where the animal

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had been and look around for it.

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It was gone, however, and the instant appeared to make the worst impression upon his mind.

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I stayed with him all the evening and it was on that occasion to explain the emotion which

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he had shown that he is confided to my keeping that narrative which I read to you when I first

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came.

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I mentioned this small episode because it assumes some importance in the view of the tragedy,

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which followed, but I was convinced at the time that the matter was entirely trivoned and

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that his excitement had no justification.

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It was at my advice that Sir Charles was about to go to London.

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His heart was, I knew, affected, and the constant anxiety in which he lived.

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However, Chimera called the cause of it might be, was evidently having a serious effect

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upon his health.

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I thought that a few months among the distractions of town would send him back a new man.

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Mr Stapleton, a mutual friend who is much concerned at his state of health, was of the same

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opinion.

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At the last instant came this terrible catastrophe.

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On the night of Sir Charles's death, Barrymore the Butler, who made the discovery, sent

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Perkins a groom on horseback to me, and as I was sitting up late I was able to reach

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Baskerville Hall within an hour of the event.

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I checked and corroborated all the facts which were mentioned at the inquest.

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I followed the footsteps down the U Valley.

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I saw the spot at the morgate where he seemed to have waited.

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I remarked the change in the shape of the prince after that point.

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I noticed that there were no other footsteps saved those of Barrymore on the soft gravel,

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and finally I carefully examined the body which had not been touched until my arrival.

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Sir Charles lay on his face, his arms out, his fingers dug into the ground and his features

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convulsed with some strong emotion to such an extent that I could hardly have sworn to

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his identity.

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There was certainly no physical injury of any kind, but one fault statement was made by

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Barrymore at the inquest.

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He said that there were no traces upon the ground around the body.

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He did not observe any, but I did, some little distance off but fresh and clear.

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Footprints?

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Footprints?

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A man or a woman's?

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Doctor Mortimer looked strangely at us for an instant, and his voice sank almost to

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a whisper as he answered.

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Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a giant hound.

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