The Problem

I confess at these words a shudder passed through me. There was arn thrill in the doctor’s voice which showed that he was himselfrn deeply moved by that which he told us. Holmes leaned forward inrn his excitement and his eyes had the hard, dry glitter which shotrn from them when he was keenly interested.rnrn “You saw this?”rnrn “As clearly as I see you.”rnrn “And you said nothing?”rnrn “What was the use?”rnrn “How was it that no one else saw it?”rnrn “The marks were some twenty yards from the body and no one gavern them a thought. I don’t suppose I should have done so had I notrn known this legend.”rnrn “There are many sheep-dogs on the moor?”rnrn “No doubt, but this was no sheep-dog.”rnrn “You say it was large?”rnrn “Enormous.”rnrn “But it had not approached the body?”rnrn “No.”rnrn “What sort of night was it?”rnrn “Damp and raw.”rnrn “But not actually raining?”rnrn “No.”rnrn “What is the alley like?”rnrn “There are two lines of old yew hedge, twelve feet high andrn impenetrable. The walk in the centre is about eight feet across.”rnrn “Is there anything between the hedges and the walk?”rnrn “Yes, there is a strip of grass about six feet broad on eitherrn side.”rnrn “I understand that the yew hedge is penetrated at one point by arn gate?”rnrn “Yes, the wicket-gate which leads on to the moor.”rnrn “Is there any other opening?”rnrn “None.”rnrn “So that to reach the yew alley one either has to come down itrn from the house or else to enter it by the moor-gate?”rnrn “There is an exit through a summer-house at the far end.”rnrn “Had Sir Charles reached this?”rnrn “No; he lay about fifty yards from it.”rnrn “Now, tell me, Dr. Mortimer—and this is important—the marks whichrn you saw were on the path and not on the grass?”rnrn “No marks could show on the grass.”rnrn “Were they on the same side of the path as the moor-gate?”rnrn “Yes; they were on the edge of the path on the same side as thern moor-gate.”rnrn “You interest me exceedingly. Another point. Was the wicket-gatern closed?”rnrn “Closed and padlocked.”rnrn “How high was it?”rnrn “About four feet high.”rnrn “Then anyone could have got over it?”rnrn “Yes.”rnrn “And what marks did you see by the wicket-gate?”rnrn “None in particular.”rnrn “Good heaven! Did no one examine?”rnrn “Yes, I examined, myself.”rnrn “And found nothing?”rnrn “It was all very confused. Sir Charles had evidently stood therern for five or ten minutes.”rnrn “How do you know that?”rnrn “Because the ash had twice dropped from his cigar.”rnrn “Excellent! This is a colleague, Watson, after our own heart. Butrn the marks?”rnrn “He had left his own marks all over that small patch of gravel. Irn could discern no others.”rnrn Sherlock Holmes struck his hand against his knee with anrn impatient gesture.rnrn “If I had only been there!” he cried. “It is evidently a case ofrn extraordinary interest, and one which presented immensern opportunities to the scientific expert. That gravel page uponrn which I might have read so much has been long ere this smudged byrn the rain and defaced by the clogs of curious peasants. Oh, Dr. Mortimer, Dr. Mortimer, to think that you should not have calledrn me in! You have indeed much to answer for.”rnrn “I could not call you in, Mr. Holmes, without disclosing thesern facts to the world, and I have already given my reasons for notrn wishing to do so. Besides, besides—”rnrn “Why do you hesitate?”rnrn “There is a realm in which the most acute and most experienced ofrn detectives is helpless.”rnrn “You mean that the thing is supernatural?”rnrn “I did not positively say so.”rnrn “No, but you evidently think it.”rnrn “Since the tragedy, Mr. Holmes, there have come to my earsrn several incidents which are hard to reconcile with the settledrn order of Nature.”rnrn “For example?”rnrn “I find that before the terrible event occurred several peoplern had seen a creature upon the moor which corresponds with thisrn Baskerville demon, and which could not possibly be any animalrn known to science. They all agreed that it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly, and spectral. I have cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and one arn moorland farmer, who all tell the same story of this dreadfulrn apparition, exactly corresponding to the hell-hound of thern legend. I assure you that there is a reign of terror in thern district, and that it is a hardy man who will cross the moor atrn night.”rnrn “And you, a trained man of science, believe it to bern supernatural?”rnrn “I do not know what to believe.”rnrn Holmes shrugged his shoulders. “I have hitherto confined myrn investigations to this world,” said he. “In a modest way I havern combated evil, but to take on the Father of Evil himself would, perhaps, be too ambitious a task. Yet you must admit that thern footmark is material.”rnrn “The original hound was material enough to tug a man’s throatrn out, and yet he was diabolical as well.”rnrn “I see that you have quite gone over to the supernaturalists. Butrn now, Dr. Mortimer, tell me this. If you hold these views, whyrn have you come to consult me at all? You tell me in the samern breath that it is useless to investigate Sir Charles’s death, andrn that you desire me to do it.”rnrn “I did not say that I desired you to do it.”rnrn “Then, how can I assist you?”rnrn “By advising me as to what I should do with Sir Henryrn Baskerville, who arrives at Waterloo Station”—Dr. Mortimer lookedrn at his watch—“in exactly one hour and a quarter.”rnrn “He being the heir?”rnrn “Yes. On the death of Sir Charles we inquired for this youngrn gentleman and found that he had been farming in Canada. From thern accounts which have reached us he is an excellent fellow in everyrn way. I speak now not as a medical man but as a trustee andrn executor of Sir Charles’s will.”rnrn “There is no other claimant, I presume?”rnrn “None. The only other kinsman whom we have been able to trace wasrn Rodger Baskerville, the youngest of three brothers of whom poorrn Sir Charles was the elder. The second brother, who died young, isrn the father of this lad Henry. The third, Rodger, was the blackrn sheep of the family. He came of the old masterful Baskervillern strain and was the very image, they tell me, of the familyrn picture of old Hugo. He made England too hot to hold him, fled torn Central America, and died there in 1876 of yellow fever. Henry isrn the last of the Baskervilles. In one hour and five minutes I meetrn him at Waterloo Station. I have had a wire that he arrived atrn Southampton this morning. Now, Mr. Holmes, what would you advisern me to do with him?”rnrn “Why should he not go to the home of his fathers?”rnrn “It seems natural, does it not? And yet, consider that everyrn Baskerville who goes there meets with an evil fate. I feel surern that if Sir Charles could have spoken with me before his death hern would have warned me against bringing this, the last of the oldrn race, and the heir to great wealth, to that deadly place. And yetrn it cannot be denied that the prosperity of the whole poor, bleakrn countryside depends upon his presence. All the good work whichrn has been done by Sir Charles will crash to the ground if there isrn no tenant of the Hall. I fear lest I should be swayed too much byrn my own obvious interest in the matter, and that is why I bringrn the case before you and ask for your advice.”rnrn Holmes considered for a little time.rnrn “Put into plain words, the matter is this,” said he. “In yourrn opinion there is a diabolical agency which makes Dartmoor anrn unsafe abode for a Baskerville—that is your opinion?”rnrn “At least I might go the length of saying that there is somern evidence that this may be so.”rnrn “Exactly. But surely, if your supernatural theory be correct, itrn could work the young man evil in London as easily as inrn Devonshire. A devil with merely local powers like a parish vestryrn would be too inconceivable a thing.”rnrn “You put the matter more flippantly, Mr. Holmes, than you wouldrn probably do if you were brought into personal contact with thesern things. Your advice, then, as I understand it, is that the youngrn man will be as safe in Devonshire as in London. He comes in fiftyrn minutes. What would you recommend?”rnrn “I recommend, sir, that you take a cab, call off your spaniel whorn is scratching at my front door, and proceed to Waterloo to meetrn Sir Henry Baskerville.”rnrn “And then?”rnrn “And then you will say nothing to him at all until I have made uprn my mind about the matter.”rnrn “How long will it take you to make up your mind?”rnrn “Twenty-four hours. At ten o’clock tomorrow, Dr. Mortimer, I willrn be much obliged to you if you will call upon me here, and it willrn be of help to me in my plans for the future if you will bring Sirrn Henry Baskerville with you.”rnrn “I will do so, Mr. Holmes.” He scribbled the appointment on hisrn shirt-cuff and hurried off in his strange, peering, absent-mindedrn fashion. Holmes stopped him at the head of the stair.rnrn “Only one more question, Dr. Mortimer. You say that before Sirrn Charles Baskerville’s death several people saw this apparitionrn upon the moor?”rnrn “Three people did.”rnrn “Did any see it after?”rnrn “I have not heard of any.”rnrn “Thank you. Good-morning.”rnrn Holmes returned to his seat with that quiet look of inwardrn satisfaction which meant that he had a congenial task before him.rnrn “Going out, Watson?”rnrn “Unless I can help you.”rnrn “No, my dear fellow, it is at the hour of action that I turn torn you for aid. But this is splendid, really unique from some pointsrn of view. When you pass Bradley’s, would you ask him to send up arn pound of the strongest shag tobacco? Thank you. It would be asrn well if you could make it convenient not to return beforern evening. Then I should be very glad to compare impressions as torn this most interesting problem which has been submitted to us thisrn morning.”rnrn I knew that seclusion and solitude were very necessary for myrn friend in those hours of intense mental concentration duringrn which he weighed every particle of evidence, constructedrn alternative theories, balanced one against the other, and made uprn his mind as to which points were essential and which immaterial. I therefore spent the day at my club and did not return to Bakerrn Street until evening. It was nearly nine o’clock when I foundrn myself in the sitting-room once more.rnrn My first impression as I opened the door was that a fire hadrn broken out, for the room was so filled with smoke that the lightrn of the lamp upon the table was blurred by it. As I entered, however, my fears were set at rest, for it was the acrid fumes ofrn strong coarse tobacco which took me by the throat and set mern coughing. Through the haze I had a vague vision of Holmes in hisrn dressing-gown coiled up in an armchair with his black clay pipern between his lips. Several rolls of paper lay around him.rnrn “Caught cold, Watson?” said he.rnrn “No, it’s this poisonous atmosphere.”rnrn “I suppose it _is_ pretty thick, now that you mention it.”rnrn “Thick! It is intolerable.”rnrn “Open the window, then! You have been at your club all day, Irn perceive.”rnrn “My dear Holmes!”rnrn “Am I right?”rnrn “Certainly, but how?”rnrn He laughed at my bewildered expression. “There is a delightfulrn freshness about you, Watson, which makes it a pleasure torn exercise any small powers which I possess at your expense. Arn gentleman goes forth on a showery and miry day. He returnsrn immaculate in the evening with the gloss still on his hat and hisrn boots. He has been a fixture therefore all day. He is not a manrn with intimate friends. Where, then, could he have been? Is it notrn obvious?”rnrn “Well, it is rather obvious.”rnrn “The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chancern ever observes. Where do you think that I have been?”rnrn “A fixture also.”rnrn “On the contrary, I have been to Devonshire.”rnrn “In spirit?”rnrn “Exactly. My body has remained in this armchair and has, I regretrn to observe, consumed in my absence two large pots of coffee andrn an incredible amount of tobacco. After you left I sent down torn Stamford’s for the Ordnance map of this portion of the moor, andrn my spirit has hovered over it all day. I flatter myself that Irn could find my way about.”rnrn “A large-scale map, I presume?”rnrn “Very large.”rnrn He unrolled one section and held it over his knee. “Here you havern the particular district which concerns us. That is Baskervillern Hall in the middle.”rnrn “With a wood round it?”rnrn “Exactly. I fancy the yew alley, though not marked under thatrn name, must stretch along this line, with the moor, as yourn perceive, upon the right of it. This small clump of buildingsrn here is the hamlet of Grimpen, where our friend Dr. Mortimer hasrn his headquarters. Within a radius of five miles there are, as yourn see, only a very few scattered dwellings. Here is Lafter Hall, which was mentioned in the narrative. There is a house indicatedrn here which may be the residence of the naturalist—Stapleton, if Irn remember right, was his name. Here are two moorland farmhouses, High Tor and Foulmire. Then fourteen miles away the great convictrn prison of Princetown. Between and around these scattered pointsrn extends the desolate, lifeless moor. This, then, is the stagern upon which tragedy has been played, and upon which we may help torn play it again.”rnrn “It must be a wild place.”rnrn “Yes, the setting is a worthy one. If the devil did desire torn have a hand in the affairs of men—”rnrn “Then you are yourself inclining to the supernaturalrn explanation.”rnrn “The devil’s agents may be of flesh and blood, may they not? There are two questions waiting for us at the outset. The one isrn whether any crime has been committed at all; the second is, whatrn is the crime and how was it committed? Of course, if Dr. Mortimer’s surmise should be correct, and we are dealing withrn forces outside the ordinary laws of Nature, there is an end ofrn our investigation. But we are bound to exhaust all otherrn hypotheses before falling back upon this one. I think we’ll shutrn that window again, if you don’t mind. It is a singular thing, butrn I find that a concentrated atmosphere helps a concentration ofrn thought. I have not pushed it to the length of getting into a boxrn to think, but that is the logical outcome of my convictions. Havern you turned the case over in your mind?”rnrn “Yes, I have thought a good deal of it in the course of the day.”rnrn “What do you make of it?”rnrn “It is very bewildering.”rnrn “It has certainly a character of its own. There are points ofrn distinction about it. That change in the footprints, for example. What do you make of that?”rnrn “Mortimer said that the man had walked on tiptoe down thatrn portion of the alley.”rnrn “He only repeated what some fool had said at the inquest. Whyrn should a man walk on tiptoe down the alley?”rnrn “What then?”rnrn “He was running, Watson—running desperately, running for hisrn life, running until he burst his heart—and fell dead upon hisrn face.”rnrn “Running from what?”rnrn “There lies our problem. There are indications that the man wasrn crazed with fear before ever he began to run.”rnrn “How can you say that?”rnrn “I am presuming that the cause of his fears came to him acrossrn the moor. If that were so, and it seems most probable, only a manrn who had lost his wits would have run _from_ the house instead ofrn towards it. If the gipsy’s evidence may be taken as true, he ranrn with cries for help in the direction where help was least likelyrn to be. Then, again, whom was he waiting for that night, and whyrn was he waiting for him in the yew alley rather than in his ownrn house?”rnrn “You think that he was waiting for someone?”rnrn “The man was elderly and infirm. We can understand his taking anrn evening stroll, but the ground was damp and the night inclement. Is it natural that he should stand for five or ten minutes, asrn Dr. Mortimer, with more practical sense than I should have givenrn him credit for, deduced from the cigar ash?”rnrn “But he went out every evening.”rnrn “I think it unlikely that he waited at the moor-gate everyrn evening. On the contrary, the evidence is that he avoided thern moor. That night he waited there. It was the night before he madern his departure for London. The thing takes shape, Watson. Itrn becomes coherent. Might I ask you to hand me my violin, and wern will postpone all further thought upon this business until wern have had the advantage of meeting Dr. Mortimer and Sir Henryrn Baskerville in the morning.”