巴斯克维尔猎犬-第10部分

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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　rings　of　blue　fire　round　its　cruel　eyes，too．I　touched　the　hound's　burning　coat．When　I　held　up　my　hand，it，too，seemed　to　be　on　fire．

‘Phosphorus，’I　said，‘That　is　why　the　hound　appears　to　burn　in　the　dark．Stapleton　put　phosphorous　paint　on　the　hound　in　the　hut　beside　the　house．’

But　Holmes　was　thinking　more　about　Sir　Henry　than　about　Stapleton's　cleverness．

‘I　must　apologize　to　you，Sir　Henry，’he　said．‘I　put　your　life　in　danger．I　expected　to　see　a　huge　hound，but　not　a　crea…　ture　like　this．The　fog　gave　us　a　very　short　time　to　control　our　fear，and　for　moments　we　could　not　move．’

‘Never　mind，’said　Sir　Henry．‘You　saved　my　life，and　I　thank　you．Please　help　me　stand　up．What　are　you　going　to　do　now？’

Sir　Henry's　legs　were　shaking　so　much　from　his　terrible　ex…　perience　that　he　could　not　stand．We　helped　him　to　a　rock．He　sat　there　and　held　his　head　in　his　hands．

‘We　must　leave　you　here，Sir　Henry，and　try　to　catch　Staple…　ton．We　shall　come　back　as　quickly　as　possible　and　take　you　to　the　Hall．Our　case　is　complete，but　we　must　now　catch　our　man．’

I　followed　Holmes　along　the　path　back　to　the　house．

‘We　must　search　the　house，’said　Holmes，‘but　almost　cer…　tainly　he　won't　be　there．He　probably　heard　the　noise　of　our　guns，so　he　knows　his　evil　game　is　finished．’

The　front　door　of　the　house　was　open．We　went　in　and　looked　from　room　to　room．All　the　rooms　downstairs　were　empty，so　we　went　upstairs　and　looked　in　all　the　rooms　except　one，which　was　locked．

‘There's　someone　in　there，’I　said．‘I　heard　someone　move．Help　me　break　open　this　door．’

We　threw　ourselves　against　the　door，and　as　the　lock　broke　we　went　in．We　held　our　revolvers　ready　to　fire．

In　the　middle　of　the　room　was　a　figure　tied　to　a　post．We　could　not　see　whether　it　was　a　man　or　a　woman，as　it　was　com…　pletely　covered　with　sheets．Only　the　eyes　and　nose　were　free．

We　pulled　off　the　sheets　and　untied　the　prisoner　from　the　post．It　was　Miss　Stapleton．As　we　untied　her，we　could　see　long　red　bruises　across　her　neck．

‘That　cruel　devil　Stapleton　has　beaten　her，’Holmes　said．‘Put　her　into　a　chair．’Miss　Stapleton　had　fainted　from　the　beating　and　exhaustion．As　we　put　her　into　the　chair，she　opened　her　eyes．

‘Is　he　safe？’she　asked．‘Has　he　escaped？’

‘He　cannot　escape　us，Miss　Stapleton，’Holmes　said．

‘No，no，I　don't　mean　my　husband．I　mean　Sir　Henry．Is　he　safe？’

‘Yes，’I　said，‘and　the　hound　is　dead．’　

‘Thank　God，’she　said．‘Thank　God．Oh，the　cruel　devil．Look　what　he　has　done　to　me．’She　showed　us　her　arms，and　we　saw　with　horror　that　her　skin　was　black　and　blue　where　she　had　been　beaten．‘But　he　has　hurt　me　more　in　other　ways．While　I　thought　he　loved　me，I　accepted　many　things．But　he　doesn't　love　me．He　has　used　me．’

‘Then　help　us　now，’said　Holmes．‘Tell　us　where　he　has　gone．’

‘There　is　an　old　house　on　an　island　in　the　middle　of　the　marsh，’she　said．‘He　kept　his　hound　there．He　also　had　the　house　ready　in　case　he　needed　to　escape．He　will　be　there，I'm　sure．’

‘Nobody　could　find　his　way　into　the　Grimpen　Marsh　in　this　fog　tonight，’said　Holmes，looking　out　of　the　window．

The　fog　lay　like　white　wool　against　the　glass，and　we　knew　we　could　not　try　to　follow　him　until　it　cleared．We　decided　to　take　Sir　Henry　back　to　Baskerville　Hall．We　had　to　tell　him　everything　about　the　Stapletons，and　he　was　deeply　hurt　when　he　heard　the　truth　about　the　woman　he　loved．The　news　that　she　was　married，and　the　awful　fear　he　had　experienced，brought　on　a　fever．We　sent　for　Dr　Mortimer，who　came　and　sat　with　Sir　Henry　throughout　the　night．

On　the　following　morning　Miss　Stapleton　took　us　to　the　path　through　the　marsh．The　fog　had　lifted，and　she　showed　us　the　sticks　which　she　and　her　husband　had　put　in　to　mark　the　way．We　followed　them　through　the　marsh，which　smelled　of　dying　plants．The　wet　ground　pulled　at　our　feet　as　we　walked．From　time　to　time　one　of　us　stepped　from　the　path　and　sank　up　to　his　waist　in　the　marsh．One　man　on　his　own　could　not　hope　to　escape　the　pull　of　the　marsh；without　help　he　would　sink　to　his　death．

But　we　did　not　find　any　sign　of　Stapleton．We　searched　andsearched　without　success．There　is　no　doubt　that　he　lost　hisway　in　the　fog，and　sank　in　the　marsh　Somewhere，deep　down，his　body　lies　to　this　day．

We　reached　the　island　Miss　Stapleton　had　described，and　searched　the　old　house．

‘This　place　tells　us　nothing　that　we　do　not　already　know，’said　Holmes．‘These　bones　show　that　he　hid　the　hound　here，but　he　could　not　keep　it　quiet，so　people　heard　its　cries．Here　is　the　bottle　of　phosphorous　paint．Stapleton　used　it　very　cleverly　on　the　hound．After　what　we　saw　and　felt　last　night，we　cannot　be　surprised　that　Sir　Charles　died　of　fright．And　now　I　under…　stand　how　Selden　knew　that　the　hound　was　following　him　in　the　dark．It's　not　surprising　the　poor　man　screamed　and　ran　as　he　did．The　old　story　of　the　supernatural　hound　probably　gave　Stapleton　the　idea　of　using　phosphorus．Very　clever．I　said　it　in　London　and　I　say　it　again，Watson．We　have　never　had　a　more　dangerous　enemy　than　the　one　who　is　lying　out　there’—and　he　pointed　to　the　great　marsh　that　was　all　round　us．

　　



　
18　　Looking　Back

　　

It　was　the　end　of　November，more　than　a　month　after　ourreturn　from　Baskerville　Hall．Holmes　and　I　were　sitting　on　either　side　of　a　bright　fire　in　our　sitting　room　in　Baker　Street．Since　our　return，Holmes　had　been　working　hard　on　two　other　cases，and　he　had　been　too　busy　to　discuss　the　Baskerville　case．But　now　the　other　cases　were　finished，and　he　had　been　successful　in　both　of　them．I　decided　it　was　a　good　time　to　ask　him　the　final　questions　about　Stapleton　and　the　hound．

‘The　picture　showed　us　that　Stapleton　was　indeed　a　Baskerville，’Holmes　began．‘He　was　the　son　of　Roger　Baskerville，who　was　Sir　Charles’younger　brotner．Roger　was　a　criminal　who　escaped　from　prison　and　ran　away　to　South　America．Everyone　thought　he　had　died　unmarried，but　that　was　not　true．He　had　one　son，also　called　Roger，whom　we　knew　as　Stapleton．Stapleton　married　a　beautiful　South　Ameri…　can，and　came　to　England，where　he　started　a　school　in　the　north．He　discovered　that　he　would　inherit　the　Baskerville　lands　and　fortune　if　Sir　Charles　and　Sir　Henry　both　died．That　is　why　he　moved　to　Devonshire　when　the　school　closed．

‘When　he　met　Sir　Charles，he　heard　the　story　of　the　hell…　hound．He　also　learned　that　Sir　Charles　believed　these　super…　natural　stories，and　that　he　had　a　weak　heart．

‘Stapleton　had　the　idea　of　buying　a　huge　hound，and　of　using　the　phosphorus　to　make　it　shine　like　the　hound　in　the　story．I　have　found　the　place　where　he　bought　the　animal．He　took　it　by　train　to　Devonshire　and　walked　many　miles　over　the　moors　with　it　so　that　it　would　not　be　seen　near　Baskerville　Hall．

‘He　needed　to　get　Sir　Charles　out　of　the　Hall　at　night．This　would　be　easy　to　do　if　his　wife　made　Sir　Charles　fall　in　love　with　her．But，although　he　beat　her，she　refused　to　help　him　with　his　evil　plan．

‘Then　Stapleton　met　Laura　Lyons．We　know　that　he　made　her　write　a　letter　to　bring　Sir　Charles　to　the　moor　gate　on　that　sad　night．The　hound，which　was　shining　with　phosphorus，chased　Sir　Charles　down　the　Yew　Alley．Sir　Charles’　terror　was　so　great　that　his　weak　heart　stopped，and　he　died，but　the　animal　did　not　touch　the　dead　body．

‘The　hound　had　run　on　the　grass，so　it　left　no　footprints，ex…　cept　the　one　found　by　Dr　Mortimer．You　see　how　clever　Staple…　ton　was．Neither　he　nor　the　hound　had　touched　Sir　Charles　so　there　was　no　sign　of　murder．The　only　two　people　who　might　suspect　him—his　wife　and　Mrs　Lyons　could　not　be　certain　about　what　he　had　done．Anyway，neither　of　them　would　in…　form　the　police　about　him．

‘Next，Stapleton　learned　that　Sir　Henry　had　reached　Eng…　land，so　he　went　to　London．He　hoped　to　murder　Sir　Henry　there．He　took　his　wife　with　him，but　he　wasn't　sure　that　she　would　keep　his　secret，so　he　did　not　tell　her　the　truth．He　locked　her　up　in　their　hotel．She　knew　that　he　had　some　evil　plan，but　she　was　too　frightened　to　give　Sir　Henry　a　clear　warning．Instead，she　sent　him　the　letter　made　of　words　cut　from　a　newspaper．

‘Meanwhile，Stapleton　was　wearing　a　false　beard　and　fol…　lowing　Sir　Henry．He　needed　something　to　give　the　hound　Sir　Henry's　scent，so　he　paid　a　maid　at　Sir　Henry's　hotel　to　steal　one　of　his　shoes　The　first　one　was　a　new　one，and　didn't　have　Sir　Henry's　scent　on　it．It　was　no　use　for　the　hound，so　he　put　it　back，and　another，older，shoe　was　stolen．When　the　shoes　were　changed，I　knew　that　the　hound　must　be　a　natural　and　not　a　supernatural　creature．

‘Next　there　was　the　letter　made　of　words　cut　from　a　news…　paper．When　I　looked　at　it，I　held　it　close　to　my　eyes．I　noticed　a　smell　of　perfume，so　I　guessed　that　a　woman　had　sent　the　let…　ter．

‘By　the　time　I　went　to　Devonshire　I　knew　that　there　was　a　real　hound，and　I　knew　we　were　looking　for　a　man　and　a　wom…　an．I　guessed　that　the　Stapletons　were　the　pair．I　had　to　watch　Stapleton，but　I　had　to　hide　myself　As　I　have　explained．I　could　not　tell　you　what　I　was　doing．I　stayed　in　Newtown　and　used　the　hut　on　the　moor　only　when　necessary．

‘Your　letters　were　sent　to　me　immediately　from　Baker　Street，and　were　very　helpful．When　you　told　me　that　Stapleton　had　owned　a　school　in　the　north　of　England．I　checked　on　him　and　where　he　had　come　from．I　discovered　he　had　come　from　South　America．And　then　everything　became　clear．

‘By　the　time　you　found　me　on　the　moor，I　knew　everything，but　I　could　prove　nothing．We　had　to　catch　the　man　doing　something　criminal，and　so　I　had　to　put　Sir　Henry　in　danger．

‘Dr　Mortimer　tells　me　that　Sir　Henry　will　be　completely　better　after　some　rest．As　you　know，the　two　of　them　have　be…　come　good　friends，and　are　going　on　a　long　holiday　together．Sir　Henry　will　take　some　time　to　forget　Miss　Stapleton．He　loved　her　deeply　and　it　hurt　him　badly　when　he　learned　the　truth　about　her．

‘She　was　very　frightened　of　her　cruel　husband，but　she　sus…　pected　that　he　was　re