# ■ 5 Sir Henry Baskerville

Dr Mortimer and Sir Henry Baskerville arrived at exact-ly ten o'clock the following morning．Sir Henry was a small，healthy，well－built man．His face showed that he had a strong character．He wore a country suit of thick，red－brown material，and his skin showed that he spent most of his time in the open air．

I am glad this meeting was already arranged，'Sir Henry said，after we had shaken hands with our visitors．'I need your help，Mr Holmes．A strange thing happened to me this morning．Look at this letter．'

He put a piece of paper on the table．On it were the words： 'Do not go on to the moor．If you do，your life will be in dan-ger．'The words had been cut out of a newspaper．

Can you tell me，Mr Holmes，what this means，and who is so interested in me？'Sir Henry asked．

This is very interesting，'said Holmes．'Look how badly it has been done．I think the writer was in a hurry．Why？Per－haps because he did not want somebody to see him．I think the address was written in a hotel．The pen and the ink have both given the writer trouble．The pen has run dry three times in writing a short address．There was probably very little ink in the bottle．A private pen and bottle of ink are never allowed to get into that condition．Hullo，what's this？'He was holding the letter only a few centimetres from his eyes．

Well？'I ashed．

Nothing，'he said，and threw the letter down．'Now，Sir Henry，have you anything else to tell us？'

No，'said Sir Henry．'Except that I have lost one of my shoes．I put a pair outside my door last night．I wanted the ho- tel to clean them，but when I went to get them this morning，one had gone．I only bought them yesterday，and I have never worn them．But I wanted a good shine on them．'

One shoe seems a useless thing to steal，'said Holmes．'I am sure the shoe will be found in the hotel and returned to you．But now we must tell you some things about the Baskerville family．'

Dr Mortimer took out the old Baskerville papers and read them to Sir Henry．Holmes then told him about the death of Sir Charles．

So this letter is from someone who is trying to warn me，or frighten me away，'said Sir Henry．

Yes，'said Holmes．'And we have to decide if it is sensible for you to go to Baskerville Hall．There seems to be danger there for you．'

There is no man or devil who will stop me from going to the home of my family，'said Sir Henry angrily．'I want some time to think about what you have told me．Will you and Dr Watson join me for lunch at my hotel in two hours'time？By then，I'll be able to tell you what I think．'

Dr Mortimer and Sir Henry said goodbye，and decided to walk back to their hotel．

As soon as our visitors had gone，Holmes changed from the talker to the man of action．

Quick，Watson．Your coat and hat．We must follow them．'We got ready quickly and went into the street．Our friends were not far ahead of us and we followed．We stayed about a hundred metres behind them．

Suddenly Holmes gave a cry．I saw a taxi driving along very slowly on the other side of the road from our friends．

That's our man，Watson！Come along！We'll have a good look at him．'

I saw a man with a large black beard looking out of the taxi window．He had been following and watching our friends．But when he saw us running towards him，he shouted something to the driver，and the taxi drove off quickly down the road．Holmes looked round for another taxi，but could not see one．He began to run after the first taxi，but it was soon out of sight．

Well，I got the number of the taxi，'said Holmes．'So I can find the driver．He may be able to tell us something about his passenger．Would you recognize the man if you saw him again？'

Only his beard，'I said．

He wanted us to recognize the beard，'said Holmes．'I think it was a false one．'

■ 5 亨利·巴斯克維爾爵士

摩梯末醫生和亨利·巴斯克維爾爵士於次日早上10點鐘準時到達。亨利爵士長得短小精悍，身體健康，體態結實。他的面相表明他性格剛強。他穿著一件厚厚的、棕紅色布料製成的外衣，他的皮膚還表明他大多數時間是在戶外度過的。

“我為事先預約好了這次會面而感到高興，”亨利爵士在我們與他們握手致意之後說道。“我需要您的幫助，福爾摩斯先生。我今天早上遇到了一樁奇怪的事情。看看這封信吧。”

他把一張紙放到了桌上。上面寫著：“別前往沼地，不然您將有生命危險。”這些字是從報紙上剪下來的。

“福爾摩斯先生，您能告訴我這究竟是什麼意思，還有究竟是誰對我這麼感興趣嗎？”亨利爵士問道。

“這很有趣，”福爾摩斯說道。“看看這項工作是幹得多麼拙劣吧。我認為寫信人很慌張。為什麼呢？也許他是不想讓人看見。我想地址是在一個旅館裡寫就的。鋼筆和墨水都給這人添了麻煩。在寫這麼短的地址之時，筆尖上的墨水就幹了三次。可能是瓶中的墨水很少。私人的鋼筆和墨水是決不會被弄到這個地步的。哎呀，這是什麼啊？”

他把信拿到離眼睛只有幾釐米遠的地方。

“怎麼啦？”我問道。

“沒什麼，”他說道，扔下了那封信。“那麼，亨利爵士，您還有別的事情要告訴我們嗎？”

“沒有了，”亨利爵士說道。“除了我丟了一隻鞋以外。昨晚我把一雙鞋放在了門外。我本想讓旅館把它們擦一擦的，可是今早當我去取時有一隻不見了。我是昨天才買的這雙鞋，我還從未把它們穿上腳呢。我只是想給這雙鞋好好地上點油。”

“一隻鞋似乎偷了也沒什麼用場，”福爾摩斯說道。“我敢肯定這隻鞋將在旅館中找到並歸還給您。但是現在我們得將有關巴斯克維爾家族的某些事情告訴給您。”

摩梯末醫生掏出了巴斯克維爾家族的那份古老的手稿，並把它讀給亨利爵士聽。福爾摩斯接著告訴他有關查爾斯爵士之死的情況。

“這麼說來這封信是出自一位想要警告我或是嚇跑我的人之手了，”亨利爵士說道。

“是的，”福爾摩斯說道。“我們還不得不決定一下讓您去巴斯克維爾莊園是否明智。那兒對您來說似乎有危險。”

“沒有任何人或任何惡魔能夠阻止我去我家的房子，”亨利爵士生氣地講道。“我需要時間來考慮考慮你們所告訴我的事情。您和華生醫生願意在兩小時以後去我住的旅館和我共進午餐嗎？屆時，我將告訴您我的想法。”

摩梯末醫生和亨利爵士道別了，而且還決定走回他們下榻的旅館去。

我們的客人一走，福爾摩斯就由一個言談者變成了一個行動者。

“快，華生！穿戴好你的衣帽。我們得跟著他們。”我們立刻準備完畢並來到了街上。我們的朋友們在我們之前不遠處，我們尾隨著他們。我們保持在他們身後100米處。

福爾摩斯突然叫了一聲。我看到有一輛出租馬車在街道的另一側、我們的朋友的對面緩緩地前進著。

“就是那個人，華生！來呀！我們來好好地看看他的樣子。”

我看到有個長著一大綹黑鬚的男子正從出租馬車的窗戶裡往外看。他一直盯著我們的朋友的行蹤。但是，當他看到我們向他跑去時，他便向車伕喊了一句什麼，馬車然後就順著這條道飛奔而去了。福爾摩斯四下裡張望著，想另找一輛出租馬車，可是沒有看到有空車。他於是開始追頭一輛馬車，可是它不久便不見蹤影了。

“哼，我記下車號了，”福爾摩斯說道。“由此我可以找到車伕。他也許可以告訴我們他的乘客的一些情況。要是你再見到那人，你會認出他來嗎？”

“我只能認得他的鬍鬚。”

“他本來便是想叫我們認得他的鬍鬚，”福爾摩斯說道。“我認為那是綹假鬍子。”