“Well, mislaid it, anyhow. I put them both outside my doorlast night, 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 never hadthem 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 waswhy I put them out.”
“Then I understand that on your arrival in London yesterdayyou went out at once and bought a pair of boots?”
“I did a good deal of shopping. Dr. Mortimer here went roundwith me. 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 ways outWest. Among other things I bought these brown boots—gave sixdollars for them—and had one stolen before ever I had them onmy feet.”
“It seems a singularly useless thing to steal,” said SherlockHolmes. “I confess that I share Dr. Mortimer’s belief that it willnot be long before the missing boot is found.”
“And, now, gentlemen,” said the baronet with decision, “itseems to me that I have spoken quite enough about the little thatI know. 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 avengeance,” said he when the long narrative was finished. “Ofcourse, I’ve heard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery.
It’s the pet story of the family, though I never thought of takingit seriously 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 aboutwhat goes 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 scareme away.”
“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 practical pointwhich we now have to decide, Sir Henry, is whether it is or is notadvisable 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 meandanger from 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 preventme from going to the home of my own people, and you maytake that to be my final answer.” His dark brows knitted and hisface flushed to a dusky red as he spoke. It was evident that thefiery temper of 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 man tohave to understand and to decide at one sitting. I should like tohave a quiet hour by myself to make up my mind. Now, look here,Mr. Holmes, it’s half-past eleven now and I am going back rightaway to my hotel. Suppose you and your friend, Dr. Watson, comeround and lunch with us at two. I’ll be able to tell you more clearlythen 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 goodmorning!”
We heard the steps of our visitors descend the stair and thebang of the front door. In an instant Holmes had changed fromthe languid 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 stairs andinto the street. Dr. Mortimer and Baskerville were still visible abouttwo hundred yards ahead of us in the direction of Oxford Street.
“Shall I run on and stop them?”
“Not for the world, my dear Watson. I am perfectly satisfiedwith your company if you will tolerate mine. Our friends are wise,for it is certainly a very fine morning for a walk.”
He quickened his pace until we had decreased the distancewhich divided us by about half. Then, still keeping a hundredyards behind, we followed into Oxford Street and so down RegentStreet. Once our friends stopped and stared into a shop window,upon which Holmes did the same. An instant afterwards he gavea little cry 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 lookat him, 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 through 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 the traffic,but the start was too great, and already the cab was out of sight.
