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    The Hound of Baskervilles
    The Hound of Baskervilles
    The Hound of Baskervilles
    Ebook217 pages2 hours

    The Hound of Baskervilles

    By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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    Murder, mayhem, and a hero with a drug addiction! A desolate moor, a diabolical dog, and some inbred locals—Sherlock Holmes is really up against it. With the help of his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson, Holmes pieces together a mystery that has captured the imagination of readers across the decades—all while practicing a serious coffee and cocaine habit.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPulp The Classics
    Release dateJul 1, 2013
    ISBN9781843441236
    Author

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) descendía de una noble familia irlandesa y cursó estudios de Medicina. Sin embargo, nunca ejerció, pues apenas dos años después de licenciarse en 1885 dio a luz el primero de sus relatos de suspense, Estudio en escarlata (1887). Su éxito fue tan grande e inmediato, que nuestro autor ya no dejaría de escribir. El personaje creado por él, su detective Sherlock Holmes, se hizo famosísimo y protagonizó nada menos que sesenta títulos. Entre los más conocidos se encuentran El perro de los Baskerville, El valle del terror o los relatos incluidos en su libro Las aventuras de Sherlock Holmes, publicado en Gribaudo. También cultivó la ciencia ficción, la novela histórica y otros géneros. En 1900 dio a luz su libro más extenso, La guerra de los bóers, y se pronunció en favor de la contienda británica en África. Según su opinión fue esto sobre todo lo que favoreció su nombramiento como caballero de la Orden del Imperio dos años después. Había alcanzado un lugar de prestigio, con apenas cuarenta años. Poco después (1906) murió su esposa Louise Hawkins y se casó con la médium Jean Elizabeth Leckie. Este vínculo con las ciencias ocultas se acrecentó tras la desaparición de su hijo Kingsley en la Primera Guerra Mundial. Del vínculo directo con el espiritismo nació su Historia del espiritismo (1926) así como numerosas polémicas, por ejemplo, contra su amigo Harry Houdini. Fue asimismo aficionado al fútbol, al críquet y al golf, entre otras pasiones. Murió de un ataque al corazón en la ciudad de Crowborough, en donde había residido durante veintitrés años.

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    Reviews for The Hound of Baskervilles

    4/5

    3,471 ratings124 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A veritable classic, what more can you say! Despite the course of time this is still a great story. After all the collections of stories about Sherlock Holmes I really enjoyed the greater depth that a novel allowed with a very intriguing story and some great inventiveness in the writing! I wish he'd written more as extended novels. Definitely should be read by everyone.
    • 5/5
      Classic Sherlock Holmes at his finest. A great story with thrills along the way. I've read and seen the movie versions of this story multiple times, but I still enjoy reading this over and over again. The story never gets old.
    • 3/5
      Het oer-detectiveverhaal, maar minstens evenzeer neogothic verhaal. Breder thema: de zekerheden van wetenschap en rede tegenover bijgeloof; zelfs Holmes als aardsrationalist gaat aan het twijfelen, ook hij gebruikt intuïtie, speculatie en verbeelding! Het verhaal zelf wordt grotendeels gedragen door Watson.Eerste lectuur toen ik 16 was en de finesses nog niet helemaal kon waarderen.
    • 4/5
      A classic tale which never gets old, this short novel has something for everyone. It's classic Sherlock Holmes, so there is a compelling mystery, great characters and wonderful atmosphere. From the rooms of 221B Baker Street, to the streets of London, to the misty Moor, the sense of time and place is masterfully evoked. There are clues to be discovered and the resolution to be explained to Dr Watson (and thus the reader!) in Holmes' inimitable style. Small wonder that Conan Doyle has influenced generations of mystery writers and that his tales of the great detective still resonate today.

      The audiobook was competently narrated by Simon Prebble. A small quibble I have is with his voice for Beryl Stapleton. Her "slight lisp" - as it is described in the text - came out as akin to the accent of Manuel in Fawlty Towers: somewhat distracting, but not fatal to enjoyment.

      This was a fun buddy read with my friend Jemidar. Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      Audiobook. Very good and interesting mystery. The narration was very well done too. I liked listening to the story rather than reading it since I tend to get lost and forget what happened in the written Sherlock Holmes books.
    • 4/5
      Doyle's descriptions of both characters and setting are top notch. I always enjoy "deducing" along with Sherlock and Watson. The mystery in this book was just so-so.
    • 5/5
      For a large section of this book Sherlock does not appear. You hear Dr. Watson's point of view. It is only later you learn what he has been doing off screen. It was a really enjoyable mystery.
    • 5/5
      Sherlock Holmes and the ever present Dr. Watson are brought in to investigate the untimely death of Sir Charles Baskerville where his body was found on the Devon moorland with the footprints of a giant hound nearby and a look of horror frozen on his face. The presumed blame for his death is placed on a family curse by the new baronet. This Gothic mystery novel of a murder will take all of Holmes brain power to solve. He must work within the framework of the family's dark legend of the moors and their fears that this legend will continue. These courageous sleuths have all their skills tested as they try to discover the truth. And we follow them as the plot takes us on a dark mysterious ride with surprising twist.
    • 3/5
      My least favorite (so far) of Doyle's works. It seems a bit more forced than the other stories. I believe it may have been padded to create something more significant than his short stories.
    • 3/5
      I have seen several movie versions of this story, but the actual written word surpasses the visual presentation. Doyle is a master of description of character and setting. He sets the mood for that great hound to come charging into the moor. The women are minor characters in the majority of the stories, but they hold a few trump cards. I like the way Dr Watson unfolds the story and summarizes the deeds. Watson stands like a celebrated barrister and presents the case.
    • 3/5
      _The Hound of the Baskervilles_ is probably one of the more famous cases of Sherlock Holmes and is also one of only four novel-length treatments of the cases of the great detective. It’s a solid story and is perhaps primarily of interest in the apparently supernatural element which lies at the heart of the case. Indeed this element of the tale, along with its ultimate resolution, is very interesting when viewed in the light of Doyle’s subsequent conversion to spiritualism and when looked at from this angle the numerous comments in the story about the credulous peasants who give credence to the supernatural gain a somewhat ironic lustre.

      I do think, however, that the story was far from the strongest of Doyle’s outings with his most famous creation. Its main failing lies primarily in the fact that the real draw of all of these stories is largely absent for the bulk of it: Sherlock Holmes himself. I wonder whether Conan Doyle was trying to keep his distance from the creation whose popularity he had begun to view with a growing ambivalence? As it is we do have the opportunity to see Watson acting on his own as Holmes’ agent which is of some interest, but I’m afraid that he doesn’t hold a candle to his confederate as a fully compelling character study. Stolid and not without resources as an investigator he may be, but there really is no substitute to the biting commentary and unique perspective of Holmes himself.

      I will avoid giving much of a plot outline, since it’s probably either already known or not desired due to the possibility of spoilers in the case. Suffice it to say that an apparently insoluble death leads our intrepid team to the foggy moors of England’s West Country where they not only hope to solve one death, but also to prevent another. Doyle goes all out in peppering the trail with utterly ambiguous clues and numerous strands and false leads until things can be brought to their ultimate and satisfying conclusion. I did learn one interesting tidbit: apparently as far as Dr. Watson is concerned it's ok to let an insane psychopath go free as long as he will leave England and only be a burden and a danger to the people of South America. Nice one, doc.
    • 5/5
      Arthur Conan Doyle wrote "Hound of the Baskervilles" eight years after he'd killed Holmes in an attempt to abandon what he thought of as bullshit pop writing and an escape to more serious historical fiction, none of which we give a shit about today. We're all familiar with the belated sequel (*cough* George Lucas). (And he did charge double his usual price for its publication, knowing Holmes' popularity.) Furthermore, he wrote it together with one Fletcher Robinson, whose name reminds me of the awful John Fletcher, Shakespeare's protege, with whom Will wrote such terrible plays as Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen.

      So how surprising is it to we sequel-weary people that Hound of the Baskervilles totally kicks ass?

      But it does. Of the two Holmes novellas, this and "Study in Scarlet," Hound is obviously superior. It's perfectly plotted, and its Gothic theme meshes surprisingly well with Holmes' invincible rationality. It's a terrific book.
    • 3/5
      My first Sherlock Holmes mystery, but probably not my last. Slighly slower pace than a modern mystery, but good whodunit.
    • 4/5
      I did not mention this book in anything I wrote which has survived, but I do remember I liked it much.
    • 4/5
      I first read this book sometime in elementary school, and I'm not going to say exactly how long it's been since then, but suffice to say that I don't really remember the story all that well. It's been on my "need to read again" list for quite awhile, and then my sister got me hooked on the show Sherlock (you guys, SO GOOD!), and after watching their modern rendition of the story, I felt the need to go back to the original.The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably one of the best known Sherlock Holmes novels. It's about a man who has just become the heir to the Baskerville estate; the only thing is, the Baskerville family is cursed to die from a hellhound that comes out at night. And Sir Charles, the man's predecessor, seems to have died from that very hound.There's a reason why the Sherlock Holmes stories have been adapted -- and is currently being adapted -- into movies, TV shows, and other novels: it's just good fun. The Hound of the Baskervilles is a standard Holmes mystery and doesn't contain any real surprises or material that can't be found in his other stories. However, as one of the longer stories, there is much more time to fully develop the characters and intrigues, which is nice. I always love seeing the relationship between Watson and Holmes. Also, I think that this story has some of the more interesting side characters that I've found in Doyle's works.The characters are familiar and loveable, especially Watson. God, do I love Watson. In this particular novel, there are so many surprises, I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. It's also nice to read from one of the authors who has inspired today's detective genre. I will say, however, that the novel has a fairly direct solution to the mystery (not nearly as complicated, or unfortunately, as intriguing, as Sherlock's rendition). But overall, I enjoyed reading this story and think that any Sherlock Holmes or detective mystery fan will like it just as much.
    • 4/5
      Absorbing read but I don't think Doyle really meant for you to figure things out beforehand.
    • 4/5
      The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of Sir Arthur Conan's best detective novels. As he wrote this in the time period where Gothic novels were prominent, it is not the usual detective novel, but with a supernatural twist. When Sherlock Holmes is asked to investigate the mysterious curse which has plagued the Baskerville family for years, he finds himself in the midst of a dilemma. This novel is recommended for all fans of Sherlock Holmes and gothic fiction.
    • 4/5
      Another brilliant story. This one takes on a bit of a different flavor as Watson takes on the central roll for most of the book. Definitely worth a read.
    • 5/5
      This was a terrific read. I can't wait to read more of Doyle's work.
    • 2/5
      really like every single sherlock holmes story except for this one
    • 3/5
      This is the first Sherlock Holmes novel I've read, though I've long been a great fan of the short stories. I think the most interesting character in this story, by far, was the moor itself. Having finished the tale, I feel somewhat ambivalent about the mystery itself, but I am very much intrigued by the moor, and would love very much to see it for myself and find out if it deserves all the superlatives that were heaped upon it by Conan Doyle. I found the mystery itself so-so mainly because there was no answer to the question provided by Watson at the end: what was Stapleton thinking he'd do once Sir Henry was out of the way? No clear logic was present and Holmes' theories all somewhat unsatisfying. It felt as if Conan Doyle couldn't think of a solution himself, so he just wrote it off as an unfathomable bit of the mystery. Not what I expect out of our good friend Mr. Holmes.
    • 5/5
      I read this before when I was younger, so none of it was exactly surprising to me. It's better than the other two Holmes novels I've read: the structure is better, that is to say, although I also enjoyed the story a little more, probably because it's so iconic and because I remembered somewhat of what's supposed to be going on. Sherlock has less of a spotlight in this, I suppose, since Watson goes about on his own and investigates, but of course, it's Holmes that figures out everything at the end. I actually found the last chapter or so, the explanation, unnecessarily -- although that's probably because I've read it before, so I knew the significance of details like the boots.

      Like the other Holmes stories and novels, though, this is easy to read and fun and kinda hard to put down.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Sherlock Holmes story and I ended up enjoying reading this even though. Had to restart it after halfway through. I apparently read through too fast and got lost in the story and felt that to better appreciate what we have been given in this masterful mystery. I felt that this decision helped establish the characters better and helped me figure out some of the mystery before it came upon us. I'll definitely be reading more, probably starting at book one for a change.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Sherlock Holmes story and I ended up enjoying reading this even though. Had to restart it after halfway through. I apparently read through too fast and got lost in the story and felt that to better appreciate what we have been given in this masterful mystery. I felt that this decision helped establish the characters better and helped me figure out some of the mystery before it came upon us. I'll definitely be reading more, probably starting at book one for a change.
    • 3/5
      Having read a couple examples of both, I think I generally prefer Doyle's books over his short stories, mostly because in the books there is more showing, rather then just having clients and Sherlock telling the reader everything, over and over again.
    • 5/5
      The stories of Sherlock Holmes are always a interesting read--even more so now because of the popularity or recent movies and TV shows. The Hounds of the Baskervilles is one of the most loved stories in the Sherlock Holmes series and I can see why!
    • 4/5
      Probably the most-referred-to case Sherlock Holmes ever solved, I only went into it knowing it had something to do with a supernatural dog. I feel like I must have read this when I was younger, if only in a simplified version, but I didn't remember anything more about it. Watson comes to the forefront in this one for quite a while, which makes it interesting. The twists and turns are enjoyable, even if I found none of the players in the case particularly endearing. Recommended for: everyone.Quote: "I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions were erroneous. When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth."
    • 5/5
      I'm not sure what took me so long to read this book. I've always loved Sherlock Holmes since I first saw Basil Rathbone's version on t.v. as a child. This was a lovely mystery. Although, I knew the basis of the story (from what I could remember seeing as a child and also from the Moffit/Gatiss modern version of the tale), I still found myself surprised in a few areas. I even found myself jumping at one point when my telephone rang while I was reading a particularly dark description of the moors at night.

      I do love Sherlock Holmes and think everyone should read at least some of Doyle's masterpiece series at least once in their lifetime. As I've told my son (who is currently reading A Study in Scarlet), you might just be surprised with how readable and enjoyable, Doyle's work is.
    • 4/5
      A demonic hound is terrorizing the Baskerville family.I have to admit that the first thing I thought upon finishing this book was: "I would have gotten away with it first if it hadn't been for that meddling detective!" To be fair, Conan Doyle long preceded Scooby-Doo, and the writing is much better. But in terms of plot, they certainly could be kissing cousins.I remember reading a lot of Sherlock Holmes as a kid, although I don't remember which stories I read, or if this famous novel was among them. I have the Puffin Classics edition, and I think this novel, and Sherlock Holmes in general, holds up well for young readers. Conan Doyle's writing is clean, straightforward, and evocative. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of the moors in this book--they came across as both beautiful and menacing. I was glad to revisit Sherlock Holmes. After seeing so many televised and film adaptations, we can lose sight of the original work and forget that it's also worth reading in its own right.This story was inspired by the legend of ghostly black dogs in Dartmoor. Its appearance was regarded as a portent of death.Revisiting children's classics (2014). I also read this as part of the MysteryCAT challenge for March 2014: children's mysteries.
    • 2/5
      My first Sherlock Holmes; I want to read more just because I'm sure there must be better ones.

    Book preview

    The Hound of Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Murder… Mystery… Walkies!

    A desolate moor, a diabolical dog in need of a muzzle and some inbred locals; Sherlock Holmes is really up against it. With the help of his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson, Holmes pieces together a mystery that has captured the imagination of readers across the decades. All whilst practising a serious coffee and cocaine habit.

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1859 – 1930, was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction. He was a prolific writer whose other works include science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels

    David Mann is an artist and illustrator who studied illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. He has previously illustrated for both publishers and corporate clients. He lives in Hertfordshire

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    Other titles in this series

    A Christmas Carol

    The Great Gatsby

    The Hound of the Baskervilles

    The Picture of Dorian Gray

    Pride & Prejudice

    Robinson Crusoe

    Tess of the D’Urbervilles

    Wuthering Heights

    This story owes its inception to my friend, Mr Fletcher Robinson, who has helped me both in the general plot and in the local details.

    ACD

    CONTENTS

    1 Mr Sherlock Holmes

    2 The Curse of the Baskervilles

    3 The Problem

    4 Sir Henry Baskerville

    5 Three Broken Threads

    6 Baskerville Hall

    7 The Stapletons of Merripit House

    8 First Report of Dr Watson

    9 The Light upon the Moor

    10 Extract from the Diary of Dr Watson

    11 The Man on the Tor

    12 Death on the Moor

    13 Fixing the Nets

    14 The Hound of the Baskervilles

    15 A Retrospection

    About Us

    Copyright

    1

    MR SHERLOCK HOLMES

    Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. I stood upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before. It was a fine, thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a ‘Penang lawyer.’ Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch across. ‘To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the C.C.H.,’ was engraved upon it, with the date ‘1884.’ It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to carry – dignified, solid, and reassuring.

    ‘Well, Watson, what do you make of it?’

    Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him no sign of my occupation.

    ‘How did you know what I was doing? I believe you have eyes in the back of your head.’

    ‘I have, at least, a well-polished, silver-plated coffee-pot in front of me,’ said he. ‘But, tell me, Watson, what do you make of our visitor’s stick? Since we have been so unfortunate as to miss him and have no notion of his errand, this accidental souvenir becomes of importance. Let me hear you reconstruct the man by an examination of it.’

    ‘I think,’ said I, following as far as I could the methods of my companion, ‘that Dr Mortimer is a successful, elderly medical man, well-esteemed since those who know him give him this mark of their appreciation.’

    ‘Good!’ said Holmes. ‘Excellent!’

    ‘I think also that the probability is in favour of his being a country practitioner who does a great deal of his visiting on foot.’

    ‘Why so?’

    ‘Because this stick, though originally a very handsome one, has been so knocked about that I can hardly imagine a town practitioner carrying it. The thick-iron ferrule is worn down, so it is evident that he has done a great amount of walking with it.’

    ‘Perfectly sound!’ said Holmes.

    ‘And then again, there is the friends of the C.C.H. I should guess that to be the Something Hunt, the local hunt to whose members he has possibly given some surgical assistance, and which has made him a small presentation in return.’

    ‘Really, Watson, you excel yourself,’ said Holmes, pushing back his chair and lighting a cigarette. ‘I am bound to say that in all the accounts which you have been so good as to give of my own small achievements you have habitually underrated your own abilities. It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. I confess, my dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt.’

    He had never said as much before, and I must admit that his words gave me keen pleasure, for I had often been piqued by his indifference to my admiration and to the attempts which I had made to give publicity to his methods. I was proud, too, to think that I had so far mastered his system as to apply it in a way which earned his approval. He now took the stick from my hands and examined it for a few minutes with his naked eyes. Then with an expression of interest he laid down his cigarette, and carrying the cane to the window, he looked over it again with a convex lens.

    ‘Interesting, though elementary,’ said he as he returned to his favourite corner of the settee. ‘There are certainly one or two indications upon the stick. It gives us the basis for several deductions.’

    ‘Has anything escaped me?’ I asked with some self-importance. ‘I trust that there is nothing of consequence which I have overlooked?’

    ‘I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions were erroneous. When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided towards the truth. Not that you are entirely wrong in this instance. The man is certainly a country practitioner. And he walks a good deal.’

    ‘Then I was right.’

    ‘To that extent.’

    ‘But that was all.’

    ‘No, no, my dear Watson, not all – by no means all. I would suggest, for example, that a presentation to a doctor is more likely to come from a hospital than from a hunt, and that when the initials C.C. are placed before that hospital the words Charing Cross very naturally suggest themselves.’

    ‘You may be right.’

    ‘The probability lies in that direction. And if we take this as a working hypothesis we have a fresh basis from which to start our construction of this unknown visitor.’

    ‘Well, then, supposing that C.C.H. does stand for Charing Cross Hospital, what further inferences may we draw?’

    ‘Do none suggest themselves? You know my methods. Apply them!’

    ‘I can only think of the obvious conclusion that the man has practised in town before going to the country.’

    ‘I think that we might venture a little farther than this. Look at it in this light. On what occasion would it be most probable that such a presentation would be made? When would his friends unite to give him a pledge of their good will? Obviously at the moment when Dr Mortimer withdrew from the service of the hospital in order to start a practice for himself. We know there has been a presentation. We believe there has been a change from a town hospital to a country practice. Is it, then, stretching our inference too far to say that the presentation was on the occasion of the change?’

    ‘It certainly seems probable.’

    ‘Now, you will observe that he could not have been on the staff of the hospital, since only a man well-established in a London practice could hold such a position, and such a one would not drift into the country. What was he, then? If he was in the hospital and yet not on the staff he could only have been a house-surgeon or a house-physician – little more than a senior student. And he left five years ago – the date is on the stick. So your grave, middle-aged family practitioner vanishes into thin air, my dear Watson, and there emerges a young fellow under thirty, amiable, unambitious, absent-minded, and the possessor of a favourite dog, which I should describe roughly as being larger than a terrier and smaller than a mastiff.’

    I laughed incredulously as Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his settee and blew little wavering rings of smoke up to the ceiling.

    ‘As to the latter part, I have no means of checking you,’ said I, ‘but at least it is not difficult to find out a few particulars about the man’s age and professional career.’ From my small medical shelf I took down the Medical Directory and turned up the name. There were several Mortimers, but only one who could be our visitor. I read his record aloud.

    ‘Mortimer, James, M.R.C.S., 1882, Grimpen, Dartmoor, Devon. House-surgeon, from 1882 to 1884, at Charing Cross Hospital. Winner of the Jackson prize for Comparative Pathology, with essay entitled ‘Is Disease a Reversion?’ Corresponding member of the Swedish Pathological Society. Author of ‘Some Freaks of Atavism’ (Lancet 1882). ‘Do We Progress?’ (Journal of Psychology, March, 1883). Medical Officer for the parishes of Grimpen, Thorsley, and High Barrow.’

    ‘No mention of that local hunt, Watson,’ said Holmes with a mischievous smile, ‘but a country doctor, as you very astutely observed. I think that I am fairly justified in my inferences. As to the adjectives, I said, if I remember right, amiable, unambitious, and absent-minded. It is my experience that it is only an amiable man in this world who receives testimonials, only an unambitious one who abandons a London career for the country, and only an absent-minded one who leaves his stick and not his visiting-card after waiting an hour in your room.’

    ‘And the dog?’

    ‘Has been in the habit of carrying this stick behind his master. Being a heavy stick the dog has held it tightly by the middle, and the marks of his teeth are very plainly visible. The dog’s jaw, as shown in the space between these marks, is too broad in my opinion for a terrier and not broad enough for a mastiff. It may have been – yes, by Jove, it is a curly-haired spaniel.’

    He had risen and paced the room as he spoke. Now he halted in the recess of the window. There was such a ring of conviction in his voice that I glanced up in surprise.

    ‘My dear fellow, how can you possibly be so sure of that?’

    ‘For the very simple reason that I see the dog himself on our very door-step, and there is the ring of its owner. Don’t move, I beg you, Watson. He is a professional brother of yours, and your presence may be of assistance to me. Now is the dramatic moment of fate, Watson, when you hear a step upon the stair which is walking into your life, and you know not whether for good or ill. What does Dr James Mortimer, the man of science, ask of Sherlock Holmes, the specialist in crime? Come in!’

    The appearance of our visitor was a surprise to me, since I had expected a typical country practitioner. He was a very tall, thin man, with a long nose like a beak, which jutted out between two keen, grey eyes, set closely together and sparkling brightly from behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He was clad in a professional but rather slovenly fashion, for his frock-coat was dingy and his trousers frayed. Though young, his long back was already bowed, and he walked with a forward thrust of his head and a general air of peering benevolence. As he entered his eyes fell upon the stick in Holmes’s hand, and he ran towards it with an exclamation of joy. ‘I am so very glad,’ said he. ‘I was not sure whether I had left it here or in the Shipping Office. I would not lose that stick for the world.’

    ‘A presentation, I see,’ said Holmes.

    ‘Yes, sir.’

    ‘From Charing Cross Hospital?’

    ‘From one or two friends there on the occasion of my marriage.’

    ‘Dear, dear, that’s bad!’ said Holmes, shaking his head.

    Dr Mortimer blinked through his glasses in mild astonishment. ‘Why was it bad?’

    ‘Only that you have disarranged our little deductions. Your marriage, you say?’

    ‘Yes, sir. I married, and so left the hospital, and with it all hopes of a consulting practice. It was necessary to make a home of my own.’

    ‘Come, come, we are not so far wrong, after all,’ said Holmes. ‘And now, Dr James Mortimer –’

    ‘Mister, sir, Mister – a humble M.R.C.S.’

    ‘And a man of precise mind, evidently.’

    ‘A dabbler in science, Mr Holmes, a picker up of shells on the shores of the great unknown ocean. I presume that it is Mr Sherlock Holmes whom I am addressing and not –’

    ‘No, this is my friend Dr Watson.’

    ‘Glad to meet you, sir. I have heard your name mentioned in connection with that of your friend. You interest me very much, Mr Holmes. I had hardly expected so dolichocephalic a skull or such well-marked supra-orbital development. Would you have any objection to my running my finger along your parietal fissure? A cast of your skull, sir, until the original is available, would be an ornament to any anthropological museum. It is not my intention to be fulsome, but I confess that I covet your skull.’

    Sherlock Holmes waved our strange visitor into a chair. ‘You are an enthusiast in your line of thought, I perceive, sir, as I am in mine,’ said he. ‘I observe from your forefinger that you make your own cigarettes. Have no hesitation in lighting one.’

    The man drew out paper and tobacco and twirled the one up in the other with surprising dexterity. He had long, quivering fingers as agile and restless as the antennae of an insect.

    Holmes was silent, but his little darting glances showed me the interest which he took in our curious companion. ‘I presume, sir,’ said he at last, ‘that it was not merely for the purpose of examining my skull that you have done me the honour to call here last night and again today?’

    ‘No, sir, no; though I am happy to have had the opportunity of doing that as well. I came to you, Mr Holmes, because I recognised that I am myself an unpractical man and because I am suddenly confronted with a most serious and extraordinary problem. Recognising, as I do, that you are the second highest expert in Europe –’

    ‘Indeed, sir! May I inquire who has the honour to be the first?’ asked Holmes with some asperity.

    ‘To the man of precisely scientific mind the work of Monsieur Bertillon must always appeal strongly.’

    ‘Then had you not better consult him?’

    ‘I said, sir, to the precisely scientific mind. But as a practical man of affairs it is acknowledged that you stand alone. I trust, sir, that I have not inadvertently –’

    ‘Just a little,’ said Holmes. ‘I think, Dr Mortimer, you would do wisely if without more ado you would kindly tell me plainly what the exact nature of the problem is in which you demand my assistance.’

    2

    THE CURSE OF THE BASKERVILLES

    ‘I have in my pocket a manuscript,’ said Dr James Mortimer.

    ‘I observed it as you entered the room,’ said Holmes.

    ‘It is an old manuscript.’

    ‘Early eighteenth century, unless it is a forgery.’

    ‘How can you say that, sir?’

    ‘You have presented an inch or two of it to my examination all the time that you have been talking. It would be a poor expert who could not give the date of a document within a decade or so. You may possibly have read my little monograph upon the subject. I put that at 1730.’

    ‘The exact date is 1742.’ Dr Mortimer drew it from his breast-pocket. ‘This family paper was committed to my care by Sir Charles Baskerville, whose sudden and tragic death some three months ago created so much excitement in Devonshire. I may say that I was his personal friend as well as his medical attendant. He was a strong-minded man, sir, shrewd, practical, and as unimaginative as I am myself. Yet he took this document very seriously, and his mind was prepared for just such an end as did eventually overtake him.’

    Holmes stretched out his hand for the manuscript and flattened it upon his knee. ‘You will observe, Watson, the alternative use of the long s and the short. It is one of several indications which enabled me to fix the date.’

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

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