r Stapleton came to the Hall and met Sir Henry that same afternoon.The next morning he took us to the place where the evil Sir Hugo died.Then we had lunch at the House.Sir Henry clearly thought Miss Stapleton was very beautiful.His eyes followed her everywhere.He liked her very much,and I was sure that she felt the same about him.He spoke about her again and again as we walked home.After the first meeting,we met the Stapletons almost every day.
After a short time it was clear that Sir Henry had fallen deeply in love with the beautiful Miss Stapleton.At first I thought that Stapleton would be very pleased if his sister mar ried Sir Henry.However,I soon realized that he did not want their friendship to grow into love.He did everything he could to make sure that they were never alone.On one or two occa sions they did manage to meet alone,but Stapleton followed them and was not pleased to see them together.
I soon met another neighbour of Sir Henry's.His name was Mr Frankland,and he lived about four miles to the south of the Hall.He was an old man with a red face and white hair.He had two hobbies.The first was arguing.He argued with everybody.The second hobby was studying the stars.For this he had a very big telescope.For several days he had been watching the moor through the telescope.He wanted to find Selden,the escaped murderer.Nobody had seen the prisoner for a fortnight,and we all thought that he had probably left the moor.
A few nights later I was woken by a noise at about two in the morning.I heard someone walking softly outside my door.I got up,opened the door and looked out.I saw Barrymore moving carefully and quietly away from me.I followed him,as quietly as I could.He went into one of the empty bedrooms and left the door open.I went quietly up to the door and looked in side.
Barrymore was standing at the window.He was holding a light in his hand and looking out onto the moor.He stood without moving for a few minutes and then he put out the light.
I went quickly back to my room.A few minutes later I heard Barrymore go softly by.
The next morning I told Sir Henry what I had seen.
'We must follow him and find out what he is doing,'said Sir Henry.'He won't hear us if we move carefully.'
That night we sat in Sir Henry's room and waited.At about three o'clock in the morning we heard the sound of footsteps outside the bedroom.We looked out and saw Barrymore.We followed him as quietly as we could.He went into the same room as before.We reached the door and looked in.There was Barrymore,with the light in his hand,looking out across the moor,exactly as I had seen him on the night before.
Sir Henry walked into the room and said:'What are you do ing here,Barrymore?'
Barrymore turned round quickly,surprise and horror on his face.
'Nothing,Sir,'he said.The shadows on the wall from his light were jumping up and down as his hand shook.'It was the window,sir.I go round at night to see that they are closed,and this one wasn't shut.'
'Come now,Barrymore,'said Sir Henry.'No lies.What were you doing with that light?You were holding it up to the window.'
I suddenly had an idea.'I think he was sending a message,' I said.'Let's see if there's an answer from someone on the moor.'
I held the light up to the window,and looked out into the darkness.Suddenly a light answered from the moor.
'There it is,'I cried.I waved my light backwards and for wards across the window.The light on the moor answered by moving in the same way.
'Now,Barrymore,who is your friend on the moor?What's going on?'
'That's my business,'said Barrymore,'I won't tell you.'
'Are you making some criminal plan against me?'Sir Henry said.
'No,it's nothing against you,sir,'said a voice behind us.It was Mrs Barrymore.She had followed us and was standing at the door.'He's doing it for me.My unhappy brother is cold and hungry on the moor.We cannot let him die.Our light is to tell him that food is ready for him.His light shows us where to take it.'
'Then your brother is…'began Sir Henry.
'The escaped prisoner,sir.Selden,the murderer.He is my younger brother.He has done evil things,but to me he is still the little boy I loved and cared for.I had to help him.Every thing my husband has done has been for me.Please don't take his job from him.It's not his fault.'
Sir Henry turned to Barrymore and said:
'I cannot blame you for helping your wife.Go to bed,and we'll talk about this in the morning.'
The Barrymores left us.
'The murderer is waiting out there by that light,' said Sir Henry.'He's a danger to everyone.I'm going to catch him.If you want to come with me,Watson,fetch your revolver and let's go.'
We left the Hall immediately.
'We must surprise him and catch him.'said Sir Henry.'He's a dangerous man.Now,Watson,what would Holmes say about this?Do you remember what the old papers said? They said the Devil does his work when the world is dark.'
Just as he spoke there came a strange cry from across the moor.It was the same cry I had heard when I was with Staple ton on the edge of the Great Grimpen Marsh.
'What is that noise?'asked Sir Henry.He stopped and put his hand on my arm to hold me back.
'I've heard it before,'I said.'Stapleton says it's the cry of a bird.'
'Watson,'said Sir Henry,his voice shaking,'it is the cry of a hound.What do the local people say it is?'
'They say it is the cry of the Hound of the Baskervilles,'I replied.
'Can there possibly be some truth in the story?'said Sir Henry.'Am I really in danger from such an evil thing?I think I am as brave as most men,but that sound froze my blood.But we have come out to catch that prisoner,and the Devil himself will not make me turn back.'
It was difficult to cross the moor in the dark,but at last we reached the light.It was standing on a rock.Suddenly an evil face,more like an animal than a man,looked at us from behind the rock.The escaped prisoner saw us and screamed as he turned to run.
Sir Henry and I were both good runners and very healthy men,but we soon realized that we had no chance of catching Selden.He knew the way,and was running for his life.Soon we had lost him in the dark,so we stopped and sat down,breathing heavily,to rest.
At that moment a very strange thing happened.The moon was low upon our right,and in its light we could see the top of a hill.On that hill,with the moon behind him,stood a tall,thin man.He was standing perfectly still.He was watching us.
It was not Selden,who had been running away from that hill.This man was much taller.With a cry of surprise I turned to Sir Henry.As I turned,the man disappeared.
I wanted to go across to the hill and search for him,but we were tired and I remembered that Sir Henry might be in dan ger.So we went back to Baskerville Hall.
Who was the tall man I had seen standing against the moon? Was he an enemy,or a friend who was watching over us?
I wished more and more that Holmes could leave London and come to Baskerville Hall.I wrote to him every few days and gave him the details of everything that happened and everyone I met.
斯臺(tái)普頓先生于當(dāng)日下午前來莊園拜訪亨利爵士。第二天早晨，他帶著我們?nèi)タ戳四莻�(gè)罪惡的雨果出事的地點(diǎn)。然后，我們在格林盆宅邸吃了午飯。亨利爵士顯然認(rèn)為斯臺(tái)普頓小姐很漂亮。他的目光一直追隨著她。他非常喜歡她，我還敢肯定她對他也有此同感。在我們回家的路上，他屢次談到了她。自從第一次見面之后，我們便幾乎每天都能見到斯臺(tái)普頓兄妹。
不久之后，亨利爵士深深地愛上了漂亮的斯臺(tái)普頓小姐，這點(diǎn)已相當(dāng)明顯了。我起初以為斯臺(tái)普頓會(huì)為他的妹妹與亨利爵士的結(jié)合而大為高興的。然而，我不久之后便意識(shí)到他并不想讓他們之間的友誼發(fā)展為愛情。他想盡辦法避免他倆有獨(dú)處的機(jī)會(huì)。他們曾有一兩次想方設(shè)法單獨(dú)見面了，可是斯臺(tái)普頓跟蹤了他們，見他們在一起時(shí)并不高興。
我很快又遇到了亨利爵士的另一位鄰居。他是福蘭克蘭先生，住在莊園以南約四英里遠(yuǎn)的地方。他是一位面色紅潤、頭發(fā)銀白的老人。他有兩個(gè)癖好。其一是爭辯。他會(huì)和所有的人爭論一番。其二是研究星相。他為此買了個(gè)很大的望遠(yuǎn)鏡。數(shù)天來他一直在用這架望遠(yuǎn)鏡注視著沼地。他希望能發(fā)現(xiàn)塞爾登，那位逃犯。兩周以來沒人見過那位囚犯，大家都以為他可能已經(jīng)離開沼地了。
幾天之后的一個(gè)晚上，我在凌晨兩點(diǎn)鐘左右時(shí)被一聲響聲弄醒了。我聽見有人在我的門外輕聲走動(dòng)。我爬起身來，打開房門并向外張望。我看到白瑞摩正小心謹(jǐn)慎而又悄無聲息地從我這邊走開。我盡量無聲無息地跟著他。他走進(jìn)了一間沒人住的臥室并把房門就那么開著。我悄悄地走到房門跟前并向里邊瞧去。
白瑞摩正站在窗戶旁。他手里拿著蠟燭，透過窗戶盯著外面的沼地。他一動(dòng)不動(dòng)地站了幾分鐘，然后弄滅了蠟燭。
我趕快回到了我的房中。幾分鐘之后我聽到白瑞摩輕輕地走過我的門口。
第二天早晨我將我所看到的情景告給了亨利爵士。
“我們得跟蹤他并看看他在干些什么，”亨利爵士說道。“要是我們小心走動(dòng)的話他是不會(huì)聽見我們的。”
那天晚上我們坐在亨利爵士的房間里等著。大約在凌晨3點(diǎn)鐘時(shí)，我們聽到了臥室外面的腳步聲。我們向外望去，看到了白瑞摩。我們盡量無聲無息地跟蹤著他。他同前一次一樣，又到了那個(gè)房間里。我們來到房門旁邊向里望去。白瑞摩手里拿著蠟燭，正望著窗外的沼地。這和我前一天夜里看到的情景一模一樣。
亨利爵士走進(jìn)屋里并且說道：“你在這里干什么呢，白瑞摩？”
白瑞摩趕快轉(zhuǎn)過身來，臉上露出又驚又怕的神色。
“沒干什么，爵爺，”他說道。由于他的手抖動(dòng)著，墻壁上燭光里的人影也不停地上下跳動(dòng)著。“是由于窗戶，爵爺。我在夜間巡視是想看看窗戶是否都已關(guān)好了，而這個(gè)窗戶并沒關(guān)好。”
“得了吧，白瑞摩，”亨利爵士說道。“不要撒謊。你用那個(gè)蠟燭干什么？你剛才可是把它舉在窗口了。”
我突然靈機(jī)一動(dòng)。“我想他那時(shí)是在傳送信號(hào)，”我說道。“我們來看一下沼地上是否有人回答信號(hào)。”
我把蠟燭高舉向窗口并注視著漆黑的外面。突然之間，一個(gè)光點(diǎn)從沼地那邊回應(yīng)著。
“就在那兒，”我喊道。我在窗戶邊前后晃動(dòng)著蠟燭。沼地上的燈光也以同樣的方式移動(dòng)著以回應(yīng)我們。
“我說，白瑞摩，沼地上的你的那個(gè)朋友是誰？發(fā)生著什么事情？”
“那是我個(gè)人的事，”白瑞摩說道。“我不會(huì)告訴您的。”
“你是在搞什么陰謀加害我嗎？”亨利爵士說道。
“不，爵爺，不是害您呀！”從我們身后傳來了一個(gè)聲音。此人是白瑞摩太太。她一直跟蹤著我們，現(xiàn)在正站在門口。“是為了我他才這么干的。我那不幸的弟弟正在沼地上忍饑受凍。我們不能讓他死。這燭光是告訴他食物已經(jīng)給他準(zhǔn)備好了。他那邊的燈光則向我們表明我們該把食物送到什么地點(diǎn)。”
“那么說，你的弟弟是……”亨利爵士開口道。
“是那個(gè)潛逃的罪犯，爵爺。塞爾登，那個(gè)殺人兇手。他是我弟弟，他干了許多壞事。但是對我來講他依舊是我曾愛護(hù)過的那個(gè)小男孩。我得幫他。我丈夫所做的一切都是為了我。請別把他辭掉。這不是他的過錯(cuò)。”
亨利爵士轉(zhuǎn)向白瑞摩，并說道：
“你幫你太太的忙，我不能為此怪你。去上床睡覺吧，我們明早再談這件事。”
白瑞摩夫婦從我們這兒走開了。
“那個(gè)殺人兇手正在外邊的那個(gè)亮光旁等著呢，”亨利爵士說道。“他對大家都是個(gè)危險(xiǎn)。我要去抓住他。如果您想和我一道去的話，華生，那就去取您的左輪手槍，然后咱們就去吧。”
我們馬上離開了莊園。
“我們必須出其不意地將其抓獲，”亨利爵士說道。“他是個(gè)危險(xiǎn)人物。我說，華生，這樣干福爾摩斯會(huì)說什么呢？您還記得那份古老的手稿怎么說的嗎？說惡魔興于黑夜。”
他正說話的當(dāng)中，沼地上傳來了一聲奇怪的叫聲。就是我在格林盆大泥潭邊緣與斯臺(tái)普頓在一起時(shí)聽到的那種聲音。
“那是什么聲音？”亨利爵士問道。他停下了腳步，抓住我的胳膊把我往回拽。
“我以前聽到過這種聲音，”我說道。“斯臺(tái)普頓說這是一種鳥的叫聲。”
“華生，”亨利爵士說道，他的聲音這時(shí)顫抖著。“這是獵犬的叫聲。當(dāng)?shù)厝税阉�叫什么呢�?rdquo;
“他們說這是巴斯克維爾獵犬的叫聲，”我回答道。
“難道那個(gè)故事中真有幾分真實(shí)的成分嗎？”亨利爵士說道。“我真的正受到那個(gè)邪惡的東西的威脅嗎？我認(rèn)為我與大多數(shù)人一樣勇敢，可是這個(gè)聲音使我毛骨悚然。不過，我們是來抓罪犯的，惡魔本人也不能把我嚇回頭。”
要在黑暗之中走過沼地是件難事，但是我們最終還是到達(dá)了光亮所在之處。蠟燭被擱在了一塊巖石之上。突然之間，一張邪惡的、與其說是人長的不如說是野獸般的面孔從巖石后面探出來張望著我們。這個(gè)逃犯看到我們便尖叫著轉(zhuǎn)身逃開了。
我和亨利爵士都是飛毛腿，身體又很健康，可是我們很快便意識(shí)到已沒機(jī)會(huì)抓獲塞爾登了。他既識(shí)路又在逃命。不久之后我們便在黑暗之中看不到他了，因此我們便停下腳步，喘著粗氣坐下來休息一番。
就在那時(shí)，發(fā)生了一件非常奇怪的事情。月亮低懸在我們右側(cè)的空中，我們在月光下看到一座小山的尖頂。在山頂上站著一個(gè)又高又瘦的男子，他背后的天幕上掛著一輪月亮。他一動(dòng)不動(dòng)地站著。他正注視著我們。
此人并非塞爾登，塞爾登已從那座山的旁邊跑遠(yuǎn)了。此人要比他高得多。我驚叫一聲，向亨利爵士轉(zhuǎn)過身去。就在我轉(zhuǎn)身時(shí)此人便消失了。
我本想去小山那邊搜尋一番的，但是我們已精疲力盡了，我還想到亨利爵士可能有危險(xiǎn)。于是我們便回巴斯克維爾莊園去了。
我所看到的這位背對月亮而站立的高個(gè)男人是誰？他是敵人還是密切注視著我們的朋友？
我越來越希望福爾摩斯能夠從倫敦脫身到巴斯克維爾莊園來。每隔不幾天我便給他寫封信，詳盡地告訴他有關(guān)這兒所發(fā)生的每件事情以及我所見到的每位人士的情況。