The Search for Murderer
Then our fear for Sir Henry become greater than our terror. Holmes and I fired our revolvers together. The creature gave a loud cry of pain and we knew we had hit it. But it did not stop and ran on after Sir Henry.
When we heard the cry of pain our fears disappeared. This was no supernatural hound. Our bullets could hurt it and we could kill it. We ran after it as fast as we could. I have never seen anyone run as quickly as Holmes ran that night and I could not keep up with him. In front of us on the path we heard scream after scream from Sir Henry and the deep voice of the hound. I saw the creature jump at Sir Henry and throw him to the groung. Its teeth went for his throat. But the next moment Homles had emptied his revolver into the hound's body. It gave a last deep cry its teeth closed on the empty air and it fell to the ground. I put my revolver to its head but I did not need to fire.
The hound was dead.
Sir Henry lay unconscious where he had fallen. Quickly we opened the neck of his shirt. Homles had fired just in time and the hound's teeth had not reached our friend's throat. Already his eyes were beginnig to open and he looked up at us.
My God he whispered. What was it? What in heaven's name was it?
It's dead whatever it was said Holmes. We havekilled the family ghost for ever.
The creature that lay before us was as large as 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 burnning 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 phosphours paint on the hound in the hut beside the hous.
But Holmes was thinking more about Sir Henry than about Sapleton's cleverness.
I must apologize to you Sir Henry he said I put your life in dinner. I expected to see a huge hound but not a creature 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 saevd 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 experience that he could not stand. We helped him to a rock. He sat there and held his head in this hands.
We must leave you here Sir Henry and try to catch Stpleton. 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.
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We pulled off the sheets and united the prisoner from the post. It was Miss Stapleton. As we untied her we colud 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.
It he safe? she asked. Has he escaped ?
He cannot escape us Miss Stapleton Homles said.
No no I don't mean my husband. I mean Sir Henry. It he safe ?
Yes I said and the hound is dead.
Thank God she said. Thank God. Oh the crule devil. Look what he has done to me. She showed us her arms and we saw with horror the her skin was black and blue where she had been beaten. But he has hurt me more in other ways. While I thougth he loved me I accepted many things. But he does not love me. Ha 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 mash she said. He kept his hound there. He also had the house ready in case he needed to escape. He will be there I am 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 Baskervill 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 experinced brought on a fever.
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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 wich she and her husband had put in to mark the way. We followed them through the marsh which smelled of 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 marash. One man on his own could not hope to escape the full of the marsh without help he would sink to his death.
But we did not find any sign of Stapleton. We searched and searched without success. There is no doubt that he lost his way in the fog and sank in the marsh. Somewhere deep down his body lies to this day.
We reached the island Miss Stapleton had desribed and searched the old house.
This place tells us nothing that we do notalredy 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 phosphorus 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 understand 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 probaly 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.