Собака Баскервіллів
Second Report of Dr. Watson
Itwasincrediblehowslowlythehourscrawledby,andyetwewerehelpedthroughitbythesamesortofpatientinterestwhichthehuntermustfeelashewatchesthetrapintowhichhehopesthegamemaywander. Onestruck,andtwo,andwehadalmostforthesecondtimegivenitupindespair,wheninaninstantwebothsatboltuprightinourchairs,withallourwearysenseskeenlyonthealertoncemore. Wehadheardthecreakofastepinthepassage.
Verystealthilywehearditpassalonguntilitdiedawayinthedistance. Thenthebaronetgentlyopenedhisdoorandwesetoutinpursuit. Alreadyourmanhadgoneroundthegallery,andthecorridorwasallindarkness. Softlywestolealonguntilwehadcomeintotheotherwing. Wewerejustintimetocatchaglimpseofthetall,black-beardedfigure,hisshouldersrounded,ashetip-toeddownthepassage. Thenhepassedthroughthesamedoorasbefore,andthelightofthecandleframeditinthedarknessandshotonesingleyellowbeamacrossthegloomofthecorridor. Weshuffledcautiouslytowardsit,tryingeveryplankbeforewedaredtoputourwholeweightuponit. Wehadtakentheprecautionofleavingourbootsbehindus,but,evenso,theoldboardssnappedandcreakedbeneathourtread. Sometimesitseemedimpossiblethatheshouldfailtohearourapproach. However,themanisfortunatelyratherdeaf,andhewasentirelypreoccupiedinthatwhichhewasdoing. Whenatlastwereachedthedoorandpeepedthrough wefoundhimcrouchingatthewindow,candleinhand,hiswhite,intentfacepressedagainstthepane,exactlyasIhadseenhimtwonightsbefore.
Wehadarrangednoplanofcampaign,butthebaronetisamantowhomthemostdirectwayisalwaysthemostnatural. Hewalkedintotheroom,andashedidsoBarrymoresprangupfromthewindowwithasharphissofhisbreathandstood,lividandtrembling,beforeus.
