Chapter 9 Dr. Jiu Huasheng's second report

lights in the swamp My dear Holmes: If I had not been able to give you much information in the early days of my mission, out of desperation, you know that I am now trying to make up for lost time, and now, all around us, events Happened more and more frequently and complicated.In my last report I ended my climax with Barrymore standing at the window, and if I guessed correctly, I now have material that will surprise you quite a bit.Things have changed beyond my expectation.In some ways things had become much clearer during the past forty-eight hours, but in others they seemed to have become more complicated.I will tell you the whole case now, and judge for yourself.

Before breakfast the next day after my discovery of the oddity, I walked down the passage again to inspect the room where Barrymore had been the night before.At the west window, through which he was looking intently, I noticed a peculiarity unlike any other window in the house--it was open on the moor, where it overlooked the moor, and was the closest, where you could The moor was seen all the way through the gap between the trees, and only a little farther out from the other windows.It could therefore be deduced that Barrymore must be looking for something or someone on the moor, since this window was the only one suitable for that purpose.It was very dark that night, so I can hardly imagine who he could see.It occurred to me that this might be some love game, which might explain the connection between his furtiveness and his wife's uneasiness.He was a good-looking fellow, enough to make a country girl fall in love with him, so there seemed to be some truth in the statement.The sound of the door opening when I got back to my room might mean that he was out for a secret appointment.So in the morning I pondered it over myself, and though it may turn out to be unwarranted, I will now tell you all of it.

Whatever the proper explanation of Barrymore's conduct, I always felt that it was a heavy burden on me to keep the matter secret until I could explain it.When, after breakfast, I went to the baronet in his study, I told him what I had seen.But he was not as surprised as I had imagined. "I had known that Barrymore was a frequent walker at night, and I wanted to have a word with him about it," said he; "two or three times I heard him walking up and down the passage, at exactly the same time as yours. That's about the same." "Then maybe he goes to that window every night," I suggested.

"Perhaps. If that is the case, we can follow him and see what he is up to. I wonder what your friend Holmes would do if he were here." "I am sure he will act as you suggest," said I. "He will follow Barrymore and see what he does." "Then let's do it together." "But he will hear us." "The man is a little deaf, and we've got to take this chance anyway. We'll sit together in my room tonight until he goes by." Sir Henry rubbed his hands happily, obviously enjoying his visit. Adventure, to dissolve the dullness of his life on the moor.

The baronet had contacted the architect who had drawn up Sir Childs' plans, the builder from London, the decorator and upholsterer from Plymus.So it may not be long before we see big changes here.Evidently, our friend had ideals of a grand scale, and was determined to restore the prestige of this great family at any cost and painstaking effort.After the house had been renovated and refurbished, all that was missing was a lady.We can see quite clearly from some indications that this would not be "unresolved" if the lady would, for I have seldom seen a man as he is to our beautiful neighbour. Miss Tapton was so fascinated.Under such circumstances, however, true love does not develop as smoothly as one would expect.For example, the calm waters of the sea of ​​love were disturbed today by an unexpected wave, which caused great uneasiness and trouble to our friend.

After finishing the conversation about Barrymore which I have mentioned, Sir Henry put on his hat and was ready to go out, and I was of course ready to go out. "What, are you going too, Watson?" he asked, looking at me strangely. "That depends on whether you want to go to the moor," I said. "Yes, I am going there." "Ah, you are aware of my instructions. I am sorry to have offended you. I should leave you, especially if you cannot go to the moor alone." Sir Henry put his hand on my shoulder with a pleasant smile. "My dear fellow," said he, "in spite of his ingenuity Holmes did not foresee some of the things that have happened since I came to the moor. Do you understand me? I am sure you would not be a nuisance." Man. I must go out alone."

This put me in a very difficult position.I don't know what to say, what to do.Before I could make up my mind what to do, he picked up his cane and left. After I had reconsidered the matter, I was condemned by my conscience for having excused him from my side.I can imagine how I would feel if some misfortune happened to me because of my disobedience to your instructions, and I should have to go back to you and make a confession to you.Seriously, I blush just thinking about it.Maybe it's not too late to go after him, so I set off right away in the direction of Melipie's mansion. I hurried down the road as fast as I could, and did not see Sir Henry until I came to the point where the moor path branched off.There, for fear of going the wrong way, I climbed a hill from which I could look down on everything—the hill that cuts into the dark quarry.From there I saw him right away.He was walking on the moor path, about a quarter of a mile from me, with a lady who could be but Miss Stapleton.Apparently there was a tacit understanding between the two of them, and it was an agreement to meet. They walked slowly side by side while whispering to each other.I saw her make quick gestures with her hands, as if she was serious about what she said; he listened attentively, shaking his head once or twice as if he still couldn't agree.I stood among the rocks and watched them, not knowing what to do next.It seemed an absurd act to follow them and interrupt their intimate conversation, and it was clearly my duty not to let them out of my sight for a moment.It is an abominable business to stalk and spy on a friend.Still, what could I do better than watch him from the hills and confess to him afterwards for peace of mind.It is true that if any sudden danger threatened him at that time, I would have seemed too far from him to help, but I trust that you and I are of the same opinion.It is very difficult to be in such a position, and there is nothing else I can do.

Our friend Sir Henry and the lady stopped again, and stood absorbed in their conversation, when it occurred to me that I was not the only one who saw their meeting, for I caught a glimpse of a green thing in the air Floating, and looking again, I realized that the green thing was mounted on the top of a pole, and the person holding the pole was walking on a rough place.It turned out that it was Stapleton holding his butterfly net.He was much closer to the couple than I was, and he seemed to be walking in their direction.At that moment Sir Henry suddenly drew Miss Stapletal close to him, and with his arms round her, she seemed to be trying to break free from his grasp, her face turned away.He looked down at her, but she raised a hand in protest.Then I saw them jump apart, and turn hastily, disturbed by Stapleton.He ran towards them both, the butterfly net swinging ridiculously behind him.He danced with rage in the presence of the lovers, but I could not imagine what he meant.It seemed that Stapleton was scolding Sir Henry, and Sir Henry was explaining, but Stapleton not only refused, but grew more furious, while the lady stood beside him haughtily and silently.At last Stapleton turned and beckoned imperiously to his sister, who, after casting a hesitant glance at Sir Henry, walked away beside her brother.The biologist's gestures showed that he was equally displeased with the lady.The quasi-baron stood for a while looking at their backs, and then slowly walked back along the way he had come.He lowered his head, fully showing a frustrated expression.

I don't know what it's all about, I'm just ashamed that I watched our friends being so intimate when they didn't know it.I ran down the hill, and met the baronet at the foot of the hill.His face was flushed with anger, and his brows were tightly frowned, like a person who is at a loss for what to do. "My God! Watson, whence did you fall," said he, "do you really follow me here?" I explained everything to him: how I felt it was impossible to stay home anymore, how I followed him, and how I saw what was happening.He looked at me with burning eyes for a while, but my confession softened his anger, and he finally let out a regretful and disappointed laugh.

"I thought the center of the plain would be a pretty safe place to stay out of sight," he said, "but my God! It's as if the whole town came out to see me propose—and it still is." Terrible proposal! Where is the seat you found?" "On that hill." "So it was sitting in the far back row, ah! But her brother really ran to the front row. Did you see him running towards us?" "Yes, I see it." "Did you ever see him go mad?—her good brother." "I haven't seen it." "He's not crazy at all, I bet. To this day I've thought him a sane man, but if you take my word for it, either he or I will have to wear the tights that bind madmen. But what is the matter with me? You have been with me some weeks, Watson. Say! Tell me frankly! Is there anything wrong with me that keeps me from being the woman I love? Where is your good husband?"

"According to me, no." "He will never object to my social status, so he must hate me for my own shortcomings. What can he have against me? Among the people I have known in my life, whether male or female , I have never offended you. But he hardly even allowed to touch her fingertips." "Did he say anything like that?" "Is that so? More than that. I tell you, Watson, I have only known her a few weeks, but from the first I have felt as if she had been made for me; and she Well, thought the same way—she felt happy with me, I could swear on that, because a woman's eyes are more powerful than her words. But he never let us stay together, just today For the first time, I had the opportunity to talk to her alone. She was very happy to see me, but after meeting me, she didn't want to talk about love. If she could stop me, she would even I was not allowed to speak of love. She kept repeating that it was a dangerous place, and she would never be happy unless I left. I told her that since I saw her, I was in no hurry to leave here, if If she really wanted me to go, the only way she could do it was if she tried to go with me. I talked a lot and asked to marry her, but before she could answer, that brother of hers came running up to us, The look on his face was like that of a madman. He turned white with rage, and even his pale eyes were burning with anger. What did I do to that lady? How dare I do something to displease her Is it because I think I am a quasi-baronet, and I can do as I please? If he is not her brother, there is no difficulty in dealing with him. I only said to him at the time that I did not take the feeling I had with his sister. I am ashamed, and I hope she will condescend to be my wife. Such words did not seem to make the situation any better, so I lost my temper later. Maybe I was too harsh when I answered him, because, she Still standing by. You saw the end, he went with her, and I was more bewildered and bewildered than anyone else. Watson, if only you could tell me how it happened Well, then I'm really grateful to you." I tried to come up with an explanation or two; but, to tell the truth, I didn't really know why.As far as our friend's position, property, age, character, and appearance are concerned, I can hardly find anything against him, except the bad luck that besets his family.It is quite astonishing that such a rude refusal was given to her suitor without the slightest consideration of the lady's own wishes; and that the lady was able to make no protest under the circumstances.In the afternoon, Stapleton visited again in person, which calmed all the speculations in our hearts.He was apologizing for his rude manner in the morning, and a long session between the two in Sir Henry's study resulted in the rift being healed.It can be seen by our decision to dine in Melipe next week. "I'm not saying he's not a madman now," said Sir Henry, "I can't forget the look in his eyes when he came running to me this morning, but I have to admit that no one apologizes as well as he did." It's so natural." "Has he given any explanation for his behavior that morning?" "He said his sister was everything in his life. It was natural and I was glad he valued her so much. They lived together all the time and, as he said himself, he was a very A lonely man has only her company, so how terrible it is for him to think of losing her! He said that he didn't think I was in love with her, but when he saw it with his own eyes. The fact, and the feeling that I might take her from him, shocked him so much that he couldn't take responsibility for what he said or did. He was very sorry for what happened and realized that How foolish and selfish it is to conceive the life of a beautiful woman like his sister tied to him for his own sake. If she had to leave him, he would marry her to a neighbor like me , rather than marrying someone else. But in any case, it is a serious blow to him, so he needs some time to prepare himself mentally for this event. If I promise to Putting the matter on hold for the next three months, during which time it was only to cultivate friendship with the lady and not demand her love, he decided not to object. I agreed to that, and the matter settled down. down." One of our little mysteries is thus solved.Just like when we were struggling in the mud, we hit the bottom somewhere.We now understand why Stapleton was so disdainful of his sister's suitor - even if that suitor was as proper a man as Sir Henry.I turn now to another thread drawn out of the tangle of threads, the secret of the midnight cries and of Mrs Barrymore's tear-stained face, and of the butler's going to the west lattice window.Congratulate me, dear Holmes, and say that I have lived up to your trust, and you will not regret the confidence you placed in me when you sent me.All these things were thoroughly clarified after a night of hard work. When I say "one night's work," I really mean two nights of work, because the first night we didn't come up with anything.Sir Henry and I sat in his room till nearly three o'clock in the morning, but we heard nothing but the chime at the top of the stairs.It was one of the most pathetic stay-ups and we both ended up falling asleep in our chairs.Fortunately we were not discouraged and decided to give it another try.The next night we sat with the lamp turned down, smoking silently.Time seemed to go by unbelievably slowly, but we survived with the patience and interest that hunters must have when they watch their own traps, hoping that the prey will inadvertently break in. .The clock strikes once, then strikes twice, and in our desperation we were almost about to give up again, when suddenly we both sat up straight in our chairs, and all our weary senses returned to our senses. Become alert and sharp.We heard creaking footsteps in the hallway. We heard the footsteps sneaking past until they disappeared in the distance.Then the baronet opened the door softly, and we began to follow.The man had turned into the corridor, and the corridor was pitch black.We walked gently to the wing on the other side, just in time to see his tall figure with black beard.He stooped and walked lightly on the tiptoes of the aisle, and then walked into the door that he had entered last time. The outline of the door was revealed by the candlelight in the darkness, and a yellow light pierced through the gloom. corridor.We walked across it with small, careful steps, testing each floor before putting our full weight on it.As a precaution, we didn't wear shoes, but the old floorboards still creaked under our feet.Sometimes it seemed impossible for him not to hear us approaching, luckily the man was fairly deaf and he was preoccupied with his business.At last we went to the door and took a peek, and saw him standing stooped at the window with a candle in his hand, his pale, absorbed face pressed against the pane, as I had seen the night before. exactly the same. We had no plan of action planned in advance, but the baronet always believed that the most straightforward course was always the most natural course.He went in, and Barrymore sprang from the window, and stopped before us, pale and trembling, with a sharp breath.He looked from Sir Henry to me, with terror in his pale face and shining dark eyes. "What are you doing here, Barrymore?" "It's nothing, my lord." He was almost speechless because of the intense panic and uneasiness, because the candle in his hand was constantly shaking, which made the figure dance constantly. "My lord, I was walking about at night to see if the windows were all bolted." "On the second floor?" "Yes, my lord. All the windows." "I tell you, Barrymore," said Sir Henry sternly, "we are determined to get you to tell the truth, so it would be better for you to tell me sooner than later than to save me trouble. Now, speak! Don't lie! You What are you doing at that window?" The fellow looked at us resignedly, wringing his hands together like a man in utter mistrust and pain. "I did no harm, my lord, I only brought the candle near the window!" "But why did you bring the candle near the window?" "Don't ask me, Sir Henry--don't ask me! I tell you, my lord, it's not my private secret, and I can't tell it if it concerns no one else and is my own. I won't hide it from you." A sudden inspiration struck me and I took the candle from the trembling hand of the butler. "He must have used it as a signal," I said, "and we'll see if there is an answering signal." I held the candle as he did, and looked out into the darkness.I could only dimly make out the overlapping black shadows of the trees and the vast moor in a lighter shade, for the moon was obscured by clouds.Later, I cheered loudly, and in the distance facing the center of the dark square window frame, a tiny yellow light spot suddenly appeared piercing the dark night. "There it is!" I yelled. "No, no, my lord, that's nothing--nothing!" interrupted the butler. "I assure you, my lord..." "Move your light out of the window, Watson!" cried the baronet; "behold, that light is also removed! Ah, you old rascal, do you still say that is not a signal? Come, Speak out! Who is your accomplice, and what is the plot going on?" The man's face was openly bold and insolent. "This is my personal matter, not yours. I will not say it." "Then you don't work here at once." "Very well, my lord. If I must go, I shall go." "You left in disgrace. My God! You should be ashamed! Your family and mine have lived together in this house for a hundred years, and now I should find you in You're trying to figure out some kind of conspiracy to harm me." "No, no, my lord, I did not harm you!" came a woman's voice.Mrs. Barrymore was standing at the door, paler and more frightened than her husband.Her bulky figure in skirts and shawls might have looked ridiculous if it hadn't been for the look of horror on her face. "We must go, Eliza. It's the end of the matter. Go and pack our things." The housekeeper said. "Oh, John! John! It was I who brought you to this place, and it was all my fault, Sir Henry—all my fault. All because of me, and because I asked him , he did that." "Well, tell me, what exactly do you mean?" "My unfortunate brother is starving in the moor, and we cannot let him starve at our gate. The light is to tell him that food is ready, and the light on his side is to show where it will be delivered." .” "Then your brother is..." "It is the fugitive, my lord—the criminal Seldan." "It is the truth, my lord," said Barrymore. "As I said, it is not my personal secret, and I cannot tell you. But now that you have heard it, you will understand that even if there is a conspiracy, It wasn't to harm you." That's the explanation for late night sneaking and window lights.Sir Henry and I both stared at the woman in amazement.Is this possible?How could this tough and respectable woman be of the same mother as the most notorious criminal in the country? "Yes, my lord, my name is Seldan, and he is my brother. We indulged him too much when he was little, and made him think that the world was He exists to make him happy, so he should do whatever he wants in this world. When he grows up, he has bad friends again, so he becomes bad, until it breaks my mother's heart and defiles He has ruined our family's reputation. By repeated offenses he has gotten deeper and deeper, until at last he will be guillotined if God is not merciful. But to me, sir, he will always be me. That curly-haired boy that my sister has nursed and played with. He dared to escape from the prison, sir, because he knew we lived here, and we couldn't help him. There is One night he came here tired and hungry, and what could we do with the jailer after him? We brought him in, fed him, and took care of him. Afterwards, my lord , there you are, my brother thought he would be safer in the moor than anywhere until the wind died down, so he went there and hid. Every other night we put A light to see if he is still there, and if there is an answering signal, my husband sends him some bread and meat. We hope that he will go fast every day, but as long as he is still there, we can't put it down. Regardless. That's the whole truth, I'm an honest Christian, and you can see that if there's any sin in doing it, it's not my husband's fault, it's me because he did it for me. " The woman's words sounded very sincere, and the words themselves proved that they were all true. "Is it all true, Barrymore?" "Yes, Sir Henry. Quite true." "Well, I can't blame you for doing your wife a favor. Forget what I just said. You can go to your rooms now, and we'll talk about it in the morning." After they were gone, we looked out of the window again. Sir Henry opened the window, and the cold night wind blew in our faces.In the dark distance, the little yellow spot of light was still on. "I wonder how he dared do it?" said Sir Henry. "Perhaps the place where he shines can only be seen from here." "Probably, how far do you think it is?" "I think it's on the other side of the Gap Mountain." "Only a mile or two away." "I'm afraid it's not that far away." "Well, it can't be very far where Barrymore delivered the meal, and the villain is waiting by the candle. Good God, Watson, I should like to catch that man." I had the same thought in my head, it seemed that the Barrymores didn't necessarily trust us, their secret was forced to be revealed.That man was a danger to society, a complete villain, to whom he should be neither pitied nor forgiven.We would only be doing our duty if we take this opportunity to send him back where he can do no more harm.With his brutal, vicious nature, others may pay the price if we stand by.Perhaps it was the thought of the possibility of his attacking our neighbor Stapleton on any given night, for example, that led Sir Henry to take the risk. "I'm going too." I said. "Then you take the revolver and put on your high shoes. The sooner we start the better, the fellow may blow out the candle and get away." In less than five minutes we were out and on the expedition, hurrying through the dark undergrowth to the whisper of the autumn wind and the rustle of fallen leaves.The night air was thick with the smell of damp and decay.From time to time, the moon looked down from the gaps in the clouds, and the clouds galloped across the sky.We had hardly reached the moor when it began to rain lightly.The candlelight was still shining steadily ahead. "Did you bring a weapon?" I asked. "I have a hunting whip." "We had to rush at him very quickly because he was said to be a deadly fellow. We caught him by surprise and had to bring him down before he could resist." "I say, Watson," said the baronet, "what will Holmes have to say about this? In a night like this, when crime is rampant." As if in answer to his words, there suddenly rose from the vast, dreary moor a strange roar, such as I had heard on the edge of the Great Grimpen Mire.The sound carried the wind through the dark night sky, first a long, deep whine, then a loud roar, then another miserable moan, and then disappeared.The sound came out in bursts, piercing, wild and frightening, and the whole space throbbed with it.The Baronet grabbed my sleeve, his face pale in the darkness. "My God, what is that, Watson?" "I don't know. It was from the moor. I heard it once." The sound was gone, and a deathly silence surrounded us tightly.We stood there and listened, but we couldn't hear anything. "Watson," said the baronet, "this is the bark of the hounds." I felt my blood go cold all over my body, because there were pauses in his words, indicating that he had suddenly developed fear. "What do they call that sound?" he asked. "Who is it?" "Country people!" "Oh, they are ignorant people, why do you care what they call that voice!" "Tell me, Watson, what did they say?" I hesitated, but I could not escape the question. "They say that's the barking of the Hound of the Baskervilles." After grunting for a while, he was silent for a while. "It's a hound," he said at last, "but the voice seems to be coming from a few miles away, I think it must be over there." "It's hard to say where it came from." "The sound becomes up and down with the wind. Isn't that the direction of the Great Green Basin?" "Well, exactly." "Oh, there it is. Now, Watson, don't you think that's the barking of the hounds? I'm not a child, so don't be afraid, just tell the truth." "I was with Stapleton when I heard it last. He said it might be some strange bird call." "No, no, that's the Hound. My God, are there any truths to these stories? You don't believe them, do you, Watson?" "No, I don't believe it at all." "It would be a joke in London, but here, standing in the dark on the moor, listening to cries like these, it's quite another. My uncle died, in the bed where he lay place, and the tracks of the hounds beside it, it all comes together. I don't think I'm a coward, Watson, but that sound makes my blood freeze. Touch my hand!" His hand was as cold as a stone. "You'll be all right tomorrow." "I think I can't keep that cry from getting stuck in my brain. What do you think we should do now?" "Shall we go back?" "No, never, we're out to catch people, and we've got to go on. We're hunting for criminals, but maybe there's a devilish hound on the trail of us. Come on! Just kill all the goblins in the caves." Put it in the swamp, and we have to stick to it to the end." We stumbled forward slowly in the dark, the dark and uneven mountain shadows surrounded us, and the yellow light spot was still shining steadily ahead.In the dark of night, nothing can be more deceiving than the distance of a light, which sometimes seems to be far away on the horizon, and other times seems to be only a few yards away.But at last we saw where it was placed, and then we knew we were very near.A dripping candle was set in a crevice of stones, shielded on both sides by the rocks, so as to protect it from the wind and to obscure it from any direction except Baskerville Hall.A protruding granite block concealed us.So we stooped behind it, watching the signaling light from above the stone.It was a strange thing to see a candle burning in the middle of a moor, with no sign of life around it--only a yellow flame standing upright, and the illuminated rocks on either side of it. "What shall we do now?" whispered Sir Henry. "Wait here. He must be near the candle. See if we can see him." No sooner had I spoken than we both saw him, a hideous yellow face protruding from the rock near the candle--a hideous, beastly face, fleshy, filthy, with rough hair. With long stiff beard and unkempt hair, he looks like a savage who lived in a cave on the side of a mountain in ancient times.The candle below him lit his small, cunning eyes, which peered terribly into the darkness to the left and right, like a cunning beast that had heard the hunter's footsteps. Something had evidently aroused his suspicions.Maybe it's because he has some secret code with Barrymore that we don't know, maybe the guy sensed something bad for other reasons, because I saw the look of fear on his ferocious face.Concerned that every second he might be dashing from the light and disappearing into the darkness, I sprang forward, and Sir Henry followed.正在这时，那罪犯尖声痛骂了我们一句，便打过来一块石头，那石头在遮住我们的大石上碰得粉碎。当他跳起来转身逃跑的时候，碰巧月光刚从云缝里照了下来，我一眼看到了他那矮胖而强壮的身形。我们冲过了小山头，那人从山坡那面疾驰而下，他一路上用山羊似的动作在乱石上跳来跳去。如果用我那左轮手枪远射，碰巧了就可能把他打瘸，可是我带它来只是为了在受人攻击的时候用以自卫，而不是用来打一个在逃的没有武器的人的。 我们两个都是快腿，而且受过相当好的训练，可是，不久我们就知道已没希望追上他了。在月光之下，我们很久还看得见他，直到他在一座远处小山山侧的乱石中间变成了一个迅速移动着的小点。我们跑呀跑的，直跑到疲惫不堪，可是他和我们的距离反而愈来愈大了。最后，我们终于在两块大石上坐了下来，大喘着气，眼看着他在远处消失了。 就在这时发生了一件最最奇怪和想象不到的事。当时我们已经从石头上站了起来，放弃了无望的追捕，就要转身回家了。月亮低悬在右侧空中，满月的下半部衬托出一座花岗石岩岗的嶙峋的尖顶。在明亮的背景前面，我看到一个男人的身影，他站在岩岗的绝顶上，恰似一座漆黑的铜像。你可别认为那是一种幻觉，福尔摩斯。我敢说，在我一生里还从没有看得这样清楚过呢。根据我的判断，那是一个又高又瘦的男人。他两腿稍稍分开地站着，两臂交叉，低着头，就象是面对着眼前满布泥炭和岩石的广大荒野正在考虑什么问题。他也许就是那可怕的地方的精灵呢。他不是那罪犯，他离那罪犯逃遁的地方很远，同时他的身材也高得多。我不禁惊叫了一声，并把他指给准男爵看，可是就在我转身抓他手臂的时候，那人就不见了。这时花岗岩的尖顶依然遮着月亮的下半部，可是在那顶上再也没有那静立不动的人的踪影了。 我本想向那方向走去，把那岩岗搜索一下，可是距离相当远。从听到那使他回想起他家庭可怕的故事的叫声以后，准男爵的神经还一直在震颤，因此他已无心再作冒险了。他并没有看到岩顶上的那个孤独的人，因此他还不能体会那人的怪异的出现和他那威风凛凛的神气所给予我的毛骨悚然的感觉。 “是个狱卒，没错。”他说道，“从这家伙逃脱之后，沼地里到处都是他们。” 嗯，也许他的解释是正确的，可是没有更进一步的证明，我是不会相信的。今天，我们打算给王子镇的人们打个电报，告诉他们应当到那里去找他们那个逃犯。说起来也真倒霉，我们竟没有能当真胜利地把他作为我们的俘虏带回来。这就是我们昨晚所作的冒险。你得承认，我亲爱的福尔摩斯，就拿给你作报告这件事来说吧，我已经为你做得很不错了。在我所告诉你的东西里，有很多无疑是很离题了，可是我总觉得最好还是让我把一切事实都告诉你，让你自己去选择哪些是最能帮助你得出结论的东西吧。当然我们已经有了一些进展，就白瑞摩来说，我们已经找出了他的行为的动机，这就使整个的情况澄清了不少。可是神秘的沼地和那里的奇特的居民则依旧是使人莫测高深的，也许在下一次的报告里，我将能把这一点也稍加澄清。最好还是你到我们这里来。无论如何，几天之内你就会又接到我的信了。 寄自巴斯克维尔庄园十月十五日