Chapter 4 Sir Henry Baskerville from THE HOUND OF TH

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2:01and a strong pugnacious face. He wore a ruddy tinted, tweed suit and had the weather-beating appearance of one who was spent most of his time in the open air. And yet there was something in his steady eye and the quiet assurance of his bearing, which indicated the gentleman. This is Sir Henry Baskerville, said Dr. Mortimer. Why, yes, said he. And the strange thing is, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, that if my friend here had not proposed coming around to you this morning, I should have come on my own account. I understand that you think out little puzzles, and I've had one this morning, which wants more thinking out than I'm able to give it. Pray, take a seat, Sir Henry. Do I understand you to say that you have yourself had some remarkable experience since you arrived in London? Nothing of much importance, Mr. Holmes. Only a joke as like as not. It was this letter, if you can call it a letter, which reached me this morning.

3:01He laid an envelope on the table, and we all bent over it. It was of common quality, grayish in color, the address. Sir Henry Baskerville, Northumberland Hotel, was printed in rough characters. The postmark, chairing cross, and the date of posting, the proceeding evening. Who knew that you were going to the Northumberland Hotel, asked Holmes, glancing keenly across at our visitor? No one could have known. We only decided after I met Dr. Mortimer. But Dr. Mortimer was no doubt already stopping there. No, I had been staying with a friend, said the doctor. There was no possible indication that we intended to go to this hotel. Hmm. Someone seems to be very deeply interested in your movements. Out of the envelope, he took a half sheet of full-scab paper folded into four. This he opened and spread flat upon the table. Across the middle of it, a single sentence had been formed by the expedient of pasting printed words upon it.

4:01It ran, as you value your life or your reason, keep away from the more. The word more only was printed in ink. Now, said Sir Henry Baskerville, perhaps you will tell me, Mr. Holmes, what in thunder is the meaning of that? And who it is that takes so much interest in my affairs? What do you make, Dr. Mortimer? You must allow that there is nothing supernatural about this at any rate? No, sir, but it might very well come from someone who was convinced that the business is supernatural. What business? Past Sir Henry sharply. It seems to me that all you gentlemen know a great deal more than I do about my own affairs. You shall share our knowledge before you leave this room, Sir Henry. I promise you that, said Sherlock Holmes. We will confine ourselves for the present with your permission to this very interesting document, which must have been put together and posted yesterday evening. Have you, yes to this, times, Watson? It is here in the corner. Might I trouble you for it, the inside page please,

5:02with the leading articles? He glanced swiftly over it, running his eyes up and down the columns. Capital article this on free trade, but it may to give you an extract from it. You may be cajoled into imagining that your own special trade or your own industry will be encouraged by a protective tariff. But it stands to reason that such legislation must in the long run keep away wealth from the country, diminish the value of our imports and lower the general conditions of life in this island. What do you think of that, Watson? Crides homes in high glee, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction. Don't you think that is an admirable sentiment? Dr. Mortimer looked at homes with an air of professional interest, and Sir Henry Baskerville turned a pair of puzzled, dark eyes upon me. I don't know much about the tariff and things of that kind, said he, but it seems to me we've got a bit off the trail so far as that note is concerned. On the contrary, I think we are particularly hot upon the trails, Sir Henry. Watson here knows more about my methods than you do,

6:05but I fear that even he has not quite grasped the significance of this sentence. No, I confess that I see no connection. And yet, my dear Watson, there is so very closer connection that the one is extracted out of the other. You, your, your, life, reason, value, keep away from the. Don't you see now, when's these words have been taken? By thunder, you're right. Well, if that isn't smart, Crides are Henry. If any possible doubt remained, it is settled by the fact that keep away and from thee are cut out in one piece. Well now so it is. Really, Mr. Holmes, this exceeds anything which I could have imagined, said Dr. Mortimer, gazing at my friend in amazement. I could understand anyone saying that the words were from a newspaper, but that you should name which, and add that it came from the leading article, is really one of the most remarkable things which I have ever known. How did you do it? I presumed, Dr., that you could tell the skull of a negro

7:07from that of an Eskimo. Most certainly. But how? Because that is my special hobby. The differences are obvious. The super-orbital crest, the facial angle, the maxillary curve. But this is my special hobby. And the differences are equally obvious. There is as much difference to my eyes between the leading bourgeois type of a time's article and the slavvnly print of an evening a hapeny paper as there could be between your negro and your Eskimo. The detection of types is one of the most elementary branches of knowledge to the special expert in crime. Though I confess that once, when I was very young, I confused the lead's mercury with the Western morning news. But a time's leader is entirely distinctive and these words could have been taken from nothing else. As it was done yesterday, the strong probability was that we should find the words in yesterday's issue. So far as I can follow you, then, Mr. Holmes, said Sir Henry Baskerville, someone cut out this message with the scissors. Neil's scissors, said Holmes.

8:08You can see that it was a very short-bladed scissors since the cutter had to take two snips over keep away. That is so. Someone then cut out the message with a pair of short-bladed scissors. Pasted it with paste, gum, said Holmes, with gum onto the paper, but I want to know why the word more should have been written. Because he could not find it in print. The other words were all simple and might be found in any issue. But more would be less common. Why, of course, that would explain it. Have you read anything else in this message, Mr. Holmes? There are one or two indications, and yet the utmost pains have been taken to remove all clues. The address you observe is printed in rough characters, but the times is a paper which is seldom found in any hands, but those of the highly educated. We may take it therefore, that the letter was composed by an educated man who wished to pose as an uneducated one. And his effort to conceal his own writing suggests that that writing might be known, or come to be known by you.

9:10Again, you will observe that the words are not gummed on in an accurate line, but that some are much higher than others. Life, for example, is quite out of its proper place. That may point to carelessness, or it may point to agitation and hurry upon the part of the cutter. On the whole eye inclined to the latter view, since the matter was evidently important, and it is unlikely that the composer of such a letter would be careless. If he were in a hurry, it opens up the interesting question why he should be in a hurry, since any letter posted up to early morning would reach Sir Henry before he would leave his hotel. Did the composer fear an interruption? And from whom? We are coming now rather into the region of guesswork, said Dr Mortimer. Say rather into the region where we balance probabilities and choose the most likely. It is the scientific use of the imagination. But we have always some material basis on which to start our speculation. Now, you would call it a guess, no doubt, but I am almost certain that this address has been written in a hotel.

10:15How in the world can you say that? If you examine it carefully, you will see that both the pen and the ink have given the writer trouble. The pen has spluttered twice in a single word and has run dry three times in a short address, showing that there was very little ink in the bottle. Now, a private pen or ink bottle is seldom allowed to be in such a state. The combination of the two must be quite rare. But you know the hotel ink and the hotel pen where it is rare to get anything else. Yes, I have very little hesitation in saying that could we examine the waste paper baskets of the hotels around Charing Cross until we found the remains of the mutilated times leader, we could lay our hands straight upon the person who sent this singular message. Hello? Hello, what's this? He was carefully examining the false cap upon which the words were pasted, holding it an inshort to from his eyes. Well, nothing, said he throwing it down, it is a blank half sheet of paper without even a watermark upon it.

11:16I think we have drawn as much as we can from this curious letter. And now Sir Henry, has anything else of interest happened to you since you've been in London? This is Matt Rogers from Los Cultures, that's with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Los Cultures, that's Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. You know when people try a new food and suddenly it's like, wait, that's the reaction. A lot of people are having when they first try QB mayo. It's the one with the red cap and the little baby on the bottle. You've probably seen it in the grocery store before. And if you've ever just walked past it, some people would say that's a huge mistake. Because this mayo is different. Most mayonnaise uses whole eggs. QB only uses egg yolks, which gives it this rich umami flavor. It's smoother, deeper, and almost buttery. Once people try it, they start putting it on everything. Egg sandwiches, fries, burgers, some fans even swear by dipping pizza crust in it. And once you notice it, you start seeing it everywhere. Chefs use it, restaurants use it, people who really care about flavor use it. Never try it, grab the bottle with the red cap next time you're at the store.

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13:19That's code almost famous at resortpass.com slash almost famous. Why no, Mr. Holmes, I think not. You have not observed anyone follow or watch you. I seem to have walked right into the thick of a dime novel, said our visitor. Why and thunder should anyone follow or watch me? We are coming to that. You have nothing else to report to us before we go into this matter? Well, it depends upon what you think worth reporting. I think anything out of the ordinary routine of life well worth reporting. So Henry smiled. I don't know much of British life yet, for I've spent nearly all my time in the States and in Canada. But I hope that to lose one of your boots is not part of the ordinary routine of life over here. You have lost one of your boots. My dear sir, cried Dr. Mortimer. It is only Miss Lade. You all find it when you return to the hotel. What is the use of traveling Mr. Holmes with trifles of this kind? Well, he asked me for anything outside the ordinary routine.

14:23Exactly, said Holmes. However foolish the incident may seem. You have lost one of your boots, you say. Well, Miss Lade, anyhow, I put them both outside my door last night and there was only one in the morning. I could get no sense out of the chap who cleansed them. The worst of it is that I only bought the pale last night in the strand, and I've never had them on. If you have never warned them, why did you put them out to be cleaned? They were tan boots and have never been varnished. That was why I put them out. Then I understand that on your arrival in London yesterday you went out at once and bought a pair of boots. I did a good deal of shopping. Dr. Mortimer here went round with me. You see, if I am to be squired down there, I must dress the part. And it may be that I've got a little careless in my ways out west. Among other things I bought these brown boots, gave six dollars for them, and had one stolen before ever I had them on my feet.

15:25It seems a singularly useless thing to steal, said Sherlock Holmes. I confess that I share Dr. Mortimer's belief that it will not be long before the missing boot is found. And now, gentlemen, said the baronette with decision, it seems to me that I've spoken quite enough about the little that I know. It is time that you kept your promise and gave me a full account of what we are all driving at. Your request is a very reasonable one, Holmes answered. Dr. Mortimer, I think you could not do better than to tell your story as you told it to us. Thus encouraged our scientific friend to drew his papers from his pocket and presented the whole case as he had done upon the morning before. Sir Henry Baskerville listened with the deepest attention and with an occasional exclamation of surprise. Well, I seem to have come into an inheritance with a vengeance, said he when the long narrative was finished. Of course, I've heard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery. It's the pet story of the family,

16:27though I never thought of taking it seriously before. But as to my uncle's health, well, it all seems boiling up in my head and I can't get it clear yet. You don't seem quite to have made up your mind whether it's a case for a policeman or a clergyman. Precisely. Now there's this affair of the letter to me at the hotel. I suppose that fits into its place. It seems to show that someone knows more than we do about what goes on upon the more, said Dr. Mortimer. And also said Holmes, that someone is not ill-disposed towards you since they warn you of danger. Or it may be that they wish for their own purposes to scare me away. Well, of course, that is possible also. I am very much indebted to you, Dr. Mortimer, for introducing me to a problem which presents several interesting alternatives. But the practical point which we now have to decide, Sir Henry, is whether it is or is not advisable for you to go to Baskerville Hall. Why should I not go?

17:27There seems to be danger. Do you mean danger from this family fiend or do you mean danger from human beings? Well, that is what we have to find out. Whichever it is, my answer is fixed. There is no devil in Hell, Mr. Holmes, and there is no man upon earth who can prevent me from going to the home of my own people. And you may take that to be my final answer. His dark brows knitted down his face flushed to a dusky red as he spoke. It was evident that the fiery temper of the Baskerville's was not extinct in this their last representative. Meanwhile, said he, I have hardly had time to think over all that you have told me. It's a big thing for a man to have to understand and to decide at once sitting. I should like to have acquired hour by myself to make up my mind. Now look here, Mr. Holmes. It's half past eleven now, and I'm going back right away to my hotel. Suppose you and your friend Dr. Watson come round and lunch with us at two. I'll be able to tell you more clearly than how this thing strikes me.

18:28Is that convenient to you Watson? Perfectly. Then you may expect us. Shall I have a cab called? I'd prefer to walk for this affair as flurrid may rather. I'll join you in a walk with pleasure. Said his companion. Then we meet again at two o'clock, or of why and good morning. We heard the steps of our visitors descend the stair and the bang of the front door. In an instant Holmes had changed from the languid dreamer to the man of action. Your hat and boots Watson quick, not a moment to lose. He rushed into his room in his dressing-garn and was back again in a few seconds in a frock coat. We hurried together down the stairs and into the street. Dr. Mortimer and Baskerville were still visible about two hundred yards ahead of us in the direction of Oxford Street. Shall I run on and stop them? Not for the world, my dear Watson. I am perfectly satisfied with your company if you will tolerate mine. Our friends are wise. For it is certainly a very fine morning for a walk.

19:31He quickened his pace until we had decreased the distance which divided us by about half. Then still keeping a hundred yards behind we followed into Oxford Street and so down Regent Street. Once our friends stopped and stared into a shop window upon which Holmes did the same. An instant afterwards he gave a little cry of satisfaction and following the direction of his eager eyes I saw that a handsome cab with a man inside which had halted on the other side of the street was now proceeding slowly onward again. There's our man Watson, come along. We'll have a good look at him if we can do no more. At that instant I was aware of a bushy black beard and a pair of piercing eyes turned upon us through the side window of the cab. Instantly the trap door at the top flew up. Something was screamed to the driver and the cab flew madly off down Regent Street. Holmes looked eagerly round for another but no empty one was inside. Then he dashed in wild pursuit

20:31amid the stream of the traffic. But the start was too great and already the cab was out of sight. There now said Holmes bitterly as he emerged panting and white with vexation from the tide of vehicles was ever such bad luck and such bad management too. Watson, Watson if you are an honest man you will record this also and set it against my successes. Who was the man? I have not an idea. Aspire? Well, it was evident from what we have heard that basketball has been very closely shadowed by someone since he has been in town. How else could it be known so quickly that it was the Northumberland Hotel which he had chosen? If they had followed him the first day I argued that they would follow him also the second. You may have observed that I twice strolled over to the window while Dr. Mortimer was reading his legend. Yes, I remember. I was looking out for loiterers in the street but I saw none. We are dealing with a clever man, Watson.

21:31This matter cuts very deep. Though I have not finally made up my mind whether it is a benevolent or a malevolent agency which isn't touch with us I am conscious always of power and design. When our friends left I at once followed them in the hopes of marking down their invisible attendant so widely was he that he had not trusted himself upon foot but he had availed himself of a cab so that he could loiter behind or dash past them and so escape their notice. His method had the additional advantage that if they were to take a cab he was already to follow them. It has, however, one obvious disadvantage. It puts them in the power of the cab-man. Exactly. What a pity we did not get the number. My dear Watson, clumsy as I have been. You surely do not seriously imagine that I neglected to get the number. Number 2704 is our man. But that is no use to us for the moment. I failed to see how you could have done more.

22:32On observing the cab I should have instantly turned and walked in the other direction I should then at my leisure have hired a second cab and followed the first at a respectful distance or better still have driven to the Northumberland O'Tele and waited there. When our unknown had followed Baskerville home we should have had the opportunity of playing his own game upon himself and seeing where he made for. As it is by an indiscreet eagerness which was taken advantage of with extraordinary quickness and energy by our opponent, we have betrayed ourselves and lost our man. We had been sauntering slowly down Regent Street during this conversation and Dr. Mortimer with his companion had long vanished in front of us. There is no object in our following them, said Holmes. The shadow has departed and will not return. We must see what further cards we have in our hands and play them with decision. Could you swear to that man's face within the cab? I could swear only to the beard and so could I,

23:34from which I gather that in all probability it was a false one. The clever man upon so delicate and errand has no use for a beard to save to conceal his features. Come in here Watson. He turned into one of the district messenger offices where he was warmly greeted by the manager. Ah, Wilson, I see you have not forgotten the little case in which I had the good fortune to help you. Most are indeed I have not. You've saved my good name and perhaps my life. Might I fellow you exaggerate? I have some recollection Wilson that you had among your boys a lad named Cartwright who showed some ability during the investigation. Yes, sir, he is still with us. Could you ring him up? Thank you. And I should be glad to have change of this five-pound note. A lad of fourteen with a bright keen face had abayed the summons of the manager. He stood now gazing with great reverence at the famous detective. Let me have the hotel directory, said Holmes. Thank you.

24:35Now Cartwright. There are the names of twenty-three hotels here all in the immediate neighborhood of Charing Cross, do you see? Yes, sir. You will visit each of these in turn. Yes, sir. You will begin in each case by giving the outside porter one shilling. Here are twenty-three shillings. Yes, sir. You will tell him that you want to see the waste paper of yesterday. You will say that an important telegram has miscarried and that you were looking for it. You understand? Yes, sir. But what you are really looking for is the center page of the times with some holes cut in it with scissors. Here is a copy of the times it is this page. You could easily recognize it, could you not? Yes, sir. In each case, the outside porter will send for the hall porter, to whom you also will give a shilling. Here are twenty-three shillings. You will then learn in possibly twenty cases out of the twenty-three that the waste of the day before has been burned or removed. In the three other cases, you will be shown a heap of paper

25:36and you will look for this page of the times among it. The odds are enormously against you are finding it. There are ten shillings over, in case of emergencies. Let me have a report by wire at Baker Street before evening. And now Watson, it only remains for us to find out by wire the identity of the capman number 2704 and then we will drop into one of the Bond Street picture galleries and fill in the time until we are due at the hotel. This is Ashley Akinetti from the Almost Amos Podcast. You ever noticed you and your spouse keep saying, we need to get away, but you never actually plan anything. That was us until we did something fun and spontaneous. We went to resortpass.com. There are hundreds of hotel resorts, pools and spots and private beaches that you can enjoy. You can spend the day at a luxury resort, pool spa massage

26:38without booking an overnight stay. And listen, I may have only been like 15 minutes from home, but it felt like it was a whole different world. And I'm thinking, this is exactly what I needed. So just go to resortpass.com, choose your resort, choose your day, luxury resort day passes start at just $25. Once you post your daycation, people are gonna ask where you are. Go to resortpass.com slash almost famous and use the promo code almost famous to get $20 off when you spend $100. That's code almost famous at resortpass.com slash almost famous. Meet the Red Bull Dragonberry Emergeist. It's one of the many new drinks out now. You knew ice cold drinks could be so fire. Try them all only at McDonald's. Don't you wish everything was more rewarding? With Rakuten almost everything is. You can earn cash back on those new shoes you've been wanting. You can save on the next trip you book.

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