CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Death on the Moor

Holmes started running, and I followed him. From somewhere in front of us came one more hopeless scream. Then we heard something falling. We stopped and listened.

I saw Holmes put his hand to his head and sigh. "Our enemy has won, Watson. We're too late. I was a fool not to act sooner! Watson, why did you leave the man I asked you to protect! But if something has happened, at least I shall see that Stapleton is caught!"

We ran towards the place where we heard the screams. In a moment we reached a sharp, steep edge. Below us, lying on the ground, we saw the body of a man. He had fallen on his head, which was bent under him, and his neck was broken! Holmes lit a match. We were horrified to see the blood running out onto the ground from his head.

We looked at the clothes the man was wearing. He wore a thick, red-brown, country suit. These were the clothes Sir Henry always wore! We stared at the man for another moment, and then the match went out.

Our hearts turned sick and cold inside us.

"The devil! The murderer! I shall never forgive myself for leaving Sir Henry alone," I cried angrily.

"It is more my fault than yours," said Holmes. "I have let this good man die because I was busy trying to catch Stapleton. I did not watch him closely enough. It is the greatest mistake I have ever made. Oh, why did Sir Henry come out onto the moor! I told him it would lead to his death. Now both Sir Henry and his uncle have been murdered! By heavens, I am going to catch Stapleton before another day is gone!"

With heavy hearts we climbed down the rocks and stood on either side of the broken body. Holmes bent over the body and began to move it. Suddenly he cried out in surprise.

"Look at the face!" he shouted, hitting me on the back. "Sir Henry is safe, Watson! This is Selden, the escaped prisoner."

We turned the body over. It was definitely Selden. On the night Sir Henry and I had chased Selden over the moor I had seen his face. Then, suddenly I understood what had happened. Sir Henry had given some old clothes to Barrymore. Barrymore had wanted to give Selden these clothes. This suit must have been one of the pieces of clothing.

"Then these clothes have caused the death of the poor man. You see, Watson, I have put everything I know together. The mysterious hound, and Stapleton's evil plan to murder Sir Henry. I have discovered that Stapleton controls the hound. It belongs to him!"

I was so amazed that I could not say anything. Holmes continued to speak.

"The hound had been given something of Sir Henry's to smell. This way, whenever it smelled Sir Henry, it would follow him. I think that is why the shoe was taken from the hotel in London. So the hound followed the scent and hunted this man. But there is one thing I don't know yet. How did Selden know that the hound was following him? We know he ran a long way. He was screaming for a long time before he fell, and we could hear that he was running as he screamed. So, at first the hound must have been some distance away from him. How could he see it in the dark? Its fur is black. How did he know it was there, until it was close behind him?"

"I cannot answer that," I said, "but there is something else I don't understand. Why was the hound out on the moor tonight? Stapleton would not let the hound go outside unless he thought Sir Henry was there."

"We may find out the answer to that question very soon," said Holmes. "Here comes Stapleton!"

His sharp eyes had seen a figure moving in the darkness in front of us. As the man came closer, I could see that it was indeed Stapleton.

"We must be very careful to act normally, and not to show that we suspect him," Holmes whispered to me.

Stapleton stopped when he saw us, and then walked forward again. "Good evening, Dr Watson, is that you? I didn't expect to see you on the moor at this time of night. But, dear me, what's this? Is somebody hurt? Not—don't tell me that it's our dear friend Sir Henry!"

He went past me and bent over the dead man. I heard him breathe in quickly.

"Who ... who is this?" he cried. He seemed extremely upset.

"It's Selden, the escaped prisoner."

For a moment, we saw a look of anger and disappointment on Stapleton's face. Then he quickly hid it. He looked sharply from Holmes to me. "Dear me! How terrible! How did he die?"

"We think he broke his neck by falling over the edge of these rocks," I said.

"I heard someone screaming, and that is why I ran out. I was worried about dear Sir Henry," Stapleton said.

"Why were you worried about Sir Henry?" I asked.

"Because I had invited him to tea at my house. When he did not come I was surprised. Then, when I heard cries on the moor, I thought something had happened. I wonder"—his eyes went quickly from my face to Holmes"—"did you hear anything else at all?"

"No," said Holmes. His voice was very calm. "Did you?"

"No," said Stapleton.

"What do you mean, then?"

"Oh, you know the stories about the supernatural hound. Perhaps it was here tonight!"

"We heard no sounds of a hound," I said.

"How do you think this poor man fell to his death?" Stapleton asked.

"Well, I think Selden was very cold and hungry. He was also afraid that the police would catch him.

These things must have made him crazy. He ran around the moor in his craziness, and fell over this edge. It was an accident," I said.

Stapleton looked hard at Holmes. "Do you agree, Mr Sherlock Holmes?" he said.

"You're quick to guess who I am," said Holmes. "We've all been expecting you to come here, ever since Watson arrived."

"I see," said Holmes. "I am sure Dr Watson is right about the way Selden died. It's a sad death, but I must return to London tomorrow."

"Oh! You are leaving?" cried Stapleton. He looked almost happy! "Can you explain the terrible things that have happened here before you go?"

"I do not think so, sir. This has not been a good case for me. I am not always as successful as I would like to be. I need facts, not more ghost stories."

Stapleton looked hard at him, trying to see if he was lying. But Holmes had spoken very seriously and his words sounded true. I saw that Stapleton believed him.

We covered Selden's body with a cloth. Then Holmes and I walked back to Baskerville Hall while Stapleton went home.

"Watson, Stapleton is a clever man, and an enemy who will be difficult to trap," said Holmes. "He was very good at hiding his anger when he saw that his hound had killed the wrong man!"

"But I'm sorry that he has seen you, Holmes," I said.

"So am I, but we cannot do anything about that now. Now that Stapleton knows I am here, he may be more careful. Or, he may act more quickly and try to hurt Sir Henry again."

"Why can't we give him to the police at once?"

"Because right now we can't prove anything against him, of course. Sir Charles was found dead because his heart stopped. We cannot prove that Stapleton sent his hound to frighten Sir Charles to death. Also, we cannot prove that Stapleton's hound was on the moor tonight. Selden died from a fall. So right now, we have no evidence. We shall see Mrs Lyons tomorrow, and she may give us more information about Stapleton. But whatever happens, I have a good plan. There will be some danger, but by the end of tomorrow, I hope we will have solved the mystery, and caught Stapleton with his hound!"

He would not tell me anything else.

"Are you staying at Baskerville Hall tonight?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I do not have to hide any longer from anyone. But one last word, Watson. Do not tell Sir Henry that the hound killed Selden. Let him think that Selden died from a fall. If he knows that the hound is on the moor, he will become even more frightened. Tomorrow may be dangerous for him, and he must have courage. In your last letter, you told me that the Stapletons asked Sir Henry to come to dinner tomorrow night. Is this true?"

"Yes. And they have invited me, too," I told him.

"Well, you must tell them you cannot come. Sir Henry must go alone, if my plan is going to work. Tomorrow, you can write them a letter. And now I think we are both ready for some food."

(end of section)