The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-13

Yes, there is strip of grass about
six feet broad on either side"
Il understand that the yew hedge
is penetrated at one point by a gate?"
Yes, the wicket gate which leads
on to the moor"
rs there any other opening?"
None"
80 that to reach the Yew Alley one
either has to come down it from the
house or else enter it by the moor
gate?"
There is an exit through a summer
house at the far end"
Had Sir Charles reached this?"
mo; he lay about fifty yards from
it."
Now, tell me. DR.. Mortimer-and this
is important-the marks which you
saw were on the path and not on the
grass?"
mo marks could show on the grass"
Were they on the same side of the
path as the moor gate?"
Yes; they were on the edge of the
path on the same side as the moor
gate"
You interest me exceedingly. An
other point. Was the wicket-gate
closed?",
CLOSED and padlocked."
"How high was it?''
About four feet high"
"Then anyone could have got over
it?"
Yes"
And what marks did you see by the
wicket-gate
None in particular"
Good heaven! Did no one examiner"
yes, I examined myself"
And found nothing?"
at was all very confused. Sir
Charles has evidently stood there. for
five or ten minutes"
How do you know that?"
Because the ash had twice dropped
from his cigar"
Excellent! This is a colleague, Wat
son. after our own heart. But the
marks?"
He had left his own marks all over
that small patch of gravel. 1 could
discern no Others"
Sherlock Holmes struck his hand
against his knee with an impatient
gesture.
IF 1 had only been there!" he
cried 1T is evidently a case of ex-
traordinary interest, and one which
presented immense opportunities to
the scientific expert. That gravel page
upon which l might have read so
much has been long ere this smudged
by the rain and defaced by the clogs
of curious peasants. Oh.ADr. Morti-
mer, DR.. Mortimer, to think that you
should not have called me in! You
have indeed much to answer for"
II could not call you in, Mr.. Holmes,
without disclosing these facts to the
world. and / have already given my
reasons for not wishing to do so. Be
sides, besides"
"Why do you hesitate?"
"There is realm in which the most
acute and most experienced of detec-
tives is helpless
You mean that the thing is SUPERB
natural?"
II did not positively say So"
mo, but you evidently think IT."
"Since the tragedy, Mr. Holmes, there
have come to my ears several Incl
dents which are hard to reconcile with
the settled order of Nature"
For example?"
II find that before the terrible event
occurred several people had seen a
strange Creature upon the moor which
corresponds with this Baskerville de-
mon, and which could not possibly be
any animal known to science. They all
agreed that 1t was a huge creature,
luminous, CHASTITY, and spectral. have
cross-eXamined these men, one of them
hard headed countryman, one a far
rier, and one a moorland farmer, who
all tell the same story of this dreadful
apparition. exactly corresponding to
the hell-hound of the legend. / as
sure you that there is a reign
of terror in the district and that it Is
hardy man who will cross the moor
at night"
"And you, a trained man of science,
believe 1t to be supernatural"
II do not know what to BELIEVE"
Holmes shrugged his shoulders.
81 have hitherto confined my inves-
legations to this world" said he. I'm
a modest way | have combated evil,
but to take on the Father of Evil HIM
self would, perhaps, be too ambitious a
task. Yet you must admit that the
footmark is material"
1.-THE original hound was material
enough to tug a mans throat out, and
yet he was diabolical as WELL"
81 see that you have quite gone over
to the supernaturalists. But now, Dr.
Mortimer, tell me this. If you hold
these views. why have you come to
consult me at all? You tell me in the
same breath that it is useless to in
vestigate Sir Charles death, and that
you desire me to do it,"
81 did not say that I desired you to
do it."
Then, how can I assist vou?'
'By advising me as to what I should
do with Sir Henry Baskerville, who ar
rives at Waterloo Station'-Dr. Nor
timer looked at his watch" in exactly
one hour and quarter"
He being the heir?''
Eyes. On the death of Sir Charles
we inquired for this young gentleman,
and found that he had been farming
in Canada. From the accounts which
have reached us he is an excellent fell
low in every way. I speak now not
as medical man but as a trustee and
executor of Sir Charles WILL"
"There is no other claimant, / pre-
sume?"
None. The only other kinsman whom
we have been able to trace was Rodger
Baskerville. the youngest of three
brothers of whom poor Sir Charles was
the elder. The second brother, who
died young, is the father of this lad
Henry. The third, Rodger was the
black sheep of the family He came
of the old masterful Baskerville strain,
and was the very image they tell me,
of the family picture of old Hugo. He
made England too hot to hold him, fed
to Central America, and died there in
1876 of yellow fever. Henry is the
last of the Baskervilles. In one hour
and five minutes meet him at Water
he arrived at Southampton this morn
ing. Now. Mr.. Holmes, what would
you advise me to do with him? ?"
"Why should he not go to the home
of his fathers?"
ct seems natural. does it not? And
yet, consider that every Baskerville
fate. l feel sure that If Sir Charles
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