The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-07

bride and empty saddle. Then the rev.
elers rode close together. for a great
fear was on them, but they still fell
: lowed over the moor, though each. had
I he been alone. would have been right
| glad to have turned his horses head.
| Riding slowly in this fashion. they
came at last upon the hounds. These,
/ though known for their yalor and their
1 breed, were whimpering in a cluster at
the head of deep dip or goyal, as we
| call IL, upon the moor. some sinking
away. and some. with starting hackles
and staring eyes. gazing down the mar
row valley before them.
The company had come to halt,
more sober men. as you may guess,
than when they started. The most OF
them would by no means advance, but
! three of them, the bOldest or IL may
be the most drunken. rode forward
down the goyaL Now. il opened into
a broad space in which stood two OF
those great stones, still TO be seen
there. which were set By certain for
gotten peoples in the days of old. The
moon was shining bright upon the
| clearing, and there in the center lay the
unhappy maid, where she had fallen.
dead of fear and of fatigue. But 1t
was not the sight of her body, nor yet
| was II that of the body of Hugo Bas-
| kerville, lying near her, which raised
the hair upon the heads of these three
daredevil roysterers. but it was that.
standing over Hugo. and plucking at
his throat. there stood a foul thing,
great black beast. shaped like a
hound. yet larger than any hound that
ever mortal eye has rested upon. And
even as they looked the thing tore the
| throat out of Hugo Baskerville, on
which, as it turned its blazing eyes and
dripping jaws upon them. the three
| shrieked with fear and rode for dear
life. still screaming, across the moor.
One il is said, died that very night OF
what he had seen, and the other twain
were but broken men for the rest OF
their days.
such is the tale. my sons, of the
coming of the hound. which is said 10
| have plagued the family so sorely ever
since. If | have set il down it is be-
cause that which is clearly known hath
less terror than that which is but hint
ed at and guessed. Nor can IL be denied
that many of the family have been I'M
| happy in their deaths. which have been
sudden. bloody and mysterious. Yet
may we shelter ourselves in the infin-
lite goodness of Providence, which
would not forever punish the innocent
beyond that third or fourth generation
which is threatened in Holy Writ. To
that Providence, my sons. l hereby
commend you. and | counsel you. by
way of caution, TO forbeaF from cross
ing the moor in those dark hours when
the powers of evil are exalted.
"CThis from Hugo Baskerville to his
sons, Rodger and John, with instruc-
tons that they say nothing thereof to
their sister ElizabethO"
When DIR. Mortimer had finished
reading this singular narrative he
pushed his spectacles up on his fore
head and stared across at Mr.. Sher-
lock Holmes The latter yawned and
fire
"Well?" said he.
do you not find it interesting?"
ITO a collector of fairy tales"
DR.. Mortimer drew a folded news
paper out of his pocket.
Now, Mr. Holmes, we will give you
something a little more recent. This j.
the Devon County Chronicle of May IA
of this year. 1t is a short account OF
the facts elected at the death of Sir
Charles Baskerville, which occurred q
few days before that date"
My friend leaned a little forward and
his expression became intent. Our Wis
itor readjusted his glasses and began.
The recent sudden death of SiI
Charles Baskerville, whose name h.
been mentioned as the probable liberia
candidate for Mid-Devon at the next
election, has cast a gloom over the
county. Though Sir Charles had re-
sided al Baskerville hall for a cOmpar
atiVely short period his amiability oi
character and extreme generosity ha
won the affection and respect of al
who had been brought into contact
with him. In these days of nouN sauN
riches il is refreshing 10 find a cast
where the scion of an old county fam.
lily which has fallen upon evil days is
able to make his own fortune and e
bring IL back with him 10 restore tbs
fallen grandeur of his line. Sir Charles
as is well known, made large sums Ol
money in South African speculation
More wise than those who go on unit
the wheel turns against them, he real.
lied his gains and returned 10 Eng
land with them. 1t is only two year:
since he took up his residence az Bias
kerville hall, and IL is common tall
how large were those schemes of re-
construction and improvement which
have been interrupted by his death
Being himself childless. it was his open
ly expressed desire that the whol'
countryside should, within his owl
lifetime. profit BY his good fortune anC
many will have personal reasons 70
bewailing his untimely end. His gen.
erOus dOnati tons to local and count,
charities have been frequently ehroni
cled in these columns.
The circumstances connected witt
the death of Sir Charles cannot be saiC
to have been entirely cleared up by TIT
inquest, but at least enough has beer
done to dispose of those rumors {,
which local superstition has given rise
There is no reason whatever to sus
pect foul play. or to imagine that dealt
: could be from any but natural causes
Sir Charles was a widower, and mai
who may be said to have been in SOM
ways of an eccentric habit of mind Il
spite of his considerable wealth he wa
simple in his personal tastes. and hi
indoor servants at Baskerville hall con
: sisted of a married couple named Bar
rymOre. the husband acting as butte
and the wife as housekeeper. Thei
evidence corroborated by that OF sew
erals friends. tends 10 show that ST
, Charles health has for some time beer
impaired, and points especially to som
affection OF the heart. manifesting Il
self in changes Of color. breathlessness
: and acute attacks OF nervous depres
sion. DR.. James Mortimer. the frieni
. and medical attendant of the deceased
: has given evidence to the same effect.
1.-THE facts of the case are simple
. Sir Charles Baskerville was i'm IN
: habit every night before going TO be,
= of walking down the famous Yew al
! ley of Baskerville hail: The evidenc
of the Barrymores shows that this Ia
been his custom. On the 4th OF Ma,
J Sir Charles had declared his intention
of starting next day for London. an
had ordered Barrymore TO prepare hi