书虫·牛津英汉双语读物:第4级全(套装共16本)(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：阿瑟·柯南道尔,查尔斯·狄更斯等

出版社：外语教学与研究出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

书虫·牛津英汉双语读物:第4级全(套装共16本)试读：

书虫·牛津英汉双语读物（第4级上）（套装共9本）

巴斯克维尔猎犬

简介

这也许是世界上最驰名的侦探故事。夏洛克·福尔摩斯当然是最负盛名的侦探了。阿瑟·柯南·道尔爵士是在一百多年以前塑造了这个人物的。但是，福尔摩斯的种种奇特经历迄今依旧是既生动有趣又扣人心弦。

为了更好地理解这个故事，我们有必要对达特沼地有一番了解：这是英格兰西南地区的一个确有其名的地方。它是由岩石和沼地组成的一片旷野，在日头当空时分一股浓雾会突如其来地向你迎面扑来，并且将你笼罩起来。它是稀软的沼泽遍布之地，是松软的、长着绿色植被的地带，可以把人拖进去进而吞灭掉。它是英国安全保障最好的监狱所在地。它也是一百多年前那条最为庞大的狗——巴斯克维尔猎犬出没的地方。

阿瑟·柯南·道尔爵士（1859—1930）作为夏洛克·福尔摩斯这位人物的塑造者而享誉于世。他本人也是一名医生，而且在现实生活中还是一位侦探。

1 The Case Begins

The September sun was shining brightly into the windows of 221B Baker Street, and London was enjoying a beautiful late summer. I had finished my breakfast and was reading the newspaper. As usual, Holmes had got up late, and was still eating. We were expecting a visitor at half past ten, and I wondered whether Holmes would finish his breakfast before our visitor arrived.

Holmes was in no hurry. He was reading once again a letter he had received three days ago. It was from Dr James Mortimer, who asked for an appointment with Holmes.

'Well, Watson,' Holmes said to me, 'I'm afraid that a doctor from Devonshire won't bring us anything of real interest. His letter doesn't tell us anything about his business though he says it's very important. I hope we can help him.'

At exactly half past ten there was a knock on our front door.

'Good,' said Holmes. 'Dr Mortimer is clearly a man who will not waste our time.'

We stood up as our visitor was brought into the room.

'Good morning, gentlemen,' he said. 'I'm Dr James Mortimer, from Grimpen in Devonshire, and I think you must be Mr Sherlock Holmes.' He shook hands with Holmes, who said:

'How do you do, Dr Mortimer? May I introduce my good friend, Dr John Watson, who helps me with my cases. I hope you will allow him to listen to our conversation.'

'Of course,' said Mortimer, as he turned to me and shook hands. 'I need your help very badly, Mr Holmes. If it will be useful for Dr Watson to hear what I have to say, please let him stay and listen.'

Mortimer did not look like a country doctor. He was very tall and thin. He had a long thin nose. His grey eyes were bright, and he wore gold glasses. His coat and trousers were old and worn. His face was young, but his shoulders were bent like an old man's and his head was pushed forward. He took some papers from his pocket, and said:

'Mr Holmes, I need your help and advice. Something very strange and frightening has been happening.'

'Sit down, Dr Mortimer,' said Holmes, 'and tell us your problem. I'll help you if I can.'

case n. something (a problem or a crime) investigated by the police or detectives. 案件。

expect v. think or believe that sth. will happen or come, that sb. will come. 预期，料想。

as usual 一如既往。

appointment n. arrangement to meet sb. 约会。

well int. 表示惊愕、慰藉、无可奈何、了解、让步或同意等。

conversation n. talking. 谈话，交谈。

badly adv. very much. 非常地。

country n. land used for farming, land consisting of open spaces; the contrary of town and suburb. 乡间；田野（与城市及城郊相对）。

1 这宗案件开始了

9月的阳光明媚地照进了贝克街221号B门的窗户里，整个伦敦都在享受晚夏的美好时光。我已吃过早餐，此时正在看报纸。福尔摩斯同往常一样，总是很晚才起床。他这时正在进餐。我们正等待着一位预约好要在10点半时前来拜访的客人；我不知道福尔摩斯在客人到来之前是否吃得完他的早餐。

福尔摩斯并不匆忙行事。他又看了一遍三天之前收到的那封来信。这是詹姆斯·摩梯末医生写来的。他请求能够约个时间和福尔摩斯见次面。“啊，华生，”福尔摩斯对我讲道，“恐怕德文郡的这位医生是不会给我们带来任何有趣的事情的。虽然他说事情举足轻重，但是他的信中并未说明他的来意。我希望我们能够帮他的忙。”

正好10点半时，有人敲了敲我们的前门。“嘿，”福尔摩斯道，“摩梯末医生显然不会浪费我们的时间。”

当客人被带进屋时，我们起身迎接了他。“早上好，先生们。”他讲道，“我是詹姆斯·摩梯末医生，是从德文郡的格林盆来的；我想您一定就是夏洛克·福尔摩斯先生了。”他与福尔摩斯握了握手，福尔摩斯道：“您好吗，摩梯末医生？我来介绍一下我的好朋友约翰·华生医生，他一直在帮我办案。我希望您能允许他来听我们的谈话。”“当然可以，”摩梯末边说着话边回头与我握手。“我急需您的帮助，福尔摩斯先生。如我的话对华生医生有用的话，那就请他留下来听吧！”

摩梯末看上去并不像是一位乡间医生。他身材高大，身体瘦削，长着细长的鼻子。他那灰色的眼睛炯炯有神，他还戴着一副金丝眼镜。他的外衣和裤子都已破旧、磨损不堪了。他的脸看上去还很年轻，但是身体已像老人一样佝偻，而且头还向前探着。他从口袋里取出一些手稿，并说道：“福尔摩斯先生，我需要您的帮助和建议。发生了一件既奇怪又恐怖的事情。”“坐下，摩梯末医生，”福尔摩斯道，“吿诉我您的疑难问题。我将尽力帮助您。”

2 The Baskerville Papers

'These papers were given to me by Sir Charles Baskerville,' said Dr Mortimer. 'He asked me to take good care of them. You may remember that Sir Charles died suddenly three months ago. His death caused much excitement in Devonshire, the county where Baskerville Hall is. Sir Charles was a sensible man, but he believed the story which is told in these papers.'

Dr Mortimer went on: 'The story is about the Baskerville family. I have come to see you because I need your help. I think that something terrible is going to happen in the next twenty-four hours. But you can't help me unless you know the story in these papers. May I read them to you?'

'Please continue, Dr Mortimer,' said Holmes, and sat back in his chair with his eyes shut.

Mortimer began to read in his high, rather strange, voice:

I, William Baskerville, write this for my sons in the year 1742. My father told me about the Hound of the Baskervilles. He told me when it was first seen, and I believe his story was true. I want you, my sons, to read this story carefully. I want you to know that God punishes those who do evil. But never forget that He will forgive those who are sorry for any evil they have done.

Over a hundred years ago, in 1640, the head of the Baskerville family was Sir Hugo Baskerville. He was a wild and evil man. He was cruel and enjoyed hurting people. Sir Hugo fell in love with the daughter of a farmer who was a neighbour of his. The young woman was afraid of the evil Hugo, and avoided him. one day, Hugo heard that her father and brothers were away. He knew that she would be alone. So he rode to the farm with five or six of his evil friends. They made the girl go back to Baskerville Hall with them, and locked her in a room upstairs. Then they sat down in the great dining hall to drink. As usual, they drank bottle after bottle and soon they began to sing and laugh and shout evil words.

The girl upstairs, who was already very frightened, felt desperate when she heard the terrible things they were shouting. So she did a very brave thing. She opened the window, climbed out of the room and down the ivy on the wall. Then she started to run across the moor towards her home.

A little while later, Hugo left his friends and went upstairs to the room to take her some food and drink. When he found an open window and an empty room, he behaved like a man who was mad. He ran down the stairs. He screamed that he would give himself to the Devil if he caught the girl before she reached home. Some of Hugo's drunken friends told him to let the hounds chase her, and so he ran from the house and unlocked the dogs. Then he jumped onto his black horse, and rode off over the moor with the hounds running and crying around him.

Hugo's friends fetched their horses and followed him. There were thirteen of them. After a mile or two they passed an old farmer and asked him if he had seen Sir Hugo and the hounds. The man looked half mad with fear and spoke with difficulty. He said that he had seen the girl and the hounds running close behind her. Sir Hugo had been riding just behind the hounds. 'But I have seen more than that,' the old man said. 'Behind Sir Hugo I saw a huge and terrible hound running silently. May God keep me safe from that hound of hell.'

The thirteen men laughed at the old man and rode on. But their laughter soon stopped when they saw Sir Hugo's horse running wildly towards them without a rider.

The thirteen men moved closer together as they rode on. They were suddenly afraid. over the moor they went until, at last, they caught up with the hounds.

Everyone in the county knew that the Baskerville hounds were brave and strong. But now they were standing at the head of a deep valley in the moor with their ears and tails down. They were very frightened. Hugo's friends stopped. Most of them would not go on, but three were brave enough to go down into the valley.

The valley had a wide flat floor. In the middle of the flat ground stood two great stones. They had stood there for thousands of years. The moon was shining brightly on the great stones, and between them, on the flat ground, lay the girl. She had fallen there, dead of fear and exhaustion. Sir Hugo's body was lying near her. But it was not the sight of Sir Hugo or the girl that filled the men with fear. It was the sight of the huge animal that was standing over Sir Hugo. Its teeth were at his throat. It was a great black creature that looked like a hound. But it was larger than any hound they had ever seen.

As they watched, it tore out Hugo Baskerville's throat. Then it turned towards them. Its eyes were burning brightly. Its body shone with a strange light. Blood ran from its mouth. The men screamed and kicked their horses. They rode back up the valley as fast as they could go. Later that night one died from the horror he had seen. The other two were mad for the rest of their lives.

That was the first time the Hound appeared, my sons. It has been seen many times since then, and many of the Baskervilles have died in strange and terrible ways. Because of this I warn you not to cross the moors at night. The Devil finds it easy to do his work when the world is dark.

county n. a large area or part of a country. 郡，州，县。

Sir n. 头衔：爵士。

sensible adj. 明智的。

unless conj. if not, except when. 除非。

hound n. dog used for hunting and racing. 猎犬。

God n. creator and ruler of the universe. 上帝。

He pron. 大写时常指上帝。

daughter n. one's female child. 女儿。

evil adj. wicked, harmful. 邪恶的，有害的。

desperate adj. filled with despair and ready to do anything. 因绝望而不惜冒险的。

ivy n. 常春藤。

behave v. act. 行动。

Devil n. the most wicked spirit of evil (Satan), and the enemy of God. 魔王；撒旦。

moor n. open, uncultivated land. 荒野，旷野。

fetch v. go for and bring back. 接来。

may v. 用以表示愿望和希望。

head n. upper end. 上端。

frightened adj. afraid. 害怕的。

dead of 死于（饥饿、疾病、情感）。

exhaustion n. total loss of strength. 疲惫。

throat n. front part of the neck. 喉头。

horror n. sth. that causes fear or dislike. 令人恐怖或厌恶的事物。

2 巴斯克维尔家族的手稿

摩梯末医生继续讲道：“这个故事与巴斯克维尔家族有关。因为我需要您的帮助，所以来见您。我认为在即将到来的24小时之内将会发生一桩可怕的事情。但是，如果您不了解手稿中所讲述的故事的话，那么您就不可能帮得了我。我可以将它读给您听吗？”“请讲下去吧，摩梯末医生。”福尔摩斯说道，闭着眼睛向后坐了坐。

摩梯末开始以他那高亢、奇特的嗓音读道：

本人，威廉·巴斯克维尔，于1742年为后代写下了这些。我的父亲告诉了我有关巴斯克维尔猎犬的事情。他告诉了我它第一次被人看见的经过，我认为他讲的故事是真实的。我希望你们，我的孩子们，认真看一看这个故事。我想让你们知道：上帝一贯惩罚那些为非作歹的人们。但是，永远不要忘记：上帝将宽恕那些悔过的人们。

一百多年前，在1640年，巴斯克维尔家族的头面人物是雨果·巴斯克维尔爵士。他既放荡又邪恶。他残忍，以伤害别人为乐。雨果爵士爱上了与他毗邻的一位农夫的女儿。这位少女害怕这个邪恶的人，而且还躲着他。一天，雨果听说她的父兄几人都出门去了。他知道她将独自一人在家了。因此，他与五六个下流的狐朋狗友策马去了这个农场。他们把她弄回了巴斯克维尔庄园，还把她关在楼上的一个房间里。然后他们便在楼下的大饭厅里坐下痛饮了起来。同往常一样，他们喝了一瓶又一瓶的酒，不久便开始狂歌乱笑并吐起脏话来。

楼上的这位姑娘，这时已是惊恐万分了，听到他们所讲的那些不堪入耳的脏话时便感到十分绝望。在此情形之下她竟干出一件勇敢的事来。她打开窗户，从房间里爬出来，顺着墙上的常春藤一直爬了下来。然后她就穿过沼地径直往家中跑去了。

过了不多一会儿，雨果离开了他的那帮朋友，到楼上的那个房间给她送食物和酒去了。当他发现窗户大开、室内空空时，他就像中了魔一般。他冲下楼，大叫大嚷着说，只要他能在这个女孩赶回家之前追上她，他就愿把自己献给魔王。雨果的那些已经喝得酩酊大醉的朋友们让他把猎狗放出去追她，因此他就从屋里跑出去把狗放了出来。接着，他跳到了那匹黑马的背上，由那群狂奔乱吼的狗簇拥着在沼地上策马而去。

雨果的朋友们找到了自己的马匹，跟着他追去了。他们一共是13个人。在他们跑了一两英里路之后，遇到了一位老农夫，便问他看到了雨果爵士与他的那群猎狗没有。这个人看上去被吓得有些发疯，几乎都说不出话来。他说他曾看到过那位少女以及一群紧追她不放的猎犬。雨果爵士就骑着马跟在这些猎犬后面。“但是我看到的还不止这些，”这位老人说道。“我看到一条硕大而可怕的猎犬正一声不吭地跟在他的后面。但愿上帝别让这条地狱之犬伤害我！”

这13个人对这位老人嘲笑了一番，接着又策马往前。但是当他们不久看到雨果爵士的那匹马独自朝他们狂奔而来时就笑不出声来了。

这13个人骑着马，同时往一起靠了靠。他们突然间感到很害怕。他们在这片沼地上一直朝前骑着，直到最终赶上了那群猎狗。

巴斯克维尔家的猎犬骁勇而又强壮，在郡里是家喻户晓的。但它们这时却耷拉着双耳和尾巴站在沼地里的一条深谷的尽头。它们十分惊恐。雨果的这帮朋友们停了下来。他们大多数人都不愿意再往前骑了，但有三人比较胆大，朝山谷里走了过去。

这个山谷的底部是一片宽阔的平地。在平地的中央立着两块大岩石。它们已经在那儿竖立了几千年之久。月光明朗地照在这两块大岩石上，而那位少女就躺在它们之间的平地上。她已因惊恐和疲惫倒地而死。雨果爵士的尸体躺在她旁边。但是，使这些人毛骨悚然的不是那位少女或雨果爵士的那幅景象，而是站在雨果爵士身旁的一只形体硕大的畜生。它的牙齿撕扯着他的喉咙。它是一个样子像猎狗的又大又黑的畜生。可是他们谁也没见过这么大的猎犬。

在他们注视的时候，它扯断了雨果·巴斯克维尔的喉咙。然后，它转过身来面朝着他们。它的眼睛冒着火。身体也闪烁着一种奇特的光芒。鲜血从它的嘴里淌了出来。这几个人大叫起来并且踢了踢马。他们调转马头以最快的速度跑出了山谷。在这之后，其中的一个人就在当天夜里因自己所看到的恐怖景象而吓死了，另外两个则终身精神失常。

那就是那只猎犬初次露面的经过，我的孩子们。从那以后，人们曾多次目睹过它的踪迹，而且巴斯克维尔家族里有许多人都以蹊跷和恐怖的方式死去。因此，我警告你们不要在黑夜里走过沼地。魔鬼发现黑夜里正易于它嚣张一番。

3 How Sir Charles Died

When Dr Mortimer had finished reading this strange story, he looked across at Sherlock Holmes. Holmes looked bored.

'Did you find the story interesting?' asked Dr Mortimer.

'It may interest a collector of stories to frighten children,' said Holmes.

Dr Mortimer took a newspaper from another pocket.

'Now, Mr Holmes, let me read you something which was written only three months ago. It is from the Devonshire County Newspaper, and it is about the death of Sir Charles Baskerville.'

Holmes looked more interested. Dr Mortimer began to read:

The sudden death of Sir Charles Baskerville has caused great sadness in the county. Although he had lived at Baskerville Hall for only two years, everyone liked him. Sir Charles had lived abroad and made his money there. He came back to spend his fortune on repairing Baskerville Hall and its farms and villages, as the buildings and lands were in very poor condition. He was a friendly and generous man, who gave freely to the poor.

The official report of his death does not explain everything that happened. However, it does show that there was no question of murder. Sir Charles died from natural causes, and the strange stories people are telling about his death are not true. His friend and doctor, Dr James Mortimer, said that Sir Charles' heart had been weak for some time.

The facts are simple. Every night before going to bed, Sir Charles went for a walk in the gardens of Baskerville Hall. His favourite walk was down a path between two hedges of yew trees, the famous Yew Alley of Baskerville Hall on the night of 4th June he went out for his walk to think and to smoke his usual cigar.

Sir Charles was going to London on the next day, and Barrymore, his butler, was packing his suitcases. By midnight Barrymore was worried that Sir Charles had not returned, so he went to look for him. He found the door of the Hall open. The day had been rainy and wet so Barrymore saw the prints left by Sir Charles' shoes as he had walked down the Alley. Half way down the Alley is a gate, which leads to the moor. There were signs that Sir Charles had stood there for some time. Barrymore followed the footprints to the far end of the Alley. And there he found Sir Charles' body.

Barrymore reported something interesting about the footprints. He said that they changed between the moor gate and the end of the Alley. As far as the moor gate there was a whole footprint for each of Sir Charles' steps. After he passed the gate, only toe prints could be seen. Barrymore thought that Sir Charles had walked on his toes.

A man called Murphy, who buys and sells horses, was not far away at the time of Sir Charles' death. He had been drinking a lot of beer, but he says he heard cries. He is not sure where they came from.

Dr Mortimer was called to look at Sir Charles' body. There were no signs that Sir Charles had been murdered, but Dr Mortimer did not recognize his friend's face. The whole shape of it was changed. However, this often happens with deaths which are caused by weak hearts. When Dr Mortimer looked at the body, he found that this was, in fact, what had happened. Sir Charles' weak heart had failed, and this had caused his death.

Everyone hopes that the new head of the Baskerville family will move quickly into the Hall. Sir Charles' good work must go on.

The new head of the Baskerville family will be Sir Henry Baskerville, if he is still alive and if the lawyers can find him. He is the son of Sir Charles Baskerville's younger brother, who died some years ago. The young man has been living in the USA. The Baskerville lawyers are trying to contact him to tell him about his good fortune.

Dr Mortimer put the newspaper back into his pocket.

'Those are the official facts about the death of Sir Charles. They are the facts that everyone knows, Mr Holmes,' he said.

'Thank you for informing me about this interesting case,' Holmes said. 'I read about it at the time, but I heard none of the details. The newspaper gives the facts that everybody knows. Now I want you to tell me all the other facts that you know. What do you know about the strange stories?'

'I haven't told anyone these other facts,' said Dr Mortimer. 'I am a man of science, as you know. I have always believed that there are sensible explanations for everything. I didn't want to say anything that could stop Sir Henry from coming to live at the Hall. But I will tell you the details that were not in the report.'

'In the months before his death,' Dr Mortimer went on, 'Sir Charles was a very worried man. He was near to breaking down. He believed the story of the Hound of the Baskervilles. He refused to go out at night. He often asked me whether I had seen any strange animal or heard the cry of a hound on the moor at night. He always got very excited when he asked this question.

'I remember driving up to the Hall one evening about three weeks before he died. He was standing at the door. I went up to him, and saw him staring at something behind me. There was a look of horror on his face. I turned quickly and saw something moving between the trees. It looked like a small black cow. He was so frightened that I went to look for the animal. It had disappeared but Sir Charles was very worried. I stayed with him all the evening. It was then he gave me the old papers I have read to you. What I saw that evening may be important when you consider what happened on the night of his death.

'When Barrymore, the butler, found Sir Charles' body, he sent someone to fetch me. I checked all the facts. I have just read them to you, and they are all true.

'But Barrymore said one thing that was not true. He said that there were no other prints on the ground around the body. He did not notice any. But I did. They were not close to the body, but they were fresh and clear.'

'Footprints?' asked Holmes.

'Yes. Footprints,' said Mortimer.

'A man's or a woman's?' asked Holmes.

Dr Mortimer looked at us strangely for a moment. His voice became a whisper as he answered:

'Mr Holmes, they were the footprints of a huge hound!'

now adv. 与时间无关，用以表示说话者的语气，或解释、警告、安慰等。

cause v. make happen. 致使；n. that makes sth. happen. 原因。

building n. house or other structure. 房屋，建筑物。

generous adj. ready to give; noble-minded. 愤慨大方的；思想高尚的。

murder n. unlawful killing of a human being on purpose. 谋杀；v. 谋杀。

weak adj. not strong. 虚弱的。

favourite adj. best liked, preferred above all others. 最受喜爱的。

hedge n. 树篱。

yew n. 紫杉，水松。

alley n. a narrow road or path. 小径；小巷，弄，胡同。

cigar n. 雪茄。

butler n. head manservant. 管家，仆役长。

suitcase n. 手提衣箱，小提箱。

fail v. be unsuccessful. 失败。

contact v. get in touch with. 接触，联系；n. 联系。

lawyer n. 律师。

fortune n. 运气，成功，巨富。

detail n. small fact or item. 细节。

near to 近于。

break down v. collapse. 崩溃。

whether conj. 是否。

check v. examine in order to learn if it is correct. 检查，验证。

fresh adj. newly made. 新鲜的。

whisper n. 低声耳语；v. 低语，秘密告诉。

3 查尔斯爵士是如何死的

摩梯末医生读完这个奇怪的故事后望着对面的夏洛克·福尔摩斯。福尔摩斯看上去显得很不耐烦。“你没觉得这个故事有趣吗？”摩梯末医生问道。“它可能会让那些收集故事吓唬孩子们的人感兴趣。”福尔摩斯讲道。

摩梯末医生从另一个衣袋里掏出一张报纸。“福尔摩斯先生，现在让我来读给您听听就在三个月之前撰写的东西吧。它刊登在《德文郡纪事报》上，并与查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士的死有关。”

福尔摩斯看上去更专注些了。摩梯末医生开始读了起来：

查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士之暴卒，使本郡不胜哀悼。尽管他来巴斯克维尔庄园不过两年时间，但是大家都非常喜爱他。查尔斯爵士曾旅居国外，并在那里发了财。他致富后还乡，想把自己的资产用来修复巴斯克维尔庄园及其农场和村庄，因为这些建筑和土地都已处于潦倒不堪的境地了。他待人友善而又慷慨大方，还毫无吝啬地资助穷人。

官方对他死亡的报告没有说明所发生的一切事情。然而，它的确表明其中并没有谋杀的成分。查尔斯爵士死于自然原因；人们讲述的关于他的死亡的种种故事都是不真实的。他的朋友兼医生詹姆斯·摩梯末医生说查尔斯爵士的心脏虚弱已颇有一段时日了。

实情甚为简单。查尔斯爵士在每晚就寝前，总要在巴斯克维尔庄园的花园里散步。他喜欢沿着夹在水松树篱之间的那条小路即巴斯克维尔庄园里那条出名的水松小道散步。6月4日晚，他出去散步来思考些问题并和往常一样抽根雪茄。

查尔斯爵士次日将去伦敦，他的管家白瑞摩当时正在为他准备行装。午夜时分，白瑞摩因查尔斯爵士还未回来而焦虑不安，于是便去找他。他发现庄园的门还开着。那天下了雨，还很潮湿，因此白瑞摩看到了查尔斯爵士沿着那条小道散步时留下的脚印。在小道的中途有一个栅门，它通向沼地。有种种迹象说明查尔斯爵士曾在此站过一会儿。白瑞摩循着足迹走到了小道的尽头。而且就在那儿他发现了查尔斯爵士的尸体。

白瑞摩报告了一件有关脚印的有趣的事情。他说，脚印在栅门和小道的尽头之间变样了。到栅门为止，查尔斯爵士的每个脚印都是完整的。但过了栅门之后，则只能看到他脚趾的印记了。白瑞摩觉得查尔斯爵士曾用脚尖走过。

一位名叫摩菲的马贩子在查尔斯爵士死时正在距出事地点不远之处。他当时已喝了许多啤酒，但是他说他那时曾听到呼喊声。他不清楚呼喊声来自何方。

摩梯末医生被叫来查看查尔斯爵士的尸体。没有迹象说明查尔斯爵士是被谋杀的，但是摩梯末医生已认不出他朋友的面容了。整个脸已经变形了。然而，这对因心脏衰竭而导致的死亡来说是常有的。当摩梯末医生察看尸体时，他发现这事实上正是所发生的情况。查尔斯爵士虚弱的心脏已无力承受重荷，这导致了他的死亡。

大家都期盼巴斯克维尔家族的新主人能快速入住巴斯克维尔庄园。查尔斯爵士的善行必须继续进行下去。

巴斯克维尔家族的新主人将是亨利·巴斯克维尔爵士，如果他尚在人世而律师们又能找到他的话。他是查尔斯·巴斯克维尔爵士已故弟弟的儿子。这位年轻人一直居住在美国。巴斯克维尔家族的律师们正试图与他联系以将他的好运告诉他。

摩梯末医生将这份报纸放回了口袋里。“那些便是有关查尔斯爵士之死的官方报导。它们是些众所周知的事实，福尔摩斯先生。”他说道。“感谢您告知我有关这个饶有趣味的案件，”福尔摩斯说道。“当时我曾看到过有关它的报导，但是我从未听到过相关的细节。报纸提供了那些众所周知的事实。现在我想让您告诉我您所知道的其他事实。你对那些怪诞的故事知道些什么呢？”“我从未告诉过任何人这些内幕，”摩梯末医生道。“如您所知，我是一位从事科学工作的人。我从来都认为凡事都有理智的解释。我当时不想说出任何阻止亨利爵士前来庄园定居的话。可是我将告诉您那些从未在报导中写进去的种种细节。”“在他去世之前的几个月里，”摩梯末医生接着说道，“查尔斯爵士已是非常焦虑不安。他几乎濒于崩溃的境地。他相信巴斯克维尔猎犬的故事。他拒绝在晚上外出。他常常问我是否在夜间看到过什么奇怪的动物或是听见过一只猎狗在沼地上的嗥叫声。每当他问起这个问题的时候他总是变得非常亢奋。“我记得，在他死之前大约三个星期的一天傍晚，我驾着马车去他的庄园。他正站在门前。我走到他面前，看到他正盯着我背后的什么东西。他的脸上带着恐怖的神情。我赶快转过身去，看到有个东西正在树林之间移动。它看似一头黑色的小牛。他是如此恐惧不安，我便不得不去那儿四下里寻找那个东西。它已经消失了，可是查尔斯爵士非常担心。整个晚上我都陪着他。就是在那时，他将我已读给您听的那篇古老的手稿交给了我。在您考虑他死去的那个晚上所发生的情况时，我在那个傍晚看到的情况也许会是重要的。“当白瑞摩，那个管家，发现了查尔斯爵士的尸体时，他派人叫我去了。我核实了所有的情况。我刚才已把它们念给你们听了，而且这些事实都是确凿的。”“但是白瑞摩有一件事没讲真话。他说，在尸体周围的地面上没有别的痕迹。他没有注意到其他痕迹。可是我注意到了。虽没有挨着尸体，可是新留下的而且很清晰。”“是足迹吗？”福尔摩斯问道。“是的。是足迹。”摩梯末说道。“是男人的还是女人的？”福尔摩斯问道。

摩梯末奇怪地望了我们一会儿。他回答时声音变得犹如耳语：“福尔摩斯先生，是一个极大的猎犬的爪印！”

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