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The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Chapter 12. Death on the Moor

Chapter 12. Death on the Moor

For a moment or two I sat breathless, hardly able to believe my ears.

Then my senses and my voice came back to me, while a crushing weight of responsibility seemed in an instant to be lifted from my soul. That cold, incisive, ironical voice could belong to but one man in all the world. "Holmes!

I cried—"Holmes! "Come out," said he, "and please be careful with the revolver.

I stooped under the rude lintel, and there he sat upon a stone outside, his gray eyes dancing with amusement as they fell upon my astonished features.

He was thin and worn, but clear and alert, his keen face bronzed by the sun and roughened by the wind. In his tweed suit and cloth cap he looked like any other tourist upon the moor, and he had contrived, with that catlike love of personal cleanliness which was one of his characteristics, that his chin should be as smooth and his linen as perfect as if he were in Baker Street. "I never was more glad to see anyone in my life," said I as I wrung him by the hand.

"Or more astonished, eh?

"Well, I must confess to it.

"The surprise was not all on one side, I assure you.

I had no idea that you had found my occasional retreat, still less that you were inside it, until I was within twenty paces of the door. "My footprint, I presume?

"No, Watson, I fear that I could not undertake to recognize your footprint amid all the footprints of the world.

If you seriously desire to deceive me you must change your tobacconist; for when I see the stub of a cigarette marked Bradley, Oxford Street, I know that my friend Watson is in the neighbourhood. You will see it there beside the path. You threw it down, no doubt, at that supreme moment when you charged into the empty hut. "Exactly.

"I thought as much—and knowing your admirable tenacity I was convinced that you were sitting in ambush, a weapon within reach, waiting for the tenant to return.

So you actually thought that I was the criminal? "I did not know who you were, but I was determined to find out.

"Excellent, Watson!

And how did you localize me? You saw me, perhaps, on the night of the convict hunt, when I was so imprudent as to allow the moon to rise behind me? "Yes, I saw you then.

"And have no doubt searched all the huts until you came to this one?

"No, your boy had been observed, and that gave me a guide where to look.

"The old gentleman with the telescope, no doubt.

I could not make it out when first I saw the light flashing upon the lens." He rose and peeped into the hut. "Ha, I see that Cartwright has brought up some supplies. What's this paper? So you have been to Coombe Tracey, have you? "Yes.

"To see Mrs. Laura Lyons?

"Exactly.

"Well done!

Our researches have evidently been running on parallel lines, and when we unite our results I expect we shall have a fairly full knowledge of the case. "Well, I am glad from my heart that you are here, for indeed the responsibility and the mystery were both becoming too much for my nerves.

But how in the name of wonder did you come here, and what have you been doing? I thought that you were in Baker Street working out that case of blackmailing. "That was what I wished you to think.

"Then you use me, and yet do not trust me!

I cried with some bitterness. "I think that I have deserved better at your hands, Holmes. "My dear fellow, you have been invaluable to me in this as in many other cases, and I beg that you will forgive me if I have seemed to play a trick upon you.

In truth, it was partly for your own sake that I did it, and it was my appreciation of the danger which you ran which led me to come down and examine the matter for myself. Had I been with Sir Henry and you it is confident that my point of view would have been the same as yours, and my presence would have warned our very formidable opponents to be on their guard. As it is, I have been able to get about as I could not possibly have done had I been living in the Hall, and I remain an unknown factor in the business, ready to throw in all my weight at a critical moment. "But why keep me in the dark?

"For you to know could not have helped us and might possibly have led to my discovery.

You would have wished to tell me something, or in your kindness you would have brought me out some comfort or other, and so an unnecessary risk would be run. I brought Cartwright down with me—you remember the little chap at the express office—and he has seen after my simple wants: a loaf of bread and a clean collar. What does man want more? He has given me an extra pair of eyes upon a very active pair of feet, and both have been invaluable. "Then my reports have all been wasted!

"—My voice trembled as I recalled the pains and the pride with which I had composed them. Holmes took a bundle of papers from his pocket.

"Here are your reports, my dear fellow, and very well thumbed, I assure you.

I made excellent arrangements, and they are only delayed one day upon their way. I must compliment you exceedingly upon the zeal and the intelligence which you have shown over an extraordinarily difficult case. I was still rather raw over the deception which had been practised upon me, but the warmth of Holmes's praise drove my anger from my mind.

I felt also in my heart that he was right in what he said and that it was really best for our purpose that I should not have known that he was upon the moor. "That's better," said he, seeing the shadow rise from my face.

"And now tell me the result of your visit to Mrs. Laura Lyons—it was not difficult for me to guess that it was to see her that you had gone, for I am already aware that she is the one person in Coombe Tracey who might be of service to us in the matter. In fact, if you had not gone today it is exceedingly probable that I should have gone tomorrow. The sun had set and dusk was settling over the moor.

The air had turned chill and we withdrew into the hut for warmth. There, sitting together in the twilight, I told Holmes of my conversation with the lady. So interested was he that I had to repeat some of it twice before he was satisfied. "This is most important," said he when I had concluded.

"It fills up a gap which I had been unable to bridge in this most complex affair. You are aware, perhaps, that a close intimacy exists between this lady and the man Stapleton? "I did not know of a close intimacy.

"There can be no doubt about the matter.

They meet, they write, there is a complete understanding between them. Now, this puts a very powerful weapon into our hands. If I could only use it to detach his wife—" "His wife?

"I am giving you some information now, in return for all that you have given me.

The lady who has passed here as Miss Stapleton is in reality his wife. "Good heavens, Holmes!

Are you sure of what you say? How could he have permitted Sir Henry to fall in love with her? "Sir Henry's falling in love could do no harm to anyone except Sir Henry.

He took particular care that Sir Henry did not make love to her, as you have yourself observed. I repeat that the lady is his wife and not his sister. "But why this elaborate deception?

"Because he foresaw that she would be very much more useful to him in the character of a free woman.

All my unspoken instincts, my vague suspicions, suddenly took shape and centred upon the naturalist.

In that impassive colourless man, with his straw hat and his butterfly-net, I seemed to see something terrible—a creature of infinite patience and craft, with a smiling face and a murderous heart. "It is he, then, who is our enemy—it is he who dogged us in London?

"So I read the riddle.

"And the warning—it must have come from her!

"Exactly.

The shape of some monstrous villainy, half seen, half guessed, loomed through the darkness which had girt me so long.

"But are you sure of this, Holmes?

How do you know that the woman is his wife? "Because he so far forgot himself as to tell you a true piece of autobiography upon the occasion when he first met you, and I dare say he has many a time regretted it since.

He was once a schoolmaster in the north of England. Now, there is no one more easy to trace than a schoolmaster. There are scholastic agencies by which one may identify any man who has been in the profession. A little investigation showed me that a school had come to grief under atrocious circumstances, and that the man who had owned it—the name was different—had disappeared with his wife. The descriptions agreed. When I learned that the missing man was devoted to entomology the identification was complete. The darkness was rising, but much was still hidden by the shadows.

"If this woman is in truth his wife, where does Mrs. Laura Lyons come in?

I asked. "That is one of the points upon which your own researches have shed a light.

Your interview with the lady has cleared the situation very much. I did not know about a projected divorce between herself and her husband. In that case, regarding Stapleton as an unmarried man, she counted no doubt upon becoming his wife. "And when she is undeceived?

"Why, then we may find the lady of service.

It must be our first duty to see her—both of us—tomorrow. Don't you think, Watson, that you are away from your charge rather long? Your place should be at Baskerville Hall. The last red streaks had faded away in the west and night had settled upon the moor.

A few faint stars were gleaming in a violet sky. "One last question, Holmes," I said as I rose.

"Surely there is no need of secrecy between you and me. What is the meaning of it all? What is he after? Holmes's voice sank as he answered:

"It is murder, Watson—refined, cold-blooded, deliberate murder.

Do not ask me for particulars. My nets are closing upon him, even as his are upon Sir Henry, and with your help he is already almost at my mercy. There is but one danger which can threaten us. It is that he should strike before we are ready to do so. Another day—two at the most—and I have my case complete, but until then guard your charge as closely as ever a fond mother watched her ailing child. Your mission today has justified itself, and yet I could almost wish that you had not left his side. Hark! A terrible scream—a prolonged yell of horror and anguish—burst out of the silence of the moor.

That frightful cry turned the blood to ice in my veins. "Oh, my God!

I gasped. "What is it? What does it mean? Holmes had sprung to his feet, and I saw his dark, athletic outline at the door of the hut, his shoulders stooping, his head thrust forward, his face peering into the darkness.

"Hush!

he whispered. "Hush!

The cry had been loud on account of its vehemence, but it had pealed out from somewhere far off on the shadowy plain.

Now it burst upon our ears, nearer, louder, more urgent than before. "Where is it?

Holmes whispered; and I knew from the thrill of his voice that he, the man of iron, was shaken to the soul. "Where is it, Watson? "There, I think.

I pointed into the darkness. "No, there!

Again the agonized cry swept through the silent night, louder and much nearer than ever.

And a new sound mingled with it, a deep, muttered rumble, musical and yet menacing, rising and falling like the low, constant murmur of the sea. "The hound!

cried Holmes. "Come, Watson, come! Great heavens, if we are too late! He had started running swiftly over the moor, and I had followed at his heels.

But now from somewhere among the broken ground immediately in front of us there came one last despairing yell, and then a dull, heavy thud. We halted and listened. Not another sound broke the heavy silence of the windless night. I saw Holmes put his hand to his forehead like a man distracted.

He stamped his feet upon the ground. "He has beaten us, Watson.

We are too late. "No, no, surely not!

"Fool that I was to hold my hand.

And you, Watson, see what comes of abandoning your charge! But, by Heaven, if the worst has happened we'll avenge him! Blindly we ran through the gloom, blundering against boulders, forcing our way through gorse bushes, panting up hills and rushing down slopes, heading always in the direction whence those dreadful sounds had come.

At every rise Holmes looked eagerly round him, but the shadows were thick upon the moor, and nothing moved upon its dreary face. "Can you see anything?

"Nothing.

"But, hark, what is that?

A low moan had fallen upon our ears.

There it was again upon our left! On that side a ridge of rocks ended in a sheer cliff which overlooked a stone-strewn slope. On its jagged face was spread-eagled some dark, irregular object. As we ran towards it the vague outline hardened into a definite shape. It was a prostrate man face downward upon the ground, the head doubled under him at a horrible angle, the shoulders rounded and the body hunched together as if in the act of throwing a somersault. So grotesque was the attitude that I could not for the instant realize that that moan had been the passing of his soul. Not a whisper, not a rustle, rose now from the dark figure over which we stooped. Holmes laid his hand upon him and held it up again with an exclamation of horror. The gleam of the match which he struck shone upon his clotted fingers and upon the ghastly pool which widened slowly from the crushed skull of the victim. And it shone upon something else which turned our hearts sick and faint within us—the body of Sir Henry Baskerville! There was no chance of either of us forgetting that peculiar ruddy tweed suit—the very one which he had worn on the first morning that we had seen him in Baker Street.

We caught the one clear glimpse of it, and then the match flickered and went out, even as the hope had gone out of our souls. Holmes groaned, and his face glimmered white through the darkness. "The brute!

The brute!" I cried with clenched hands. "Oh Holmes, I shall never forgive myself for having left him to his fate. "I am more to blame than you, Watson.

In order to have my case well rounded and complete, I have thrown away the life of my client. It is the greatest blow which has befallen me in my career. But how could I know—how could I know—that he would risk his life alone upon the moor in the face of all my warnings? "That we should have heard his screams—my God, those screams!—and yet have been unable to save him!

Where is this brute of a hound which drove him to his death? It may be lurking among these rocks at this instant. And Stapleton, where is he? He shall answer for this deed. "He shall.

I will see to that. Uncle and nephew have been murdered—the one frightened to death by the very sight of a beast which he thought to be supernatural, the other driven to his end in his wild flight to escape from it. But now we have to prove the connection between the man and the beast. Save from what we heard, we cannot even swear to the existence of the latter, since Sir Henry has evidently died from the fall. But, by heavens, cunning as he is, the fellow shall be in my power before another day is past! We stood with bitter hearts on either side of the mangled body, overwhelmed by this sudden and irrevocable disaster which had brought all our long and weary labours to so piteous an end.

Then as the moon rose we climbed to the top of the rocks over which our poor friend had fallen, and from the summit we gazed out over the shadowy moor, half silver and half gloom. Far away, miles off, in the direction of Grimpen, a single steady yellow light was shining. It could only come from the lonely abode of the Stapletons. With a bitter curse I shook my fist at it as I gazed. "Why should we not seize him at once?

"Our case is not complete.

The fellow is wary and cunning to the last degree. It is not what we know, but what we can prove. If we make one false move the villain may escape us yet. "What can we do?

"There will be plenty for us to do tomorrow.

Tonight we can only perform the last offices to our poor friend. Together we made our way down the precipitous slope and approached the body, black and clear against the silvered stones.

The agony of those contorted limbs struck me with a spasm of pain and blurred my eyes with tears. "We must send for help, Holmes!

We cannot carry him all the way to the Hall. Good heavens, are you mad? He had uttered a cry and bent over the body.

Now he was dancing and laughing and wringing my hand. Could this be my stern, self-contained friend? These were hidden fires, indeed! "A beard!

A beard!

The man has a beard! "A beard?

"It is not the baronet—it is—why, it is my neighbour, the convict!

With feverish haste we had turned the body over, and that dripping beard was pointing up to the cold, clear moon.

There could be no doubt about the beetling forehead, the sunken animal eyes. It was indeed the same face which had glared upon me in the light of the candle from over the rock—the face of Selden, the criminal. Then in an instant it was all clear to me.

I remembered how the baronet had told me that he had handed his old wardrobe to Barrymore. Barrymore had passed it on in order to help Selden in his escape. Boots, shirt, cap—it was all Sir Henry's. The tragedy was still black enough, but this man had at least deserved death by the laws of his country. I told Holmes how the matter stood, my heart bubbling over with thankfulness and joy. "Then the clothes have been the poor devil's death," said he.

"It is clear enough that the hound has been laid on from some article of Sir Henry's—the boot which was abstracted in the hotel, in all probability—and so ran this man down. There is one very singular thing, however: How came Selden, in the darkness, to know that the hound was on his trail? "He heard him.

"To hear a hound upon the moor would not work a hard man like this convict into such a paroxysm of terror that he would risk recapture by screaming wildly for help.

By his cries he must have run a long way after he knew the animal was on his track. How did he know? "A greater mystery to me is why this hound, presuming that all our conjectures are correct—"

"I presume nothing.

"Well, then, why this hound should be loose tonight.

I suppose that it does not always run loose upon the moor. Stapleton would not let it go unless he had reason to think that Sir Henry would be there. "My difficulty is the more formidable of the two, for I think that we shall very shortly get an explanation of yours, while mine may remain forever a mystery.

The question now is, what shall we do with this poor wretch's body? We cannot leave it here to the foxes and the ravens. "I suggest that we put it in one of the huts until we can communicate with the police.

"Exactly.

I have no doubt that you and I could carry it so far. Halloa, Watson, what's this? It's the man himself, by all that's wonderful and audacious! Not a word to show your suspicions—not a word, or my plans crumble to the ground. A figure was approaching us over the moor, and I saw the dull red glow of a cigar.

The moon shone upon him, and I could distinguish the dapper shape and jaunty walk of the naturalist. He stopped when he saw us, and then came on again. "Why, Dr. Watson, that's not you, is it?

You are the last man that I should have expected to see out on the moor at this time of night. But, dear me, what's this? Somebody hurt? Not—don't tell me that it is our friend Sir Henry!" He hurried past me and stooped over the dead man. I heard a sharp intake of his breath and the cigar fell from his fingers. "Who—who's this?

he stammered. "It is Selden, the man who escaped from Princetown.

Stapleton turned a ghastly face upon us, but by a supreme effort he had overcome his amazement and his disappointment.

He looked sharply from Holmes to me. "Dear me! What a very shocking affair! How did he die? "He appears to have broken his neck by falling over these rocks.

My friend and I were strolling on the moor when we heard a cry. "I heard a cry also.

That was what brought me out. I was uneasy about Sir Henry. "Why about Sir Henry in particular?

I could not help asking. "Because I had suggested that he should come over.

When he did not come I was surprised, and I naturally became alarmed for his safety when I heard cries upon the moor. By the way"—his eyes darted again from my face to Holmes's—"did you hear anything else besides a cry? "No," said Holmes; "did you?

"No.

"What do you mean, then?

"Oh, you know the stories that the peasants tell about a phantom hound, and so on.

It is said to be heard at night upon the moor. I was wondering if there were any evidence of such a sound tonight. "We heard nothing of the kind," said I.

"And what is your theory of this poor fellow's death?

"I have no doubt that anxiety and exposure have driven him off his head.

He has rushed about the moor in a crazy state and eventually fallen over here and broken his neck. "That seems the most reasonable theory," said Stapleton, and he gave a sigh which I took to indicate his relief.

"What do you think about it, Mr. Sherlock Holmes? My friend bowed his compliments.

"You are quick at identification," said he. "We have been expecting you in these parts since Dr. Watson came down.

You are in time to see a tragedy. "Yes, indeed.

I have no doubt that my friend's explanation will cover the facts. I will take an unpleasant remembrance back to London with me tomorrow. "Oh, you return tomorrow?

"That is my intention.

"I hope your visit has cast some light upon those occurrences which have puzzled us?

Holmes shrugged his shoulders.

"One cannot always have the success for which one hopes.

An investigator needs facts and not legends or rumours. It has not been a satisfactory case. My friend spoke in his frankest and most unconcerned manner.

Stapleton still looked hard at him. Then he turned to me. "I would suggest carrying this poor fellow to my house, but it would give my sister such a fright that I do not feel justified in doing it.

I think that if we put something over his face he will be safe until morning. And so it was arranged.

Resisting Stapleton's offer of hospitality, Holmes and I set off to Baskerville Hall, leaving the naturalist to return alone. Looking back we saw the figure moving slowly away over the broad moor, and behind him that one black smudge on the silvered slope which showed where the man was lying who had come so horribly to his end.

Chapter 12. Death on the Moor Kapitel 12. Der Tod im Moor Capítulo 12. Muerte en el páramo Chapitre 12. La mort dans la lande Глава 12. Смерть на болоте

For a moment or two I sat breathless, hardly able to believe my ears. Für einen Moment oder zwei saß ich atemlos da und konnte meinen Ohren kaum trauen.

Then my senses and my voice came back to me, while a crushing weight of responsibility seemed in an instant to be lifted from my soul. Dann kehrten meine Sinne und meine Stimme zu mir zurück, und die erdrückende Last der Verantwortung schien in einem Augenblick von meiner Seele genommen zu sein. Тоді до мене повернулися почуття і голос, а з моєї душі, здавалося, в одну мить звалився нищівний тягар відповідальності. That cold, incisive, ironical voice could belong to but one man in all the world. Diese kalte, scharfe, ironische Stimme konnte nur einem einzigen Mann auf der ganzen Welt gehören. "Holmes! "Holmes!

I cried—"Holmes! Ich rief - "Holmes! "Come out," said he, "and please be careful with the revolver. "Komm raus", sagte er, "und sei bitte vorsichtig mit dem Revolver.

I stooped under the rude lintel, and there he sat upon a stone outside, his gray eyes dancing with amusement as they fell upon my astonished features. Ich beugte mich unter den groben Türsturz, und da saß er draußen auf einem Stein, und seine grauen Augen tanzten vor Belustigung, als sie auf meine erstaunten Züge fielen.

He was thin and worn, but clear and alert, his keen face bronzed by the sun and roughened by the wind. Er war dünn und abgenutzt, aber klar und aufmerksam, sein scharfes Gesicht von der Sonne gebräunt und vom Wind aufgeraut. Він був худий і зношений, але ясний і уважний, його гостре обличчя було бронзовим від сонця і шорстким від вітру. In his tweed suit and cloth cap he looked like any other tourist upon the moor, and he had contrived, with that catlike love of personal cleanliness which was one of his characteristics, that his chin should be as smooth and his linen as perfect as if he were in Baker Street. У своєму твідовому костюмі та полотняному капелюсі він виглядав, як будь-який інший турист на болоті, і з котячою любов'ю до особистої чистоти, яка була однією з його характерних рис, він примудрився, щоб його підборіддя було таким же гладеньким, а білизна такою ж бездоганною, як якщо б він був на Бейкер-стріт. "I never was more glad to see anyone in my life," said I as I wrung him by the hand. "Ich habe mich noch nie in meinem Leben so gefreut, jemanden zu sehen", sagte ich, als ich ihn an der Hand fasste. "Я ніколи не був так радий бачити когось у своєму житті", - сказав я, стискаючи його руку.

"Or more astonished, eh? "Oder eher erstaunt, wie?

"Well, I must confess to it. "Nun, ich muss es zugeben.

"The surprise was not all on one side, I assure you. "Ich versichere Ihnen, dass die Überraschung nicht nur auf einer Seite lag. "Несподіванка була не з одного боку, запевняю вас.

I had no idea that you had found my occasional retreat, still less that you were inside it, until I was within twenty paces of the door. Ich hatte keine Ahnung, dass Sie mein gelegentliches Refugium gefunden hatten, geschweige denn, dass Sie sich darin befanden, bis ich nur noch zwanzig Schritte von der Tür entfernt war. Я й гадки не мав, що ти знайшла моє усамітнення, а тим паче, що ти в ньому перебуваєш, доки не опинився за двадцять кроків від дверей. "My footprint, I presume? "Мій слід, я так розумію?

"No, Watson, I fear that I could not undertake to recognize your footprint amid all the footprints of the world. "Nein, Watson, ich fürchte, ich könnte es nicht wagen, Ihren Fußabdruck inmitten aller Fußabdrücke der Welt zu erkennen. "Ні, Ватсоне, боюся, що не зможу взяти на себе сміливість розпізнати твій слід серед усіх слідів світу.

If you seriously desire to deceive me you must change your tobacconist; for when I see the stub of a cigarette marked Bradley, Oxford Street, I know that my friend Watson is in the neighbourhood. Wenn Sie mich ernsthaft täuschen wollen, müssen Sie Ihren Tabakhändler wechseln; denn wenn ich den Stummel einer Zigarette mit der Aufschrift Bradley, Oxford Street, sehe, weiß ich, dass mein Freund Watson in der Nähe ist. You will see it there beside the path. Sie werden es dort neben dem Weg sehen. You threw it down, no doubt, at that supreme moment when you charged into the empty hut. Du hast sie zweifellos in dem entscheidenden Moment weggeworfen, als du in die leere Hütte gestürmt bist. Ти кинув його, без сумніву, в той найвищий момент, коли ввірвався в порожню хатину. "Exactly. "Ganz genau.

"I thought as much—and knowing your admirable tenacity I was convinced that you were sitting in ambush, a weapon within reach, waiting for the tenant to return. "Das dachte ich auch - und da ich Ihre bewundernswerte Hartnäckigkeit kenne, war ich überzeugt, dass Sie auf der Lauer liegen, eine Waffe in Reichweite, und auf die Rückkehr des Mieters warten.

So you actually thought that I was the criminal? Sie dachten also tatsächlich, dass ich der Kriminelle bin? "I did not know who you were, but I was determined to find out. "Ich wusste nicht, wer Sie sind, aber ich war entschlossen, es herauszufinden.

"Excellent, Watson! "Ausgezeichnet, Watson!

And how did you localize me? Und wie haben Sie mich lokalisiert? А як ви мене локалізували? You saw me, perhaps, on the night of the convict hunt, when I was so imprudent as to allow the moon to rise behind me? Sie haben mich vielleicht in der Nacht der Sträflingsjagd gesehen, als ich so unvorsichtig war, den Mond hinter mir aufgehen zu lassen? "Yes, I saw you then. "Ja, ich habe dich damals gesehen.

"And have no doubt searched all the huts until you came to this one? "Und du hast zweifellos alle Hütten durchsucht, bis du zu dieser gekommen bist? "І ви, без сумніву, обшукали всі хати, поки не прийшли до цієї?

"No, your boy had been observed, and that gave me a guide where to look. "Nein, Ihr Junge war beobachtet worden, und das gab mir einen Hinweis, wo ich suchen musste.

"The old gentleman with the telescope, no doubt. "Der alte Herr mit dem Teleskop, zweifellos.

I could not make it out when first I saw the light flashing upon the lens." Ich konnte es nicht erkennen, als ich das erste Mal das Licht auf der Linse aufblitzen sah." Я нічого не міг зрозуміти, коли вперше побачив світло, що миготіло на об'єктиві". He rose and peeped into the hut. Er stand auf und spähte in die Hütte. Він підвівся і зазирнув до хатини. "Ha, I see that Cartwright has brought up some supplies. "Ha, ich sehe, dass Cartwright einige Vorräte mitgebracht hat. "Ха, я бачу, що Картрайт привіз припаси. What’s this paper? Was ist das für ein Papier? So you have been to Coombe Tracey, have you? Sie waren also schon einmal in Coombe Tracey, nicht wahr? "Yes. "Ja.

"To see Mrs. Laura Lyons? "Um Mrs. Laura Lyons zu sehen?

"Exactly.

"Well done!

Our researches have evidently been running on parallel lines, and when we unite our results I expect we shall have a fairly full knowledge of the case. Unsere Forschungen sind offensichtlich parallel verlaufen, und ich gehe davon aus, dass wir, wenn wir unsere Ergebnisse zusammenführen, eine ziemlich vollständige Kenntnis des Falles haben werden. "Well, I am glad from my heart that you are here, for indeed the responsibility and the mystery were both becoming too much for my nerves. "Nun, ich bin von Herzen froh, dass Sie hier sind, denn die Verantwortung und das Geheimnis waren zu viel für meine Nerven.

But how in the name of wonder did you come here, and what have you been doing? Aber wie, um Himmels willen, sind Sie hierher gekommen, und was haben Sie hier gemacht? I thought that you were in Baker Street working out that case of blackmailing. Ich dachte, du wärst in der Baker Street und würdest an dem Erpressungsfall arbeiten. Я думав, що ви на Бейкер-стріт працюєте над справою про шантаж. "That was what I wished you to think. "Das war es, was ich wollte, dass Sie denken.

"Then you use me, and yet do not trust me! "Du benutzt mich also und vertraust mir nicht!

I cried with some bitterness. Ich weinte mit einer gewissen Bitterkeit. "I think that I have deserved better at your hands, Holmes. "Ich denke, ich habe bei Ihnen etwas Besseres verdient, Holmes. "Гадаю, я заслуговував на краще від ваших рук, Холмсе. "My dear fellow, you have been invaluable to me in this as in many other cases, and I beg that you will forgive me if I have seemed to play a trick upon you. "Mein lieber Freund, Sie waren für mich in diesem wie in vielen anderen Fällen von unschätzbarem Wert, und ich bitte Sie, mir zu verzeihen, wenn ich Ihnen einen Streich gespielt zu haben scheine. "Мій дорогий друже, ти був неоціненним для мене в цій справі, як і в багатьох інших, і я благаю тебе пробачити мені, якщо мені здалося, що я зіграв з тобою злий жарт.

In truth, it was partly for your own sake that I did it, and it was my appreciation of the danger which you ran which led me to come down and examine the matter for myself. In Wahrheit habe ich es zum Teil um deinetwillen getan, und es war mein Verständnis für die Gefahr, in der du dich befandest, das mich dazu veranlasste, herunterzukommen und die Sache selbst zu untersuchen. По правді кажучи, я зробив це частково заради вас, і саме усвідомлення небезпеки, на яку ви наражалися, змусило мене приїхати і вивчити це питання на власні очі. Had I been with Sir Henry and you it is confident that my point of view would have been the same as yours, and my presence would have warned our very formidable opponents to be on their guard. Wäre ich bei Sir Henry und Ihnen gewesen, hätte ich sicher denselben Standpunkt vertreten wie Sie, und meine Anwesenheit hätte unsere sehr gefährlichen Gegner gewarnt, auf der Hut zu sein. Якби я був з сером Генрі і вами, я впевнений, що моя точка зору була б такою ж, як і ваша, і моя присутність попередила б наших дуже грізних опонентів, щоб вони були на сторожі. As it is, I have been able to get about as I could not possibly have done had I been living in the Hall, and I remain an unknown factor in the business, ready to throw in all my weight at a critical moment. So wie es ist, konnte ich mich so bewegen, wie ich es nicht hätte tun können, wenn ich in der Halle gelebt hätte, und ich bleibe ein unbekannter Faktor in der Branche, der bereit ist, in einem kritischen Moment sein ganzes Gewicht einzubringen. Наразі мені вдалося зробити те, що я не зміг би зробити, якби жив у залі, і я залишаюся невідомим фактором у бізнесі, готовим докласти всіх зусиль у критичний момент. "But why keep me in the dark?

"For you to know could not have helped us and might possibly have led to my discovery. "Wenn Sie es wüssten, wäre uns nicht geholfen und hätte möglicherweise zu meiner Entdeckung geführt. «Pour que vous le sachiez, cela n'aurait pas pu nous aider et aurait peut-être conduit à ma découverte. "Якби ви знали, це могло б допомогти нам і, можливо, призвело б до мого відкриття.

You would have wished to tell me something, or in your kindness you would have brought me out some comfort or other, and so an unnecessary risk would be run. Du hättest mir etwas sagen wollen, oder in deiner Freundlichkeit hättest du mir irgendeinen Trost gebracht, und so wäre ein unnötiges Risiko eingegangen worden. Ви б захотіли мені щось сказати, або у своїй доброті принести мені якусь розраду, або ще щось, і таким чином ви б наразилися на непотрібний ризик. I brought Cartwright down with me—you remember the little chap at the express office—and he has seen after my simple wants: a loaf of bread and a clean collar. Ich habe Cartwright mitgebracht - du erinnerst dich an den kleinen Kerl vom Expressamt - und er hat sich um meine einfachen Bedürfnisse gekümmert: einen Laib Brot und einen sauberen Kragen. Я взяв із собою Картрайта - ви пам'ятаєте цього хлопця з експрес-офісу - і він подбав про мої найпростіші потреби: буханку хліба і чистий комір. What does man want more? Was will der Mensch mehr? He has given me an extra pair of eyes upon a very active pair of feet, and both have been invaluable. Er hat mir ein zusätzliches Paar Augen und ein sehr aktives Paar Füße gegeben, und beides ist von unschätzbarem Wert. "Then my reports have all been wasted! "Dann waren alle meine Berichte umsonst!

"—My voice trembled as I recalled the pains and the pride with which I had composed them. "Meine Stimme zitterte, als ich mich an die Schmerzen und den Stolz erinnerte, mit denen ich sie verfasst hatte. "- Мій голос тремтів, коли я згадував біль і гордість, з якою я їх писав. Holmes took a bundle of papers from his pocket. Holmes holte ein Bündel Papiere aus seiner Tasche.

"Here are your reports, my dear fellow, and very well thumbed, I assure you. "Hier sind Ihre Berichte, mein lieber Freund, und ich versichere Ihnen, dass sie sehr gut durchgeblättert sind. «Voici vos rapports, mon cher ami, et très bien feuilletés, je vous assure. "Ось твої звіти, мій дорогий друже, і вони дуже добре зброшуровані, запевняю тебе.

I made excellent arrangements, and they are only delayed one day upon their way. Ich habe ausgezeichnete Vorkehrungen getroffen, und sie sind nur einen Tag verspätet auf dem Weg. Я все чудово організував, і вони затримуються в дорозі лише на один день. I must compliment you exceedingly upon the zeal and the intelligence which you have shown over an extraordinarily difficult case. Ich muss Ihnen ein großes Kompliment machen für den Eifer und die Intelligenz, mit der Sie einen außerordentlich schwierigen Fall gelöst haben. I was still rather raw over the deception which had been practised upon me, but the warmth of Holmes’s praise drove my anger from my mind. Ich war immer noch ziemlich wütend über den Betrug, den man mir angetan hatte, aber die Wärme von Holmes' Lob vertrieb meinen Zorn aus meinem Kopf. Я все ще був досить роздратований обманом, який був застосований до мене, але теплота похвали Холмса витіснила мою злість з мого розуму.

I felt also in my heart that he was right in what he said and that it was really best for our purpose that I should not have known that he was upon the moor. Ich fühlte auch in meinem Herzen, dass er Recht hatte mit dem, was er sagte, und dass es wirklich das Beste für unseren Zweck war, dass ich nicht wusste, dass er auf dem Moor war. "That’s better," said he, seeing the shadow rise from my face. "Das ist besser", sagte er, als er sah, wie der Schatten von meinem Gesicht wich.

"And now tell me the result of your visit to Mrs. Laura Lyons—it was not difficult for me to guess that it was to see her that you had gone, for I am already aware that she is the one person in Coombe Tracey who might be of service to us in the matter. "Und nun erzählen Sie mir das Ergebnis Ihres Besuchs bei Mrs. Laura Lyons - es war nicht schwer für mich zu erraten, dass Sie zu ihr gegangen sind, denn ich weiß bereits, dass sie die einzige Person in Coombe Tracey ist, die uns in dieser Angelegenheit von Nutzen sein könnte. In fact, if you had not gone today it is exceedingly probable that I should have gone tomorrow. The sun had set and dusk was settling over the moor.

The air had turned chill and we withdrew into the hut for warmth. Die Luft war kühl geworden und wir zogen uns in die Hütte zurück, um uns zu wärmen. There, sitting together in the twilight, I told Holmes of my conversation with the lady. Dort saßen wir in der Dämmerung zusammen und ich erzählte Holmes von meinem Gespräch mit der Dame. So interested was he that I had to repeat some of it twice before he was satisfied. "This is most important," said he when I had concluded.

"It fills up a gap which I had been unable to bridge in this most complex affair. You are aware, perhaps, that a close intimacy exists between this lady and the man Stapleton? "I did not know of a close intimacy.

"There can be no doubt about the matter.

They meet, they write, there is a complete understanding between them. Now, this puts a very powerful weapon into our hands. If I could only use it to detach his wife—" "His wife?

"I am giving you some information now, in return for all that you have given me.

The lady who has passed here as Miss Stapleton is in reality his wife. "Good heavens, Holmes!

Are you sure of what you say? How could he have permitted Sir Henry to fall in love with her? Wie konnte er zulassen, dass sich Sir Henry in sie verliebt? "Sir Henry’s falling in love could do no harm to anyone except Sir Henry.

He took particular care that Sir Henry did not make love to her, as you have yourself observed. Er achtete besonders darauf, dass Sir Henry nicht mit ihr schlief, wie Sie selbst festgestellt haben. Він особливо дбав про те, щоб сер Генрі не кохався з нею, як ви самі бачили. I repeat that the lady is his wife and not his sister. "But why this elaborate deception?

"Because he foresaw that she would be very much more useful to him in the character of a free woman.

All my unspoken instincts, my vague suspicions, suddenly took shape and centred upon the naturalist. Alle meine unausgesprochenen Instinkte, meine vagen Verdächtigungen nahmen plötzlich Gestalt an und konzentrierten sich auf den Naturforscher.

In that impassive colourless man, with his straw hat and his butterfly-net, I seemed to see something terrible—a creature of infinite patience and craft, with a smiling face and a murderous heart. In diesem teilnahmslosen, farblosen Mann mit seinem Strohhut und seinem Schmetterlingsnetz schien ich etwas Schreckliches zu sehen - ein Geschöpf von unendlicher Geduld und List, mit einem lächelnden Gesicht und einem mörderischen Herzen. "It is he, then, who is our enemy—it is he who dogged us in London?

"So I read the riddle. «Alors j'ai lu l'énigme.

"And the warning—it must have come from her! "І попередження - воно, напевно, від неї!

"Exactly.

The shape of some monstrous villainy, half seen, half guessed, loomed through the darkness which had girt me so long. Die Gestalt einer monströsen Schurkerei, halb gesehen, halb erahnt, zeichnete sich in der Dunkelheit ab, die mich so lange umhüllt hatte. La forme de quelque méchanceté monstrueuse, à moitié vue, à moitié devinée, se dessinait à travers les ténèbres qui m'avaient ceint si longtemps. Обриси якогось жахливого лиходійства, наполовину побачені, наполовину вгадані, вимальовувалися крізь темряву, яка так довго огортала мене.

"But are you sure of this, Holmes?

How do you know that the woman is his wife? "Because he so far forgot himself as to tell you a true piece of autobiography upon the occasion when he first met you, and I dare say he has many a time regretted it since. "Weil er sich selbst so weit vergessen hat, dass er Ihnen bei seiner ersten Begegnung mit Ihnen ein wahres Stück Autobiographie erzählt hat, und ich wage zu behaupten, dass er es seitdem oft bereut hat. "Тому що він настільки забув про те, що розповів вам правдиву автобіографію при першій зустрічі з вами, що, смію припустити, не раз шкодував про це з того часу.

He was once a schoolmaster in the north of England. Now, there is no one more easy to trace than a schoolmaster. Зараз немає нікого, кого було б легше відстежити, ніж шкільного вчителя. There are scholastic agencies by which one may identify any man who has been in the profession. Es gibt akademische Agenturen, an denen man jeden Mann erkennen kann, der in diesem Beruf tätig war. Il existe des agences scolaires par lesquelles on peut identifier tout homme qui a exercé la profession. A little investigation showed me that a school had come to grief under atrocious circumstances, and that the man who had owned it—the name was different—had disappeared with his wife. Nachforschungen ergaben, dass eine Schule unter grausamen Umständen zu Grunde gegangen war und dass der Besitzer - der Name war ein anderer - mit seiner Frau verschwunden war. Une petite enquête m'a montré qu'une école s'était effondrée dans des circonstances atroces, et que l'homme qui en était propriétaire - le nom était différent - avait disparu avec sa femme. Невеличке розслідування показало мені, що школа загинула за жахливих обставин, а чоловік, який нею володів (ім'я було іншим), зник разом зі своєю дружиною. The descriptions agreed. When I learned that the missing man was devoted to entomology the identification was complete. Als ich erfuhr, dass der vermisste Mann sich der Entomologie widmete, war die Identifizierung abgeschlossen. The darkness was rising, but much was still hidden by the shadows. Темрява піднімалася, але багато чого ще було приховано тінями.

"If this woman is in truth his wife, where does Mrs. Laura Lyons come in? "Якщо ця жінка справді його дружина, то звідки взялася місіс Лора Лайонс?

I asked. "That is one of the points upon which your own researches have shed a light. "Das ist einer der Punkte, auf den Ihre eigenen Forschungen ein Licht geworfen haben. "Це один з моментів, на який пролили світло ваші власні дослідження.

Your interview with the lady has cleared the situation very much. I did not know about a projected divorce between herself and her husband. In that case, regarding Stapleton as an unmarried man, she counted no doubt upon becoming his wife. Da sie Stapleton als unverheirateten Mann ansah, bestand für sie kein Zweifel daran, dass sie seine Frau werden würde. "And when she is undeceived? "Et quand elle est décomptée? "А коли її не обманюють?

"Why, then we may find the lady of service. "А що, може, тоді ми знайдемо господиню.

It must be our first duty to see her—both of us—tomorrow. Don’t you think, Watson, that you are away from your charge rather long? Finden Sie nicht auch, Watson, dass Sie ziemlich lange von Ihrem Schützling weg sind? Вам не здається, Ватсоне, що ви надто довго не бачилися зі своїм підопічним? Your place should be at Baskerville Hall. The last red streaks had faded away in the west and night had settled upon the moor. Die letzten roten Streifen waren im Westen verblasst und die Nacht hatte sich über das Moor gelegt. Les dernières traînées rouges s'étaient estompées à l'ouest et la nuit s'était installée sur la lande. На заході згасли останні червоні смуги, і на болото опустилася ніч.

A few faint stars were gleaming in a violet sky. Ein paar schwache Sterne schimmerten am violetten Himmel. На фіолетовому небі виблискувало кілька слабких зірок. "One last question, Holmes," I said as I rose.

"Surely there is no need of secrecy between you and me. What is the meaning of it all? What is he after? Чого він хоче? Holmes’s voice sank as he answered:

"It is murder, Watson—refined, cold-blooded, deliberate murder. "Це вбивство, витончене, холоднокровне, навмисне вбивство, як у Ватсона.

Do not ask me for particulars. My nets are closing upon him, even as his are upon Sir Henry, and with your help he is already almost at my mercy. Мої сіті затягуються на нього, як і його сіті на сера Генрі, і з вашою допомогою він вже майже в моїй владі. There is but one danger which can threaten us. Il n'y a qu'un seul danger qui peut nous menacer. It is that he should strike before we are ready to do so. Es geht darum, dass er zuschlägt, bevor wir bereit sind, dies zu tun. C'est qu'il devrait frapper avant que nous ne soyons prêts à le faire. Another day—two at the most—and I have my case complete, but until then guard your charge as closely as ever a fond mother watched her ailing child. Noch ein Tag - höchstens zwei - und ich habe meinen Fall abgeschlossen, aber bis dahin bewache deine Schützlinge so aufmerksam wie eine liebevolle Mutter ihr kränkelndes Kind. Ще день - максимум два - і я завершу свою справу, але до того часу пильнуйте свою підопічну так само пильно, як колись любляча мати пильнувала свою хвору дитину. Your mission today has justified itself, and yet I could almost wish that you had not left his side. Ваша сьогоднішня місія виправдала себе, і все ж мені майже хотілося б, щоб ви не залишали його. Hark! Послухайте! A terrible scream—a prolonged yell of horror and anguish—burst out of the silence of the moor. Ein furchtbarer Schrei - ein langgezogener Schrei des Entsetzens und der Qual - brach aus der Stille des Moores hervor.

That frightful cry turned the blood to ice in my veins. "Oh, my God!

I gasped. Haletai-je. У мене перехопило подих. "What is it? What does it mean? Holmes had sprung to his feet, and I saw his dark, athletic outline at the door of the hut, his shoulders stooping, his head thrust forward, his face peering into the darkness. Holmes war aufgesprungen, und ich sah seine dunklen, athletischen Umrisse an der Tür der Hütte, die Schultern gebeugt, den Kopf nach vorne gestreckt, das Gesicht in die Dunkelheit blickend. Холмс схопився на ноги, і я побачив його темні, атлетичні обриси біля дверей хатини, згорблені плечі, висунуту вперед голову, обличчя, що вдивлялося в темряву.

"Hush!

he whispered. "Hush!

The cry had been loud on account of its vehemence, but it had pealed out from somewhere far off on the shadowy plain. Der Schrei war laut, weil er so heftig war, aber er ertönte von irgendwo weit weg in der schattigen Ebene. Le cri avait été fort à cause de sa véhémence, mais il avait éclaté de quelque part au loin dans la plaine ombragée. Крик був гучним через свою несамовитість, але пролунав він звідкись здалеку з тінистої рівнини.

Now it burst upon our ears, nearer, louder, more urgent than before. "Where is it?

Holmes whispered; and I knew from the thrill of his voice that he, the man of iron, was shaken to the soul. flüsterte Holmes, und ich erkannte an der Erregung in seiner Stimme, dass er, der Mann aus Eisen, bis in die Seele erschüttert war. "Where is it, Watson? "There, I think.

I pointed into the darkness. "No, there!

Again the agonized cry swept through the silent night, louder and much nearer than ever. Wieder schallte der gequälte Schrei durch die stille Nacht, lauter und viel näher als je zuvor. Знову агонізуючий крик прокотився крізь тиху ніч, гучніше і набагато ближче, ніж будь-коли.

And a new sound mingled with it, a deep, muttered rumble, musical and yet menacing, rising and falling like the low, constant murmur of the sea. Und ein neues Geräusch mischte sich darunter, ein tiefes, gemurmeltes Grollen, musikalisch und doch bedrohlich, auf- und abschwellend wie das tiefe, beständige Rauschen des Meeres. І новий звук змішався з ним, глибокий, бурмотливий гуркіт, музичний і в той же час загрозливий, що піднімається і опускається, як низький, постійний шум моря. "The hound!

cried Holmes. "Come, Watson, come! Great heavens, if we are too late! Боже, якщо ми запізнилися! He had started running swiftly over the moor, and I had followed at his heels. Він почав швидко бігти через болото, і я побіг за ним по п'ятах.

But now from somewhere among the broken ground immediately in front of us there came one last despairing yell, and then a dull, heavy thud. Doch nun ertönte von irgendwo aus dem zerbrochenen Boden unmittelbar vor uns ein letzter verzweifelter Schrei und dann ein dumpfer, schwerer Aufprall. Але ось звідкись з-поміж розбитої землі прямо перед нами пролунав останній відчайдушний крик, а потім глухий, важкий стукіт. We halted and listened. Wir blieben stehen und hörten zu. Not another sound broke the heavy silence of the windless night. I saw Holmes put his hand to his forehead like a man distracted. Ich sah, wie Holmes seine Hand an die Stirn legte, wie ein Mann, der abgelenkt ist. Я побачив, як Холмс приклав руку до чола, як людина, що відволіклася.

He stamped his feet upon the ground. Він тупотів ногами по землі. "He has beaten us, Watson. "Він переміг нас, Ватсоне.

We are too late. "No, no, surely not!

"Fool that I was to hold my hand. "Дурень, що тримав мене за руку.

And you, Watson, see what comes of abandoning your charge! А ви, Ватсоне, побачите, до чого призведе відмова від своєї справи! But, by Heaven, if the worst has happened we’ll avenge him! Blindly we ran through the gloom, blundering against boulders, forcing our way through gorse bushes, panting up hills and rushing down slopes, heading always in the direction whence those dreadful sounds had come. Blindlings rannten wir durch die Finsternis, stießen gegen Felsbrocken, zwängten uns durch Ginsterbüsche, hechelten Hügel hinauf und stürzten Hänge hinunter, immer in die Richtung, aus der die schrecklichen Geräusche gekommen waren. Наосліп ми бігли крізь темряву, натикаючись на валуни, продираючись крізь зарості коників, задихаючись піднімалися на пагорби і мчали вниз по схилах, завжди прямуючи в тому напрямку, звідки долинали ці жахливі звуки.

At every rise Holmes looked eagerly round him, but the shadows were thick upon the moor, and nothing moved upon its dreary face. Bei jeder Erhebung blickte Holmes eifrig um sich, aber die Schatten lagen dicht über dem Moor, und nichts bewegte sich auf seinem trostlosen Gesicht. На кожному підйомі Холмс жадібно озирався навколо, але на болоті лежали густі тіні, і ніщо не ворушилося на його похмурому обличчі. "Can you see anything?

"Nothing.

"But, hark, what is that? «Mais, écoutez, qu'est-ce que c'est?

A low moan had fallen upon our ears. Un faible gémissement était tombé sur nos oreilles. До наших вух долинув тихий стогін.

There it was again upon our left! Знову зліва від нас! On that side a ridge of rocks ended in a sheer cliff which overlooked a stone-strewn slope. Auf dieser Seite endete ein Felskamm in einer steilen Klippe, die einen steinigen Abhang überragte. On its jagged face was spread-eagled some dark, irregular object. Auf seiner zerklüfteten Oberfläche war ein dunkler, unregelmäßiger Gegenstand aufgespannt. Sur sa face déchiquetée, il y avait un objet sombre et irrégulier étalé. На його зазубреному обличчі був розпластаний якийсь темний, неправильної форми предмет. As we ran towards it the vague outline hardened into a definite shape. Als wir darauf zuliefen, verdichteten sich die vagen Umrisse zu einer eindeutigen Form. It was a prostrate man face downward upon the ground, the head doubled under him at a horrible angle, the shoulders rounded and the body hunched together as if in the act of throwing a somersault. Es handelte sich um einen Mann, der mit dem Gesicht nach unten auf dem Boden lag, den Kopf in einem schrecklichen Winkel unter sich verdreht, die Schultern gerundet und den Körper zusammengekauert, als ob er einen Purzelbaum schlagen wollte. Це був розпростертий чоловік, що лежав на землі обличчям донизу, голова під ним подвоїлася під жахливим кутом, плечі округлилися, а тіло згорбилося, наче в акті сальто-мортале. So grotesque was the attitude that I could not for the instant realize that that moan had been the passing of his soul. Die Haltung war so grotesk, dass ich nicht einen Augenblick lang erkennen konnte, dass dieses Stöhnen das Vergehen seiner Seele gewesen war. Це було настільки гротескно, що я не міг навіть на мить усвідомити, що цей стогін був відходом його душі. Not a whisper, not a rustle, rose now from the dark figure over which we stooped. Kein Flüstern, kein Rascheln kam jetzt von der dunklen Gestalt, über die wir uns beugten. Holmes laid his hand upon him and held it up again with an exclamation of horror. Holmes legte seine Hand auf ihn und hob sie mit einem Ausruf des Entsetzens wieder auf. Холмс поклав на нього руку і знову підняв її з вигуком жаху. The gleam of the match which he struck shone upon his clotted fingers and upon the ghastly pool which widened slowly from the crushed skull of the victim. Der Schein des Streichholzes, das er anzündete, glänzte auf seinen geronnenen Fingern und auf der grässlichen Lache, die sich langsam aus dem zerschmetterten Schädel des Opfers ausbreitete. La lueur de l'allumette qu'il a frappée brillait sur ses doigts coagulés et sur la mare horrible qui s'élargissait lentement du crâne écrasé de la victime. Відблиск сірника, яким він чиркнув, осяяв його згорнуті пальці і жахливу калюжу, що повільно розширювалася від розтрощеного черепа жертви. And it shone upon something else which turned our hearts sick and faint within us—the body of Sir Henry Baskerville! Und es schien auf etwas anderes, das unsere Herzen krank und ohnmächtig werden ließ - die Leiche von Sir Henry Baskerville! І воно осяяло ще дещо, що змусило наші серця збожеволіти і знепритомніти - тіло сера Генрі Баскервіля! There was no chance of either of us forgetting that peculiar ruddy tweed suit—the very one which he had worn on the first morning that we had seen him in Baker Street. Keiner von uns konnte diesen eigenartigen rötlichen Tweed-Anzug vergessen - genau den, den er am ersten Morgen, als wir ihn in der Baker Street gesehen hatten, getragen hatte. Ніхто з нас не міг забути той особливий рум'яний твідовий костюм - той самий, що був на ньому того першого ранку, коли ми побачили його на Бейкер-стріт.

We caught the one clear glimpse of it, and then the match flickered and went out, even as the hope had gone out of our souls. Wir erhaschten einen einzigen klaren Blick darauf, und dann flackerte das Streichholz und erlosch, so wie die Hoffnung in unseren Seelen erloschen war. Ми встигли побачити його лише один раз, а потім сірник блимнув і згас, так само, як згасла надія в наших душах. Holmes groaned, and his face glimmered white through the darkness. Holmes stöhnte, und sein Gesicht schimmerte weiß durch die Dunkelheit. "The brute! "Der Rohling!

The brute!" I cried with clenched hands. Ich weinte mit zu Fäusten geballten Händen. "Oh Holmes, I shall never forgive myself for having left him to his fate. "Oh Holmes, ich werde mir nie verzeihen, dass ich ihn seinem Schicksal überlassen habe. "I am more to blame than you, Watson. "Я винна більше, ніж ви, Ватсоне.

In order to have my case well rounded and complete, I have thrown away the life of my client. Um meinen Fall gut abzurunden und zu vervollständigen, habe ich das Leben meines Mandanten weggeworfen. Для того, щоб моя справа була завершеною і повною, я відмовився від життя мого клієнта. It is the greatest blow which has befallen me in my career. C'est le plus grand coup qui m'est arrivé dans ma carrière. Це найбільший удар, який спіткав мене в моїй кар'єрі. But how could I know—how could I know—that he would risk his life alone upon the moor in the face of all my warnings? Aber woher sollte ich wissen, dass er trotz all meiner Warnungen sein Leben allein auf dem Moor riskieren würde? Але звідки я міг знати - звідки я міг знати - що він ризикне своїм життям на самоті на болоті, незважаючи на всі мої застереження? "That we should have heard his screams—my God, those screams!—and yet have been unable to save him!

Where is this brute of a hound which drove him to his death? Wo ist dieser brutale Hund, der ihn in den Tod getrieben hat? Де ж той звірячий пес, що загнав його на смерть? It may be lurking among these rocks at this instant. Vielleicht lauert er in diesem Moment zwischen diesen Felsen. Il se peut qu'il se cache parmi ces rochers en ce moment. Можливо, воно ховається серед цих скель у цю мить. And Stapleton, where is he? He shall answer for this deed. Il répondra de cet acte. "He shall.

I will see to that. Uncle and nephew have been murdered—the one frightened to death by the very sight of a beast which he thought to be supernatural, the other driven to his end in his wild flight to escape from it. Onkel und Neffe wurden ermordet - der eine zu Tode erschreckt durch den Anblick eines Ungeheuers, das er für übernatürlich hielt, der andere in seiner wilden Flucht vor dem Ungeheuer zu Tode getrieben. Дядько і племінник були вбиті - один наляканий до смерті самим виглядом звіра, якого він вважав надприродним, а інший загнаний до смерті в дикій втечі, щоб врятуватися від нього. But now we have to prove the connection between the man and the beast. Save from what we heard, we cannot even swear to the existence of the latter, since Sir Henry has evidently died from the fall. Abgesehen von dem, was wir gehört haben, können wir nicht einmal die Existenz des letzteren beschwören, da Sir Henry offensichtlich an dem Sturz gestorben ist. За винятком того, що ми чули, ми не можемо навіть присягнутися в існуванні останнього, оскільки сер Генрі, очевидно, помер від падіння. But, by heavens, cunning as he is, the fellow shall be in my power before another day is past! Aber, um Himmels willen, so schlau er auch ist, der Bursche wird in meiner Gewalt sein, bevor ein weiterer Tag vergeht! Але, клянуся небесами, хоч який він хитрий, він буде в моїй владі ще до того, як мине ще один день! We stood with bitter hearts on either side of the mangled body, overwhelmed by this sudden and irrevocable disaster which had brought all our long and weary labours to so piteous an end. Bitteren Herzens standen wir zu beiden Seiten des zerfetzten Körpers, überwältigt von dieser plötzlichen und unwiderruflichen Katastrophe, die all unseren langen und mühsamen Bemühungen ein so erbärmliches Ende bereitet hatte. Ми стояли з гіркими серцями по обидва боки понівеченого тіла, приголомшені цією раптовою і безповоротною катастрофою, яка поклала такий жалюгідний кінець всій нашій довгій і виснажливій праці.

Then as the moon rose we climbed to the top of the rocks over which our poor friend had fallen, and from the summit we gazed out over the shadowy moor, half silver and half gloom. Als der Mond aufging, kletterten wir auf die Spitze der Felsen, über die unser armer Freund gestürzt war, und blickten vom Gipfel aus über das schattige Moor, das halb silbern und halb düster war. Коли зійшов місяць, ми піднялися на вершину скелі, з якої впав наш бідолашний друг, і з вершини ми дивилися на тінисте болото, наполовину сріблясте, наполовину похмуре. Far away, miles off, in the direction of Grimpen, a single steady yellow light was shining. In der Ferne, kilometerweit entfernt, in Richtung Grimpen, leuchtete ein einziges gleichmäßiges gelbes Licht. Далеко, за багато кілометрів, у напрямку Грімпена, світилося єдине рівномірне жовте світло. It could only come from the lonely abode of the Stapletons. Es konnte nur aus dem einsamen Haus der Stapletons kommen. Він міг походити лише з самотньої оселі Стейплтонів. With a bitter curse I shook my fist at it as I gazed. Mit einem bitteren Fluch schüttelte ich meine Faust, während ich ihn anstarrte. Avec une malédiction amère, je secouai mon poing en la regardant. З гірким прокляттям я потрясла кулаком, дивлячись на нього. "Why should we not seize him at once? "Warum sollten wir ihn nicht sofort ergreifen?

"Our case is not complete.

The fellow is wary and cunning to the last degree. Der Kerl ist vorsichtig und durchtrieben bis ins letzte Detail. Le camarade est méfiant et rusé au dernier degré. Хлопець насторожений і хитрий до останньої міри. It is not what we know, but what we can prove. If we make one false move the villain may escape us yet. Якщо ми зробимо один невірний рух, лиходій ще може втекти від нас. "What can we do?

"There will be plenty for us to do tomorrow. "Morgen wird es für uns viel zu tun geben.

Tonight we can only perform the last offices to our poor friend. Heute Abend können wir unserem armen Freund nur noch die letzten Dienste erweisen. Сьогодні ввечері ми можемо відспівати останню службу нашому бідолашному другові. Together we made our way down the precipitous slope and approached the body, black and clear against the silvered stones. Gemeinsam gingen wir den steilen Abhang hinunter und näherten uns der Leiche, die sich schwarz und klar von den versilberten Steinen abhob. Разом ми спустилися вниз по стрімкому схилу і наблизилися до тіла, чорного і прозорого на тлі посрібленого каміння.

The agony of those contorted limbs struck me with a spasm of pain and blurred my eyes with tears. Die Qualen dieser verrenkten Gliedmaßen versetzten mich in einen Schmerzkrampf und ließen meine Augen von Tränen trüben. L'agonie de ces membres contorsionnés me frappa d'un spasme de douleur et me brouilla les yeux de larmes. Агонія цих спотворених кінцівок вразила мене спазмом болю і затуманила очі сльозами. "We must send for help, Holmes!

We cannot carry him all the way to the Hall. Good heavens, are you mad? Gütiger Himmel, sind Sie verrückt? Боже мій, ти здурів? He had uttered a cry and bent over the body. Er hatte einen Schrei ausgestoßen und sich über die Leiche gebeugt. Він вимовив крик і схилився над тілом.

Now he was dancing and laughing and wringing my hand. Jetzt tanzte und lachte er und rang mir die Hand. Тепер він танцював, сміявся і тиснув мені руку. Could this be my stern, self-contained friend? Könnte das mein strenger, in sich gekehrter Freund sein? Serait-ce mon ami sévère et autonome? These were hidden fires, indeed! Це справді були приховані пожежі! "A beard!

A beard! Une barbe!

The man has a beard! "A beard?

"It is not the baronet—it is—why, it is my neighbour, the convict! "Es ist nicht der Baronet, es ist - ja, es ist mein Nachbar, der Sträfling! "Це не баронет, це мій сусід, в'язень!

With feverish haste we had turned the body over, and that dripping beard was pointing up to the cold, clear moon. In fieberhafter Eile hatten wir die Leiche umgedreht, und der triefende Bart zeigte zum kalten, klaren Mond hinauf. Avec une hâte fiévreuse, nous avions retourné le corps, et cette barbe ruisselante pointait vers la lune froide et claire.

There could be no doubt about the beetling forehead, the sunken animal eyes. It was indeed the same face which had glared upon me in the light of the candle from over the rock—the face of Selden, the criminal. Es war in der Tat dasselbe Gesicht, das mich im Schein der Kerze vom Felsen aus angestrahlt hatte - das Gesicht von Selden, dem Verbrecher. Then in an instant it was all clear to me.

I remembered how the baronet had told me that he had handed his old wardrobe to Barrymore. Я згадала, як баронет розповідав мені, що передав свій старий гардероб Берімор. Barrymore had passed it on in order to help Selden in his escape. Barrymore hatte sie weitergegeben, um Selden bei seiner Flucht zu helfen. Берімор передала його, щоб допомогти Селдену втекти. Boots, shirt, cap—it was all Sir Henry’s. Stiefel, Hemd, Mütze - das alles gehörte Sir Henry. The tragedy was still black enough, but this man had at least deserved death by the laws of his country. Die Tragödie war immer noch schwarz genug, aber dieser Mann hatte zumindest den Tod nach den Gesetzen seines Landes verdient. Трагедія все ще була досить чорною, але ця людина принаймні заслуговувала на смерть за законами своєї країни. I told Holmes how the matter stood, my heart bubbling over with thankfulness and joy. Ich erzählte Holmes, wie die Sache stand, und mein Herz sprudelte vor Dankbarkeit und Freude. J'ai raconté à Holmes comment cela se passait, mon cœur bouillonnant de reconnaissance et de joie. Я розповів Холмсу про те, що сталося, і моє серце переповнювалося вдячністю і радістю. "Then the clothes have been the poor devil’s death," said he. "Тоді одяг став причиною смерті бідолахи", - сказав він.

"It is clear enough that the hound has been laid on from some article of Sir Henry’s—the boot which was abstracted in the hotel, in all probability—and so ran this man down. "Es ist klar genug, dass der Hund auf einen Gegenstand von Sir Henry angesetzt wurde - höchstwahrscheinlich auf den Stiefel, der im Hotel entwendet wurde - und so diesen Mann zur Strecke brachte. "Цілком очевидно, що собака був нацькований на якусь річ сера Генрі - черевик, який, найімовірніше, був вилучений в готелі - і тому забив цього чоловіка. There is one very singular thing, however: How came Selden, in the darkness, to know that the hound was on his trail? Eine Sache ist jedoch sehr merkwürdig: Woher wusste Selden in der Dunkelheit, dass der Hund ihm auf der Spur war? Однак є одна дуже особлива річ: як Селден у темряві дізнався, що собака йде по його сліду? "He heard him.

"To hear a hound upon the moor would not work a hard man like this convict into such a paroxysm of terror that he would risk recapture by screaming wildly for help. "Einen Hund auf dem Moor zu hören, würde einen harten Mann wie diesen Sträfling nicht in einen solchen Angstanfall versetzen, dass er riskieren würde, wieder eingefangen zu werden, indem er wild um Hilfe schreit. «Entendre un chien sur la lande ne ferait pas subir à un homme dur comme ce forçat un tel paroxysme de terreur qu'il risquerait de se reprendre en criant sauvagement à l'aide. "Почувши гончака на болоті, такий суворий чоловік, як цей в'язень, не впав би в такий пароксизм жаху, що ризикував би бути схопленим, дико кричачи про допомогу.

By his cries he must have run a long way after he knew the animal was on his track. Seinen Schreien nach zu urteilen, muss er ein ganzes Stück gelaufen sein, nachdem er wusste, dass das Tier ihm auf der Spur war. Судячи з його криків, він, мабуть, пробіг велику відстань після того, як дізнався, що тварина вийшла на його слід. How did he know? "A greater mystery to me is why this hound, presuming that all our conjectures are correct—" "Ein größeres Rätsel ist für mich, warum dieser Hund, vorausgesetzt, dass alle unsere Vermutungen richtig sind..." "Ще більшою загадкою для мене є те, чому цей пес, якщо припустити, що всі наші припущення правильні..."

"I presume nothing. "Ich vermute nichts.

"Well, then, why this hound should be loose tonight. "Nun denn, warum sollte dieser Hund heute Nacht frei herumlaufen. "Ну, тоді чому цей пес повинен бути на свободі сьогодні вночі.

I suppose that it does not always run loose upon the moor. Ich nehme an, dass er nicht immer im Moor herumläuft. Stapleton would not let it go unless he had reason to think that Sir Henry would be there. Stapleton würde es nicht zulassen, es sei denn, er hätte Grund zu der Annahme, dass Sir Henry dort sein würde. "My difficulty is the more formidable of the two, for I think that we shall very shortly get an explanation of yours, while mine may remain forever a mystery. "Meine Schwierigkeit ist die schwierigere von beiden, denn ich denke, dass wir sehr bald eine Erklärung für deine bekommen werden, während meine vielleicht für immer ein Rätsel bleibt. "Мої труднощі є більш грізними з цих двох, бо я думаю, що ми дуже скоро отримаємо пояснення ваших, в той час як мої можуть назавжди залишитися таємницею.

The question now is, what shall we do with this poor wretch’s body? Die Frage ist nun, was wir mit der Leiche dieses armen Kerls machen sollen. La question est maintenant: que ferons-nous du corps de ce pauvre misérable? We cannot leave it here to the foxes and the ravens. Wir können es hier nicht den Füchsen und Raben überlassen. "I suggest that we put it in one of the huts until we can communicate with the police. "Ich schlage vor, dass wir ihn in einer der Hütten unterbringen, bis wir mit der Polizei sprechen können.

"Exactly. "Ganz genau.

I have no doubt that you and I could carry it so far. Ich habe keinen Zweifel daran, dass wir beide es so weit bringen könnten. Halloa, Watson, what’s this? Halloa, Watson, was ist das? It’s the man himself, by all that’s wonderful and audacious! Es ist der Mann selbst, bei allem, was wunderbar und kühn ist! Це сам чоловік, весь такий чудовий і зухвалий! Not a word to show your suspicions—not a word, or my plans crumble to the ground. Kein Wort, um deinen Verdacht zu äußern - kein Wort, sonst zerbröseln meine Pläne. Ані словом не викажеш своїх підозр - ані словом, інакше мої плани розваляться вщент. A figure was approaching us over the moor, and I saw the dull red glow of a cigar. Eine Gestalt kam über das Moor auf uns zu, und ich sah den dumpfen roten Schein einer Zigarre. Фігура наближалася до нас над болотом, і я побачив тьмяний червоний відблиск сигари.

The moon shone upon him, and I could distinguish the dapper shape and jaunty walk of the naturalist. Der Mond schien auf ihn, und ich konnte die gepflegte Gestalt und den flotten Gang des Naturforschers erkennen. La lune brillait sur lui, et je pouvais distinguer la forme pimpante et l'allure enjouée du naturaliste. Місяць світив на нього, і я міг розрізнити ошатну фігуру і жваву ходу натураліста. He stopped when he saw us, and then came on again. "Why, Dr. Watson, that’s not you, is it? "Чому, докторе Ватсоне, це ж не ви?

You are the last man that I should have expected to see out on the moor at this time of night. Ви - останній чоловік, якого я очікував побачити на болоті о цій порі ночі. But, dear me, what’s this? Але, боже мій, що це? Somebody hurt? Not—don’t tell me that it is our friend Sir Henry!" He hurried past me and stooped over the dead man. Er eilte an mir vorbei und beugte sich über den toten Mann. Він пробіг повз мене і нахилився над мертвим чоловіком. I heard a sharp intake of his breath and the cigar fell from his fingers. Ich hörte ein scharfes Einatmen und die Zigarre fiel ihm aus den Fingern. "Who—who’s this? "Wer... wer ist das?

he stammered. stammelte er. "It is Selden, the man who escaped from Princetown. "Es ist Selden, der Mann, der aus Princetown geflohen ist.

Stapleton turned a ghastly face upon us, but by a supreme effort he had overcome his amazement and his disappointment. Stapleton warf uns einen finsteren Blick zu, aber mit äußerster Anstrengung hatte er sein Erstaunen und seine Enttäuschung überwunden. Степлтон повернув до нас жахливе обличчя, але надзусиллям подолав своє здивування і розчарування.

He looked sharply from Holmes to me. Er schaute scharf von Holmes zu mir. "Dear me! What a very shocking affair! Яка шокуюча історія! How did he die? "He appears to have broken his neck by falling over these rocks.

My friend and I were strolling on the moor when we heard a cry. "I heard a cry also.

That was what brought me out. Це було те, що вивело мене назовні. I was uneasy about Sir Henry. J'étais inquiet pour Sir Henry. Я був стурбований щодо сера Генрі. "Why about Sir Henry in particular?

I could not help asking. Я не міг не запитати. "Because I had suggested that he should come over.

When he did not come I was surprised, and I naturally became alarmed for his safety when I heard cries upon the moor. Als er nicht kam, war ich überrascht, und als ich im Moor Schreie hörte, war ich natürlich um seine Sicherheit besorgt. Коли він не прийшов, я здивувався і, звичайно, занепокоївся за його безпеку, коли почув крики на болоті. By the way"—his eyes darted again from my face to Holmes’s—"did you hear anything else besides a cry? Übrigens" - sein Blick huschte wieder von meinem Gesicht zu dem von Holmes - "haben Sie noch etwas anderes gehört als einen Schrei? До речі, - його очі знову перебігли з мого обличчя на обличчя Холмса, - ви чули щось ще, окрім крику? "No," said Holmes; "did you?

"No.

"What do you mean, then?

"Oh, you know the stories that the peasants tell about a phantom hound, and so on. "Oh, du kennst doch die Geschichten, die die Bauern über einen Geisterhund und so weiter erzählen.

It is said to be heard at night upon the moor. Кажуть, що його можна почути вночі на болоті. I was wondering if there were any evidence of such a sound tonight. Ich habe mich gefragt, ob es heute Abend irgendwelche Hinweise auf ein solches Geräusch gibt. "We heard nothing of the kind," said I. "Нічого подібного ми не чули", - сказав я.

"And what is your theory of this poor fellow’s death? "Und wie lautet Ihre Theorie zum Tod dieses armen Kerls?

"I have no doubt that anxiety and exposure have driven him off his head. "Ich habe keinen Zweifel daran, dass Angst und Ausgesetztsein ihn um den Verstand gebracht haben. "Я не сумніваюся, що тривога і викриття звели його з розуму.

He has rushed about the moor in a crazy state and eventually fallen over here and broken his neck. Er ist in einem verrückten Zustand durch das Moor gerannt und schließlich hier gestürzt und hat sich das Genick gebrochen. "That seems the most reasonable theory," said Stapleton, and he gave a sigh which I took to indicate his relief. "Das scheint die vernünftigste Theorie zu sein", sagte Stapleton, und er stieß einen Seufzer aus, den ich als Zeichen seiner Erleichterung verstand. "Це здається найрозумнішою теорією", - сказав Степлтон і зітхнув, що я сприйняв як знак його полегшення.

"What do you think about it, Mr. Sherlock Holmes? "Was halten Sie davon, Mr. Sherlock Holmes? My friend bowed his compliments. Mein Freund verbeugte sich und machte mir ein Kompliment. Мій друг вклонився з компліментами.

"You are quick at identification," said he. "Sie sind schnell im Erkennen", sagte er. "We have been expecting you in these parts since Dr. Watson came down. "Wir haben Sie hier erwartet, seit Dr. Watson hierher kam. "Ми чекали на вас у цих краях відтоді, як доктор Ватсон спустився сюди.

You are in time to see a tragedy. Du kommst gerade rechtzeitig, um eine Tragödie zu erleben. Ви встигли побачити трагедію. "Yes, indeed. "Ja, in der Tat.

I have no doubt that my friend’s explanation will cover the facts. Ich habe keinen Zweifel daran, dass die Erklärung meines Freundes den Tatsachen entspricht. I will take an unpleasant remembrance back to London with me tomorrow. Неприємний спогад я візьму з собою завтра до Лондона. "Oh, you return tomorrow? "Oh, Sie kommen morgen zurück?

"That is my intention. "Das ist meine Absicht.

"I hope your visit has cast some light upon those occurrences which have puzzled us? "Ich hoffe, Ihr Besuch hat etwas Licht auf die Vorkommnisse geworfen, die uns verwirrt haben? «J'espère que votre visite a jeté un peu de lumière sur ces événements qui nous ont déconcertés? "Сподіваюся, ваш візит пролив світло на ті події, які нас спантеличили?

Holmes shrugged his shoulders.

"One cannot always have the success for which one hopes. "Не завжди можна досягти того успіху, на який сподіваєшся.

An investigator needs facts and not legends or rumours. It has not been a satisfactory case. Es war kein zufriedenstellender Fall. My friend spoke in his frankest and most unconcerned manner. Mein Freund sprach in seiner offensten und unbekümmertesten Art.

Stapleton still looked hard at him. Stapleton sah ihn immer noch streng an. Then he turned to me. "I would suggest carrying this poor fellow to my house, but it would give my sister such a fright that I do not feel justified in doing it. "Ich würde vorschlagen, den armen Kerl zu mir nach Hause zu tragen, aber das würde meiner Schwester einen solchen Schrecken einjagen, dass ich mich nicht dazu berechtigt fühle. "Я б запропонував забрати цього бідолаху до себе додому, але це так налякало б мою сестру, що я не відчуваю, що маю право це робити.

I think that if we put something over his face he will be safe until morning. Ich denke, wenn wir etwas über sein Gesicht legen, ist er bis zum Morgen sicher. Думаю, якщо ми накриємо йому обличчя чимось, він буде в безпеці до ранку. And so it was arranged. Und so wurde es arrangiert. Так і було влаштовано.

Resisting Stapleton’s offer of hospitality, Holmes and I set off to Baskerville Hall, leaving the naturalist to return alone. Looking back we saw the figure moving slowly away over the broad moor, and behind him that one black smudge on the silvered slope which showed where the man was lying who had come so horribly to his end. Als wir zurückblickten, sahen wir, wie sich die Gestalt langsam über das weite Moor entfernte, und hinter ihr der eine schwarze Fleck auf dem versilberten Hang, der zeigte, wo der Mann lag, der so schrecklich zu Tode gekommen war.