沼地上的一起死亡事件-巴斯克維爾獵犬

巴斯克維爾獵犬目錄14 沼地上的一起死亡事件 Death on the Moor Holmes started running over the moor,and I followed him.From somewhere in front of us came one more hopeless scream.It was followed by the sound of something falling heavily.We stopped and listened.
I saw Holmes put his hand to his head.' He has won,Watson.We' re too late.I was mad not to act sooner.And you,Watson,look what happens when you leave the man I asked you to guard.But if the worst has happened,we shall see that Stapleton doesn't go free.'
We ran through the dark towards the place where the cries had come from.We reached a rocky edge from which a steep side fell away.Below us we saw the body of a man.He was lying with his face down on the ground.He had fallen on his head,which was bent under him,and his neck was broken.Holmes lit a match.We saw with horror the blood running out onto the ground from his head.
We both remembered clearly the suit the man was wearing.It was a thick,redbrown country suit.It was the suit Sir Henry had been wearing on the morning when we first met him in Baker Street.We saw it for a moment and then the match went out.Our hearts turned sick and cold inside us.
'The devil!The murderer!I shall never forgive myself for leaving Sir Henry alone,'I whispered angrily.
'It's more my fault than yours,'said Holmes.'I have let this good man die because I was busy with the last details of my case.It is the greatest mistake I have ever made.But why did he come out onto the moor?I told him it would lead to his death.Now both Sir Henry and his uncle have been murdered.By heavens,clever as he is,I shall trap Stapleton before another day is past.'
With heavy hearts we stood on either side of the broken body.Then Holmes bent over the body and began to move it.All of a sudden he began to laugh and jump up and down.
'Look at the face!'he shouted,hitting me on the back.'It is not Sir Henry.It's Selden,the escaped prisoner.'
We turned the body over.There was no doubt about it.I had seen the face before,on the night Sir Henry and I had chased Selden over the moor.Then I suddenly remembered,and everything became clear.Sir Henry had told me how he gave his old clothes to Barrymore.I realized that this suit had been among the clothes Barrymore had left for Selden,and I told Holmes.
'Then the clothes have caused the death of the poor man.The hound had been given something of Sir Henry's to smell so that it would pick up his scent and follow him.I think that is why the shoe was taken from the hotel in London.So the hound followed the scent and bunted this man.But there is one thing I don't understand.How did Selden know that the hound was following him? We know he ran a long way.He was screaming for a long time before he fell,and we could hear that he was running as he screamed.So the hound was a long way behind him when he began to run.How could he see it in the dark? How did he know it was there,until it was close be hind him?'
'I cannot answer that,'I said,' but there is something else I don' t understand.Why was the hound out on the moor tonight?Stapleton would not let it go out unless he thought Sir Henry was there.'
'We may know the answer to that question very soon,'said Holmes.'Here comes Stapleton.'
His sharp eyes had seen a figure moving in the darkness in front of us,and
s the man came closer,I could see that it was indeed Stapleton.
'We must be very careful not to show that we suspect him,'Holmes warned me.
Stapleton stopped when he saw us,and then walked forward again.'Dr Watson,is that you?I didn't expect to see you on the moor at this time of night But,dear me,what's this? Somebody hurt? Not—don't tell me that it's our friend Sir Henry!'
He went past me and bent over the dead man.I heard him breathe in quickly.
'Who…who is this?' he asked,his voice shaking.
'It's Selden,the escaped prisoner.'
Stapleton quickly managed to hide the look of surprise and disappointment on his face as he turned towards us.He looked sharply from Holmes to me.'Dear me! How terrible! How did he die?'
'We think he broke his neck by falling over the edge of these rocks,'I said.
'I heard a cry,and that is why I came out.I was worried about Sir Henry,'Stapleton said.
'Why were you worried about Sir Henry?'I asked.
'Because I had invited him to my house.When he did not come I was surprised.Then,when I heard cries on the moor,I began to worry about him.I wonder'—his eyes went quickly from my face to Holmes'—' did you hear anything else at all?'
'No,'said Holmes.'Did you?'
'No,'said Stapleton.
'What do you mean,then?'
'Oh,you know the stories about the supernatural hound.I wondered if it had been here tonight.'
'We heard nothing of that kind,'I said.
'How do you think this poor man fell to his death?'Staple ton asked.
'I think cold and hunger,and his fear that the police would catch him,drove him mad.He ran round the moor in his mad ness,and fell over this edge,'I said.
'Do you agree,Mr Sherlock Holmes?'asked Stapleton.
'You're quick to guess who I am,'said Holmes.
'We're been expecting you ever since Dr Watson arrived.'
'I have no doubt my friend is right about the way Selden died,'said Holmes.'It' s a sad death,but it will not prevent me from returning to London tomorrow.'
'Before you return,will you be able to explain the mysteries that we've experienced here?'
'I am not always as successful as I hope.I need facts,not stories of the supernatural.This hasn' t been a good case for me.
Stapleton looked hard at him,but Holmes had spoken very seriously and his words sounded true.
We covered the body.Then Stapleton turned to go home,and Holmes and I walked towards Baskerville Hall.
'He's a very clever man,and a dangerous enemy,who will be difficult to trap,' said Holmes.' Look how he controlled his disappointment when he found that the dead man was not Sir Henry.'
'I'm sorry that he has seen you,'I said.
'So am I,but there was nothing we could do about it.Now he knows I am here he may be more careful,or he may act more quickly than he planned.'
'Why can't we give him to the police at once?'
'Because we can't prove anything against him.Sir Charles was found dead because his heart failed.Again,tonight we could not prove that there was a hound.Selden died from a fall.We have no case at present.We shall see Mrs Lyons to morrow,and she may help us.But whatever happens,I have my own plan.There will be some danger,but by the end of tomorrow I hope to have won this battle.'
He would say nothing else.
'Are you coming to the Hall?'I asked.
'Yes,'he replied.'There is no reason for me to hide any longer.But one last word,Watson Say nothing of the hound to Sir Henry.Let him think that Selden died from a fall.If he knows about the hound,he will find it harder to face the dan gers of tomorrow.I think you told me in your last letter that he is having dinner with the Stapletons tomorrow evening.'
'And they have invited me,too,'I reminded him.
'Then you must excuse yourself,and he must go alone.That can easily be arranged And now I think we are both ready for some food.' 福爾摩斯開始在沼地上跑了起來，我跟在他的後面。從我們前面的某處又發出了一聲絕望的尖叫，然後就是一個東西重重地栽在地上時的那麽一聲。我們站住了並傾聽著。
我看到福爾摩斯把手按在頭上。“他已經贏了，華生。我們來得太晚了。我真是發瘋了，竟不及早采取行動。而你呢，華生，看到離開我讓你保護的那個人會有什麽後果了吧。可是，要是最不幸的事情已然發生了的話，那麽我們就不能叫斯臺普頓給逃脫了。”
我們在黑暗之中朝發出喊叫聲的那個地方跑去。我們到了一條巖脊邊上，那兒有個很陡的懸崖伸展下去。我們由那裏向下看到了一個人。他臉朝下躺在地上。他是頭向下摔倒的，頭在身體下面窩著，脖子也給折斷了。福爾摩斯點著了一根火柴。我們驚恐地看到了一灘血正從他的頭顱裏冒出來汩汩地流到地上。
我們倆都清楚地記得那個人的衣著。那是一件厚厚的、棕紅色的、帶有土風色彩的外套。就是亨利爵士在我們第一次在貝克街見到他的那個早上穿著的那一件。我們只看了一眼，那根火柴接著就滅了。我們感到深為悲傷、深為恐怖。
“這個惡棍！這個兇手！我永遠也不能原諒自己，我竟離開了他的身旁，讓他獨自一人呆著，”我憤怒地低聲說道。
“我的罪過比你還要深重，”福爾摩斯說道。“因為我正忙於做好破案之前的工作，我竟任這位好人去死。這是我一生中所犯的最大的錯誤。可是，他為何要從屋裏溜到沼地上來呢？我告訴過他，這會要他的命的。現在，亨利爵士及其伯父都已被人謀殺了。蒼天在上，過不了另一天我就要誘捕他，雖然他很狡猾。”
我們心情沈重地站在這具血肉模糊的屍體的兩側。接著，福爾摩斯在屍體旁邊彎著腰，並且開始動彈它。突然之間，他開始又笑又跳起來。
“看看這張面孔！”他喊叫道，在我後背上擊了一下。“此人並非亨利爵士。是塞爾登，那個逃犯。”
我們把死屍翻了過來。無疑是這麽一回事。在我與亨利爵士在沼地上追趕塞爾登的那個晚上我曾見過這張臉。然後，我忽然記起了什麽，一切都清楚明白了。亨利爵士曾告訴我他如何把自己的舊衣物送給了白瑞摩。我意識到這件外套就是白瑞摩留給塞爾登的那些衣物中的一件，於是便把事情的來由告訴了福爾摩斯。
“那麽說，這身衣服導致了這個可憐的人的死。那個獵犬曾讓聞過亨利爵士的某件東西，以便它能嗅出他的氣味並追蹤他。我認為這就是那只鞋子在倫敦的那個旅館裏被偷的原因所在了。如此一來獵犬就循著氣味搜尋這個人。可是，有一件事情我不大明白。塞爾登如何知道那獵犬跟在他後面呢？我們知道他跑了很長的一段路。他在摔倒在地之前已尖叫了很長一段時間，我們也能聽出他尖叫時正在跑著。因此，他開始跑時那個獵犬還在他的身後很遠之處。他是怎麽在黑暗之中看到獵犬的呢？在獵犬緊跟他之前他是怎麽知道它就在那兒的呢？”
“我回答不上來，”我說道。“但是，還有一事我不大理解。為什麽獵犬單單在今晚被放出來在沼地上活動呢？除非是斯臺普頓覺得亨利爵士會到那裏去，否則他是不會把它放出來的。”
“我們可能很快就能知道問題的答案了，”福爾摩斯講道。“斯臺普頓來了。”
他那敏銳的眼睛已經看到了黑暗之中在我們的前面移動的一個輪廓，而且在這個人走近時，我可以看出正是斯臺普頓。
“我們必須謹慎行事，不要表現出懷疑他的樣子，”福爾摩斯警告我說。
斯臺普頓看到我們時停下了腳步，然後又向前走了起來。“華生醫生，是您嗎？我沒想到會在晚上的這個時候在沼地上看到您。可是，天哪，這是怎麽回事？有人受傷了嗎？不——不要告訴我這就是咱們的朋友亨利爵士！”
他由我們身旁走過，並在那個死人的身旁彎下腰來。我聽到他的呼吸急促。
“這是誰……誰呀？”他問道，聲音顫抖著。
“是塞爾登，那個逃犯。”
斯臺普頓向我們轉過身來時迅速地、設法掩飾著驚慌和失望的表情。他兩眼死盯著福爾摩斯，又轉向我。“天哪！多麽可怕啊！他是怎麽死的？”
“我們認為他從巖脊邊上掉下來便摔斷了脖子，”我說道。
“我聽到了一聲叫喊，那便是我跑了出來的原因。我很替亨利爵士擔心，”斯臺普頓說道。
“您為何要替亨利爵士擔心呢？”我問道。
“因為我已邀請他到我家來。他沒有來時我感到很驚訝。接著，當我聽到沼地上的叫喊聲時，我就開始為他擔憂了。我想知道”——他的眼神從我的臉上忽地轉向了福爾摩斯的臉——“您還聽到了什麽聲音沒有？”
“沒有，”福爾摩斯說道。“您呢？”
“沒有，”斯臺普頓說道。
“那麽，您這是什麽意思？”
“噢，您知道關於那只鬼怪似的獵犬的種種故事的。當時我正在納悶它今晚是否就在此地。”
“我們沒有聽到過那一類聲音，”我說道。
“你們怎麽以為這個可憐的家夥是摔死的呢？”斯臺普頓問道。
“我認為饑寒交迫和怕被警方抓獲的恐懼之情已經攫住了他，把他逼得發瘋了。他一定曾在沼地裏瘋狂地奔跑，又摔下了巖脊，”我說道。
“您同意這種看法嗎，歇洛克·福爾摩斯先生？”斯臺普頓問道。
“您猜人猜得真快，”福爾摩斯說道。
“自從華生醫生到達之後，我們一直在期待著您的光臨。”
“我確信我的朋友有關塞爾登死去的方式的說法是正確無誤的，”福爾摩斯說道。“死得很慘，可是這也不能阻止我明天就回到倫敦去。”
“在您離去之前，您能解釋得了我們在此經歷的種種神秘事件嗎？”
“我不像自己希望的那樣總能取得成功。我需要事實，而不是有關鬼怪的種種故事。對我來說這個案子辦得並不好。”
斯臺普頓死盯著他，但是福爾摩斯說話時很一本正經，他的話語聽上去也像真的。
我們把屍體遮蓋起來。然後，斯臺普頓就轉身回家了，我和福爾摩斯朝巴斯克維爾莊園走去。
“他是個聰明人，同時也是個危險的對手，很難被誘捕的，”福爾摩斯講道。“看看，當他發現那個死去的家夥不是亨利爵士時，他是多麽鎮定地克制自己的失望之情啊。”
“我感到很遺憾，他竟看到了你，”我說道。
“我也這麽覺得，可是我們當時對此毫無辦法。他現在已經知道了我在這裏，可能會變得更加謹慎起來，或許會比他事先預謀好的更快地采取行動。”
“咱們為什麽不馬上把他交給警方處理呢？”
“因為我們沒有與他作對的證據。查爾斯爵士被發現是因為心臟不負重荷才死去的。我們今晚也證明不了這兒曾有過一只獵犬。塞爾登是摔死的。我們目前沒有別的案子要辦。我們明天去見一趟萊昂絲太太，她或許可以幫助我們。但是，不論發生什麽，我都有自己的計劃。也許會有些危險，但是我希望明天結束之前就能贏得這場戰鬥。”
別的話語他就不肯講了。
“你打算來莊園嗎？”我問道。
“是的，”他回答道。“我再沒有什麽躲起來的原因了。可是，還有最後一句話，華生。可別對亨利爵士談起那只獵犬的事來。就讓他認為塞爾登是摔死的吧。如果他知道了獵犬的事情，他就會發現很難面對明天必須經受的種種危險了。我想，你曾經在最後一封信裏告訴過我他在明晚要到斯臺普頓家裏吃晚飯的吧。”
“還有，他們也邀請了我，”我提醒他道。
“那麽你一定得借口謝絕，他必須單身前往。那很容易安排。現在我想咱們倆人都已準備就緒，可以去吃些東西了。”