The next morning, Dr. Mortimer arrived with Sir Henry Baskerville. Sir Henry was a small, dark-eyed man of about thirty years. His thick eyebrows gave him a strong, determined look. He wore a simple tweed suit and had the weather-beaten face of a man who spent time outdoors. 'Mr. Holmes, something strange has happened,' said Sir Henry. He took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Holmes. 'I received this at my hotel this morning.' Holmes opened the envelope carefully. Inside was a single sheet of paper. Words had been cut from a newspaper and glued onto it. The message read: 'If you value your life, stay away from the moor.' 'Very interesting,' said Holmes, examining the paper closely. 'The words are from yesterday's Times newspaper.' 'How can you possibly know that?' asked Sir Henry. 'I recognize the font and the paper quality,' said Holmes. 'Notice that one word is written by hand.' 'The word moor could not be found in the article.' 'Someone has gone to great trouble to warn you.' 'But why use cut-out words?' I asked. 'To hide their handwriting, of course,' said Holmes. 'Who knew you were coming to London?' Holmes asked Sir Henry. 'No one knew,' replied Sir Henry. 'Someone must have known,' insisted Holmes. 'You are being watched, Sir Henry.' 'But I have only just arrived from Canada!' 'That is what makes this so interesting,' said Holmes. 'Has anything else unusual happened?' Sir Henry looked embarrassed for a moment. 'Well, someone stole one of my boots,' he said. 'A boot?' Holmes sat up with sudden interest. 'Yes, one of a new pair I bought yesterday.' 'Just one boot? Not both?' 'Yes, just one. It makes no sense to steal a single boot.' 'Indeed, it makes no sense at all,' agreed Holmes. 'Unless there is a purpose we do not yet understand.' 'Tell me, Sir Henry, what do you plan to do?' 'I plan to go to Baskerville Hall, of course.' 'My family has lived there for five hundred years.' 'No warning letter will frighten me away.' 'That is the spirit of a true Baskerville,' said Holmes. 'But you must be careful.' 'I am too busy to leave London right now.' 'But I will send my trusted friend Dr. Watson with you.' I was surprised but pleased to be included. 'That is very kind of you both,' said Sir Henry. We agreed to meet for lunch and then travel to Devonshire. Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer left to do some shopping. 'Watson, I want you to follow them,' said Holmes. 'Keep your distance and see if anyone is watching them.' I grabbed my hat and hurried after them. I kept them in sight as they walked down the street. Suddenly, I noticed a cab following slowly behind them. Inside was a man with a black beard, watching them intently. When the man saw me looking, he shouted to the driver. The cab raced away down the street and disappeared. I hurried back to tell Holmes what I had seen. 'A black beard, you say?' Holmes looked troubled. 'We are dealing with a clever enemy, Watson.' 'Someone who knows our every move.' 'You must be very careful in Devonshire.'
B1Chapter 4 / 15535 words60 sentences
Sir Henry Baskerville
Chapter 4 · The Hound of the Baskervilles · B1 English. Tip: Click on any word while reading to see its translation. Take your time with each chapter and review the vocabulary before moving on.
Chapter Summary
Sir Henry arrives with a mysterious warning letter, and discovers someone has stolen one of his boots.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What happened to Sir Henry at his hotel in London?
2
What did Holmes discover about the warning letter?
3
Who was following Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer in London?
4