Sir Henry and I waited quietly in the dark hallway. The old clock struck midnight. We heard soft footsteps coming down the corridor. A shadow passed by, carrying a candle. It was Barrymore, just as I expected. He walked to the same room as before. We followed him silently. Through the door, we could see him at the window. He held up his candle and moved it from side to side. 'What are you doing, Barrymore?' demanded Sir Henry. The butler spun around in shock. The candle nearly fell from his shaking hand. 'Sir Henry! I was just... checking the windows,' he stammered. 'Do not lie to me,' said Sir Henry firmly. 'Who is out there on the moor?' Barrymore's face turned white. 'I cannot tell you, sir,' he said miserably. 'It is not my secret to share.' Just then, Mrs. Barrymore appeared in the doorway. She was crying and wringing her hands. 'Please do not blame my husband,' she begged. 'He is only trying to help my brother.' 'Your brother?' I asked in surprise. 'Yes,' she sobbed. 'The escaped convict, Selden, is my younger brother.' Sir Henry and I exchanged shocked glances. 'He was a good boy once,' continued Mrs. Barrymore. 'But he fell in with bad people and did terrible things.' 'He escaped from prison and came here for help.' 'We could not turn him away.' 'We have been giving him food and clothes,' added Barrymore. 'The signal tells him when it is safe to come get supplies.' Sir Henry was silent for a moment. 'I understand why you helped him,' he said finally. 'But he is dangerous, and he cannot stay on the moor.' 'He has promised to leave,' said Mrs. Barrymore. 'A ship is waiting to take him to South America.' 'He just needs a few more days.' I looked out at the moor. A tiny light was still flickering in the distance. 'Watson, let us go after him,' said Sir Henry suddenly. 'We should capture this convict ourselves.' I agreed, though I was worried about the danger. We grabbed our coats and my revolver. Then we headed out into the cold night. The moor was dark and frightening under the cloudy sky. We walked toward where we had seen the light. But the ground was uneven, and we stumbled often. Suddenly, we heard a terrible sound. A long, low howl echoed across the moor. It seemed to come from everywhere at once. 'What in God's name was that?' whispered Sir Henry. 'It sounded like a hound,' I said, my heart pounding. We stood frozen, listening. The howl came again, closer this time. 'We should go back,' I urged. 'This is too dangerous in the dark.' Reluctantly, Sir Henry agreed. We hurried back to Baskerville Hall. That terrible howl followed us all the way home.
B1Chapter 9 / 15469 words60 sentences
The Light upon the Moor
Chapter 9 · 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
Watson discovers that the butler Barrymore signals to someone on the moor at night.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Who was the mysterious figure Watson saw on the moor at night?
2
Why had Holmes come to Dartmoor secretly?
3
What tragic event interrupted Holmes and Watson's conversation?
4