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   dymatsuoka

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   According to Dr. Mortimer, Sir Charles Baskerville was in the habit of taking a walk every evening with his cigar.  On the night of his death, he went out as usual, then apparently stopped for awhile along an alley by a gate leading out to the moor.  He then proceeded down the alley, as it was his custom to do, and "it was at the far end of it that his body was discovered".  The old gentleman was found face down, with "his arms out, his fingers dug into the ground, and his features convulsed with some strong emotion to such an extent that (Dr. Mortimer) could hardly have sworn to his identity".

   There were a number of questionable aspects to Sir Charles's behavior on the night of his death.  First of all, Charles was known to be terrified of the legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles, and would not go out on the moor at night for any reason.  It was unusual, then that he should even stop for any length of time at the gate leading to the moor, which is what he did in the minutes before his untimely death.  Also, an examination of the footprints at the scene revealed two inexplicable facts.  First of all, Charles's footprints along the alley altered from the time he passed the moorgate, "from thence onward", he appeared "to have been walking upon his toes".  Most ominous of all was a detail that Barrymore, Sir Charles's servant, apparently lied about to authorities.  "Fresh and clear", a little distance from the body, were "the footprints of a gigantic hound" (Chapter 2).

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   Posted by dymatsuoka on Monday February 2, 2009 at 9:45 AM