Student Question
Why can't Holmes accompany Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer to Dartmoor in The Hound of the Baskervilles?
Quick answer:
Holmes does not accompany Sir Henry and Dr. Mortimer to Dartmoor because he plans to investigate alone in disguise. By posing as a beggar, he aims to discover the secrets of the hound and its apparition without raising suspicion. Holmes uses this tactic to identify the hiding places of both the dog and the escaped convict Seldon, while also ruling out red herrings, such as the servants at Baskerville Hall.
Holmes reasons for not accompanying Watson are false. Holmes does not accompany Dr. Watson and Baskerville to the hall because he plans to come disguised to the area. He wants to investigate alone hoping to discover the secret of the hound and its apparition. Disguised as a beggar, he not only discovers the possible hiding place of the dog, but also the hiding place of Seldon the escaped convict and his relationship to the servants at the hall. He implies that he will be available only if worse comes to worse, but he is, in fact, present during the entire time. He quickly eliminates the red herring of Seldon and the hall's housekeeper and butler and discovers other possible suspects lurking about.
This is not an unusual situation for Holmes. In many of his stories he has "hiding" places all over London where he quickly disguises himself in order to...
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follow or observe situations and people. Some times he is so well disguised that even Watson does not recognize him. It is one more tool in his arsenal of weapons to prevent or solve crime.