All men are made of water, do you know this? When you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die.
- A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Horror QQ #3 - Footprints of a gigantic hound

Music: Pale Ale from the Hunter X Hunter OST

It's time for our daily dose of horror! The excerpt for today/tonight comes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. This is the first Sherlock Holmes story I've ever read, and probably one of the cases I truly enjoyed. There is something to be said of Sherlock Holmes's wit. And I just love to get myself a bit of a mystery, horror, and smartassness.

"On the night of Sir Charles's death Barrymore the butler who made the discovery sent Perkins the groom on horseback to me, and as I was sitting up late I was able to reach Baskerville Hall within an hour of the event. I checked and corroborated all the facts which were mentioned at the inquest. I followed the footsteps down the yew alley, I saw the spot at the moor-gate where he seemed to have waited, I remarked the change in the shape of the prints after that point, I noted that there were no other footsteps save those of Barrymore on the soft gravel, and finally I carefully examined the body, which had not been touched until my arrival. Sir Charles lay on his face, his arms out, his fingers dug into the ground, and his features convulsed with some strong emotion to such an extent that I could hardly have sworn to his identity. There was certainly no physical injury of any kind. But one false statement was made by Barrymore at the inquest. He said that there were no traces upon the ground round the body. He did not observe any. But I did -- some little distance off, but fresh and clear."

"Footprints?"

"Footprints."

"A man's or a woman's?"

Dr. Mortimer looked strangely at us for an instant, and his voice sank almost to a whisper as he answered:

"Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!"

*****


No comments:

Post a Comment

Go ahead :D I don't bite . . . well, not always.