The Hound of the Baskervilles
This may be the most popular of all of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Inspired by regional mythology of the British Isles concerning hell-hounds, the tale tells of detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson as they are called to investigate an alleged curse upon the house of the Baskervilles.
Approx. 59,257 words.
upon the farm and carried off the maiden, her father and brothers being from home, as he well knew. When they had brought her to the Hall the maiden was placed in an upper chamber, while Hugo and his friends sat down to a long carouse, as was their nightly custom. Now, the poor lass upstairs was like to have her wits turned at the singing and shouting and terrible oaths which came up to her from below, for they say that the words used by Hugo Baskerville, when he was in wine, were such as might blast the man who said them. At last in the stress of her fear she did that which might have daunted the bravest or most active man, for by the aid of the growth of ivy which covered (and still covers) the south wall she came down from under the eaves, and so homeward across the moor, there being three leagues betwixt the Hall and her father's farm.
"It chanced that some little time later Hugo left his guests to carry food and drink--with other worse things, perchance--to his captive, and so found the cage empty
