04-01-01-巴斯克维尔猎犬 [12]
．A voice called me by name，and I turned．I expected to see Dr Mortimer，as I knew nobody else in the village．To my surprise it was a stranger．He was a small，thin man，between thirty and forty years old，with fair hair and no beard．He was carrying a butterfly net，and a box for putting butterflies in．
'I hope you will excuse me for introducing myself，Dr Wat－ son，'he said as he came up to me．'My name is Stapleton．I was in Dr Mortimer's house and we saw you．He told me who you are．May I walk along with you？ This path back to the Hall goes near my home，Pen House．Please come in and meet my sister，and spend an hour with us．'
I accepted Stapleton's invitation，and we walked together．
'I know that you are a close friend of Sherlock Holmes，'said Stapleton．'Has Mr Holmes any ideas about Sir Charles death？'
'I'm afraid I can't answer that question，'I said．
'Will Mr Holmes visit us himself？'he asked．
'He can't leave London at the moment，'I answered．I was rather surprised that he was asking me these questions
We walked on．Stapleton told me that he and his sister had lived in Devonshire for only two years．They had moved there soon after Sir Charles had begun to live in Baskerville Hall．He also talked about the moor and how it interested him．He told me to look across the moor to a place which was a bright green colour．
'That is the Great Grimpen Marsh，'he said 'If animals or men go into the marsh，they will sink into it and die．But I can find my way to the very centre of it．Look，there is another of those poor horses．'
Something brown was fighting to get out of the bright green of the marsh．Then a terrible cry came across the moor．The horse's head and neck disappeared under the green．
'It's gone，'Stapleton said．'The marsh has caught and killed it．That often happens．It is an evil place，the Great Grimpen Marsh．'
'But you say you can go safely in and out of it？'I asked him．
'Yes，there are a few paths，and I have found them．The low hills you can see are like islands surrounded by the marsh．That is where I can find the unusual plants and butterflies．And that's why I found my way through the marsh．'
'I shall try my luck one day，'I said．
He looked at me in surprise．'Please don't try，'he said．'You would never return alive，and it would be my fault．'
'Listen，'I said．'What is that？'
A long，low cry，very deep and very sad，came over the moor．It filled the whole air．Then it died away．
'What is it？'I asked，with a cold fear in my heart．
Stapleton had a strange look on his face．'The people say it's the Hound of the Baskervilles，which is calling for some－ thing to hunt and kill．I've heard it once or twice before，but never so loud．'
'You are a man of science，'I said．'You don't believe that，do you？Isn't there a natural explanation for the sound？'
'A marsh makes strange noises sometimes．It is the water and the wet ground moving．'
'But that was the voice of a living creature，'I said．
'Well，perhaps it was．There are some very unusual birds on the moors．It was most probably the cry of one of those．'
At that moment a small butterfly flew across the path in front of us．'Excuse me，Dr Watson，'shouted Stapleton，and ran off to try to catch the butterfly．He ran quickly and fol－ lowed the butterfly on to the marsh，but he knew exactly where he could go，and was not in any danger．
As I watched him，I heard the sound of steps behind me．I turned and saw a woman near me on the path．I was sure she was Miss Stapleton．She was very beautiful．She was dark and tall，with a lovely face．Before I could say anything，she said：
'Go back！Go straight back to London，immediately．I can－ not tell you why，but please do what I ask you，and never come near the moor again．But my brother is coming．Not a word to him．'
Stapleton had caught the butterfly，and was walking bath to us．
'Hello，my dear，'he said to his sister，but it seemed to me that his voice was not completely friendly．'I see that you two have already introduced yourselves．'
'Yes，'she said．'I was telling Sir Henry that it was rather late in the year for him to see the true beauty of the moor
'I hope you will excuse me for introducing myself，Dr Wat－ son，'he said as he came up to me．'My name is Stapleton．I was in Dr Mortimer's house and we saw you．He told me who you are．May I walk along with you？ This path back to the Hall goes near my home，Pen House．Please come in and meet my sister，and spend an hour with us．'
I accepted Stapleton's invitation，and we walked together．
'I know that you are a close friend of Sherlock Holmes，'said Stapleton．'Has Mr Holmes any ideas about Sir Charles death？'
'I'm afraid I can't answer that question，'I said．
'Will Mr Holmes visit us himself？'he asked．
'He can't leave London at the moment，'I answered．I was rather surprised that he was asking me these questions
We walked on．Stapleton told me that he and his sister had lived in Devonshire for only two years．They had moved there soon after Sir Charles had begun to live in Baskerville Hall．He also talked about the moor and how it interested him．He told me to look across the moor to a place which was a bright green colour．
'That is the Great Grimpen Marsh，'he said 'If animals or men go into the marsh，they will sink into it and die．But I can find my way to the very centre of it．Look，there is another of those poor horses．'
Something brown was fighting to get out of the bright green of the marsh．Then a terrible cry came across the moor．The horse's head and neck disappeared under the green．
'It's gone，'Stapleton said．'The marsh has caught and killed it．That often happens．It is an evil place，the Great Grimpen Marsh．'
'But you say you can go safely in and out of it？'I asked him．
'Yes，there are a few paths，and I have found them．The low hills you can see are like islands surrounded by the marsh．That is where I can find the unusual plants and butterflies．And that's why I found my way through the marsh．'
'I shall try my luck one day，'I said．
He looked at me in surprise．'Please don't try，'he said．'You would never return alive，and it would be my fault．'
'Listen，'I said．'What is that？'
A long，low cry，very deep and very sad，came over the moor．It filled the whole air．Then it died away．
'What is it？'I asked，with a cold fear in my heart．
Stapleton had a strange look on his face．'The people say it's the Hound of the Baskervilles，which is calling for some－ thing to hunt and kill．I've heard it once or twice before，but never so loud．'
'You are a man of science，'I said．'You don't believe that，do you？Isn't there a natural explanation for the sound？'
'A marsh makes strange noises sometimes．It is the water and the wet ground moving．'
'But that was the voice of a living creature，'I said．
'Well，perhaps it was．There are some very unusual birds on the moors．It was most probably the cry of one of those．'
At that moment a small butterfly flew across the path in front of us．'Excuse me，Dr Watson，'shouted Stapleton，and ran off to try to catch the butterfly．He ran quickly and fol－ lowed the butterfly on to the marsh，but he knew exactly where he could go，and was not in any danger．
As I watched him，I heard the sound of steps behind me．I turned and saw a woman near me on the path．I was sure she was Miss Stapleton．She was very beautiful．She was dark and tall，with a lovely face．Before I could say anything，she said：
'Go back！Go straight back to London，immediately．I can－ not tell you why，but please do what I ask you，and never come near the moor again．But my brother is coming．Not a word to him．'
Stapleton had caught the butterfly，and was walking bath to us．
'Hello，my dear，'he said to his sister，but it seemed to me that his voice was not completely friendly．'I see that you two have already introduced yourselves．'
'Yes，'she said．'I was telling Sir Henry that it was rather late in the year for him to see the true beauty of the moor