The Hound of the Baskervilles: Chapter Summaries

Here is a chapter by chapter short summary for the Hound of the Baskervilles, it may come in handy for the English Literature exam!

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  • Created by: Nuha
  • Created on: 17-05-12 20:26

Chapter 1

Sherlock Holmes and Dr.Watson attempt to examine the walking stick left in their visitors office. Holmes dismissed Watsons assumptions as erroneous and we hear what he thinks. We are introduced to the character of Dr.Mortimer. Supense is created as we do not yet know why he is seeking Holmes' assitance even at the end of the chapter. He subconsciously insults Holmes by telling him he is only the second best expert in Europe.

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Chapter 2

Holmes tries to guess the date of the mauscript whihc Dr.Mortimer has bought with him; Mortimer then proceeds to read out the manuscript and we are introduced to the Hound of the Baskervilles. First description of the hound and tension is mounted. Mortimer then reads out the newpaper article on Sir. Charles' death and adds himself that he is doubtful as to whether his death was of completely natural causes. At the end of the chapter tension is created as he tells Holmes that he found footprints around Sir.Charles' body belonging to a hound!

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Chapter 3

Holmes furthur questions Mortimer on the footprints left by the supposed hound and builds up a picture of where Sir.Charles' was on the night of his death. The reader begins to feel a supernatural and spectral feel to the novel. Dr.Mortimer seeks Holmes' advice on what to do when Sir.Henry arrives; he is next in line to inherit the Baskerville fortune. Holmes revisits Charles death mentally and ponders as to whether Sir.Henry should go to BAskerville Hall, after all this is the palce where all of his ancestors seem to be dying due to 'The Curse of the Baskervilles'.

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Chapter 4

Sir.Henry is introduced and he shows Holmes the note which tells him to keep awaya from the moor (this is where Sir.Charles died). Holmes then finds out the words on the note have been cut out of The Times newspaper and impresses his spectators. We also find out that upon his arrival Sir.Henry had one of his boots stolen from his hotel. We now know that Sir.Henry will not let anything stop him from going to Baskervilles Hall as it is the home ofhis people. When Sir.Henry and Dr.Mortimer leave, Holmes and Watson follow them only to realise that they are being followed by a thick-bearded man in cab no. 2714. Holmes instructs a boy named Cartwright to go through hotel bins to find The Times article with the missing words cut out.

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Chapter 5

Holmes and Watson go to the Northumberland hotel where Sir.Henry and Dr.Mortimer is staying and Henry's boot still has not made a return. Instead he has had another boot stolen and he seems rather uneased abou this. Holmes tells them that they were being followed the previous day and Sir Henry is outraged. They send a telegraph to Barrymore, who is the butler at Baskerville Hall. They think he may have been the man in the cab as he too has a thick black beard. They discuss Sir.Charless' will and try to find out motives if anyone were to kill him. Holmes tells Sir.Henry and Dr.Mortimer that Watson will accompany them to Dartmoor as he has urgent business in London. Near the end of the chapter two telegraphs are returned; the first reads that Barrymore is in fact at Baskerville Hall so it was not him in the cab; the second telegraph is from Cartwright and he could not find the Times cut out. They get a visit from the cabman of cab 2714 but he is no use and we find out the man in the cab told the driver his name was Sherlock Holmes (hmm...)

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Chapter 6

Dr.Watson, Dr.Mortimer and Sir Henry all arrive at Baskerville Hall and although the countryside of Dartmoor is one of extreme beauty, Baskerville Hall itself seems lostrin time and ancient; this is very typical of the gothic genre. They find soliders all around the place, even when they get off the train and they find out tat Sleden- the convict has espcaped and is hiding somewhere in Dartmoor. The three then meet the Barrymores who seem to be a very nice couple but they are so distrubed by the death of Charles that they no longer wish to stay at Baskerville Hall s=for very much longer.

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Chapter 7

We find out that Barrymore did not actually receive the telgraph whihc Holmes sent to him but rather his wife was handed it and said that she would give it to BArrymore, this puts him back on the suspects list. We meet Stapleton who is knowledgable but seems a little perculiar to know so much about the morr but only have moved to Dartmoor two years ago (around the time when Sir.Chalres moved there as well). Watson hears the supposed cry of the hound and it sends his blood cold. When he meets Beryl who is Stapleton's sister, she mistaked Watson for Sir.Henry and warns him to go back to London and forget about coming back to the moors ever again.

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Chapter 8

Watson tells Holmes of Stapleton and Sir Henry's fondness of Beryl is starting to develop. He also mentions Old.Frankland of Lafter Hall and then proceeds to tell Holmes that the telegraph was not delivered straight to Barrymore's hands that daya nd so he could still be a possible suspect. At the end of the chapter Watson spies on Barrymore, who is holding a candle against the window in the direction of the moor; he then gives out a moan and walks away. Watson is doubtful as of Barrymore's intentions.

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Chapter 9

Barrymore was in fact looking out to the morr and Watson decides to tell Sir.Henry about it. Sir.Henry wants to go to the Merripit House but he does not want Watson to come with him, Watson goes along without Sir.Henry realising. Henry and Beryl are seen talking and getting rather personal when Stapleton comes are interupts, he seems very angry and shouts words of abuse at Henry. This leaves Henry feeling very upset and confused, but he tells Watson that Stapleton was so angry because he did not want his sister to leave him as she was all that he had. Watson and Henry seems understandable of this. Then in the middle of the night Watson and Henry stay awake and follow Barrymore to the window he was at the previous night, they then ask him what is going on; he is reluctant but then Mrs.Barrymore tells them that they are sending a signal to Selden (the escaped convict) who is also Mrs.Barrymore's brother. They send him a singla very night to take food to him out on the moor. Watson and Sir.Henry go to the place where they saw the receiving signal out on the moor and they try and chase Selden, they lose sight of him but instead Watson sees a mysterious figure on the Tor.

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Chapter 10

Watson weighs up the clues he has so far been presented with and is very confused as to where exactly he is going with this case. Barrymore finds out that Watson and Henry went looking for Seldenn the previous night but Watson assures him that they won't tell the police. Out of gratitude and respect Barrymore shows Watson the burnt letter which was sent by a mystery L.L. just before Sir.Charles' death. Watson feels this is a promising clue and asks Dr.Mortimer if he knows anyone with the initials L.L. Mortimer tells him that there is a certain Laura Lyons, who lives in Coombe Tracey. Watson decides that he needs to pay her a visit. Barrymore also tells him that Selden has seen the man on the Tor as well but they do not know who he is or why he is there yet.  

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Chapter 11

Watson visits Laura Lyons who is at first very hesitant to tell Watson anything about the letter or her relationship with Sir.Charles. As Watson persists that this will turn into a public scandal if she does not cooperate she tells him that it was her who sent the ltter but she will not say why she sent it and she will not say why she told Sir.Charles to meet her at that gate where he died, and then failed to show. Watson then visits old Frankland who shows him a telescope looking out onto the moor. Watson learns that there is a boy who carries food to the man on the Tor and he also finds out where the man is staying out on the moor. Watson decided to visit his dwelling and he carries his revolver with him, he is greeted by a familiar voice.

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Chapter 12

It turns out that it is actually Holmes who has been hiding on the morr all this time, although at first Watson feels offended that he did not know about this and all this time his efforts have been wasted, he is quick to forgive. Holmes encourages him that his help has been of tremendous use to him. Holmes informs Watson that Stapleton may be behind all of this and Beryl is not actually his sister but in fact his wife (!). Then suddenly they hear the cry of the hound and someone else, they rush to the scene to find a dead body on the floor wearing Sir.Henry's suit. They feel deep regret that they did not act sooner but it turn sut to be Selden who is wearing one of Henry's old suits which is gave to BArrymore to allow Sleden to wear for his escape. We know that the hound was actually look for Sir.Henry but his scent remained on the suit. They bump into Stapleton who acts surprised but Watson and Holmes know what he has been up to. Holmes decides it is time everyone knew he were here.

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Chapter 13

Holmes see the portrait of Sir.Hugo BAskerville and notices and uncanny resemblance to Stapleton, this is how they come to know that Stapleton is actually a Baskerville himself who will inherit the fortune if he can kill Sir.Henry. Holmes tells Henry of his plan and tells him to walk on a specific path after he has exited the Stapletons Merripit House after dinner he will have there tonight, He agrees cautiously and Holmes leads him to believe that he and Watson will be going to London for a short time. In actual fact they are not but it is all part of the plan to catch the hound. They visit Laura Lyons and tell her that Beryl is actually Stapleton's wife. Due to this betrayl Laura tells then that Stapleton told her to send the letter to Sir.Charles but then also told her not to show to the meeting place she had told him to meet her at.

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Chapter 14

This is the chapter where it all comes together. They meet Lestrade who is interested in the case just as Holmes is once he arrives at the train station and Holmes calls him to aid with the plan that will unfold later that night. So, at night, Watson, Holmes and Lestrade all line up behind a rock and wait for Sir.Henry to come out of Merripit House and walk on the path that Holmes had instructed him to go on. All three of them have revolvers, and when Sir.Henry comes out of the house they hear the hound coming close behind him. They all shoot the hound and it falls to the floor to leave an unhurt Sir.Henry emotionally scarred on the ground. He is truely struck with fear. They find out that there is a Phosphorous solution on the hound which made it glow but when they go into the Stapleton's house they do not find Stapleton. Instead they fidn Beryl who is tied to a pole with bruises all over her. She tells them that Stapleton has escaped and tells the men where he could have gone. Holmes tells her that in that level of fog and the nature of the night means that Stapleton will not find his way out of the moor and so has probably dies trying to escape. To this Beryl feels a sense of relief and happiness.

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Chapter 15

This is just a summary of the events and Holmes tells Watson how he put all the clues together to get to the conclusion that he has.This concludes all of Holmes' and Watson's findings and we can see how Holmes came find out who Stapleton was, why he wanted to kill Sir.Charles and also that Beryl was his wife. This is a nice way to end the novel as it ties up all the loose ends and it successful in enhancing the reader's understanding of the novel. Watson and Holmes both seems very proud that they managed to solve the case :)

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