Chapter 2
The Curse of the Baskervilles



"I have in my pocket a manuscript," said Dr. James Mortimer.

"I observed it as you entered the room," said Holmes.

"It is an old manuscript."

"Early eighteenth century, unless it is a forgery."

"How can you say that, sir?"

"You have presented an inch or two of it to my examination all
the time that you have been talking. It would be a poor expert
who could not give the date of a document within a decade or so.
You may possibly have read my little monograph upon the subject.
I put that at 1730."

"The exact date is 1742." Dr. Mortimer drew it from his breast-
pocket. "This family paper was committed to my care by Sir Charles
Baskerville, whose sudden and tragic death some three months ago
created so much excitement in Devonshire. I may say that I was
his personal friend as well as his medical attendant. He was a
strong-minded man, sir, shrewd, practical, and as unimaginative
as I am myself. Yet he took this document very seriously, and