"I did a good deal of shopping. Dr. Mortimer here went round
with me. You see, if I am to be squire down there I must dress
the part, and it may be that I have got a little careless in my
ways out West. Among other things I bought these brown boots--
gave six dollars for them--and had one stolen before ever I had
them on my feet."

"It seems a singularly useless thing to steal," said Sherlock
Holmes. "I confess that I share Dr. Mortimer's belief that it
will not be long before the missing boot is found."

"And, now, gentlemen," said the baronet with decision, "it seems
to me that I have spoken quite enough about the little that I
know. It is time that you kept your promise and gave me a full
account of what we are all driving at."

"Your request is a very reasonable one," Holmes answered. "Dr.
Mortimer, I think you could not do better than to tell your story
as you told it to us."

Thus encouraged, our scientific friend drew his papers from his
pocket and presented the whole case as he had done upon the
morning before. Sir Henry Baskerville listened with the deepest
attention and with an occasional exclamation of surprise.

"Well, I seem to have come into an inheritance with a vengeance,"
said he when the long narrative was finished. "Of course, I've
heard of the hound ever since I was in the nursery. It's the pet
story of the family, though I never thought of taking it seriously