(*First published in a serialized fashion by The Strand Magazine August 1901 - April 1902. SPOILERS AHEAD)
Here we are at chapter nine, The Light Upon the Moor [Second Report of Dr Watson]. "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact." - The Boscombe Valley Mystery (1891). "There is nothing so deceptive as the distance of a light upon a pitch-dark night," HOUND. I'm here to blow yer mind and tell you these two notions are, in fact, the same. Also that this is a juicy chapter. Thicc even. A full-figured chapter, then. BBW. You get the gist.
And now it would seem the gist is coming in fast and furious pieces at our good doctor and he relates it in such a manner to Holmes via this second epistolic chapter. We are again in Doyle's regular fashion prepared for great surprise. The first of which, for me, is to learn that Barrymore is seen as 'a striking-looking fellow.' Up till now and in my mind he, as I made mention of, scanned as more Lurch than handsome. Nevertheless, Watson further examines the room in which the George Clooney-esque butler peered out of the night before.
From his view right twixt the two trees, Barrymore must be looking for someone upon the moor. Why not believe in a completely unsubstantiated way that this must mean he is setting up his own lover's tryst? So now not only is he thought even assumed a murderer but also a philanderer. What a cad! Someone give this poor fellow another bag of unwanted used clothing, pronto. His womanizing ways are surely the reason for his dull heavyset wife's tears. So W takes his findings and thoughts to Sir Henry, who seems and rather is, unsurprised.
"I knew that Barrymore walked about nights, and I had a mind to speak to him about it." So the buddies Frick and Frack decide to not simply talk to him but instead to stake out the apparently now deaf yet still sexy af domestic and follow him upon his nightly rounds unbeknownst in a clandestine fashion. Because one simply does not address the hired help in civil ways. Also, we learn that the whole Hall is set to be remodeled by some swank not dank architect, and furthermore, that all the place will then need is a wife. So, of course, why not that fetching Miss Stapleton? Speaking of she, Henry is off to meet her upon the moor and convinces W to give them some nudge and a wink alone time.
Except for that W feels immediately bad about this and follows him anyway. And he gets a good seat to quite a good show for his effort. Why does Jack Stapleton not want Henry to woo his sister who again looks nothing like him and is apparently of another ethnicity all-together? No clue at all! Henry sees Watson and is first mad over being followed but then glad to have his buddy there to tell him that he is, indeed, quite the catch. "Our friend's title, his fortune, his age, his character, and his appearance are all in his favour, and I know nothing against him, unless it be this dark fate which runs in his family." A bit of Brokeback Moor? Not really.
It's settled then, this Stapleton man is crazy. Except he does offer a lovely apology and promises to relinquish her hand to Sir in a small while--just not yet. You see, "His sister is everything in his life, he says." I believe he means it, that he's willing to let go of even his SPOILER ALERT 'sister' in pursuit of his lofty goals and maybe even means to win, lose, or draw. Let's just drop a pin there and move onward to "What are you doing here, Barrymore?" That's right, they caught him at it in their little sting operation. Of note is that this is only the first mention in HOUN of W smoking a cigarette, something he is steadfastly against in the other parts of the canon.
He's a stress case and neither his 'ship's' or Ship's (British Navy rationed rope tobacco) nor his Arcadia Mixture (most likely an English blend featuring Latakia) usual pipe-fulls are cutting through his nerves. Looks like Watson picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue, as it were. Here again, we see Doyle's acumen in tobacco use and employing it to shape a whole mood.
In any event, the pair of sleuths take Barrymore to task and interrogate him as to his actions. He won't fess up. He and his Mrs Eliza are given the old pink slip for his stiff lip. Only then does she speak up. "My unhappy brother is starving on the moor." That's right, the convict is her brother, Selden is her maiden name, a thing easy enough to have dug up. Still, the plot, like a nice-a-sauce, she a-thickens! Spicy meat-a-ball! They were bringing him food, well the butler was. Because butlers gonna butler. Also, and remember this tidbit, that bag of peace-offering clothes (as we find out later). They are re-instated and sent to their room. Now more action--W and Sir shall pluck the convict from the moor themselves!
"Then get your revolver and put on your boots." OH, HERE WE GO. Except Henry has a hunting-crop which I read as an allusion to Holmes via his favorite weapon of choice. Too bad Holmes isn't there now. The two set off tracking in the inky blackness and through the horrifying howl of some ethereal hound. Finally, they spy that miserable bastard Selden. They try to run him down but fail. Watson could take a shot but doesn't, there are rules apparently. But get this: W sees another figure. "That of a tall, thin man. He stood with his legs a little separated, his arms folded, his head bowed." He points to the man but he's gone when Henry looks.
'A warden,' dismisses the Sir. But some part of Watson recognizes Holmes without knowing and simply by registering him and his 'commanding attitude.' He knows his O Captain! [His] Captain! Perhaps I read too much into this but perhaps I don't. Regardless, this chapter ends with the newly minted chain-smoker W wishing-pining to Holmes that he was there. I also get a heavy Bat-Signal vibe from this mysterious figure, which fits all too well, indeed. Also, it's near comical that as soon as Barrymore is shown as handsome, he is cleared of any wrongdoing. Where next will the ugly gaze fall? (Eyes of the beholder.)
What are my feelings about this chapter? I do like it. Although the moor scene feels a tick like an early Hardy Boys excerpt from Leslie McFarlane (a writer of superb ambiance), and the indoor scenes give me a bit of a Scooby-Doo vibe. AND BATMAN!!! I suppose it is important to note that none of the three existed until well-after the Hound. (The Hardy Boys popped up the closest in 1927.) So we see Holmes' effect on the nascent genre and on-down. I also just remembered that I went through a huge Hardy Boys period as a kid, and remember too scant little of it. Would it be weird if I re-read them now?
ADDITIONAL HOUN
Thoughts on Chapter 8
Thoughts on Chapter 10
::: very :::