Page:Hound of Baskervilles.djvu/210

 were wrinkled, like one who is at his wits’ ends what to do.

“Halloa, Watson! Where have you dropped from?” said he. “You don’t mean to say that you came after me in spite of all?”

I explained everything to him: how I had found it impossible to remain behind, how I had followed him, and how I had witnessed all that had occurred. For an instant his eyes blazed at me, but my frankness disarmed his anger, and he broke at last into a rather rueful laugh.

“You would have thought the middle of that prairie a fairly safe place for a man to be private,” said he, “but, by thunder, the whole country-side seems to have been out to see me do my wooing—and a mighty poor wooing at that! Where had you engaged a seat?”

“I was on that hill.”

“Quite in the back row, eh? But her brother was well up to the front. Did you see him come out on us?”