解説　場面 21「荒れ地の夜道」

"They had gone a mile or two when they passed one of the night shepherds upon the moorlands, and they cried to him to know if he had seen the hunt. And the man, as the story goes, was so crazed with fear that he could scarce speak, but at last he said that he had indeed seen the unhappy maiden, with the hounds upon her track. 'But I have seen more than that,' said he, 'for Hugo Baskerville passed me upon his black mare, and there ran mute behind him such a hound of hell as God forbid should ever be at my heels.' So the drunken squires cursed the shepherd and rode onward. But soon their skins turned cold, for there came a sound of galloping across the moor, and the black mare, dabbled with white froth, went past with trailing bridle and empty saddle. Then the revellers rode close together, for a great fear was on them, but they still followed over the moor, though each, had he been alone, would have been right glad to have turned his horse's head. Riding slowly in this fashion they came at last upon the hounds. These, though known for their valour and their breed, were whimpering in a cluster at the head of a deep dip or goyal, as we call it, upon the moor, some slinking away and some, with starting hackles and staring eyes, gazing down the narrow valley before them.

「一、二マイル行ったところで、荒れ地の夜番の羊飼いの一人とすれ違い、狩りの一行を見なかったかと声をかけた。語り伝えによれば、その男は恐怖で取り乱し、ほとんど口も利けなかったが、ついに、猟犬に追われる不幸な乙女を確かに見たと言った。『だが、それだけではない』と男は言った。『ヒューゴ・バスカヴィルが黒い牝馬で通り過ぎ、その後ろを、声も立てず地獄の犬が走っていた。あんなものに追われることだけは、神にお守りいただきたい』。酔った郷士たちは羊飼いに悪態をつき、先へ進んだ。だが間もなく、彼らも肌が冷たくなった。荒れ地を馬の駆ける音が近づき、白い泡の散った黒い牝馬が、手綱を引きずり、鞍に誰も乗せず通り過ぎたのだ。酒宴の者たちは大いに恐れ、身を寄せ合って馬を進めたが、それでも荒れ地を追っていった。一人きりなら、誰もが喜んで馬の向きを変えたことだろう。こうしてゆっくり馬を進め、ついに猟犬の群れに行き当たった。勇敢で血統もよいと知られた犬たちが、荒れ地の深いくぼみ、この土地でいう谷の入口で、かたまってくんくん鳴いていた。忍び去るものもいれば、背の毛を逆立て、目を見開き、目前の狭い谷を見下ろすものもいた。