解説　場面 205「あの晩を振り返る」

"Driving back in the evening from Coombe Tracey he was in time to get his hound, to treat it with his infernal paint, and to bring the beast round to the gate at which he had reason to expect that he would find the old gentleman waiting. The dog, incited by its master, sprang over the wicket-gate and pursued the unfortunate baronet, who fled screaming down the yew alley. In that gloomy tunnel it must indeed have been a dreadful sight to see that huge black creature, with its flaming jaws and blazing eyes, bounding after its victim. He fell dead at the end of the alley from heart disease and terror. The hound had kept upon the grassy border while the baronet had run down the path, so that no track but the man's was visible. On seeing him lying still the creature had probably approached to sniff at him, but finding him dead had turned away again. It was then that it left the print which was actually observed by Dr. Mortimer. The hound was called off and hurried away to its lair in the Grimpen Mire, and a mystery was left which puzzled the authorities, alarmed the countryside, and finally brought the case within the scope of our observation.

「その晩クーム・トレイシーから馬車で戻ると、彼は間に合うように猟犬を連れ出し、地獄めいた塗料を塗り、老人が待っていると見込んだ門まで獣を連れてきた。主人にけしかけられた犬は小門を跳び越え、不運な準男爵を追った。彼は叫びながらイチイ並木道を逃げた。あの薄暗いトンネルの中で、炎の顎と燃える目を持つ巨大な黒い獣が獲物を追って跳び進む姿は、実に恐ろしかったに違いない。彼は並木道の端で、心臓病と恐怖のため倒れて死んだ。準男爵が小道を走ったのに対し、猟犬は草の縁を進んだため、人間の足跡しか見えなかった。獣は彼が動かず横たわるのを見て、おそらく近寄ってにおいをかいだが、死んでいると分かると再び立ち去った。そのとき、モーティマー博士が実際に目にした足跡を残したのだ。猟犬は呼び戻され、グリンペン沼のねぐらへ急いで連れ去られた。そして当局を悩ませ、地方一帯を恐れさせ、ついには私たちの目に留まることになった謎が残された。