gig and was standing in front of him, when I saw his eyes
fix themselves over my shoulder and stare past me with an
expression of the most dreadful horror.  I whisked round
and had just time to catch a glimpse of simething which I
took to be a latge black calf passing at the head of the
drive.  So excited and alarmed was he I was compelled to go
down to the spot where the animal had been and look around
for it.  It was gone, however, and the incident appeared to
make the worst impression upon his mind.  I stayed with him
all evening, and it was on that occasion, to explain the
emotion which he had shown, that he confided to my keeping
the narrative concerning Sir Hugo Baskerville. I mention this
small episode because it assumes some importance in view of the
tragedy which followed, but I was convinced at the time that the
matter was entirely trivial and that his excitement had no
justification.
