The Hound of the Baskervilles · Chapter
XIV: The Hound of the Baskervilles explained
Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade ambush Stapleton on the moor.
What happens
Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade ambush Stapleton on the moor. The hound attacks Sir Henry but is shot and killed by Holmes. Stapleton flees into the Grimpen Mire and is presumed dead. Mrs. Stapleton reveals the truth about her husband's schemes. Sir Henry recovers from the ordeal.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because Dr. Watson reaches his psychological breaking point, openly adm…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Good vs. Evil
The climactic confrontation between Holmes and Stapleton's monstrous hound symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.
- Deception and Disguise
Stapleton's entire life is a deception, using the hound and the legend to mask his murders.
- Isolation and Landscape
The fog and the Grimpen Mire create a treacherous, isolated setting that mirrors the danger and mystery of the case.
Characters to notice
- Sherlock Holmes
Leads the ambush, shoots and kills the hound, explains the case.
- Dr. Watson
Observes Stapleton and Sir Henry from outside Merripit House, participates in the chase.
- Sir Henry Baskerville
Attacked by the hound but rescued; later falls ill with fever.
- Mr. Stapleton
Flees into the Grimpen Mire after the hound is killed; presumed dead.
- Miss Stapleton
Reveals Stapleton's true nature and the location of his refuge.
- Lestrade
Assists in the ambush and helps revive Sir Henry.
Key passages
“One of Sherlock Holmes’s defects—if, indeed, one may call it a defect—was that he was exceedingly loath to communicate his full plans to any other person until the instant of their fulfilment.”
Holmes rarely shared his complete plans until the last moment.
Highlights Holmes's secretive nature.
“A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen. Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering flame.”
The hound was a massive, terrifying creature with fiery features.
Describes the supernatural appearance of the hound.
“We’ve laid the family ghost once and forever.”
We have ended the Baskerville curse for good.
Holmes declares the resolution of the mystery.
