Cabell died and was laid to rest on July 5, 1677. The night of his burial, according to the legend, a pack of ghostly hounds were howling at his tomb. The legend goes on to say that he would lead this pack of frightful hounds, especially on the anniversary of his death.

The people of the village were terrified of what they believed to be dangerous animals led by a dangerous man. They constructed a large building around his tomb to prevent his ghost from escaping and leading the hounds.

This legend was the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's very famous Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles . He collaborated with a man named Fletcher Robinson.

The story tells of a man named Sir Charles Baskerville who was found dead due to a heart attack. A doctor, Edward Mortimer believes his death was due to fear when sighting a dangerous hound. This animal would would attack members of the Baskerville family forever more, a curse traced by to Sir Hugo Baskerville, a 17th century ancestor believed to be evil.

The Baskerville estate was left to Sir Henry Baskerville, Sir Charles' nephew. Dr. Mortimer believes that Sir Henry's life was in danger and asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of four short novels in the Sherlock Holmes canon...the others are
The Sign of Four, The Valley of Fear, A Study in Scarlet. The other Sherlock Holmes mysteries are short stories.

CLICK THE BACK ARROW