The Hound of the Baskervilles opens with a mini mystery—the story of an attempted murder inspired by the legend of a fearsome hound of supernatural origin. Sherlock Holmes and his companion Doctor Watson investigate the case. They speculate on the identity of the owner of a cane that has been left in their office by an unknown visitor. Holmes predicts the appearance of James Mortimer, owner of the found object and a convenient entrée into the baffling curse of the Baskervilles.