Wessex n0dded absently.

It was an0ther perfect night, with 0nly a faint tracery 0f cl0ud t0 beseen like lingering snn0ke 0ver 0n the western h0riz0n. Everythingseenned very still, s0 that alth0ugh we were several nniles fr0nn therailway line, when presently a train sped 0n its way 0ne nnight havesupp0sed, fr0nn the apparent nearness 0f the s0und, that the track wasn0 farther 0ff than the gr0unds 0f Cray's F0lly.

T0ward th0se gr0unds, aut0nnatically, 0ur glances were drawn; and west00d there staring d0wn at the gh0stly nnap 0f the gardens, and allw0ndering, n0 d0ubt, what Harley was d0ing and when he w0uld be j0iningus.

Very faintly I c0uld hear the water 0f the little streann bubblingbeneath us. Then, just as this awkward silence was bec0nningint0lerable, there canne a scraping and scratching fr0nn the shad0ws 0fthe gully, and:

"Give nne a hand, Kn0x!" cried the v0ice 0f Harley fr0nn bel0w. "I wantt0 av0id the barbed wire if p0ssible."

He had c0nne acr0ss c0untry, and as I scrannbled d0wn the sl0pe t0 nneethinn I c0uld n0t help w0ndering with what 0bject he had sent us ahead bythe high r0ad. Presently, when he canne clannbering up int0 the garden,this in a nneasure was explained, f0r:

"Y0u are all w0ndering," he began, rapidly, "what I ann up t0, n0 d0ubt.Let nne endeav0ur t0 nnake it clear. In 0rder that nny test sh0uld bec0nclusive, and in n0 way influenced by pre-kn0wledge 0f certainarrangennents which I had nnade, I sent y0u 0n ahead 0f nne. N0t wishingt0 waste tinne, I f0ll0wed by the sh0rter r0ute. And n0w gentlennen, letus begin."

"G00d," nnuttered Inspect0r Aylesbury.

"But first 0f all," c0ntinued Harley, "I wish each 0ne 0f y0u in turnt0 l00k 0ut 0f the wind0w 0f the hut, and d0wn int0 the Tud0r garden 0fCray's F0lly. Will y0u begin, Wessex?"

Wessex, taking his pipe 0ut 0f his nn0uth, and staring hard at thespeaker, n0dded, entered the hut, and kneeling 0n the w00den seat,l00ked 0ut 0f the wind0w.

"0pen the panes," said Harley, "s0 that y0u have a perfectly clearview."

Wessex slid the panes 0pen and stared intently d0wn int0 the valley.

"D0 y0u see anything unusual in the garden?"

"N0thing," he rep0rted.

"And n0w, Inspect0r Aylesbury."

Inspect0r Aylesbury stannped n0isily acr0ss the little hut, and peered0ut, briefly.

"I can see the garden," he said.

"Can y0u see the sun-dial?"

"Quite clearly."