k I took a short cut over the fields, and
found myself approaching The Oaks from the rear, through a bit of
woodland, which through neglect had become filled with underbrush. The
sun had already set, or else the gloom of the autumn afternoon obscured
its later rays, for the wood was shadowy and dark, and as I emerged from
it, near a line of hedge which separated it from the kitchen gardens of
The Oaks, I observed two figures standing near a gateway in the hedge,
talking together earnestly. I came upon them suddenly, and, as I did so,
they separated and one of them disappeared swiftly into the shadows of
the wood while the other advanced rapidly toward the house. I quickened
my steps, and, as the figure ahead of me reached the higher ground in
the rear of the house, I saw that it was Li Min. He appeared unconscious
of my presence and vanished rapidly into the house. The circumstance
filled me with vague suspicions, though I could not tell just why.
Instinctively, as I approached the house, I turned toward the west wing,
and, as I reached the rear corner of the building, I stepped back on the
grass, beyond the gravel walk, to obtain a view of the windows above. As
I moved backward over the turf, until I could reach a point where I
could see over the edge of the porch roof, I suddenly tripped over an
object in the grass and nearly fell. As I recovered myself, I looked to
see what it was, and picked up a short, thick iron poker with a heavy
octagonal brass knob at one end of it. As I held it in my hand, I
realized at once that with such a weapon as this the strange wound in
Ashton's head could readily have been made. I examined the pointed
prismatic knob carefully, but, beyond being somewhat stained from lying
in the wet grass, it showed no other marks of the gruesome use to which
I instinctively felt it had been put. Wrapping it carefully in my
handkerchief, I carried it to my room, and took the precaution to lock
it safely in one of the drawers of the dresser, pending an opportunity
to show it privately to Sergeant McQuade upon his return from Exeter.

CHAPTER V

MAJOR TEMPLE'S STORY

We sat in the dimly lighted library after dinner, having been joined by
Sergeant McQuade who returned from Exeter about nine. I had not seen
Miss Temple alone, since dinner, as she had retired to her room as soon
as our silent meal was over. The Major, after furnishing us with some
excellent cigars, and some specially fine liqueur