he key of the handcuffs from the pocket of the officer,
undid them, and slipped off into the undergrowth before either the groom
or the other Scotland Yard man had recovered their senses. To cut a long
story short, that was last Thursday, and up till now not a single trace of
the fellow has been discovered."

Quest rose abruptly to his feet.

"I'd like to take this matter up right on the spot where Craig
disappeared," he suggested. "Couldn't we do that?"

"By all means," Lord Ashleigh agreed, touching a bell. "We have several
hours before we change for dinner. I will have a car round and take you to
the spot."

The Professor acquiesced readily, and very soon they stepped out of the
automobile on to the side of a narrow road, looking very much as it had
been described. Further on, beyond a stretch of open common, they could
see the smoke from the gipsy encampment. On their left-hand side was a
stretch of absolutely wild country, bounded in the far distance by the
grey stone wall of the park. Lord Ashleigh led the way through the
thicket, talking as he went.

"Craig came along through here," he explained. "The groom and the Scotland
Yard man who had been sitting by his side followed him. They searched for
an hour but found no trace of him at all. Then they returned to the house
to make a report and get help. I will now show you how Craig first eluded
them."

He led the way along a tangled path, doubled back, plunged into a little
spinney and came suddenly to a small shed.

"This is an ancient gamekeeper's shelter," he explained, "built a long
time ago and almost forgotten now. What Craig did, without a doubt, was to
hide in this. The Scotland Yard man who took the affair in hand found
distinct traces here of recent occupation. That is how he made his first
escape."

Quest nodded.

"Sure!" he murmured. "Well now, what about your more extended search?"

"I was coming to that," Lord Ashleigh replied. "As Edgar will remember, no
doubt, I have always kept a few bloodhounds in my kennels, and as soon as
we could get together one or two of the keepers and a few of the local
constabulary, we started off again from here. The dogs brought us without
a check to this shed, and started off again in this way."

They walked another half a mile, across a reedy swamp. Every now and then
they had to jump across a small dyke, and once they had to make a detour
to avoid an osier bed. They came at last to the river.

"Now I can