this lot of bones and that they are all here."

"Would you mind writing it down, sir?" said the constable. "Inspector
Badger said I was to have everything in writing."

The surgeon took out his pocket-book, and, while he was selecting a
suitable piece of paper, he asked: "Did you form any opinion as to the
height of the deceased?"

"Yes, I thought he would be about five feet eight" (here I caught the
sergeant's eyes fixed on me with a knowing leer).

"I made it five eight and a half," said the police-surgeon; "but we
shall know better when we have seen the lower leg-bones. Where was this
lot found, Davis?"

"In the pond just off the road in Lord's Bushes, sir, and the inspector
has gone off now to--"

"Never mind where he's gone," interrupted the sergeant. "You just answer
questions and attend to your business."

The sergeant's reproof conveyed a hint to me on which I was not slow to
act. Friendly as my professional colleague was, it was clear that the
police were disposed to treat me as an interloper who was to be kept out
of the "know" as far as possible. Accordingly I thanked my colleague and
the sergeant for their courtesy, and bidding them adieu until we should
meet at the inquest, took my departure and walked away quickly until I
found an inconspicuous position from which I could keep the door of the
mortuary in view. A few moments later I saw Constable Davis emerge and
stride away up the road.

I watched his rapidly diminishing figure until he had gone as far as I
considered desirable, and then I set forth in his wake. The road led
straight away from the village, and in less than half a mile entered the
outskirts of the forest. Here I quickened my pace to close up somewhat,
and it was well that I did so, for suddenly he diverged from the road
into a green lane, where for a while I lost sight of him. Still
hurrying forward, I again caught sight of him just as he turned off into
a narrow path that entered a beech wood with a thickish undergrowth of
holly, along which I followed him for several minutes, gradually
decreasing the distance between us, until suddenly there fell on my ear
a rhythmical, metallic sound like the clank of a pump. Soon after I
caught the sound of men's voices, and then the constable struck off the
path into the wood.

I now advanced more cautiously, endeavouring to locate the search party
by the sound of the pump, and when I had done this I made a little
detour so that I might appr