he exclamation, nor did I miss my
expected triumph.

"Was not found by Mother Jane, or even brought to her in any ordinary
way or by any ordinary messenger. It came to her on a pigeon's neck, the
pigeon you will find lying dead among the bushes in the Knollys yard."

He was amazed. He controlled himself, but he was very visibly amazed.
His exclamations proved it.

"Madam! Miss Butterworth! This ring--Mr. Chittenden's ring, whose
presence in her hut we thought an evidence of guilt, was brought to her
by one of her pigeons?"

"So she told me. I aroused her fury by showing her the empty husk in
which it had been concealed. In her rage at its loss, she revealed the
fact I have just mentioned. It is a curious one, sir, and one I am a
little proud to have discovered."

"Curious? It is more than curious; it is bizarre, and will rank, I am
safe in prophesying, as one of the most remarkable facts that have ever
adorned the annals of the police. Madam, when I say I envy you the honor
of its discovery, you will appreciate my estimate of it--and you. But
when did you find this out, and what explanation are you able to give of
the presence of this ring on a pigeon's neck?"

"Sir, to your first question I need only reply that I was here two hours
or so ago, and to the second that everything points to the fact that the
ring was attached to the bird by the victim himself, as an appeal for
succor to whoever might be fortunate enough to find it. Unhappily it
fell into the wrong hands. That is the ill-luck which often befalls
prisoners."

"Prisoners?"

"Yes. Cannot you imagine a person shut up in an inaccessible place
making some such attempt to communicate with his fellow-creatures?"

"But what inaccessible place have we in----"

"Wait," said I. "You have been in Deacon Spear's barn."

"Certainly, many times." But the answer, glib as it was, showed shock. I
began to gather courage.

"Well," said I, "there is a hiding-place in that barn which I dare
declare you have not penetrated."

"Do you think so, madam?"

"A little loft way up under the eaves, which can only be reached by
clambering over the rafters. Didn't Deacon Spear tell you there was such
a place?"

"No, but----"

"William, then?" I inexorably pursued. "He says he pointed such a spot
out to you, and that you pooh-poohed at it as inaccessible and not worth
the searching."

"William is a--Madam, I beg your pardon, but William has just wit enough
to make tro