horrible."

"Horrible enough!" said the doctor, looking at the shattered head
and the terrible marks which surrounded it. "I've never seen
such injuries since the Birlstone railway smash."

"But, I say," remarked the police sergeant, whose slow, bucolic
common sense was still pondering the open window. "It's all very
well your saying that a man escaped by wading this moat, but what
I ask you is, how did he ever get into the house at all if the
bridge was up?"

"Ah, that's the question," said Barker.

"At what o'clock was it raised?"

"It was nearly six o'clock," said Ames, the butler.

"I've heard," said the sergeant, "that it was usually raised at
sunset. That would be nearer half-past four than six at this
time of year."

"Mrs. Douglas had visitors to tea," said Ames. "I couldn't raise
it until they went. Then I wound it up myself."

"Then it comes to this," said the sergeant: "If anyone came from
outside--IF they did--they must have got in across the bridge
before six and been in hiding ever since, until Mr. Douglas came
into the room after eleven."