The butler had given an exclamation of astonishment and was
pointing at the dead man's outstretched hand.

"They've taken his wedding ring!" he gasped.

"What!"

"Yes, indeed. Master always wore his plain gold wedding ring on
the little finger of his left hand. That ring with the rough
nugget on it was above it, and the twisted snake ring on the
third finger. There's the nugget and there's the snake, but the
wedding ring is gone."

"He's right," said Barker.

"Do you tell me," said the sergeant, "that the wedding ring was
BELOW the other?"

"Always!"

"Then the murderer, or whoever it was, first took off this ring
you call the nugget ring, then the wedding ring, and afterwards
put the nugget ring back again."

"That is so!"

The worthy country policeman shook his head. "Seems to me the
sooner we get London on to this case the better," said he.
"White Mason is a smart man. No local job has ever been too much