Part 16 (1/2)

”Oh, by Jove! I say!” he blurted out as he made--with Cleek--a sudden discovery; his face going first red and then very pale under the emotions thus engendered. ”She _hasn't_ any new shoes on, has she? So she can't have been taken to the farrier's after all.”

”No,” said Cleek, ”she can't. I half suspected that she hadn't, so--well, let it go. Let's have a look round Highland La.s.sie's box, please. H'm! Yes! Very nice; very splendid--everything of the best and all in apple pie order. By the way, Major, you surely don't allow harness to be washed and oiled in here?”

”Certainly not! What in the world could have put such an idea into your head?”

”Merely that bit of rag and that dirty sponge tucked in the corner over there and half covered by the bedding.”

The major went over and touched the things with the toe of his boot.

”It's one of those imps of stable-boys, the young vandals!” he declared, as he kicked the rag and the sponge out of the box and across the stable floor. ”It's well for them that Farrow isn't about or there would be some cuffed ears for that sort of presumption, the young beggars! Hullo! Found something else?”

”No,” said Cleek. ”That is, nothing of any importance. Merely a bit torn from an old handbill--see? It probably got mixed up with the bedding. It's of no account, anyhow.” Here he gave his hand a flirt as if flinging the bit of paper over the low barrier of the box, instead of which he cleverly ”palmed” it and afterward conveyed it unsuspected to his pocket. ”You were right in what you declared this afternoon, Major; for a case of such far-reaching effects it is singularly bald in the matter of detail. At all events there's no more to be discovered here. By the way, Doctor, am I privileged to go up and see the patient? I should like to do so if I may.”

”By all means, sir, by all means,” replied the doctor. ”I am happy to inform you that his condition has considerably improved since my visit at noon, Mr. Cleek, and I have now every hope that he may pull through all right.”

”Excellent!” said Cleek. ”But I think I shouldn't let that good news go abroad just yet a while, Doctor. If you haven't taken anybody into your confidence regarding it as yet, don't do so. You haven't, have you?”

”No. That is, n.o.body but those who are now present. I told the major and her ladys.h.i.+p on their return this afternoon, of course.

And--naturally--Captain MacTavish. He was with me at the time I made the examination, which led me to arrive at the conclusion that the man would survive.”

”Ah!” said Cleek--and the curious, one-sided smile went slowly up his cheek. ”Oh, well, everything is all right among friends, of course, but I shouldn't let it go any farther. And now, if you please, let us go up to Farrow's room.”

They went up forthwith--Lady Mary alone refraining from joining the group--and a moment or two later Cleek found himself standing beside the bed of the unconscious trainer.

He was a strong, st.u.r.dily built man, this Tom Farrow, upon whose integrity the major banked so heavily in his warm, trustful, outspoken way; and if the face is any index to the mind--which, in nine cases out of ten, it isn't!--that trustfulness and confidence were not misplaced. For Farrow's was a frank, open countenance which suggested a clear conscience and an honest nature, even though it was now pale and drawn with the lines that come of suffering and injury.

At Cleek's request the doctor removed the bandages and allowed him to inspect the wound at the back of the head.

”H'm! Made with a heavy implement shaped somewhat after the fas.h.i.+on of a golf stick and almost as heavy as a sledge hammer,”

he commented. ”Arm broken, too. Probably that was done first, and the man struck again after he was on the ground and unable to defend himself. There are two blows, you see: this one just above the ear, and that crus.h.i.+ng one at the back of the head. That's all I care to see, Doctor, thank you. You may replace the bandages.”

Nevertheless, although he a.s.serted this, it was noticeable that his examination of the stricken trainer did not end here; for while the doctor was busy replacing the bandages he took the opportunity to lift the man's hands and inspect them closely--parting the fingers and looking at the thin, loose folds of skin between them. A few minutes later, the bandages being replaced and the patient turned over to the nurse in charge, the entire party left the room and filed down the stairs together.

”Any ideas, Mr. Cleek?” questioned the major, eagerly.

”Yes, plenty of them,” replied he. ”I rather fancy we shall not have to put you to the trouble of housing us at the Abbey to-night, Major.

The case is a shallower one than I fancied at first. Shouldn't be surprised if we cleared it all up inside of the next two hours.”

”Well, I'll be--dithered!” exclaimed the major, aghast. ”Do you mean to tell me that you've got at the bottom of the thing? That you've found something that leads you to suspect where the animal is?”

”More than suspect, Major. I know where she is. By half-past seven o'clock to-night--if you want me to make you a promise--I'll put her bridle into your hands and she will be at the other end of it!”

”You will?”

”I certainly will, Major--my word for it.”