CHAPTER XIII
It was precisely ten minutes past five o'clock and the long-lingeringMay twilight was but just beginning to gather when the spring cartof the Rose and Thistle arrived at the Abbey stables, and Cleekand Mr. Narkom descending therefrom found themselves the centreof an interested group composed of the major and Lady Mary, thecountryside doctor, and Captain MacTavish.
The captain, who had nothing Scottish about him but his name, was asmiling, debonnaire gentleman with flaxen hair and a curling, fairmoustache; and Cleek, catching sight of him as he stood leaning,in a carefully studied pose, against the stable door-post with onefoot crossed over the other, one hand in his trousers pocket andthe other swinging a hunting crop whose crook was a greyhound'shead wrought in solid silver, concluded that here was, perhaps,the handsomest man of his day, and that, in certain sections ofsociety, he might be guaranteed to break hearts by the hundred. Itmust be said of him, however, that he carried his manifold charms ofperson with smooth serenity and perfect poise; that, if he realizedhis own beauty, he gave no outward evidences of it. He was calm,serene, well-bred, and had nothing of the "Doll" or the "Johnny"element in either his bearing or his deportment. He was at oncesplendidly composed and almost insolently bland.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Cleek. Read a great deal about you oneway and another," he said, when the major made the introduction--aperformance which the captain evidently considered superfluous asbetween an army officer and a police detective. "Sorry I shan't beable to remain and study your interesting methods, however. Shouldhave been rather pleased to do so, otherwise."
"And I for my part should have been pleased to have you do so,Captain, I assure you," replied Cleek, the first intonation ofhis voice causing the captain to twitch up his head and stare athim as if he were a monstrosity. "Shall you be leaving us, then,before the investigation is concluded?"
"Well, I'm blest! Why, how in the world--oh--er--yes. Obliged togo. Wire from London this afternoon. Regiment sails for India intwo days. Beastly nuisance. Shall miss the Derby and all that. Bythe way, Norcross, if this chap succeeds in finding the filly intime for the race, that little bet of ours stands, of course?"
"Of course," agreed the major. "Ready are you, Mr. Cleek? Right youare--come along." And he forthwith led the way into the stablewhere Chocolate Maid, like a perfect horse in French bronze, stoodmunching hay in her box as contentedly as if there were no suchthings in the world as touts and swindlers and horse thieves, andher companion of two days ago still shared the quarters with her.
"Gad! but she's a beauty and no mistake, Major," said Cleek as hewent over and, leaning across the low barrier of the enclosure,patted the mare's shoulder and smoothed her glossy neck. "I don'twonder that you and her ladyship have such high hopes for her future.The creature seems well nigh perfect."
"Yes, she is a pretty good bit of horseflesh," replied he, "but notto be compared with Highland Lassie in speed, wind, or anything.There _she_ is, Mr. Cleek; and it's as natural as life, the beauty!"
Speaking, he waved his hand toward a framed picture of the missinganimal--a coloured gift plate which had been given away with theEaster number of _The Horseman_, and which Farrow had had glazedand hung just over her box. Cleek, following the direction of theindicating hand, looked up and saw the counterfeit presentment of asplendidly proportioned sorrel with a splash of white on the flankand a white "stocking" on the left forefoot.
"A beauty, as you say, Major," agreed he, "but do you know that I,for my part, prefer the charms of Chocolate Maid? May be bad judgmentupon my part but--there you are. What a coat! What a colour! Whatsplendid legs, the beauty! Mind if I step in for a moment and havea look at her?"
The major did not, so he went in forthwith and proceeded to lookover the animal's points--feeling her legs, stroking her flanks,examining her hoofs. And it was then and then only that the majorremembered about the visit to the farrier's over at Shepperton OldCross and began to understand that it was not all simple admirationof the animal, this close examination of her.
"Oh, by Jove! I say!" he blurted out as he made--with Cleek--a suddendiscovery; his face going first red and then very pale under theemotions thus engendered. "She _hasn't_ any new shoes on, has she? Soshe 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 Lassie's box,please. H'm! Yes! Very nice; very splendid--everything of the bestand all in apple pie order. By the way, Major, you surely don't allowharness to be washed and oiled in here?"
"Certainly not! What in the world could have put such an idea intoyour head?"
"Merely that bit of rag and that dirty sponge tucked in the cornerover 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!" hedeclared, as he kicked the rag and the sponge out of the box andacross the stable floor. "It's well for them that Farrow isn't aboutor 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 bittorn from an old handbill--see? It probably got mixed up with thebedding. It's of no account, anyhow." Here he gave his hand a flirtas if flinging the bit of paper over the low barrier of the box,instead of which he cleverly "palmed" it and afterward conveyed itunsuspected to his pocket. "You were right in what you declaredthis afternoon, Major; for a case of such far-reaching effects itis singularly bald in the matter of detail. At all events there's nomore to be discovered here. By the way, Doctor, am I privileged togo 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 happyto inform you that his condition has considerably improved sincemy visit at noon, Mr. Cleek, and I have now every hope that he maypull through all right."
"Excellent!" said Cleek. "But I think I shouldn't let that good newsgo abroad just yet a while, Doctor. If you haven't taken anybodyinto your confidence regarding it as yet, don't do so. You haven't,have you?"
"No. That is, nobody but those who are now present. I told themajor and her ladyship on their return this afternoon, of course.And--naturally--Captain MacTavish. He was with me at the time I madethe examination, which led me to arrive at the conclusion that theman would survive."
"Ah!" said Cleek--and the curious, one-sided smile went slowly up hischeek. "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 usgo up to Farrow's room."
They went up forthwith--Lady Mary alone refraining from joining thegroup--and a moment or two later Cleek found himself standing besidethe bed of the unconscious trainer.
He was a strong, sturdily built man, this Tom Farrow, upon whoseintegrity the major banked so heavily in his warm, trustful,outspoken way; and if the face is any index to the mind--which, innine cases out of ten, it isn't!--that trustfulness and confidencewere not misplaced. For Farrow's was a frank, open countenance whichsuggested a clear conscience and an honest nature, even though itwas now pale and drawn with the lines that come of suffering andinjury.
At Cleek's request the doctor removed the bandages and allowed himto inspect the wound at the back of the head.
"H'm! Made with a heavy implement shaped somewhat after thefashion of a golf stick and almost as heavy as a sledge hammer,"he commented. "Arm broken, too. Probably that was done first, andthe man struck again after he was on the ground and unable todefend himself. There are two blows, you see: this one just above theear, and that crushing one at the back of the head. That's all Icare to see, Doctor, thank you. You may replace the bandages."
Nevertheless, although he asserted this, it was noticeable that hisexamination of the stricken trainer did not end here; for while thedoctor was busy replacing the bandages he took the opportunity tolift the man's hands and inspect them closely--partin
g the fingersand looking at the thin, loose folds of skin between them. A fewminutes later, the bandages being replaced and the patient turnedover to the nurse in charge, the entire party left the room and fileddown the stairs together.
"Any ideas, Mr. Cleek?" questioned the major, eagerly.
"Yes, plenty of them," replied he. "I rather fancy we shall not haveto 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 besurprised if we cleared it all up inside of the next two hours."
"Well, I'll be--dithered!" exclaimed the major, aghast. "Do you meanto tell me that you've got at the bottom of the thing? That you'vefound something that leads you to suspect where the animal is?"
"More than suspect, Major. I know where she is. By half-past seveno'clock to-night--if you want me to make you a promise--I'll put herbridle into your hands and she will be at the other end of it!"
"You will?"
"I certainly will, Major--my word for it."
"Well, of all the dashed----I'm done! I'm winded! I'm simplyscooped dry! Where on earth did you get your clues, man? Younever did anything but walk about that I could see; and now todeclare----I say, MacTavish, did you hear that? Did you hear what hehas promised--eh?"
"I heard," responded the captain with a laugh. "But I'll believe whenI see. I say, Mr. Inspector, where did you find the secret? Hiddenbetween Farrow's fingers or wrapped around Chocolate Maid's legs?"
"Both," said Cleek serenely. "Tell you something else if you careto hear it. I know who poisoned the dog the other night. Farrow didit himself."
The major's exclamation of indignation was quite lost in the peal ofthe captain's laughter.
"Hawkshaw out-Hawkshawed!" cried he derisively. "Find out that, too,from Farrow's fingers?"
"Oh, no--that would be impossible. He washed them before he wentout that night and they've been washed by the nurse several timessince. I found it out from the dog himself--and he's not the only dogin this little business, believe me--though I'm willing to stakemy reputation and my life upon it that neither one nor the otherof them had any hand in spiriting away the missing horse."
"Who did, then, Mr. Cleek? who did?"
"Tom Farrow and Tom Farrow alone, Major," began Cleek--and thenstopped suddenly, interrupted by a painful circumstance.
By this time they had reached the foot of the stairs and were filingout into the stable again, and there by the open door Lady MaryNorcross was standing endeavouring to soothe and to comfort a weepinggirl--Maggie McFarland, the dairymaid from Nairn.
"Oh, but say he winna dee--say he winna!" she was crying outdistressfully. "If I thoct the sin o' that wad added to the sairconscience o' me." Then with a sudden intaking of the breath, as ifdrowning, and a sudden paleness that made her face seem ivorywhite, she cowered away, with hands close shut, and eyes wide withfright as she looked up and saw the gentlemen descending.
"It winna matter--it winna matter: I can come again, my leddy!" shesaid in a frightened sort of whisper which rose suddenly to a sortof wailing cry as she faced round and ran like a thing pursued.
Cleek glanced round quietly and looked at Captain MacTavish. He wasstill his old handsome, debonnaire, smiling self; but there was alook in his eyes which did not make them a very pleasant sight atpresent.
"Upon my word, Seton, I cannot make out what has come over that sillygirl," said Lady Mary as her liege lord appeared. "She came herebegging to be allowed to go up and see Farrow and to be assured thathe would live, and then the moment you all put in an appearance shesimply dashed away, as you saw. I really cannot understand what canbe the matter with her."
"Don't bother about that just now, Mary; don't bother about anything,my dear, but what this amazing man has promised," exclaimed themajor excitedly. "Do you know, he has declared that if we give himuntil half-past seven to-night----"
Here Cleek interrupted.
"Your pardon, Major--I amend that," he said. "I know all about thehorse and it will not now take so long as I thought to know all aboutthe 'dog' as well. Give me one hour, Major--just one, gentlemen,all--and I will give you the answer to the riddle--every part of it:dog's part as well as horse's--here on this spot, so surely as Iam a living man. Major, all I ask of you is one thing. Let me havea couple of your grooms out there on the moor inside of the nextfifteen minutes, please. May I have them?"
"Certainly, Mr. Cleek--as many as you want."
"Two will do, thanks. Two are enough for fair play in any little boutand--not going to stop and see the finish, Captain? It will all beover in an hour."
"Sorry, but I've got my packing to attend to, my man."
"Ah, to be sure. Oh, well, it doesn't matter. You know the proverb:'If the mountain will not come to Mahomet, why, Mahomet must go tothe mountain,' of course," said Cleek. "I'll just slip round to thedairy and have a glass of milk to brace me up for the business andthen--in one hour--in just one by the watch--you shall have theanswer to the riddle--_here_."
Then, with a bow to Lady Mary, he walked out of the stable and wentround the angle of the building after Maggie McFarland.