tom of this was a field of three or
four acres.

The ground was separated by a hedge from that of the house beyond. This
was fully a hundred yards away. A well bred horse was grazing in the
field, a man smoking a pipe was watching a boy doing gardening work
behind the house. Mark remained for nearly an hour concealed behind
the hedge in hopes that he would come nearer. At the end of that time,
however, he went into the house, and after waiting another ten minutes
Mark also left, resisting the temptation to walk along the road and take
a closer look at it, for he felt that such a step would be dangerous,
for should the man notice anyone looking at the place his suspicions
might be aroused.

It was evident that the lane was very little used; in many cases the
grass grew across it. There were marks of horses' feet, but none of
wheels, and he concluded that when going up to town the man came that
way and rode quietly through Streatham, for the hoof prints all pointed
in that direction, and that on his return at night he came up the lane
from the other road.

"Well, master, what do you think of the houses?" the ostler asked on his
return to the inn.

"I have only been to the one in the lane that you spoke of, for I want
to get back to town. I' had a good look at it, but it is rather a dreary
looking place, and evidently wants a lot of repairs before it can
be made comfortable. The next time that I am down I will look at the
other."

Mounting his horse, he rode at a rapid pace into London, and dismounted
at Bow Street.

"You have news, I see, Mr. Thorndyke," the chief said when he entered.

"I have, sir; I believe that I have marked the man down; at any rate, if
it is not he, it is a criminal of some sort--of that I have no doubt."

"That is good news indeed," the chief said. "Now tell me all about it."

Mark repeated the story the ostler had told him, and the result of his
own observations.

"You see," he said, "the man, whether Bastow or not, has clearly taken
the place for the purpose of concealment, for he can approach it by
the lane, which is a very unfrequented one, on his return from his
expeditions. He has taken on a deaf old woman who will not hear him ride
in at night, and will have no idea at what hours he comes home. Riding
out through the main street in the afternoon he would excite no notice,
and the story to the ostler would very well account for his taking the
house and for his habit of coming up