room, Mr. Cleek," explained young
Drake. "You know, I take it, what a necessary commodity we Americans
hold ice to be. Indeed, the dear old dad wouldn't think a dinner
was a dinner without ice-water on the table, and ice-cream for
the final course. And as there was no possibility of procuring a
regular and adequate supply in an out-of-the-way spot like this, he
had a complete artificial ice-making plant added to the place, and
overcame the difficulty in that way. That is what Ojeebi means by
the 'ice-make room.' What he means about its being frozen to fit
the bottles is this: The ice which is to be used for drinking
purposes is manufactured in forms or vessels which turn it out in
cubes, so that whenever it is wanted all that a servant has to do
is to go to the plant, and the man in charge supplies him with all
the cubes required."

"Ah, I see," said Cleek, and stroked his chin. "Well, that's all, I
reckon, for the time being. Ojeebi has certainly backed up your
statement to the fullest, your lordship, so we can dispense with him
entirely. And now, if I have your permission, gentlemen, I should
like to feel myself privileged to go poking about the house and
grounds for the next hour or so in quest of possible clues. At the
end of that time I will rejoin you here, and shall hope to have
something definite to report. So if you don't mind my going----Thanks
very much. Come along, Mr. Narkom. I've a little something for you
to do, and--an hour will do it, or I'm a dogberry."

With that he took his departure from the armoury and, with the
superintendent following, went down through the house to the grounds
and out into the screen of close crowding, view-defying trees.

Here he paused a minute to pull out his notebook and scribble
something on a leaf, and then to tear out that leaf and put it
into Mr. Narkom's hand.

"Rush Lennard off to the post-office with that, will you? and have it
wired up to town as soon as possible," he said. "Prepay the reply,
and get that reply back to me as soon as telegraph and motor can get
it here."

Then he swung off out of the screen of the trees and round the angle
of the building, and set about hunting for the refrigerating plant.

CHAPTER XXX

It was five and after when the superintendent, pale and shaking
with excitement, came up the long drive from the Hall gates and
found Cleek lounging in the doorway of the house, placidly smoking
a cigarette and twirling a little ball