covers the points. He was a man about five foot
nine in height, fifty or so years of age, his hair slightly grizzled, a
grayish moustache, a curved nose, and a face which all of them
described as fierce and forbidding."

"Well, bar the expression, that might almost be a description of
Douglas himself," said Holmes. "He is just over fifty, with grizzled
hair and moustache, and about the same height. Did you get anything
else?"

"He was dressed in a heavy gray suit with a reefer jacket, and he wore
a short yellow overcoat and a soft cap."

"What about the shotgun?"

"It is less than two feet long. It could very well have fitted into his
valise. He could have carried it inside his overcoat without
difficulty."

"And how do you consider that all this bears upon the general case?"

"Well, Mr. Holmes," said MacDonald, "when we have got our man--and you
may be sure that I had his description on the wires within five minutes
of hearing it--we shall be better able to judge. But, even as it
stands, we have surely gone a long way. We know that an American
calling himself Hargrave came to Tunbridge Wells two days ago with
bicycle and valise. In the latter was a sawed-off shotgun; so he came
with the deliberate purpose of crime. Yesterday morning he set off for
this place on his bicycle, with his gun concealed in his overcoat. No
one saw him arrive, so far as we can learn; but he need not pass
through the village to reach the park gates, and there are many
cyclists upon the road. Presumably he at once concealed his cycle among
the laurels where it was found, and possibly lurked there himself, with
his eye on the house, waiting for Mr. Douglas to come out. The shotgun
is a strange weapon to use inside a house; but he had intended to use
it outside, and there it has very obvious advantages, as it would be
impossible to miss with it, and the sound of shots is so common in an
English sporting neighbourhood that no particular notice would be
taken."

"That is all very clear," said Holmes.

"Well, Mr. Douglas did not appear. What was he to do next? He left his
bicycle and approached the house in the twilight. He found the bridge
down and no one about. He took his chance, intending, no doubt, to make
some excuse if he met anyone. He met no one. He slipped into the first
room that he saw, and concealed himself behind the curtain. Thence he
could see the drawbridge go up, and he knew that his only escape was
through the moat. He w