no
relation to the events of the night of January 6th.

It was at eleven forty-five that the first alarm reached the small
local police station, in charge of Sergeant Wilson of the Sussex
Constabulary. Cecil Barker, much excited, had rushed up to the door and
pealed furiously upon the bell. A terrible tragedy had occurred at the
Manor House, and John Douglas had been murdered. That was the
breathless burden of his message. He had hurried back to the house,
followed within a few minutes by the police sergeant, who arrived at
the scene of the crime a little after twelve o'clock, after taking
prompt steps to warn the county authorities that something serious was
afoot.

On reaching the Manor House, the sergeant had found the drawbridge
down, the windows lighted up, and the whole household in a state of
wild confusion and alarm. The white-faced servants were huddling
together in the hall, with the frightened butler wringing his hands in
the doorway. Only Cecil Barker seemed to be master of himself and his
emotions; he had opened the door which was nearest to the entrance and
he had beckoned to the sergeant to follow him. At that moment there
arrived Dr. Wood, a brisk and capable general practitioner from the
village. The three men entered the fatal room together, while the
horror-stricken butler followed at their heels, closing the door behind
him to shut out the terrible scene from the maid servants.

The dead man lay on his back, sprawling with outstretched limbs in the
centre of the room. He was clad only in a pink dressing gown, which
covered his night clothes. There were carpet slippers on his bare feet.
The doctor knelt beside him and held down the hand lamp which had stood
on the table. One glance at the victim was enough to show the healer
that his presence could be dispensed with. The man had been horribly
injured. Lying across his chest was a curious weapon, a shotgun with
the barrel sawed off a foot in front of the triggers. It was clear that
this had been fired at close range and that he had received the whole
charge in the face, blowing his head almost to pieces. The triggers had
been wired together, so as to make the simultaneous discharge more
destructive.

The country policeman was unnerved and troubled by the tremendous
responsibility which had come so suddenly upon him. "We will touch
nothing until my superiors arrive," he said in a hushed voice, staring
in horror at the dreadful head.

"Nothing has