e went, scaling the height and clinging here and there
to the twists of iron and bronze that made an easy foot-hold--until,
just as the summit was reached, and he was standing abreast of the
enormous figure and looking up into its great face, with the bell
dangling from the bar of iron upon which he stood, he heard the sound of
"God Save the King" floating up to him in Mr. Narkom's whistle, darted
quickly through the giant's legs, and drew himself up against the back
of him and--hoped for luck. The sound of two men's voices--and one of
them the Superintendent's--reached him where he stood upon the narrow
ledge. He recognized the other as that of the bailiff, James Tavish,
whom he had encountered upon the high-road only yesterday.

Mr. Narkom dallied with him for so long, passing the time of day and
making tactless inquiries about the murder, in his blunderbuss fashion
("Dear old bungler!" Cleek apostrophized him inwardly), that he began
to wonder when the man would ever go. Then at length the voices ceased,
and he saw Tavish's fine, well-set-up figure swing off in front of him
up the driveway, and then himself slid back to the outer side of the
statue, lest the bailiff look back, and waited until Mr. Narkom whistled
"Coast all clear" again.

This done, Cleek swung himself down carefully, clinging on with knees
and feet in a most impossible and seemingly dangerous position which
brought a hasty warning from Mr. Narkom, and--found the clapper of the
bell at last. It wasn't such a big bell--not much bigger than a man's
head, but wrought of solid bronze, which made it almost impossible for
him to swing it up on its chain to the platform upon which he hung
poised above it. But somehow he managed to do the thing, and Mr. Narkom,
watching with his heart in his mouth, saw his hand dive down inside of
the bell and fumble there a moment. Then he heard Cleek's quick whistle
of surprise as he swung the bell silently back again, and came down once
more--empty-handed!

"Well, what did you discover?" hastily exclaimed the Superintendent as
Cleek came to earth at last and stood dusting himself. "Or wasn't there
anything at all? Was the bell muffled _before_ last night's tragedy,
Cleek--or is it simply a bird's nest that's lodged there and stopped
the thing? I'm on tenterhooks to know."

"And know you shall, old friend," said Cleek, straightening himself from
his self-imposed task and giving his cravat a twitch with nimble fingers
t