both of whom I had met
in previous cases. Simmonds was a stolid, unimaginative, but
industrious and efficient officer, with whom Godfrey had long
ago concluded an alliance offensive and defensive. In other words,
Godfrey threw what glory he could to Simmonds, and Simmonds such
stories as he could to Godfrey, and so the arrangement was to their
mutual advantage.

Goldberger was a more astute man than the detective, in that he
possessed a strain of Semitic imagination, a quick wit, and a fair
degree of insight. He was in his glory in a case like this. This was
shown now by his gleaming eyes and the trembling hand which pulled
nervously at his short, black moustache. Goldberger's moustache was a
good index to his mental state--the more ragged it grew, the more
baffling he found the case in hand!

Both he and Simmonds glanced up at our entrance and nodded briefly.
Then their eyes went back to that huddled figure.

There were three other men present whom I did not know, but I judged
them to be the plain-clothes-men whom Simmonds had brought along at
Godfrey's suggestion. They stood a little to one side until their
superiors had completed the examination.

"I didn't stop to pick up my physician," Goldberger was saying. "But
the cause of death is plain enough."

"Doctor Hinman here is a physician," I said, bringing him forward. "If
he can be of any service...."

Goldberger glanced at him, and was plainly favorably impressed by
Hinman's dark, eager face, and air of intelligence and self-control.

"I shall be very glad of Dr. Hinman's help," said Goldberger, shaking
hands with him. "Have you examined the body, sir?"

"Only very casually," answered Hinman. "But it is evident that the
cause of death was strangulation."

"How long has he been dead?"

Hinman lifted the stiff hand again and ran his fingers along the
muscles of the arm.

"About four hours, I should say."

Goldberger glanced at his watch.

"That would put his death at a little before midnight. The murderer
must have come in from the grounds, crept up behind his victim, thrown
the cord about his neck and drawn it tight before his presence was
suspected. The victim would hardly have remained seated in the chair
if he had known his danger. After the cord was round his throat, he
had no chance--he could not even cry out. There's one thing I don't
understand, though," he added, after a moment. "Where did that blood
come from?" and he pointed to the dark s