ignia of office to the two men.

"Murder is it, Keeper?" exclaimed the superintendent, remembering all at
once what Lennard had said about hearing the cry and the shot. "When and
how? Lead me to the body."

"Lor' bless you, sir, I aren't 'ad no time nor chanct to look after any
body," replied the keeper. "All's I can tell you is that I was out there
in my shelter on the Common when I heard the first cry--like as some one
was callin' for help whiles some one else had 'em by the windpipe, sir;
so I dashes out and cuts through the mist and gorse as fast as my
blessed legs could carry me. Jist as I gets to the edge of the lane,
sir, 'Bang!' goes a revolver shot jist 'arf a dozen feet in front of me,
and a man, wot I couldn't see 'ide nor 'air of on account of the mist,
nicks out o' somewheres, and cuts off down the lane like a blessed race
'orse. I outs with me whistle and blows it as 'ard as I could, and cuts
off after him. He never stopped runnin' for a blessed instant. He never
doubled on me, never turned to the right nor to the left, gov'ner, but
jist dashes into this arch--straight in front of me, sir, and me running
on almost within reachin' distance, until I runs smack into the arms of
this constable here, and grabs _him_, thinkin' I'd got my man for sure.
Wherever he's got to since, I tell you he come in here, sir--smack
_in_!--and me after him; and if he didn't get past the constable----"

"He didn't-- I've told you so once, and I'll stick to it!" interrupted
the constable himself, with some show of heat. "What do you take me
for--an old woman? Look here, Mr. Narkom, sir, my name's Mellish. It's
true I've only been on the force a little over a week, sir, but my
sergeant will tell you I've got my wits about me and aren't in the least
likely to let a man slip past me in the manner that this chap thinks.
_Nothing_ went past me--nothing the size of a cat, let alone a man,
sir--and if the party in question really _did_ come in here----"

"I'll soon settle that question!" rapped in Narkom sharply.

He flung a hurried command to Lennard, waved Petrie and Hammond aside,
and an instant later the limousine moved swiftly up out of the mist
until its bulk filled the entrance of the arch and its blazing acetylene
lamps were sweeping it with light from end to end. Smooth as a rifle
bore, its damp walls and curving roof shone out in the sudden glare--not
a brick displaced, not a crevice big enough to shelter a rat much less a