Hargrave, who had taken a room there two days before. This bicycle and
a small valise were his whole belongings. He had registered his name
as coming from London, but had given no address. The valise was London
made, and the contents were British; but the man himself was undoubtedly
an American."

"Well, well," said Holmes gleefully, "you have indeed done some solid
work while I have been sitting spinning theories with my friend! It's a
lesson in being practical, Mr. Mac."

"Ay, it's just that, Mr. Holmes," said the inspector with satisfaction.

"But this may all fit in with your theories," I remarked.

"That may or may not be. But let us hear the end, Mr. Mac. Was there
nothing to identify this man?"

"So little that it was evident that he had carefully guarded himself
against identification. There were no papers or letters, and no marking
upon the clothes. A cycle map of the county lay on his bedroom table. He
had left the hotel after breakfast yesterday morning on his bicycle, and
no more was heard of him until our inquiries."

"That's what puzzles me, Mr. Holmes," said White Mason. "If the fellow
did not want the hue and cry raised over him, one would imagine that he
would have returned and remained at the hotel as an inoffensive tourist.
As it is, he must know that he will be reported to the police by the
hotel manager and that his disappearance will be connected with the
murder."

"So one would imagine. Still, he has been justified of his wisdom up
to date, at any rate, since he has not been taken. But his
description--what of that?"

MacDonald referred to his notebook. "Here we have it so far as they
could give it. They don't seem to have taken any very particular stock
of him; but still the porter, the clerk, and the chambermaid are all
agreed that this about 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.