"He would be useful here in a day or two," said Winter.

"Ah, thanks! Is that a tip?"

"Not for publication. What you must say is that this affair looks like
baffling the shrewdest wits in Scotland Yard."

"My very phrase--my own ewe lamb. Pardon. I shouldn't have alluded
to sheep."

"The only known representative of the Yard in Steynholme is Furneaux,"
smiled the Chief Inspector.

Furneaux was drumming on a window-pane with his finger-tips.

"True," he cackled. "Just to prove it, he now informs you that Siddle,
finding trade slow, has called on Mr. John Menzies Grant!"




CHAPTER XVI

FURNEAUX MAKES A SUCCESSFUL BID


The lawn front of The Hollies was not visible from the upper story of the
Hare and Hounds owing to a clump of pines which had found foothold on the
cliff, but, through the gap formed by the end of the post office garden,