"He has packed his grip!" came Leroux's voice from the doorway. "It's
gone!"

The window was wide open. Dunbar sprang forward and leaned out over the
ledge, looking to right and left, above and below.

A sort of square courtyard was beneath, and for the convenience of
tradesmen, a hand-lift was constructed outside the kitchens of the three
flats comprising the house; i. e.:--Mr. Exel's, ground floor, Henry
Leroux's second floor, and Dr. Cumberly's, top. It worked in a skeleton
shaft which passed close to the left of Soames' window.

For an active man, this was a good enough ladder, and the inspector
withdrew his head shrugging his square shoulders, irritably.

"My fault entirely!" he muttered, biting his wiry mustache. "I should
have come and seen for myself if there was another way out."

Leroux, in a new flutter of excitement, now craned from the window.

"It might be possible to climb down the shaft," he cried, after a brief
survey, "but not if one were carrying a heavy grip, such as that which
he has taken!"

"H'm!" said Dunbar. "You are a writing gentleman, I understand, and yet
it does not occur to you that he could have lowered the bag on a cord,
if he wanted to avoid the noise of dropping it!"

"Yes--er--of course!" muttered Leroux. "But really--but really--oh, good