drawn muscles of the face. On getting into the room I at once
looked for the means by which the poison had entered the system.
As you saw, I discovered a thorn which had been driven or shot
with no great force into the scalp. You observe that the part
struck was that which would be turned towards the hole in the
ceiling if the man were erect in his chair. Now examine the
thorn."

I took it up gingerly and held it in the light of the lantern.
It was long, sharp, and black, with a glazed look near the point
as though some gummy substance had dried upon it. The blunt end
had been trimmed and rounded off with a knife.

"Is that an English thorn?" he asked.

"No, it certainly is not."

"With all these data you should be able to draw some just
inference. But here are the regulars: so the auxiliary forces
may beat a retreat."

As he spoke, the steps which had been coming nearer sounded
loudly on the passage, and a very stout, portly man in a gray
suit strode heavily into the room. He was red-faced, burly and
plethoric, with a pair of very small twinkling eyes which looked
keenly out from between swollen and puffy pouches. He was closely
followed by an inspector in uniform, and by the still palpitating
Thaddeus Sholto.

"Here's a business!" he cried, in a muffled, husky voice.