advised that a valuable mummy was missing, and that the assistant
of Professor Braddock, who had been sent to fetch it from Malta,
was murdered by strangulation. In a couple of days the three
kingdoms were ringing with the news of the mystery.

And a mystery it proved, to be, for, in spite of Inspector Date's
efforts and the enterprise of Scotland Yard detectives summoned
by the Professor, no clue could be found to the identity of the
assassin. Briefly, the story told by the newspapers ran as
follows:

The tramp steamer Diver--Captain George Hervey in command--had
berthed alongside the Pierside jetty at four o'clock on a
Wednesday afternoon in mid-September, and some two hours later
Sidney Bolton removed the case, containing the green mummy,
ashore.

As it was impossible to carry the case to the Pyramids on that
night, Bolton had placed it in his bedroom at the Sailor's Rest,
a mean little public-house of no very savory reputation near the
water's edge. He was last seen alive by the landlord and the
barmaid, when, after a drink of harmless ginger-beer, he retired
to bed at eight, leaving instructions to the landlord--overheard
by the barmaid--that the case was to be sent on next day to
Professor Braddock of Gartley. Bolton hinted that he might leave
the hotel early and would probably precede the case to its
destination, so as to advise Professor Braddock--necessarily
anxious--of its safe arrival. Before retiring he paid his bill,
and deposited in the landlord's hand a small sum of money, so
that the case might be sent across stream to Brefort, thence to