Nevertheless, although he asserted this, it was noticeable that his examination of the stricken trainer did not end here; for while the doctor was busy replacing the bandages he took the opportunity to lift the man's hands and inspect them closely--parting the fingers and looking at the thin, loose folds of skin between them. A few minutes later, the bandages being replaced and the patient turned over to the nurse in charge, the entire party left the room and filed down the stairs together. "Any ideas, Mr. Cleek?" questioned the major, eagerly. "Yes, plenty of them," replied he. "I rather fancy we shall not have to put you to the trouble of housing us at the Abbey to-night, Major. The case is a shallower one than I fancied at first. Shouldn't be surprised if we cleared it all up inside of the next two hours." "Well, I'll be--dithered!" exclaimed the major, aghast. "Do you mean to tell me that you've got at the bottom of the thing? That you've found something that leads you to suspect where the animal is?" "More than suspect, Major. I know where she is. By half-past seven o'clock to-night--if you want me to make you a promise--I'll put her bridle into your hands and she will be at the other end of it!" "You will?" "I certainly will, Major--my word for it." "Well, of all the dashed----I'm done! I'm winded! I'm simply scooped dry! Where on earth did you get your clues, man? You never did anything but walk about that I could see; and now to declare----I say, MacTavish, did you hear that? Did you hear what he has promised--eh?" "I heard," responded the captain with a laugh. "But I'll believe when I see. I say, Mr. Inspector, where did you find the secret? Hidden between Farrow's fingers or wrapped around Chocolate Maid's legs?" "Both," said Cleek serenely. "Tell you something else if you care to hear it. I know who poisoned the dog the other night. Farrow did it himself." The major's exclamation of indignation was quite lost in the peal of the captain's laughter. "Hawkshaw out-Hawkshawed!" cried he derisively. "Find out that, too, from Farrow's fingers?" "Oh, no--that would be impossible. He washed them before he went out that night and they've been washed by the nurse several times since. I found it out from the dog himself--and he's not the only dog in this little business, believe me--though I'm willing to stake my reputation and my life upon it that neither one nor the other of them had any hand in spiriting away the missing horse." "Who did, then, Mr. Cleek? who did?" "Tom Farrow and Tom Farrow alone, Major," began Cleek--and then stopped suddenly, interrupted by a painful circumstance. By this time they had reached the foot of the stairs and were filing out into the stable again, and there by the open door Lady Mary Norcross was standing endeavouring to soothe and to comfort a weeping girl--Maggie McFarland, the dairymaid from Nairn.