“Why, the fact is, I don’t know what I could have been thinking of, but I didn’t look.” “The Lord forgive you!” “I’ll go back now and find them.” “An elephant’s spoor wouldn’t have survived half an hour of the rain we had last night,” Haynes said with evident exasperation. “Miss Ravenden might have noticed something,” suggested Colton hopefully. On the word Haynes was out in the hallway, up the stairs, and knocking at the girl’s door. “Oh, Miss Dolly!” he called. “I want your help.” “What can I do for the great Dupin, Jr.?” asked the girl, coming out into the hall. “Show that you’ve profited by his learned instructions. Did you see any marks on the sand around the dead sheep?” “I’m an idiot!” said the girl contritely. “I never thought to look.” “It’s well that your eyes are ornamental; they’re not always useful,” said Haynes in accents of raillery which did not conceal his disappointment. “What have the great Dupin, Jr.’s eyes discovered to-day?” she asked. “Nothing, You and Colton have provided an unsatisfactory ending to an unsatisfactory day. I’ve been talking with the survivors of the wreck and couldn’t get any light at all. They’ve all left except ‘the Wonderful Whalley.’ He’s pretty badly bruised, and anyway he won’t go before paying his respects to Helga.” “I should think not, indeed!” said Miss Ravenden. “And to you.” “It’s a curious thing, but he doesn’t seem to be inspired by that devotion to me which my highly attractive character would seem to warrant. In fact he looks at me as if he would like to stick me with one of those particularly long, lean and unprepossessing knives which he cherishes so fondly.” “You don’t really think,” said Miss Ravenden in concern, “that there is any——” “Figure of speech,” interrupted Haynes. “But the man certainly isn’t normal. I’ll have to trace his movements of yesterday evening. First, however, I’ll have a look at that sheep.” “Surely the Portuguese had nothing to do with that? Why should he kill a harmless animal?” “There is such a thing as murderous mania,” said Haynes after some hesitation. Here Professor Ravenden entered. “I had rather a strange experience yesterday evening,” he said. “Did you hear the sheep too?” asked Colton eagerly. “Not unless sheep fly, sir. What it was I heard I should be glad to have explained. To liken it to a rasping hinge of great size would hardly give a proper idea of its animate quality; yet I can find no better simile. Were any of the local inhabitants given to nocturnal aeronautics, however, I should unhesitatingly aver that they had passed close over me not half an hour since, and that their machinery needed oiling.” “I have heard such a noise,” said Haynes quietly. “Did it affect you unpleasantly?” “No, sir. I cannot say it did. But it roused my interest. I shall make a point of pursuing it further.” “Miss Johnston is calling us to breakfast,” said Colton.