“Who brought this story?” asked Winter.

The officer questioned jerked his head outside, where by now, spite of the loneliness of the place, something like a small crowd had gathered about the house which had seen such strange doings during the day.

“It wasn’t an officer, sir. Someone picked it up as gossip outside. Malone questioned the man who started it, and decided that there might be something in it. He judged that it was his duty to go and have a look into it.”

“Quite right,” agreed the Chief Constable. He turned to Labar. “It’s likely enough to be a mare’s nest. You know how these yarns spread about at these times. Doesn’t sound like Larry to me. All the same we’d better go and see. It’s on our way.”

With this vague destination⁠—for no one knew anything more concrete⁠—they set off, the Metropolitan constable, who drove, taking the marsh road cautiously under the advice of the local policeman who sat by him as a guide.