He took the pistol from the other, handling it with equal care, and laid it down on the table beside Jimmy’s Colt.
“And now, if you please,” said Sir Oswald, “I should like to hear exactly what occurred.”
Superintendent Battle gave a brief resume of the events of the night. Sir Oswald frowned thoughtfully.
“I understand,” he said sharply. “After wounding and disabling Mr. Thesiger, the man took to his heels and ran, throwing away the pistol as he did so. What I cannot understand is why no one pursued him.”
“It wasn’t till we heard Mr. Thesiger’s story that we knew there was anyone to pursue,” remarked Superintendent Battle dryly.
“You didn’t—er—catch sight of him making off as you turned the corner of the terrace?”
“No, I missed him by just about forty seconds, I should say. There’s no moon and he’d be invisible as soon as he’d left the terrace. He must have leapt for it as soon as he’d fired the shot.”
“H’m,” said Sir Oswald. “I still think that a search should have been organised. Someone else should have been posted—”
“There are three of my men in the grounds,” said the Superintendent quietly.
“Oh!” Sir Oswald seemed rather taken aback.
“They were to hold and detain anyone attempting to leave the grounds.”
“And yet—they haven’t done so?”
“And yet they haven’t done so,” agreed Battle gravely.