The Shrieking Pit

ome sitting round a log fire which roared and crackled in the old-fashioned fireplace, others wanderin

gether unfamiliar; a heavy storm had come shrieking down the North Sea, and though the rain had ceased about eleven o'clock the wind

golfers stood apart debating, after their wont, the possibility of trying a round in spite of the weather. The elderly clergyman was prepared to risk it if he could find a partner, and, with the aid of an umbrella held

e wind for the first four holes, and when you have the wind behind you at the bend in the cliff by the fifth, the force of the

nger wind than this. And as for this being the most exposed course in England-well, let me ask you one question: have you

man, wrapped from head to foot in a great grey ulster, and wearing

the rate of seventy or eighty miles an hour. My partner didn't want to play at first because of the weather, but I persuaded him to go round, and I beat him by two up and four to play solely by relying on the brassy and midiron. He stuck to the driver, and lost in consequence. I'll just show you how the game went. Suppose the first hole to be just beyond the hall door there, and you drive off from here. Now, imagine that umbrella stand-w

taking a turn on the front. He strode hurriedly into the lounge, with a look of excitement o

d? You remember that chap who fainted yesterday mo

was echoed from different parts of the lounge in varying degrees of horror, amazement an

he left here yesterday. He walked across to some inn a few miles from here along the coast, put u

their previous faint impressions of the young man of the alcove table in the new light of his personality as an alleged

ll had!" exclaimed the clergyman's wi

f, madam, when I heard the new

d?" asked the clergyman, who had turned even paler than

fficer shoo

will be a hue and cry over the whole of Norfolk for him by to-night, but murderers are usually

ave vent to cries of alarm, and clung to their husband's arms.

before a number of ladies?" he said sternly. "It was imprudent a

later; why, everybody on the front is talking about it. I thought you'd be awfully bucked

tairs wearing a motor coat and cap, and paused on his way to the door o

murder was committed-a little village with some outlandish name-came over here

he murder is the young man who fainted yesterday morning?" asked Sir Henr

out before the murder was discovered. There's a rare hue and cry all along the coast. They ar

moment's hesitation, followed him. The detective was standing in the hotel porch, thoughtful

k of this story?"

ome inquiries," responded Colwyn. "It is impossible to tell fr

its influence. Dear, dear, what a dreadful thing! It may be said that I should have taken a firmer hand with him yesterday, but what more could I have done? It's a very awkward situation-very. I hope you'll remember, Mr. Colwyn, that I did all that was humanly possibly for a professional man to do-in fact, I went

you will come," re

oment that air, shrieking across the North Sea with almost hurricane force, was too bracing for weak nerves on the exposed path, and it was real hard work to force a way, even with the help of the handrail, against the wind, to say nothing of the spray which was flung

a sprinkling of children-brought together by the news of murder, but kept from encroaching on the sacred domain of law and order by a massive red-faced country policeman, who stood at the gate in an awkward pose of official dignity,

oliceman looked somewhat doubtful when Colwyn asked him to take in his card with the request for an interview. He compromised between

rks should not be heard by the surrounding rabble. "I don't like to interrupt Sup

romering, from Nor

iceman

by the morning tr

hould be glad of the favour of a short interview? This is a piece of luck," he added to Sir Henry, as the con

g would be only too happy to see Mr. Colwyn. He led them forthwith into the building, down a passage, kn

, who wore civilian clothes. The second official was small and elderly, of dry and meagre appearance, with a thin pale face, and sunken blue eyes beneath gold-rimmed spectacles. This gentl

the English Review than the chief constable of Norfolk. His tastes were bookish; Nature had intended him for the librarian of a circulating library: the safe pilot of middle class ladies through the ocean of new fiction which overwhelms the British Isles twice a year. His particular hobby was paleontology. He was the author of The Jurassic Deposits of Norfolk, with Some Remarks on the Kimeridge Clay-

nvoke the aid of the famous detective Colwyn, who had a name for solving mysteries which baffled the police. Mr. Cromering took the advice and wrote to Colwyn, offering to mention his name in a preface to The Jurassic Deposits if he succeeded in recovering the missing manuscript. Colwyn, b

hand. "I've long wanted to thank you personally for your kindness-your great kindness to me las

imating a very small service

o students of British paleontology would have been lost. I must show you a letter I have just received from Sir Thomas Potter, of the British Museum, agreeing with my conclusions about t

ce to you Sir Henry D

e specialist with outstretched hand. "I'm delighted to meet one of our topmost

"Sir Henry Durwood is the distinguished specialist of Harley Street, and not the paleontologist of that name

se in question, but I'm afraid there's no deep mystery to unravel-it's not worth your while. It would be like cracking

g at the Grand till yesterd

constabl

st under the name of Ronald. He's a stranger to the district, and nobody seems t

but never spoken to him till yesterday, when he had a fainting fit at breakfast. Sir Henry D

e do or say anything while you were with him that would throw any light on th

Mr. Cromering listened attentively, and turning to Sir Henry D

rwood. "I arrived only the previous night. He was taken ill at breakfast. Mr. Colwyn

f his illness?" inquir

d him, when he recovered, not to leave his room. I even offered to communicate wi

inn, the Golden Anchor, for the night. He left early in the morning, before anybody was up. Shortly afterwards the body of Mr. Roger Glenthorpe, an elderly archaeologist, who had been staying at the inn for some time past making researches into the fossil remains common to that par

nceal the crime

enthorpe was missing, one of them was lowered into the pit by a rope and found the body at the bottom. The pit forms a portion o

hat this young man Ronald, who was staying a

ody was found. A considerable sum of money has been stolen from the deceased, and we have ascertained that Ronald was in desperate straits for money. Another point against Ronald is that Mr. Glenthorpe was stabbed, and a knife which wa

nd directed the policeman who answere

e and shrewd dark eyes. On the chief constable informing him that he was to give the gentlemen the details of t

purchase a piece of land containing some valuable fossil remains which he intended to excavate. The two gentlemen sat talking after dinner till between ten and eleven, and then retired to rest in adjoining rooms, in a wing of the inn occupied by nobody else. In the morning Ronald departed before anybody, except the servant, was up, refusing to wait for his boots to be cleaned. The servant, who had had the boots in her hands, had noticed that one of the boots had a circular rubber heel on it, but not the other. Ronald gave her a pound to pay for his bed, and the note was one of t

n is identical with Ronald," said the detective, when the constable

repared for the hand-bills, Quee

ir, tooth-brush moustache, clean-cut features, well-shaped hands and feet, white, even teeth. Was attired in grey Norfolk or sporting lounge jacket, knickerbockers and stockings to match, with soft grey hat of

lies in every respect. The scar is an unmistakabl

also," said Si

l the local stations along the coast to have the district searched. We think it very possible that Ronald is in hiding somewhere in the marshes. W

. "Why should a young man of Ronald's type leave his hotel and

e than ￡30. The proprietor told him yesterday morning, as he was going in to breakfast, that he must leave the hotel at once if he could not pay his bill. He went away shortly after the scene

less," said Colwyn. "I should like to look in

at he should ask for a man to be sent down from Scotland Yard, but he does not think it necessary. I feel sure that he will

"I shall have to walk from Leyland-five miles

you over in my car,

company you," said the chief constable. "I s

said Sir He