Hunter, on recovering from his stupor, was also quite positive as to the ownership of the cravat.
He was equally certain that the same stranger had, while standing at the window, drugged his curried mutton, and so deprived the stables of their watchman.
As to the missing horse, there were abundant proofs in the mud which lay at the bottom of the fatal hollow that he had been there at the time of the struggle.
But from that morning he has disappeared, and although a large reward has been offered, and all the gypsies of Dartmoor are on the alert, no news has come of him.
Finally, an analysis has shown that the remains of his supper left by the stable-lad contain an appreciable quantity of powdered opium, while the people at the house partook of the same dish on the same night without any ill effect.
"Those are the main facts of the case, stripped of all surmise, and stated as baldly as possible. I shall now recapitulate what the police have done in the matter.
"Inspector Gregory, to whom the case has been committed, is an extremely competent officer.
Were he but gifted with imagination he might rise to great heights in his profession.
On his arrival he promptly found and arrested the man upon whom suspicion naturally rested.
There was little difficulty in finding him, for he inhabited one of those villas which I have mentioned.