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Page 5
"On that evening the horses had been exercised and
watered as usual, and the stables were locked up at
nine o'clock. Two of the lads walked up to the
trainer's house, where they had supper in the kitchen,
while the third, Ned Hunter, remained on guard. At a
few minutes after nine the maid, Edith Baxter, carried
down to the stables his supper, which consisted of a
dish of curried mutton. She took no liquid, as there
was a water-tap in the stables, and it was the rule
that the lad on duty should drink nothing else. The
maid carried a lantern with her, as it was very dark
and the path ran across the open moor.
"Edith Baxter was within thirty yards of the stables,
when a man appeared out of the darkness and called to
her to stop. As he stepped into the circle of yellow
light thrown by the lantern she saw that he was a
person of gentlemanly bearing, dressed in a gray suit
of tweeds, with a cloth cap. He wore gaiters, and
carried a heavy stick with a knob to it. She was most
impressed, however, by the extreme pallor of his face
and by the nervousness of his manner. His age, she
thought, would be rather over thirty than under it.
"'Can you tell me where I am?' he asked. 'I had almost
made up my mind to sleep on the moor, when I saw the
light of your lantern.'
"'You are close to the King's Pyland
training-stables,' said she.
"'Oh, indeed! What a stroke of luck!' he cried. 'I
understand that a stable-boy sleeps there alone every
night. Perhaps that is his supper which you are
carrying to him. Now I am sure that you would not be
too proud to earn the price of a new dress, would
you?' He took a piece of white paper folded up out of
his waistcoat pocket. 'See that the boy has this
to-night, and you shall have the prettiest frock that
money can buy.'
"She was frightened by the earnestness of his manner,
and ran past him to the window through which she was
accustomed to hand the meals. It was already opened,
and Hunter was seated at the small table inside. She
had begun to tell him of what had happened, when the
stranger came up again.
"'Good-evening,' said he, looking through the window.
'I wanted to have a word with you.' The girl has
sworn that as he spoke she noticed the corner of the
little paper packet protruding from his closed hand.
"'What business have you here?' asked the lad.
"'It's business that may put something into your
pocket,' said the other. 'You've two horses in for
the Wessex Cup--Silver Blaze and Bayard. Let me have
the straight tip and you won't be a loser. Is it a
fact that at the weights Bayard could give the other a
hundred yards in five furlongs, and that the stable
have put their money on him?'
"'So, you're one of those damned touts!' cried the
lad. 'I'll show you how we serve them in King's
Pyland.' He sprang up and rushed across the stable to
unloose the dog. The girl fled away to the house, but
as she ran she looked back and saw that the stranger
was leaning through the window. A minute later,
however, when Hunter rushed out with the hound he was
gone, and though he ran all round the buildings he
failed to find any trace of him."
"One moment," I asked. "Did the stable-boy, when he
ran out with the dog, leave the door unlocked behind
him?"
"Excellent, Watson, excellent!" murmured my companion.
"The importance of the point struck me so forcibly
that I sent a special wire to Dartmoor yesterday to
clear the matter up. The boy locked the door before
he left it. The window, I may add, was not large
enough for a man to get through.
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