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'Gimblet, he gasped, 'the clock eleven steps and then with a groan his hand dropped from his side, his head rolled back upon the table, and a silence followed, more horrible to me than anything that had gone before. "I saw now that his shirt was already soaked with blood; and, as in terror I called again upon his name, the dreadful truth was borne in upon me, and I knew that he was dead."
"Oh no, sir," replied Higgs, "it was sealed up. There was a large patch of red sealing-wax at the back, with a coronet and some sort of little picture stamped on it. I can't say I looked at it particularly, but there may have been a lion or a dog, or some kind of animal. His lordship's arms, no doubt" "You are quite certain about the sealing-wax?" Gimblet repeated slowly.
And all the time I kept thinking it would turn out to be nothing really, as likely as not; women will look hideously frightened and upset if they cut their finger, or see a rat, or think they hear burglars. One never knows. And then at last she got out a few words, 'Lord Ashiel has been shot, or something of the sort, and fainted." "What did you do?" asked Gimblet.
I've just come across one from Raeburn, the painter, and I saw another, a quarter of an hour ago, from Lord Clive." "Really," said Gimblet eagerly, "which cupboard were they in? I should like to see them immensely some time." "They were in this one," said Mark, pointing to the shelves opposite him. Gimblet stood facing it, and looked hopefully round him in all directions for anything like a bull.
Once back in his room he turned his mind to the writing on the sheet of paper. "Remember that where there's a way there's a will. Face curiosity and take the bull by the horn." The message, as Gimblet read it, was as puzzling as if it had been completely in cipher.
Some of the Spaniards had long knives about them, which proved very useful in fitting timbers, and a gimblet of mine, accidentally found on board the pirate, enabled us to use the wooden pins. And now our spirits began to revive, though water, water, was continually in our minds.
Later on in the afternoon, when Gimblet arrived at the castle, he was immediately shown into the presence of Lord Ashiel, who was pacing the smoking-room restlessly, a cigarette between his teeth. He looked pale and haggard, the strain of the last few days had evidently been too much for him. Gimblet greeted him sympathetically.
Folks tak' their rooms a month in advance; they come here for the fishin' on the loch, and because my hoose is the maist comfortable in the Hielands." "Indeed, I can well believe that," Gimblet assured him. "I suppose you get a lot of tourists passing through, though, Americans, for instance?" "We hardly ever hae a room tae tak' them in.
"Ah," said Gimblet, stooping to pick a piece of bracken, and waving it before him to keep at bay the flies, which were buzzing round them in clouds. He offered another bit silently to his companion, and she took it absently, without a word. "He seemed very fond of Mr. McConachan," she said, "and I think he liked every one else as well.
There are stone mullions and small leaded casements in the old part of the castle where the library is, and I doubt if anyone larger than a child could squeeze through; in fact, a child couldn't; there are iron bars down the middle, which make it too narrow." "H'm," murmured Gimblet. "I should like to have a look at them. And what was the doctor's report?"
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