“I should like a few more facts before I get so far as a theory, Mr. Mac,” said he, kneeling down beside the body.  “Dear me! these injuries are really appalling.  Can we have the butler in for a moment?...  Ames, I understand that you have often seen this very unusual mark—­a branded triangle inside a circle—­upon Mr. Douglas’s forearm?”

“Frequently, sir.”

“You never heard any speculation as to what it meant?”

“No, sir.”

“It must have caused great pain when it was inflicted.  It is undoubtedly a burn.  Now, I observe, Ames, that there is a small piece of plaster at the angle of Mr. Douglas’s jaw.  Did you observe that in life?”

“Yes, sir, he cut himself in shaving yesterday morning.”

“Did you ever know him to cut himself in shaving before?”

“Not for a very long time, sir.”

“Suggestive!” said Holmes.  “It may, of course, be a mere coincidence, or it may point to some nervousness which would indicate that he had reason to apprehend danger.  Had you noticed anything unusual in his conduct, yesterday, Ames?”

“It struck me that he was a little restless and excited, sir.”

“Ha!  The attack may not have been entirely unexpected.  We do seem to make a little progress, do we not?  Perhaps you would rather do the questioning, Mr. Mac?”

“No, Mr. Holmes, it’s in better hands than mine.”

“Well, then, we will pass to this card—­V.V. 341.  It is rough cardboard.  Have you any of the sort in the house?”

“I don’t think so.”

Holmes walked across to the desk and dabbed a little ink from each bottle on to the blotting paper.  “It was not printed in this room,” he said; “this is black ink and the other purplish.  It was done by a thick pen, and these are fine.  No, it was done elsewhere, I should say.  Can you make anything of the inscription, Ames?”

“No, sir, nothing.”

“What do you think, Mr. Mac?”

“It gives me the impression of a secret society of some sort; the same with his badge upon the forearm.”

“That’s my idea, too,” said White Mason.

“Well, we can adopt it as a working hypothesis and then see how far our difficulties disappear.  An agent from such a society makes his way into the house, waits for Mr. Douglas, blows his head nearly off with this weapon, and escapes by wading the moat, after leaving a card beside the dead man, which will, when mentioned in the papers, tell other members of the society that vengeance has been done.  That all hangs together.  But why this gun, of all weapons?”

“Exactly.”

“And why the missing ring?”

“Quite so.”

“And why no arrest?  It’s past two now.  I take it for granted that since dawn every constable within forty miles has been looking out for a wet stranger?”

“That is so, Mr. Holmes.”