Summary

The story opens on the protagonist, who is referred to only as Weigall. He is an Englishman, and he appears to have fairly high levels of wealth and social status. He is on an estate in Yorkshire with several guests for a week of hunting and socializing. The weather is bad, and the hunting is going poorly. Also, Weigall feels that the guests are mostly uninteresting. The one major exception is Weigall’s friend Wyatt Gifford, whom Weigall has known since childhood. Troublingly, Gifford has been missing for two days, and no search party has been able to find him.

Weigall and the guests have dismissed the idea that Gifford might have killed himself, as Gifford appeared to be in a very good mood before his disappearance. Weigall mostly rejects the idea that Gifford is dead or in danger. Gifford has played pranks...