"We've been able to get one man out."
"One!--out of the lot! How did you get him?"
"Oddly enough, the lock of his cell was the only one in the prison which had not been tampered with."
"Hum! I should like to see that man."
"His name's Mankell. He only came in yesterday. He's been pretending to magic powers--telling fortunes, and that kind of thing."
"Only came in yesterday? He's begun early. Perhaps we shall have to tell him what his fortune's likely to be."
When they reached the wards the keys were handed to the inspector, who in his turn tried his hand. A couple of locksmiths had been fetched up from the town. When the Major had tried two or three of the locks it was enough for him. He turned to the makers of locks.
"What's the matter with these locks?"
"Well, that's exactly what we can't make out. The keys go in all right, but they won't turn. Seems as though somebody had been having a lark with them."
"Can't you pick them?"