"And who attacked them?"
"They had no idea. Neither of them saw a thing!"
My amazement grew by leaps and bounds. "But, Bristol, one of them must have seen the other succumb!"
"Both did! Their statements tally exactly!"
"I quite fail to follow you."
"That's not surprising. Listen: When I got on the scene about five o'clock, Marden and West, the two C.I.D. men, had quite recovered their senses, though they were badly shaken, and one had a cracked skull. The constable was conscious again, too."
"What! Was he attacked?"
"In exactly the same way! I'll give you Marden's story, as he gave it to me a few minutes after the surgeon had done with him. He said that they were sitting in the study, smoking, and with both windows wide open. It was a fearfully hot night."
"Did they have lights?"
"No. West sat in an armchair near the writing-table; Marden sat by the window next to the door. I had arranged that every hour one of them should go out to the gate and take the constable's report. It was just after Marden had been out at one o'clock that it happened.