The sensation caused by the news that the dead body of Maurice Alymer had been stolen was even greater than that occasioned by the discovery of the murder. Even the London papers took up the matter, and sent down reporters to make and build up theories as to the reason of this strange . Everywhere people were talking of the matter, and giving their opinions as to the proper course to be pursued in recovering the . Would-be detectives haunted the roads and lanes around "Ashantee"; they would have into the park itself but for the vigilance of Major Jen.  
His attitude at this moment was rather to his friends. He refused to permit anyone to see the whence the body had been stolen, and even declined to discuss the matter or accept advice as to the best thing to be done. To all who to him--and these were many--he had but one reply.
 
"I know what I am doing," he would say, a trifle , "and I prefer to keep my own counsel. If the murderer of my dear boy can be found, he or she will be found by me. If the who stole his body can be discovered, I am the man to make that discovery. How I intend to set about it is my own affair."
 
Of course, busybodies, who saw their well-meant but advice thus rejected, were by no means pleased, and some even went so far as to say that the shock of death and disappearance had unsettled Jen's reason. They spoke to David and counseled him to look well after his , and said also that the major, if he had his senses about him, which was doubtful, should engage a smart London detective to investigate the case. But, as has been before stated, Jen had concluded to be his own detective.
 
It must be conceded that for an amateur, the major set about his unaccustomed task in a very methodical manner. He offered a reward of five hundred pounds for the detection of the murderer, and a further sum of the like amount to anyone who should discover the thief who had the chamber of death. These rewards set everybody on the alert, and Jen, without putting down actual money, thus became of some hundreds of spies who would bring him any information likely to assist him in his . Also, the major examined all the servants in the house. He questioned Sampson, the young policeman who had been in the kitchen on the night when the body had been stolen, and finally he paid a visit to the police office at Deanminster, where he saw Mr. Arkel.
 
"Well, Arkel," said Jen, after the first greetings were over, "have you any clew?"
 
"No, major," replied Arkel, rather gruffly, for disappointment was beginning to tell on his temper, "nor are we likely to find any until that servant of yours his senses. How is he now?"
 
"In a state of high fever, poor soul," said Jen, with a look. "He does nothing but . Yet, in all his wild talk he never lets slip a single word likely to help us."
 
"That's a pity, major. By the way, I questioned Dr. Etwald about the matter, and he is of opinion that the man was by a blow on the head."
 
"I know that. I can only suppose that Jaggard fell asleep at his post and woke up in time to see the men getting in by the window. A struggle would then ensue, and he would be struck on the head, as Etwald supposes."
 
"I don't agree with that theory. There are flaws in it."
 
"Yes?" Jen, eagerly. "I am open to correction. Please go on."
 
"We will proceed on the questions and answers system," said Arkel, , "and thrash out the matter in that way. You were in the library on that night?"
 
"Yes, I saw all was right in the house at twelve o' clock, and I slept on in my chair from that hour until three."
 
"Good, Then between twelve and three the body must have been stolen. You are a light , I heard you say, major?"
 
"Well, yes," returned Jen, with a thought upon the rapping of Isabella upon the window. "It does not take much to waken me."
 
"You would have heard Jaggard call out, I suppose?"
 
"Certainly. The bedroom is no great distance from the library, and the door of the latter was open. But then Jaggard didn't cry out!"
 
"Precisely," said Arkel, laying his on Jen's chest with an air of triumph. "He did not cry out. Had he been asleep and woke up in time to see the robbers get in by the window, he would have called out at once for assistance."
 
"True enough," rejoined the major, struck by this sensible . "Still, he might not have heard them forcing the window."
 
"I doubt that, I doubt that. Jaggard, like yourself, is an old campaigner, and no doubt an alert sleeper; that is," explained Arkel, "he would wake up at the least sound."
 
"Yes, I think he would. But what does all this tend to?"
 
"Simply to a theory I have in my head. Jaggard was drugged, sir."
 
"But the wound at the back of the head which stunned him?"
 
"There you have it," cried Arkel, with a nod. "The wound at the back of the head was caused by his falling like a log when he was drugged."
 
"H'm! This is all building on sand," said Jen, doubtfully. "Even to drug him, these men must have entered by the window."
 
"No. Do you not remember when we examined the window that it was opened from the inside?"
 
"Egad, you are right. Then you think that someone must have been in the room, and sprung out from hiding to drug Jaggard."
 
"No," said Arkel again, "no one was concealed in the room."
 
"Confound it, man, you don't mean to say that Jaggard opened the window?" cried Jen, starting from his seat with some show of temper.
 
"Ay, but I do, major. Jaggard helped to steal the body of Mr. Alymer. He opened the window to admit his . When they fulfilled their task and got the body out of the room they turned on Jaggard and betrayed him. That is, they drugged him and knocked him down."
 
"I don't agree with you at all, Arkel. Jaggard is honest and was as to Maurice as he is to me. Besides, even granting the possibility of such a thing, which I do not in the least, why should Jaggard's accomplices betray him?"
 
"I can't say," returned Arkel, shrugging his shoulders. "They may have been to steal the body, and on accomplishing their task did not want to share the with Jaggard."
 
"Rubbish!" said Jen, tartly. "They must have known that he would betray them when he recovered his senses!"
 
"No doubt. But in the meantime they would make themselves scarce. Jaggard has been insensible or for over a week, major. The scoundrels counted on that!"
 
"I say again that I believe in Jaggard's honesty, and I do not agree with you," said Jen, putting on his hat, "and after all, I do not see how you deduce this drugging theory!"
 
"Oh, as to that, I was once a bit of a chemist," explained Arkel; "and when you took me to see Jaggard I a curious perfume which seemed to be hanging about him. As a servant is not likely to use perfumes, I thought it curious."
 
"What kind of a perfume?"............