The Affair of the Avalanche Bicycle and Tyre, Co., Ltd. | Page 6

transferred to his pocket-book. This done, with one more glance round,
he betook himself to the pavilion.
A surgeon had arrived, and he reported well of the chief patient. It was
a simple fracture, and a healthy patient. When Dorrington entered,
preparations were beginning for setting the limb. There was a sofa in
the pavilion and the surgeon saw no reason for removing the patient till
all was made secure.
"Found anything?" asked Stedman in a low tone of Dorrington.
Dorrington shook his head. "Not much," he answered at a whisper. "I'll
think over it later."
Dorrington asked one of the Cyclists' Union officials for the loan of a
pencil, and, having made a note with it, immediately, in another part of
the room, asked Sparks, the amateur, to lend him another. Stedman had
told Mr. Mallows of Dorrington's late employment with the lantern, and
the managing director now said quietly, "You remember what I said
about rewarding anybody who discovered the perpetrator of this
outrage, Mr. Dorrington? Well, I was excited at the time, but I quite
hold to it. It is a shameful thing. You have been looking about the
grounds, I hear. I hope you have come across something that will
enable you to find something out! Nothing will please me more than to
have to pay you, I'm sure."
"Well," Dorrington confessed, "I'm afraid I haven't seen anything very
big in the way of a clue, Mr. Mallows; but I'll think a bit. The worst of
it is, you never know who these betting men are, do you, once they get
away? There are so many, and it may be anybody. Not only that, but
they may bribe anybody."
"Yes, of course -- there's no end to their wickedness, I'm afraid.
Stedman suggests that trade rivalry may have had something to do with
it. But that seems an uncharitable view, don't you think? Of course we
stand very high, and there are jealousies and all that, but this is a thing

I'm sure no firm would think of stooping to, for a moment. No, it's
betting that is at the bottom of this, I fear. And I hope, Mr. Dorrington
that you will make some attempt to find the guilty parties."
Presently Stedman spoke to Dorrington again. "Here's something that
may help you," he said. "To begin with, it must have been done by
someone from the outside of the track."
"Why?"
"Well, at least every probability's that way. Everybody inside was
directly interested in Gillett's success, excepting the Union Officials
and Sparks, who's a gentleman and quite above suspicion, as much so,
in deed, as the Union officials. Of course, there was the ground-man,
but he's all right, I'm sure."
"And the trainer?"
"Oh, that's altogether improbable -- altogether. I was going to say ----"
"And there s that other man who was standing about; I haven't heard
who he was."
"Right you are. I don't know him, either. Where is he now?"
But the man had gone.
"Look here, I'll make some quiet inquiries about that man," Stedman
pursued. "I forgot all about him in the excitement of the moment. I was
going to say that although whoever did it could easily have got away by
the gate before the smash came, he might not have liked to go that way
in case of observation in passing the pavilion. In that case he could
have got away (and indeed he could have got into the grounds to begin
with) by way of one of those garden walls that bound the ground just
by where the smash occurred. If that were so he must either live in one
of the houses, or he must know somebody that does. Perhaps you might
put a man to smell about along that road -- it's only a short one;
Chisnall Road's the name."

"Yes, yes," Dorrington responded patiently. "There might be something
in that."
By this time Gillett's arm was in a starched bandage and secured by
splints, and a cab was ready to take him home. Mr. Mallows took
Stedman away with him, expressing a desire to talk business, and
Dorrington went home by himself. He did not turn down Chisnall Road.
But he walked jauntily along toward the nearest cab-stand, and once or
twice he chuckled, for he saw his way to a delightfully lucrative
financial operation in cycle companies, without risk of capital.
The cab gained, he caned at the lodgings of two of his men assistants
and gave them instant instructions. Then he packed a small bag at his
rooms in Conduit Street, and at midnight was in the late fast train for
Birmingham.

III.
THE prospectus of the "Avalanche Bicycle & Tyre Company" stated
that the works were at Exeter and Birmingham. Exeter is