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I did so, and found that what I had ie had dried it into an extreht hold a quart when full The brass rim encircledthe wide end, but the narroas also tipped with metal

“What do you make of it?” asked Dacre

“I should ied to soes,” said I “I have seen in England leathern drinking flagonsof the seventeenth century—‘black jacks’ as they were called—which wereof the same colour and hardness as this filler”

“I dare say the date would be about the sa a vessel with liquid If mysuspicions are correct, however, it was a queer vintner who used it, anda very singular cask which was filled Do you observe nothing strange atthe spout end of the funnel”

As I held it to the light I observed that at a spot some five inchesabove the brass tip the narrow neck of the leather funnel was allhaggled and scored, as if some one had notched it round with a bluntknife Only at that point was there any roughening of the dead blacksurface

“Some one has tried to cut off the neck”

“Would you call it a cut?”

“It is torn and lacerated It h material, whatever the instrument may havebeen But what do you think of it? I can tell that you know more thanyou say”

Dacre se

“Have you included the psychology of drea your learned studies?”he asked