Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Detective General, who had been regarding him wist- fully. ‘‘T should now like to see the place where the pistol was found,” he said curtly. “This way,” said the General, and he took us on a line almost parallel to the path by which we had come. In a minute we were picking our way through the viscid mud of the swamp. “This is the place,” said our conductor, stooping over a kind of protective cage formed of twigs, the ends of which had been thrust into the mud. Looking through the interstices, we could see the rough outline of a large revolver, which had been embedded there. It must have been thrown away with considerable force, for it had ploughed its way for over a foot before coming to rest. Vokes stood with his head slightly bent, but I could see his eyes glancing in every direction. He turned to the groom. “You are the man who found the pis- tol?” ““Yes, sir,” replied the groom. “It was about an hour after they discovered the body. I was coming along the path when my eye caught something shining. I went out to see what it was and found the pistol. If I’d ha’ known “You are sure this is the place?” inter- rupted Vokes sharply. “Certain sure, sir,” replicd William. ‘TI put them twigs over it myself to save it till the police could sce it.” ‘‘An excellent precaution,’’ commented the detective. “Then you can swear that that is not the place?” He pointed to a spot in the marsh some twenty feet away, and, following the direc- tion of his finger, we saw another distinct impression in the mud. Gencral Warbury was the first to reach_it. *‘Good heavens!”’ he cried, “here is the mark of another revolver! The assassin must have had two and thrown them both away. But what has becomeof the second?”’ “It looks to me,’ I ventured, offering an opinion for the first time, “‘as if the mur- derer, repenting of his folly in throwing away a pistol which might lead to his iden- tification, may have come back and recov- ered it and substituted one which would throw suspicion on Geoffrey Variole.”’ “That is a possible solution,” assented the General. ‘‘What do you think of it, Mr. Vokes?” ?) for the Defense IO4G But Vokes was busy examining the mark of the pistol, and the question was appar- ently unheard. “BY THE way, General,’ I con- tinued, “this man Masten; you say that he is above suspicion, and yet—is there not a possibility that he may have been.the assassin? Of course he may be able to account for every moment of his time that afternoon, but he is the only man, so far as we know, who was aware that he would directly benefit by his master’s death. Then again he did not know that Mr. Vari- ole’s days were numbered. Of course I merely suggest this as a possibility.” General Warbury shook his head. “There has been no suspicion directed against Masten,” he said doggedly. “Possibly,” I hazarded, “that is because rural police are a little likely to jump at ap- parently obvious conclusions. They are so sure that the nephew committed the crime that they have not thought it worth while to investigate in other directions. Has he given any account of his actions that after- noon? Then again, take the possession of Gcoffrey’s pistol. The feud between uncle and nephew would hardly be likely to ex- tend to their servants. Why couldn’t Mas- ten have gone to Geoffrey’s house and got- ten it?” The Gencral shrugged his shoulders. “‘It may be as you say,” he replied,” but I confess I am skeptical. However, Masten should be here soon in reply to my note and no doubt will answer any questions Mr. Vokes may ask him.” Whether the detective had heard our con- versation it was impossible to tell from his impassive countenance. ‘“‘T think I have seen all that is necessary here, General,’ he said, ‘‘and I think we may dismiss this man. He has told us all he knows.” William glanced at his master and, rc- ceiving a nod of dismissal, wended his way back to the dogcart with a mutinous lock at the detective. “And now,” continued Vokes, “with your permission I should like to make an- other inspection of the place where the body lay. Also a brief search,” he added. “You expect to find something?” queried the General. “Yes,’’ replied Vokes. thing missing.” ‘There is some= C© MICLOOKS (©