sleep he was industriously digging
away at it, with many gasps and inarticulate exclamations.

Concerning the cipher, it is perhaps well to mention that I applied it
to the door of the hidden safe on the chance that the opposed arrows
indicated the different movements of the dial; but I discovered the
combination to be much simpler. In fact, there were not sufficient
tumblers in the dial to allow for so complicated a combination at all.

There remained the possibility that the numerals belonged to some other
safe, though I did not think so: those two odd crenellated figures
could have nothing in common with any permutation-lock. I had seen
them; they were tantalizingly familiar; but where? And what meaning
did those two figure "10's" bear? Here was a riddle for Oedipus.

The next morning--Thursday--Dr. De Breen conducted the inquest in the
library. I mention this hearing solely because of a number of
circumstances which occurred during the proceedings--although unrelated
to them--and which have a bearing upon the story. As for the testimony
itself, it was about as satisfactory as in most instances where little
respecting the crime is definitely known.

Stodger and I had the burden of additional watchfulness imposed upon
us; a number of people would be brought upon the scene, and each of us
had to be present at some time during the hearing without leaving the
house unguarded for a second.

"Looky here, Swift," Dr. De Breen buttonholed me, grabbing at his
glasses, "what's in this case, anyhow? Have you got the man? 'T isn't
a woman, is it?" He cocked his head on one side, and favored me with a
squinting regard.

"No, I have n't," I emphatically returned. "And what's more, I don't
think you 're going to hit upon him to-day. It is n't a woman, either."

"Don't say! But what have you?"

I displayed the cipher, at which he scowled ferociously for a second.

"It's a combination," he announced decisively; "bet the cigars it's a
combination--or direction of some sort."

"Sure thing. Perhaps, too, you 'll tell me where I can try it out."

Holding his glasses with one hand, he stared through them at the bit of
paper.

"What are those fluted affairs at each end with figure '10's' in 'em?"

I shook my head. "You can search me. I thought you might tell me
something; I can ask more questions about it myself right now than I
can answer."

But I added my conviction that they were facsimiles of some detail