ing no statements. I am only
suggesting possibilities."

"But-- Great Scott, Colonel--Shere Ali was killed in the same way!
He had the ticking watch in his hand, and his head was smashed in!"

"Yes."

"And of course _he_ may have been struck on his head after he died from
the poisoned watch?"

"Exactly."

"And this watch Darcy had in his possession to repair just before Mrs.
Darcy was found dead, and she had it in her hand and--say, Colonel,
where are we at?" and Jack Young looked hopelessly at his chief.

"I don't know," was the measured answer. "I wish I did. There is only
one thing we can be sure of, and that is, no matter what part Darcy had
in the murder--if he had any--by means of this watch in the case of
Mrs. Darcy, he had none in Shere Ali's case, for Darcy was locked up
when that tragedy occurred."

"That's so, Colonel. And yet-- Oh, well, what's the use of
speculating? What are you going to do next?"

"I don't know. I wish--"

There came another knock on the door and a voice asked:

"Is Chet in here, Colonel? I generally find him with you when he isn't
in my room and--"

Mr. Bland entered through the opened door, and from the figures of the
detective and his helper the eyes of Chet's owner went to that of the
motionless dog. Chet's master sensed something wrong, for with a cry
of his pet's name he hurried toward the stretched-out animal.

"Don't!" exclaimed the colonel, reaching out a restraining hand. "The
dog has been poisoned, and with a poison so deadly that even some of
the foam from his lips, in a tiny scratch, might cause your death.
Don't touch him with bare hands."

"Poisoned, Colonel! Chet poisoned?"

Sorrowfully enough Colonel Ashley told how it had happened, showing the
poisoned watch, but not disclosing the fact that it was the one which
had figured in the deaths of Mrs. Darcy and Shere Ali. And as nothing
had yet been made public to the effect that the watch, which had had a
part in both cases, was more than an ordinary timepiece Mr. Bland did
not connect it with these two deaths. Colonel Ashley let it be
understood that the watch was a curiosity having to do with some case
he was investigating.

"And if I had even dreamed that your dog would take it off the stool to
worry it, as he might a bone, I'd never have let him in here," said the
detective. "I can't tell you how sorry I am, Mr. Bland, for I loved
Chet almost as much as you did."

"I know--I know! An