s off the murderer.

"Gurn," he began, "can you give me an account of your time during the
second half of December of last year?"

Gurn was unprepared for the point-blank question, and made a gesture of
doubt. M. Fuselier, probably anticipating a sensation, was just on the
point of ordering Dollon to be called, when he was interrupted by a
discreet tap on the door. His clerk went to answer it, and saw a
gendarme standing at the door. At almost the first words he said, the
clerk uttered an exclamation and wheeled round to the magistrate.

"Oh, M. Fuselier, listen! They have just told me----"

But the gendarme had come in. He saluted the magistrate and handed him a
letter which M. Fuselier hastily tore open and read.

"To M. Germain Fuselier, Examining Magistrate,
The Law Courts, Paris.

"The special commissioner at Bretigny station has the honour
to report that this morning at 8 A.M. the police informed
him of the discovery on the railway line, five kilometres
from Bretigny on the Orleans side, of the dead body of a man
who must either have fallen accidentally or been thrown
intentionally from a train bound for Paris. The body had
been mutilated by a train travelling in the other
direction, but papers found on the person of the deceased,
and in particular a summons found in his pocket, show that
his name was Dollon, and that he was on his way to Paris to
wait upon you.

"The special commissioner at Bretigny station has, quite
late, been informed of the following facts: passengers who
left the train on its arrival at the Austerlitz terminus at
5 A.M. were examined by the special commissioner at that
station, and subsequently allowed to go. Possibly you have
already been informed. We have, however, thought it our
duty, after having searched the body, to report this
identification to you, and have therefore requisitioned an
officer of the police at Bretigny to convey to you the
information contained in this communication."

* * * * *

M. Fuselier had turned pale as he read this letter. He handed it to
Juve. With feverish haste the famous detective read it through and
wheeled round to the gendarme.

"Tell me, do you know what has been done? Do you know if this man's
papers, all his papers, were found and have been preserved?"

The man shook his head in ignorance.