only way
of finding the right clue was to follow up every one until it was proved
to be a wrong one.

Inspector Chippenfield continued his study of the mysterious message
which had been sent to Scotland Yard. It was written on a sheet of paper
which had been taken from a writing pad of the kind sold for a few pence
by all stationers. It was flimsy and blue-lined, and the message it
contained was smudged and badly printed. But to the inspector's
annoyance, there were no finger-prints on the paper. The finger-print
expert at Scotland Yard had examined it under the microscope, but his
search for finger-prints had been vain.

"Depend upon it, we'll hear from this chap again," said the inspector,
tapping the sheet of paper with a finger. "I think I may go so far as to
say that this fellow thinks suspicion will be directed to him and he
wants to save his neck."

"It's a disguised hand," said Rolfe. "Of course he printed it in order
not to give us a specimen of his handwriting. There are telltale things
about a man's handwriting which give him away even when he tries to
disguise it. But he's tried to disguise even his printing. Look how
irregular the letters are--some slanting to the right and some to the
left, and some are upright. Look at the two different kinds of 'U's.'"

"He's used two different kinds of pens," said Inspector Chippenfield.
"Look at the difference in the thickness of the letters."

"The sooner he writes again the better," said Rolfe. "I am curious to
know what he'll say next."

"My idea is to find out who he is and make him speak," said the
inspector, "Speaking is quicker than writing. I could frighten more
out of him in ten minutes than he would give away voluntarily in a
month of Sundays."

Again Rolfe had to admit that his chief's plan to get at the truth was an
ideal one.

"Have you any idea who he is?" he asked.

Inspector Chippenfield had brought his methods too near to perfection to
make it possible for him to fall into an open trap.

"I won't be very long putting my hand on him," he said.

"But this thing has been in the papers," said Rolfe. "Don't you think the
murderer will bolt out of the country when he knows his mate is prepared
to turn King's evidence against him?"

"Ah," said Inspector Chippenfield, "I haven't adopted your theory."

"Then you think that the man who wrote this note knew of the murder but
doesn't know who did it?"

"Now you are going too far," said Inspector