? That, at least, is
in your jurisdiction, Mr. McCall."

"Yes, that is in my jurisdiction. I have wired orders and my
office is doing all it can right now to cooperate with the police.
We should hear something shortly."

Professor Brierly turned to the reporter.

"Obviously, Mr. Hale, the ends of justice will not be well served
if you should publish in your paper what we discovered today by
means of the microscope. The police may be seriously hampered in
its work if too much or any publicity is given this matter."

"But Professor--"

The old man snapped at him. "But nothing. If you were not here you
would know nothing about it. Certainly, if the police discovered
what I discovered they would be very careful to withhold it from
reporters. Surely you have enough in this story to satisfy even
your insatiable appetite for news."

Jimmy gulped. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Here he had a juicy
bit of news that would delight Hite and he could not publish it.
What a swell new lead for the story. Acting contrary to the old
man's wishes in the matter was, of course, out of the question.

Chapter X

Dinner was finished at the Brierly camp when a telephone message
from the Higginbotham camp requested Professor Brierly to come
down there that evening, if it was convenient. McCall and, as an
afterthought, Hale, were included in the invitation.

After their arrival Justice Higginbotham began without preamble:

"What conclusions have you reached with reference to these
murders, Professor?"

Professor Brierly looked at his questioner curiously. He looked
about at the other men. The strain was increasingly telling on
them. Old men, all of them, the difference that the last three
days had made in their appearance was startling. A furtive,
harrowing fear was apparent in most of their countenances.

Professor Brierly answered gently:

"I do not believe I have reached any general conclusion, Judge.
The facts, as I found them, that may be helpful to the police I
have given the police. Understand, please, I am not a policeman
nor a detective. I am a simple scientist and it is as problems in
science that I approach these subjects."

"Perhaps I have not made myself clear, Professor. We, or rather
most of us, are in a very unhappy state of mind. Thus, what might
three days ago have been a very simple thing, takes on for all of
us perhaps a grossly exaggerated importance. Mr. Flynn there,"
glancing toward one of the men