?"

"Yes, he had three or four."

"Is that one of them?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't know one from the other. I never touched
them; I was afraid of them."

"And you are quite certain, Mrs. Horsnall, that no repairs were
made in the rooms since last spring and that no one except you,
the maid, Ella, and Mr. Miller himself were in these rooms since
last spring?"

"I'm sure of that, sir."

"Will you send the maid, Ella, up here, Mrs. Horsnall, and, thank
you."

Ella, a sulky young woman of Irish extraction, came and verified
everything Mrs. Horsnall had said. Professor Brierly took her over
practically the same ground as he had the older woman.

Professor Brierly dismissed her and went back to the window, which
he submitted once more to a careful scrutiny. He absently picked
at the outer edges of the panes with his fingers. He turned to
Detective Brasher, saying, apologetically:

"I came up to this beautiful country for a rest and a vacation; I
did not think I should have any need for any revolvers. Can you
tell me where I can get one like this and shells like these?" He
pointed to the table.

Brasher looked at him suspiciously.

"Sure, Professor, you can get them at Hinkle's sporting goods
store, in town. Hinkle carries everything, but," belligerently,
"what about your sayin' that Miller didn't kill himself?"

"If you mean by 'killing himself,' that he committed suicide, I
can safely say, even now, with the incomplete information I have,
that he did not kill himself. There is a possibility that he was
handling the weapon and accidentally discharged it. But the
surrounding circumstances make that highly improbable."

He paused for a moment and asked, abruptly: "Is there any
objection to my looking about the grounds?"

"None at all, Professor, but do you mind telling me what you want
a gun like this for?"

"Certainly not. I should like to make some tests with it."

"Professor, I've heard a lot about you. I'd like to work with you.
I'm a rough neck, a man without education, just a hard working
detective, but I do the best I can. I'd like to--"

Brasher paused, floundered and reddened. There was a soft gleam in
the deeply sunken bright blue eyes of the old scientist. He
nodded.

"Of course, I'll be happy to have your help. I will just look
about--"

"I'll go with you, Professor, and there's no reason why you can't
have this gun, if it will help you."

"That will be fine, Mr. Brasher. It is just th