o grow into a much bigger man. His hair was
uncompromisingly red, and grew in such irregular fashion that the comb
was not made which could subdue it. He had the wide-open, fighting blue
eyes of the Chief Inspector, and when he smiled the presence of two
broken teeth lent him a very pugilistic appearance.

On his advent at the school of which he was now one of the most popular
members, he had promptly been christened "Carrots." To this nickname
young Kerry had always taken exception, and he proceeded to display
his prejudice on the first day of his arrival with such force and
determination that the sobriquet had been withdrawn by tacit consent of
every member of the form who hitherto had favoured it.

"I'll take you all on," the new arrival had declared amidst a silence of
stupefaction, "starting with you"--pointing to the biggest boy. "If we
don't finish to-day, I'll begin again to-morrow."

The sheer impudence of the thing had astounded everybody. Young Kerry's
treatment of his leading persecutor had produced a salutary change of
opinion. Of such kidney was Daniel Kerry, junior; and when, some hours
after his father's departure on the night of the murder in the fog, the
'phone bell rang, it was Dan junior, and not his mother, who answered
the call.

"Hallo!" said a voice. "Is that Chief Inspector Kerry's house?"

"Yes," replied Dan.

"It has begun to rain in town," the voice continued, "Is that the Chief
Inspector's son speaking?"

"Yes, I'm Daniel Kerry."

"Well, my boy, you know the way to New Scotland Yard?"

"Rather."

"He says will you bring his overall? Do you know where to find it?"

"Yes, yes!" cried Dan excitedly, delighted to be thus made a party to
his father's activities.

"Well, get it. Jump on a tram at the Town Hall and bring the overall
along here. Your mother will not object, will she?"

"Of course not," cried Dan. "I'll tell her. Am I to start now?"

"Yes, right away."

Mrs. Kerry was sewing by the fire in the dining room when her son came
in with the news, his blue eyes sparkling excitedly. She nodded her head
slowly.

"Ye'll want ye'r Burberry and ye'r thick boots," she declared, "a
muffler, too, and ye'r oldest cap. I think it's madness for ye to go out
on such a night, but----"

"Father said I could," protested the boy.

"He says so, and ye shall go, but I think it madness a' the same."

However, some ten minutes later young Kerry set out, keenly resenting
the woollen muf