He had poohpoohed Mr. Cazalette's almost senile eagerness about the thing, treating his request as of no importance; now he suddenly discovered that somebody had conceived a remarkable i

elieves, as Mr. Cazalette evidently does, or did, that there may be a clue in those scratches, or marks, on the insi

and presently h

geon and Dr. Lorrimore. Two or three of the country gentlemen-all magistrates; all well known to me. And at the foot of the table there were a couple of reporters: I know them, too, w

. "But you're forgetting one thi

ly, he did not understand. Ne

such things-very proud of the fact that he owns a flute which once belonged to Charles Pease; a purse that was found on Frank Muller; a reputed riding-whip of Dick Turpin's and the like. How

k it likely: I know the lot of them, more or

ed. "And you'll excuse me for saying it-yo

s one item, an insignificant one, amongst more important things; the money, the watch and chain, and so on. But-somebody-somebody there!-considered it of so much importance as to appropriate it

as on the table at the

ts myself. When the inquest was over, I told the man you've just seen to put them all together and to s

the matter than lies o

ose the old gentleman-Mr. Cazalette-is to be-trusted? I mean-you don't think

uthority on coins and medals, a very remarkable person for his age, and Mr. Raven's guest. As to his kee

wish he'd tell us, though, if he has discovere

he way in which we younger folk regard it-having come a long way along the road of life, they refuse to be hurried. Well-I suppose you'

," he answered, with a shake of the h

re for the delectation of Miss Raven than for my own satisfaction-I knew s

trange secret in it-probably one of money. I think that in their last days they were tracked, shadowed, whatever you like to call it, by some old associates of theirs, who murdered them

f his ancestors on the mother's s

a name in any parish register between Alnmouth Bay and Fenham Flats-and that's a pretty good stretch of country! I set to work on those investigations as soon as you told me about your first me

s not Salter Quick alone who was seeking the gr

gave her an ap

e right, Miss Raven! There was another man-asking for the same inform

ng a hand on Salter Quick'

me an equally sharp l

quietly. "Not at all sure! But I think I could get some in

for his polite attentions, a man came along the street, and paused close by us, looking inquiringly at the building from whi

" he said; "is this h

frank of eye and lip; no beauty, for he had a shock of sandy-red hair and three or four days' stubble on his cheeks and chin; yet his apparent frankness and a certain steadiness of gaze set him u

answered the inspector. "I

a glance in which there was a decided sense of hum

one o' t' witnesses at t' inquest on that strange man 'at were murdered hereabouts. I should ha' called to see you about t'

ctor. "And-what ment

eeth in a grin that seemed to stret

rfield family," he answered. "You know-on t' roadside one night, off

and myself with a look which meant

got to tell. Follow me," he continued, beckoning the caller. "I'm much obliged to you for coming. Now," he continued, when

his old hat was removed, the fiery hue of his p

table public, where I could smoke my pipe and have a glass or two. And while I was there, a man come in 'at, from his description i' t' papers, 'ud be this here fellow that were murdered. I didn't talk none to him, but, after a bit, I heard him talking to t' landlord. And, after a deal o' talk about fishing hereabouts, I heard him asking t' landlord, as seemed to be a gr't fisherman and knew all t' countryside, if he knew any places, churchyards, where there were Netherfields burie

question out of curiosity

ire," assented Beeman. "I just wondered if it

having seen at Alnwick?" the inspector asked. "A

replied Beeman. "He had his glass or two o' rum, and w

self, since the time you tell

then forrard to some farms i' t' Cheviots, and back by Alnham and Whittingham to Alnwick. And

pector. "You've cleared up something, at any rate.

gether 'at I've bowt for our maister, on one farm and another," replied Beeman. "Then I shall be away. But if you ever want m

e, the inspector looked at Miss Raven and

tly. "Salter Quick was not murdered by somebody who had come into these parts o

et him?" I

there is anything in that tobacco-box theory of Mr. Cazalette's. Couldn't you young peop

" replied Miss Raven. "There are others at which I sho

ve, knows something. And now-you know more tha

one to suspect? Yet-it would seem that Salter Quick found somebody here to whom his presence was so decid

ady statement of the brusque Yorkshireman. For until then I had firmly believed that the man who had accosted our friend of the Mariner's Joy, Jim Gelthwaite, the drover, was the man who had murdered Salter Quick. My notion was that this man, whoever he was, ha

Miss Ra

r was present at that inquest?" she asked, half-ti

lace was packed to the doors wit

tobacco-box, knowing that as long as it was in the hands of the

If the murderer had known that, if he felt that, he'd have secured

at. But there are such a lot of things to think of in con

inking much abo

for a moment, and

door and that, for all one knows, the murderer may still be close at hand," she said at last. "There's such a

se. I had not seen any marked

bserved tha

man. Do you know that since this happened he's taken to going round the house

lightning was followed by a sharp crack, and that on the instant by a heavy downpour of rain. I glanced at Miss Raven's light dress-early spring though it was, the weather had been warm for more than a week, and she had come out in things that would be soaked through in a moment. But just then we were close to an old red-brick house, which stood but a yard o

inside and shelte

staring at the slit-like eyes and old p