The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-23

want to get at is this: 1t wouldn't even
be diamond shape, with the angles OBJ
fuse and acura asternately.'
Certainly not The angles would
be clean right angles
Very good. Now look at this sketch
of the hole in the skull and tell me
what you see.'
Barnes put on his glasses and gaz-
ed attentively for a minute or so and
then looked up. The pick point has
crashed through without leaving any
marks of it's edges whatever
That is to say, there are none of
your right angles showing
None. But that does not go to
prove anything
"'No. It's only about tenth of my
proof 1t gives the vague initial idea.
1t made me look more carefully, and
saw this pointed with my pencil to
corner of the sketch. Barnes whis-
tied.
"a clean arc of a circle said he,
cut in the bone as though a knife had
done it. You saw that pickax. Was it
much worn? Were the angles much
rounded near the point?
They were not. On the contrary,
the pick, though an old one, had just
been through the blacksmith's shop to
be resharpened and had not been used
since. There was not trace of wear
upon it. OF that am certain
Barnes whistled again in much per-
plexity. At length said he: It's an alb
solutely certain thing that Walker was
not killed in the way they imagine.
But don't think this will get him off
scot free. There's too much other cir
cumstantial evidence against him. OF
course you'll do your best, but
1t would be more than a toss up if
could avoid conviction. Quite so.
We must find out more. The question
is: How was this wound made? Was
there a third man in it,?
Guide may have jabbed him from
behind with somes other instrument
and afterward thrown it out Of the
window
YES said I, but that is going ION
the assumption that Guide did the
trick, which don't for moment think
is the case. Besides, if he did throw
anything out of the window, it would
most assuredly have been found. They
keep the permanent way very thor
| oughly inspected upon the Metropoli
tan. No, Barnes, there is some other
agent in this case, animate or mani
mate, which so far we have overlook
ed completely, and an innocent mans
life depends upon our travelling it out
Barnes lifted his shoulders helpless
~ and took another sandwich. I don't
see what we can do
Nor very clearly, but we must
start from the very commencement
and go over the ground inch by inch.'
$50 wrapped up was in the case by
this time that could not fix my mind
to anything else Then and there /
went out and set about my inquiries
with some trouble found the COM
partment in which the tragedy had
taken place, but learned nothing new
from it. The station and the railway
people at Addison road, Kensington,
were similarly drawn blank. The tick
ct inspector at Shaftesbury road, who
distinctly remembered Guides passage,
at first seemed inclined to tell me moth
ing new either until dragged it out of
him by regular emetic of question
ing.
"Then he did remember that Guide
had been carrying in his hand a car
penter's straw bass as he passed
through the wicket. He did not recol-
lect whether he had mentioned this to
the police; didn't see that it mattered.
Il thought differently, and with a
new vague hope in my heart posted
back to the prison. l had heard no
word of this hand baggage from Guide
or any one. 1t remained to be seen
what he had done with it.
s"They remembered me from my
previous visit and let me in to see the
prisoner without much demur. Guide
owned up to the basket at once. YES
he said, I had some few odd tools to
carry from home, and as couldn't
find anything else handy to put them,in
used the old carpenters bass. had
an iron eye to splice on to the end of
a windlass rope, job that like to do
myself, to make sure it's done safe.
never thought about telling you of that
bass before, sir. l didn't see as how it
mattered.'
"'Where is the bass now?'
In the left luggage Office at Shaftes-
bury road station. Name of Hopkins.
I've lost the ticket
"'Where did you put your basket on
entering the carriage at Addison road?
Ion the seat, sir, in the corner by
the window And with that I left
him.
"Now, thought to myself, believe
can find out whether you murdered
Andrew Walker or not, and drove back
to Hammersmith.
II inquired at the cloakroom. Yes,
the carpenters bass was there, beneath
a dusty heap of other unclaimed lug
gage. There was demurrage to pay on
it, which offered promptly to hand
over, but as could produce no counter
foil bearing the name of Hopkins, the
clerk with smile said that he could
not let me have it. However, when he