The Press., 1914-02-18

back again. Instantly Birch had made detour so as not to disturb the tell. tale marks with his own boots and he was up the ladder and was lifting the trapdoor.
 "Unfastened. sir,'' he reported; levi dently pried up from the roof-lock broken"
 He passed up on to the roof, and Sloan followed. '
 The large expanse of flat, timed roof was surrounded by a faneiful iron rail- ing. In one place the railing had dis appeared. There was a gap of per haps fifteen feet. Birch crept to the edge of the roof and peered over.
 Funny thing" he commented; "that iron railing is down on the ground there-lOOks as though it had recently fallen. Let's have Blunt up here." He fetched the valet, and the two detec- tives pointed out the broken railing to the aStonished servant.
 But. sir he protested, q am sure it was not broken yesterday, because the gardener would have removed it. He cut the grass yesterday and cleaned up the yard thoroughly. You see, it has fallen directly underneath the li- brary windows, and some of it sticks right up in the turf"
 You heard no sound in the night, you are sure?'
 q am sure, sir. I sleep in the wing yonder and at the head of my bed is bell that connects with MT. Hin mans room. One of the servants in the house next door was coming home from d party very late last night or early this morning, and she declares she saw big blackbird lowering over this house. She is very superstitiOus. sir, and suppose she's imagined that since hearing of the murder"
 'FVery likely said Sloan in a pecul- far tone, and his eyes met those of his young assistant with significant glance "Thank you, Blunt. That will do for the present" ~. >t
 When the valet had disappeared down the trapdoor Birch dropped to his knees and made a searching ex- animation of the roof. In the slight layer of dust some clew might be found.
 "It's here, sir''-he looked up with a smiling face-"the tracks of the big blackbird. And the discovery reveals how the other two murders were com mitted." -
 Sloan knelt down beside him and watched the movement of Birch's fin gers as he pointed out the tracks made by the rubber tired landing wheels of an aerOplane. When the machine had made it's departure it had carried away fifteen feet of the ornamental railing from the roof.
 "Find foreigner who answers to the description of Van Benjidck. If he is a skilled aviator he's your man," was SlOans decision.
 ''You remember that the residence of MT. Flickinger is of this same type flat roof and so forth?'' questioned Birch as they returned to the office.
 II remember, and 1 also recollect that Thomas Benson lived at the Hotel Batwell. and his room was in the an mex. flat roofed wing.
 Once in the office Sloan picked up the afternoon edition of a New York newspaper. Suddenly he uttered d sharp exclamation and pointed to q glaring headline on the front page.
 You won't have to look any further, Birch! Your mans found and lost gone to his reward! Listen to this:
 "'Another daring aviator met death early this morning in some unknown manner. Rudolf Benjidck, well known as fearless f1feFs was found crushed to death under the body of his heavy aeroplane on the grounds of the Broad brook Country club. It is not known at what moment or under what circum- stances Benjidck met his death, but it is supposed that he was trying out the big machine which he recently pur- chased. An investigation is being made into the matter.'"
 Robert Birch had arisen and was Duk- toning his coat.
 "Ill be there at that investigation" he said grimly.
 Two days dfterward he returned tn the office with a chain of evidence th4t left no doubt that the unlueky aviatCr had been the murderer of the three men. whom he believed had worked him harm. The shoes he had worn cor responded ill every detail with the foot prints found in the attic of the Hin man house. and in his pockets were found not only MT. Hinman's jewelry, but diamonds that were afterward identified as the property of James Flickinger <..~..
 There was nothing left to do in the matter. Retribution had overtaken the murderer before he could make use of his guilty gains. The "big blackbird" had proved bird of evil omen to him.