Evening star., 1918-02-17

lit a strong Havana cigar and strolled
out into the quiet, starlit night. There
were very few persons on the platform.
but among those few was young Nat
the new school. who had come down
from London about ~tho little forgery
job" In another moment the long train
burst with a shock and jar Into the
station.
Then ono man. = young. norAd-faeed
porter, stopped short at the door Of a
nrst-class carriage close to the engine.
for q moment glued his face to the
die. The door was locked He slipped
out his key. jerked the door open and
bolted into the carriage. Another mo-
ment and the thrilling cry. Murder!
Mr.. Beck leaped into the carriage
beside the porter, who was In the act
OF lifting the body of man from the
floor.
"stop." cried Mr. Beck. and the man
Fetch = lantern and call the super
intendent," and the man set OF ON his
errand. as obedient as a well trained
Here you are. old man. said Per-
kins. never go without it." He took
out from his breast coat pocket a neat
little lamp nickel-olated. with q bur
ed the button" and an electric light
flashed out
Thanks, my boy" said Mr. Beck
Just hold the door and Keep the crowd
out for a moment, will your
Mr.. Reck's eyes. restless as wild
animals, seemed to take in all details
ar once.
This is what he saw:
A handsome young man not more
than thirty years of age, of slim hg-
ure, quite dead. There was a bullet
hole through his breast.
Mr.. Beck looked at his neck. There
was a narrow band cutting down into
the flesh under the chin and ears. The
wooden stick OF a match, the head
burned on, lay on the floor, and beside
IL reading lamp, quenched, and the
glass broken. A servicaable Colts re-
volver had rolled into a corner. Mr.
Beck picked it up. and saw at a glance
that two chambers had been recently
discharged There was round bullet
hole in the glass window at the far side
bullet had left or entered the carriage.
Whatever was the motive of the mur-
der. robbery had no place in it The
man had valuable gold watch in his
pocket, a diamond ring on his little
amount of ECO in his pocketbook. There
was a strong smell Of burnt wool in
the compartment. and shifting closely
where it seemed strongest, Mr.. Beck
made a most curious discovery. The
mans trousers of lght-colored tweed
the inner side OF the right thigh, well
over the knee. and the skin was
scorched underneath
'HuIIoa there," cried an authoritative
voice at the carriage door.
That the supermtendeut2- said Mr..
Beck very quietly.
-Oh. good evening. Af. Beck. did
not know you at first This Is bad
business What do you mako of it?-
Murder
What am I to do7- cried the su-
perintendent IN woeful perpleuty. II
line before. Mustn't there be an inquest
or something and all that? I'll have
the body lifted out into the third-class
refreshment room"
You could not keep the train back?'
Impossible. II half the passengers
were murdered. We must catch the
boat"
What's the last minute you can de-
lay the whole train, Mr.. Fenton?-
Five minutes at the outside That is
a quarter of an hour altogether Luck
lily we are three minutes before time
No one who knew MI. Beck as a
quiet easy-going man could recognise
him now. In an instant he was all over
the train. He climbed Ike q bear along
the roofs OF the carriages. he craH3ed
like q serpent under the wheels He
was in and out through an the doors
almost, az It would seem. at the same
time. Only one little fact seemed to
reward his search. Ffve compartments
or from that in which the dead man
lay. the oil lamp was missing from a
third class carriage.
Then Mr.. Beck was back at the
end Of the train. loosening a strong
cord which he found tied in a hard
knot round the iron rod of the
buffer. When he came walking back
quickly along the platform the quarter
of an hour was overdue, and the pas
sengers were crowdNg back into their
compartments.
He found the superintendent and Mr..
Perkins standing in front of the car
riage. where the dead man still lay
on his back.
He held up in his left hand a little
thread Of fine lambs wool of light
gray color. stained dark IN parts
eAnd what do you intend to do with
thxtr said the young detective chat
dngfX
Mr Bek had tied the thsn thread at
tho end of tho strong cord he had
taken from the buffer. and looped it
IN a moose He smiled grfm1y as he
dzngied it before PerkinS eyes THAT