None of the
hundreds of people who turned out for the fire, remembers seeing Bailey
about."

"That is true."

"The meteor fell at ten-fifteen. Bailey went upstairs before nine. Allow
half an hour for taking apart the reel. I don't believe he'd have been
longer at it. So, it's probable that he was out of the house before the
meteor fell."

"I should have heard him go out of the front door."

"That is, perhaps, why he went out of the window," observed Average
Jones, indicating certain marks on the sill. Swinging his feet over, he
stepped upon the roof of the porch, and peered at the ground below.

"And down the lightning rod," he added.

For a moment he stood meditating. "The ground is now frozen hard," he
said presently. "Bailey's footprints where he landed are deeply marked.
Therefore the soil must have been pretty soft at the time."

"Very," agreed the clergyman. "There had been a three-day downpour, up
to the evening of Bailey's disappearance. About nine o'clock the wind
shift to the northeast, and everything froze hard. There has been no
thaw since."

"You seem very clear on these points, Mr. Prentice."

"I noted them specially, having in mind to write a paper on the
meteorite for the Congregationalist."

"Ah! Perhaps you could tell me, then, how soon after the meteor's fall,
the barn yonder was discovered to be afire?"

"Almost instantly. It was in full blaze within very short time after."

"How short? Five minutes or so?"

"Not so much. Certainly not more than two."

"H'm! Peculiar! Ra-a-a-ather peculiar." drawled Average Jones.
"Particularly in view of the weather."

"In what respect?"

"In respect to a barn, water-soaked by a three-day rain bursting into
flame like tinder."

"It had not occurred to me. But the friction and heat of the meteorite
must have been extremely great."

"And extremely momentary except as to the lower floor, and the fire
should have taken some time to spread from that. However, to turn to
other matters--" He swung himself over the edge of the roof and went
briskly down the lightning rod. Across the frozen ground he moved, with
his eyes on the soil, and presently called up to his, host:

"At any rate, he started across lots in the direction of the barn. Will
you come down and let me in?"

Back in the study, Average Jones sat meditating a few moments. Presently
he asked:

"Did you go to the spot where your son's clothes were found?"

"Yes. Some time after."