rst?" asked Rolfe.

"This small bullet suggests one of those fancy silver-mounted weapons
that are made to sell to wealthy people. Sir Horace was a bit of a
sportsman, and knew something about game-shooting, but, I take it, he had
no use for a revolver. I assume he kept one of those fancy weapons on
hand thinking he would never have to use it, but that it would do to
frighten a burglar if the occasion did arise."

"And when he was held up in this room by a man with a revolver he made a
dash for his own revolver and got in the first shot?" suggested Rolfe,
with the idea of outlining Crewe's theory of how the crime was committed.

"It is scarcely possible to reconstruct the crime to that extent," said
Crewe with a smile. "But undoubtedly Sir Horace got in the first shot. If
he fired after he was hit his bullet would have gone wild--would probably
have struck the ceiling--whereas it landed there. Let us measure the
height from the floor." He pulled a small spool out of a waistcoat pocket
and drew out a tape measure. "A little high for the heart of an average
man, and probably a foot wide of the mark."

"And what do you make of the disappearance of Sir Horace's revolver?"
asked Rolfe, who seemed to his superior officer to be in danger of
displaying some admiration for deductive methods.

"I'm no good at guess-work," replied Crewe, who felt that he had given
enough information away.

"Well," said Rolfe, "here is a glove which was found in the room. The
other one is missing. It might be a clue."

Crewe took the glove and examined it carefully. It was a left-hand glove
made of reindeer-skin, and grey in colour. It bore evidence of having
been in use, but it was still a smart-looking glove such as a man who
took a pride in his appearance might wear.

"Burglars wear gloves nowadays," said Crewe, "but not this kind. The
india-rubber glove with only the thumb separate is best for their work.
They give freedom of action for the fingers and leave no finger-prints.
Have you made inquiries whether this is one of Sir Horace's gloves?"

"Well, it is the same size as he wore--seven and a half," said Inspector
Chippenfield. "The butler is the only servant here and he can't say for
certain that it belonged to his master. I've been through Sir Horace's
wardrobe and through the suit-case he brought from Scotland, but I can
find no other pair exactly similar. Rolfe took it to Sir Horace's hosier,
and he is practically certain that th