the man who knew too much-第39章

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When　the　man　emerged　at　last　on　to　the　garden　path；　with　the　full　light　on　his　face　and　figure；　he　was　walking　slowly　indeed；　but　easily；　and　with　no　appearance　of　fear。

〃This　is　a　terrible　thing；〃　he　said。　〃I　saw　it　from　above；　I　was　taking　a　stroll　along　the　ridge。〃　

〃Do　you　mean　that　you　saw　the　murder？〃　demanded　March；　〃or　the　accident？　I　mean　did　you　see　the　statue　fall？〃

〃No；〃　said　Archer；　〃I　mean　I　saw　the　statue　fallen。〃

Prince　seemed　to　be　paying　but　little　attention；　his　eye　was　riveted　on　an　object　lying　on　the　path　a　yard　or　two　from　the　corpse。　It　seemed　to　be　a　rusty　iron　bar　bent　crooked　at　one　end。

〃One　thing　I　don't　understand；'　he　said；　〃is　all　this　blood。　The　poor　fellow's　skull　isn't　smashed；　most　likely　his　neck　is　broken；　but　blood　seems　to　have　spouted　as　if　all　his　arteries　were　severed。　I　was　wondering　if　some　other　instrument　。　。　。　that　iron　thing；　for　instance；　but　I　don't　see　that　even　that　is　sharp　enough。　I　suppose　nobody　knows　what　it　is。〃

〃I　know　what　it　is；〃　said　Archer　in　his　deep　but　somewhat　shaky　voice。　〃I've　seen　it　in　my　nightmares。　It　was　the　iron　clamp　or　prop　on　the　pedestal；　stuck　on　to　keep　the　wretched　image　upright　when　it　began　to　wabble；　I　suppose。　Anyhow；　it　was　always　stuck　in　the　stonework　there；　and　I　suppose　it　came　out　when　the　thing　collapsed。〃

Doctor　Prince　nodded；　but　he　continued　to　look　down　at　the　pools　of　blood　and　the　bar　of　iron。

〃I'm　certain　there's　something　more　　underneath　all　this；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃Perhaps　something　more　underneath　the　statue。　I　have　a　huge　sort　of　hunch　that　there　is。　We　are　four　men　now　and　between　us　we　can　lift　that　great　tombstone　there。〃

They　all　bent　their　strength　to　the　business；　there　was　a　silence　save　for　heavy　breathing；　and　then；　after　an　instant　of　the　tottering　and　staggering　of　eight　legs；　the　great　carven　column　of　rock　was　rolled　away；　and　the　body　lying　in　its　shirt　and　trousers　was　fully　revealed。　The　spectacles　of　Doctor　Prince　seemed　almost　to　enlarge　with　a　restrained　radiance　like　great　eyes；　for　other　things　were　revealed　also。　One　was　that　the　unfortunate　Hewitt　had　a　deep　gash　across　the　jugular；　which　the　triumphant　doctor　instantly　identified　as　having　been　made　with　a　sharp　steel　edge　like　a　razor。　The　other　was　that　immediately　under　the　bank　lay　littered　three　shining　scraps　of　steel；　each　nearly　a　foot　long；　one　pointed　and　another　fitted　into　a　gorgeously　jeweled　hilt　or　handle。　It　was　evidently　a　sort　of　long　Oriental　knife；　long　enough　to　be　called　a　sword；　but　with　a　curious　wavy　edge；　and　there　was　a　touch　or　two　of　blood　on　the　point。

〃I　should　have　expected　more　blood；　hardly　on　the　point；〃　observed　Doctor　Prince；　thoughtfully；　〃but　this　is　certainly　the　instrument。　The　slash　was　certainly　made　with　a　weapon　shaped　like　this；　and　probably　the　slashing　of　the　pocket　as　well。　I　suppose　the　brute　threw　in　the　statue；　by　way　of　giving　him　a　public　funeral。〃

March　did　not　answer；　he　was　mesmerized　by　the　strange　stones　that　glittered　on　the　strange　sword　hilt；　and　their　possible　significance　was　broadening　upon　him　like　a　dreadful　dawn。　It　was　a　curious　Asiatic　weapon。　He　knew　what　name　was　connected　in　his　memory　with　curious　Asiatic　weapons。　Lord　James　spoke　his　secret　thought　for　him；　and　yet　it　startled　him　like　an　irrelevance。

〃Where　is　the　Prime　Minister？〃　Herries　had　cried；　suddenly；　and　somehow　like　the　bark　of　a　dog　at　some　discovery。

Doctor　Prince　turned　on　him　his　goggles　and　his　grim　face；　and　it　was　grimmer　than　ever。

〃I　cannot　find　him　anywhere；〃　he　said。　〃I　looked　for　him　at　once；　as　soon　as　I　found　the　papers　were　gone。　That　servant　of　yours；　Campbell；　made　a　most　efficient　search；　but　there　are　no　traces。〃

There　was　a　long　silence；　at　the　end　of　which　Herries　uttered　another　cry；　but　upon　an　entirely　new　note。

〃Well；　you　needn't　look　for　him　any　longer；〃　he　said；　〃for　here　he　comes；　along　with　your　friend　Fisher。　They　look　as　if　they'd　been　for　a　little　walking　tour。〃

The　two　figures　approaching　up　the　path　were　indeed　those　of　Fisher；　splashed　with　the　mire　of　travel　and　carrying　a　scratch　like　that　of　a　bramble　across　one　side　of　his　bald　forehead；　and　of　the　great　and　gray…haired　statesman　who　looked　like　a　baby　and　was　interested　in　Eastern　swords　and　swordmanship。　But　beyond　this　bodily　recognition；　March　could　make　neither　head　nor　tail　of　their　presence　or　demeanor；　which　seemed　to　give　a　final　touch　of　nonsense　to　the　whole　nightmare。　The　more　closely　he　watched　them；　as　they　stood　listening　to　the　revelations　of　the　detective；　the　more　puzzled　he　was　by　their　attitudeFisher　seemed　grieved　by　the　death　of　his　uncle；　but　hardly　shocked　at　it；　the　older　man　seemed　almost　openly　thinking　about　something　else；　and　neither　had　anything　to　suggest　about　a　further　pursuit　of　the　fugitive　spy　and　murderer；　in　spite　of　the　prodigious　importance　of　the　documents　he　had　stolen。　When　the　detective　had　gone　off　to　busy　himself　with　that　department　of　the　business；　to　telephone　and　write　his　report；　when　Herries　had　gone　back；　probably　to　the　brandy　bottle；　and　the　Prime　Minister　had　blandly　sauntered　away　toward　a　comfortable　armchair　in　another　part　of　the　garden；　Horne　Fisher　spoke　directly　to　Harold　March。

〃My　friend；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　you　to　come　with　me　at　once；　there　is　no　one　else　I　can　trust　so　much　as　that。　The　journey　will　take　us　most　of　the　day；　and　the　chief　business　cannot　be　done　till　nightfall。　So　we　can　talk　things　over　thoroughly　on　the　way。　But　I　want　you　to　be　with　me；　for　I　rather　think　it　is　my　hour。〃

March　and　Fisher　both　had　motor　bicycles；　and　the　first　half　of　their　day's　journey　consisted　in　coasting　eastward　amid　the　unconversational　noise　of　those　uncomfortable　engines。　But　when　they　came　out　beyond　Canterbury　into　the　flats　of　eastern　Kent；　Fisher　stopped　at　a　pleasant　little　public　house　beside　a　sleepy　stream；　and　they　sat　down　to　cat　and　to　drink　and　to　speak　almost　for　the　first　time。　It　was　a　brilliant　afternoon；　birds　were　singing　in　the　wood　behind；　and　the　sun　shone　full　on　their　ale　bench　and　table；　but　the　face　of　Fisher　in　the　strong　sunlight　had　a　gravity　never　seen　on　it　before。

〃Before　we　go　any　farther；〃　he　said；　〃there　is　something　you　ought　to　know。　You　and　I　have　seen　some　mysterious　things　and　got　to　the　bottom　of　them　before　now；　and　it's　only　right　that　you　should　get　to　the　bottom　of　this　one。　But　in　dealing　with　the　death　of　my　uncle　I　must　begin　at　the　other　end　from　where　our　old　detective　yarns　began。　I　will　give　you　the　steps　of　deduction　presently；　if　you　want　to　listen　to　them；　but　I　did　not　reach　the　truth　of　this　by　steps　of　deduction。　I　will　first　of　all　tell　you　the　truth　itself；　because　I　knew　the　truth　from　the　first。　The　other　cases　I　approached　from　the　outside；　but　in　this　case　I　was　inside。　I　myself　was　the　very　core　and　center　of　everything。〃

Something　in　the　speaker's　pendent　eyelids　and　grave　gray　eyes　suddenly　shook　March　to　his　foundations；　and　he　cried；　distractedly；　〃I　don't　understand！〃　as　men　do　when　they　fear　that　they　do　understand。　There　was　no　sound　for　a　space　but　the　happy　chatter　of　the　birds；　and　then　Horne　Fisher　said；　calmly：

〃It　was　I　who　killed　my　uncle。　If　you　particularly　want　more；　it　was　I　who　stole　the　state　papers　from　him。〃

〃Fisher！〃　cried　his　friend　in　a　strangled　voice。

〃Let　me　tell　you　the　whole　thing　before　we　part；〃　continued　the　other；　〃and　let　me　put　it；　for　the　sake　of　clearness；　as　we　used　to　put　our　old　problems。　Now　there　are　two　things　that　are　puzzling　people　about　that　problem；　aren't　there？　The　first　is　how　the　murderer　managed　to　slip　off　the　dead　man's　coat；　when　he　was　already　pinned　to　the　ground　with　that　stone　incubus。　The　other；　which　is　much　smaller　and　less　puzzling；　is　the　fact　of　the　sword　that　cut　his　throat　being　slightly　stained　at　the　point；　instead　of　a　good　deal　more　stained　at　the　edge。　Well；　I　can　dispose　of　the　first　question　easily。　Horne　Hewitt　took　off　his　own　coat　before　he　was　killed。　I　might　say　he　took　off　his　coat　to　be　killed。〃

〃Do　you　call　that　an　explanation？〃　exclaimed　March。　〃The　words　seem　more　meaningless；　than　the　facts。〃

〃Well；　let　us　go　on　to　the　other　facts；〃　continued　Fisher