The Silver Bullet

on had left him as weak as a child. He looked shrivelled up and pale when Herrick saw hi

his watch. "I shall send you up some strong soup. Sleep as

p to look after thi

of the Case. Your evidence is exactly the same a

quest?" asked Joyce w

what Inspector Bridge told me it would seem

man's name

rr. From all accounts h

he commit

e man was shot--perhaps by his servant, who has vanished. Ho

should like to get up and hear all about it,"

. At present you must stay in

t our walk

has given me a distaste for the trip. In a day or so, when you are reste

t about

you should go abroad for a time, and do nothing, until you are quite yourself. Explore Italy or Spain, and

d Joyce. "I shall nev

give way Robin. Y

den," pleaded

; I warned her often. You know I am sorry for your loss Robin; but sorrow will not bring back the dead. You have your part to play in the world, so yo

rth to hear the news. As might have been guessed Robin employed his solitude in gloating over his sorrow. This weakness he did not dare to

found himself the subject of considerable curiosity, but was not molested or accosted in any way, until he met with a clergyman. This was on the outskirts of the village, where a gorse-covered common stretched up to the pine wood surro

errick?" he as

as. "I am, addressing t

excuse my breaking in on your meditations," he continued, "but I gues

there is very little lamentat

lied Mr. Corn rather tautologic

at Miss End

aware that you kn

is morning to see Inspe

is the journalist. Her elder sister Miss Ida is the head of the famil

son. He had a smart soldierly figure, wore a moustache, and his hair cropped close. But for his clothes, Herrick would have taken him for a military man. He looked pale, there were dark circles under his e

iedly, "a very old family in these parts. But Miss Bess

g characteristic of the girl he had met at the inn. "The Biff's," he repeated lau

It is simply the initials of the family. There ar

Ha, how amusing. Do

my pupil and a strange boy he is. But I have no business to

safe," replied Herrick pleasantly. "I

od as she

the late Colonel's

faint voice. "You will excuse my emotion Dr. Herrick but I am rather shaken by this dea

Colonel

f his sin. Oh, it is awful. Yet I liked him. He was a good friend to me on one occas

hunted all over it. The serv

looking at the ground, "but I do not think he is

did he r

l Carr's life Mr. Herrick, which I fear will ne

e at three this aft

ut that is neither here nor there," broke off

ted. It blazed like

d the electric light. Water power you know," added the rector rather inconsequently. "I

fall, which turned the wheel for the dynamos. There was no doubt that Colonel Carr surr

ou had known Colonel Carr you would not ask

ad he so ma

stay in the house. I have been in it once or twice myself, and

a mystery. Wha

e is a great friend of the Biffs. Stephen Marsh

tion was h

two never spoke. Th

en is the Colo

o Stephen. A violent terrible woman with Italian blood in her

ill I hear.

y house on Tuesday! But it was raining when Step

nts she is seriously

th them all. Well, there is no more to be said Dr. Herrick. By the way, if I have talked freely, you must e

with my friend Mr. Joyce. We return s

ising his hat, and slipped away i

d, to say the least of it, in a most indiscreet manner. Moreover he had promised (quite unnecessarily) to explain his reason for doing so to the doctor. What did it all mean? "Does he know something, as well as Miss Bess?"

nted to remain where he was. The doctor walked by himself to the Pines, and was received by Inspector Bridge who introduced him to the Coroner, and to Dr. Tiler, who had e

of the house. He was followed by Tiler, who declared that in his opinion Carr had been s

door. It seems to me, that he was standing by the bed, and heard a footstep on the stairs. At once he turned, only to meet the levelled revolver. The shot passed through his heart and imbedded itself in the opposite wall.

such a shot was the fi

replied Tiler, "the remaining three s

said the Cor

sed must have died al

ree more shots at the dead body. There was something horrible about the wreaking of such ve

found in the hand of the dead man. All six chambers proved to be loaded. Therefore it would

yed to fire the other three. The bullet which passed through the heart and embedded itself in the wall, ha

the first shot--the shot which killed the Colonel: and the other a revolver of the most modern type. And this latter had been merely employed to make a target of the dead body. "Finally," said Bridge after explaining all this, "the third pistol--or rather revolver found in the hand of the deceased, was not f

ols, when one would have sufficed? "And?" asked the Coroner, "why do you

would have been satisfied with killing the man, and not have proceeded to mutilate the body

ight do such a thing, and it is more likely a woman would forget in her agita

th Bridge losing his temper stated that he believed

o'clock, he said, "let him take care, or he won't live long." At the time Napper thought it was merely a drunken threat; but in the face of the death and Frisco's flight he thought that the man was guilty. Of co

that he had called on the evening of the murder for his mother at the rectory. She had been up at "The Pines" in the a

rs. Marsh not here

seriously ill in be

she say how the conversation came about to

, as when he died the estate would come to me. It was then that my uncle expressed his determination to live

you seen your

six months. We wer

Mrs. Marsh called to see him

ed to go. I asked her no

Afterwards Herrick learned that Mrs. Marsh was well known as possessed of a violent temper, a

clothes he stood up in, evidently driven forth in a panic. He had made inquiries, and had heard from the police at Southberry, that Frisco--or a person answering to the description of F

tion. I got up early--about seven--to send a wire to my house in London. I had to go to the telegraph office at the station. On the platform I saw a stout man with a soft hat pull

. Herrick that you rec

Bridge has given a description of the dress and especially the

ng to prove that Frisco could have had nothing to do with the murder. However the jury were of a different opinion and more sensible, so they brought in a verdict of wilful murder a

e three policeman to remain in the house, as he had to return to his mother. Br

ome with me to Beorminster? I

has a doctor already

a low voice "no Beorminster doctor will at

What had Mrs. Marsh done that the medical fraternity at Beorminster should boycott her

u Dr. Herrick, or I should be obliged to send to London or to Southberry. And w

rick the impression of being crushed. It seemed to be Herrick's fate to meet with people who needed to be bolstered up,--witness Robin Joyce. Also he had a shrewd suspicion that the Revd. Pentland Corn was of the weak type. The proverb says that some men come into th

n," he said, "my friend is the

phen, "but pray do not be lon

cheerily, "I'll pull he

have wanted a friend for many a long day,"

so Jim took a second burden on