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"That," said Throgton quietly, "I must refuse to answer." "Would it incriminate you?" asked the coroner, leaning forward. "It might," said Throgton. "Then you're perfectly right not to answer it," said the coroner. "Don't ask him that any more. Ask something else." "Then did you," questioned the attorney, turning to Throgton again, "play a game of billiards with the deceased?"
"What the devil do you mean?" answered Throgton. "Let me come round to your house and tell the story. There are points in it that I can best illustrate over a billiard table. Suppose I challenge you to a fifty point game before I tell my story." It required no little hardihood to challenge Masterman Throgton at billiards.
"Precisely," said Kelly, "he missed the red. Your analysis was wrong, Mr. Kent. The game ended. You started your reasoning from a false diæresis. In billiards people never mark the last point. The board still showed ninety-nine all. Throgton left and my uncle, as often happens, kept trying over the last shot a half-ball shot, sir, with the red over the pocket. He tried again and again.
Pampered with every luxury, I was on a footing of " "One minute," interrupted Kent, rapidly analysing as he listened. "How many legs had you then?" "Two on a footing of ease and indolence. I soon lost " "Your leg," said Throgton. "Mr. Kelly, pray come to the essential things." "I will," said the sailor. "Gentlemen, bad as I was, I was not altogether bad."
Kelly," said Throgton thoughtfully, "the logic of your story is wonderful. It exceeds anything in its line that I have seen published for months. But there is just one point that I fail to grasp. The two bullet holes?" "They were old ones," answered the sailor quietly. "My uncle in his youth had led a wild life in the west; he was full of them." There was silence for a moment.
Throgton never flinched. He walked across to where Kent stood, and with his open palm he slapped him over the mouth. "Transome Kent," he said, "you're a liar." Then he walked back to his chair and sat down. "Kent," he continued, "from the first moment of your mock investigation, I knew who you were. Your every step was shadowed, your every movement dogged.
I have something to say to you. You know already what it is." They went into the library. Throgton, his hand unsteady, lighted a cigar. "Well," he said, "what is it?" "Mr. Throgton," said Kent, "two weeks ago you gave me a mystery to solve. To-night I can give you the solution. Do you want it?" Throgton's face never moved. "Well," he said.
With a wave of the arm, Kent vanished. The Inspector stood for a moment in thought. "Now, why did Throgton telephone to me to put a watch on Kent? Ten dollars a day to shadow him! Why?" Meantime at the Planet office Masterman Throgton was putting on his coat to go home. "Excuse me, sir," said an employé, "there's a lot of green billiard chalk on your sleeve."
"Sit down," said Throgton. "Thank you," said the sailor, "it rests my wooden leg." The two men looked again. One of the sailor's legs was made of wood. With a start Kent noticed that it was made of East Indian sandalwood. "I've just come from Java," said Kelly quietly, as he sat down. Kent nodded. "I see it all now," he said. "Throgton, I wronged you.
When I have joined the last links of the chain, may I come and tell you all?" She looked full in his face. "At any hour of the day or night," she said, "you may come." Then she was gone. Within a few moments Kent was at the phone. "I want four, four, four, four. Is that four, four, four, four? Mr. Throgton's house? I want Mr. Throgton. Mr. Throgton speaking? Mr. Throgton, Kent speaking.