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Camber is therefore eliminated from our list of suspects." The Inspector was growing very red, but ere he had time to speak Harley continued: "The first of these three persons to have heard a shot fired at the end of the garden would have been Ah Tsong, and not Mrs. Camber, whose room is upstairs and in the front of the house. If it had been fired by Mr.
Ah Tsong stared stupidly, whereupon Paul Harley addressed him in his native language, rapidly and in a low voice, in order, as I divined, that the Inspector should not hear him. "I feel dreadfully guilty, Knox," he confessed, in a murmured aside. "For any Englishman, fictitious characters excepted, to possess a knowledge of Chinese is almost indecent."
Did you think it was in the house?" "Oh, no." "In the garden?" "I really could not say, but I think that it was farther away than that." "And what did you do?" "I rang the bell for Ah Tsong." "Did he come immediately?" "Almost immediately." "He was dressed, then?" "No, I don't think he was. He had quickly put on an overcoat. He usually answers at once, when I ring for him, you see." "I see.
One evening, when they were in Kelung, Mackay, with his insatiable desire to use every moment, suggested that they spend ten days without speaking English, so that they might improve their Chinese. Dr. Campbell agreed, and they started their "Chinese only." Next morning from the first early call of "Liong tsong khi lai," "All, all, up come," not one word of their native tongue did they speak.
"We are very glad to have you with us, Mr. Knox," he replied. He clapped his hands, and, silent as a shadow, Ah Tsong appeared. I noted that although it was Camber who had summoned him, it was to Mrs. Camber that the Chinaman turned for orders.
Inspector Aylesbury cleared his throat and returned his note-book to his pocket. "I am going to take a look around the garden," he announced. My respect for him increased slightly, and Harley and I followed him out of the study. A police sergeant was sitting in the hall, and Ah Tsong was standing just outside the door. "Show me the way to the garden," directed the Inspector.
"And where was Ah Tsong?" "Ah Tsong?" Colin Camber stared uncomprehendingly. "Ah Tsong was in bed." "Oh. Did anything disturb you?" "Yes, the sound of a rifle shot." "You knew it for a rifle shot?" "It was unmistakable." "What did you do?"
I should like a few words with Mrs. Camber." "Very good." Colin Camber bent his head gravely, and gave an order to Ah Tsong, who turned and went out. "And what firearms have you in the house?" asked Inspector Aylesbury. "An early Dutch arquebus, which you see in the corner," was the reply. "That doesn't interest me. I mean up-to-date weapons." "And a Colt revolver which I have in a drawer here."
"I may add, Inspector," said he, "that upon further reflection I have also eliminated Ah Tsong from the case. I forgot to mention that he lacks the first and second fingers of his right hand; and I have yet to meet the marksman who can shoot a man squarely between the eyes, by moonlight, at a hundred yards, employing his third finger as trigger- finger.
I took them from him without a word, and, the door being held open by Ah Tsong, walked out on to the road. My heart was beating rapidly. I did not know what to think nor what to do. This ignominious dismissal afforded an experience new to me. I was humiliated, mortified, but above all, wildly angry.
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