_CHAPTER XVII_
_Checkmated_
The negro was led away. He was in better spirits now, and smiling asonly a negro can. That extraordinary genius--the mystic Oakes--had, by aprocess of reasoning that Joe himself was able to follow, not onlycleared him of suspicion, but made a _hero_ of him. The innate vanity ofthe race was reacting on the boy, and coming to the rescue of hisnervous system, recently so severely strained.
When he had gone, Oakes turned to us and, interrupting our exclamations,remarked:
"Now that we are all here together, it would be wise perhaps briefly toreview what clues we have obtained and their probable significance."
We all assented to this suggestion, and by tacit consent Quintus Oakesbegan:
"First, we have found that the _cartridge picked up_ in the cellar, andevidently dropped by the man in the robe, _is of the same pattern asthe old ones in the pouch upstairs_.
"They all belong to the old revolver which was taken away from itsplace--and for which another was substituted since my first visit here.With regard to its calibre (the important point), _that old revolvermeets the requirements of our deductions about the weapon used to murderMr. Mark_. Therefore we have a chain of evidence connecting my assailantin the cellar--the man in the robe--with the assassin.
"We know also that the revolver was fired not far from thehundred-and-fifty-foot distance; _the man was an excellent shot_, foryou must consider the old style of weapon.
"He must have been _large_, or at least _strong in the wrist_, for agood shot with such a weapon cannot be made by a weak person."
I interrupted: "The murder of Smith was considered to be due to a pistolball of large calibre. Could the same weapon have been used?"
"It could," said Oakes. "That one has been in the family for years. Thestyle of the cartridges is somewhat similar to our modern ones, butthey are very old, as we know by their appearance.
"Further," he continued, "in my opinion the 'woman story' connected withthe Smith murder is based on a _man_ in a black _robe_. It may have beenthe same man who is at the bottom of these later mysteries--though weare to remember that when Mr. Mark was killed Joe saw no _robe_.
"In the annals of crime we find very few women doing murder in that way;it is a man's method.
"We must look then for a _strong-wristed_ man--a man who has also strongarms, and a _cross_ on the _left_ one; finally, a man with a knowledgeof revolvers, and who has in his possession--or has had--a large,old-fashioned weapon and cartridges, and also a robe.
"And one thing more strikes me," added Oakes in a slow, deliberatevoice, "he is a man _with a mania_--_an insane man_--always, or atintervals."
"Yes," said the doctor. "I had concluded so too, Oakes. The wearing of arobe--especially in a confined place like the wall space--the cuttingout of a panel and the peculiar method of attack seem nonsensical andwithout proper reason. And the absence of provocation for thoseassaults, and for the murder of good men like Smith and Mark, pointstrongly to an unbalanced mind."
"Probably correct," Oakes replied. "And I should say that the _insanityis present at intervals only_."
"Mr. Oakes," said Chief Hallen then, "don't you think it advisable toinvestigate that story of the bandana handkerchief as soon as possible?Affairs in town may become pressing at any time, and we may be neededthere."
"Yes, Chief, certainly. We should lose no time about it," said Oakes.Then he spoke to Martin; and the latter retired and presently returnedwith Joe.
The detective asked the boy if he would go and point out the stone fromwhich the murderer was leaping when the handkerchief fell into thewater. "You know it is nearly full moon and several of my men will gowith you, and so will Mr. Martin."
The negro assented reluctantly, though bravely, for he was not devoid ofsuperstition. Oakes called in four of his men and said:
"Go with Mr. Martin and Joe. Take lanterns, and find the handkerchiefwhich is at the bottom of the stream if the boy is telling the truth,and the murderer has not recovered it. He did not notice it drop, didhe, Joe?"
"No, Master Oakes; he just flew along and never looked round. He did notknow where it dropped." The negro was using good English, and standingerect with a very important expression. He was innocent, and the centralfigure now. He realized that dignity was becoming. An educated boy ofhis race can show great self-control under such circumstances.Vanity--thou Goddess of Transformation!
While the searching party was gone, we spent the time discussing Mike'speculiarities--most of all his horseback ride in the moonlight, acurious departure for a hired man.
"This whole thing is unusual in the extreme, Stone. Since the night thatyou were escorted to the pond by Chief Hallen's men and there warned ofimpending danger, and your unknown friend was chased by the man lying inwait for you, I have had a net around Mike and Maloney and Cook, butwith negative results," said Oakes.
"You see, Maloney and Cook go about their business in a quiet fashion,while Mike cannot be approached very well; the men report him as veryshrewd and suspicious."
"Did you find out where Mike went on his horseback trip?"
"No, that is another curious thing. The Lorona man who brought him thehorse says he has done it for a few days and received good pay. Thehorse was always returned promptly, once or twice by a boy; the othertimes by Mike himself."
"To have done that, Mike must have walked back from Lorona," saidHallen.
"No, he may have ridden part way. We found a man this evening who sawhim take a team on the Lorona Highway and ride into Mona after dark."
"Where is Mike now?" I inquired.
"Since the episode of that horseback ride, witnessed by Dr. Moore andyourself, he has disappeared."
"Disappeared!"
"Yes, eluded all our men and never returned the horse."
"Skipped! Got away!" we cried in amazement.
"Yes, but he won't stay away long; he will come back."
We did not quite understand Oakes's speech, but there evidently wassomething behind it.
At this point, with his characteristic swiftness of movement, he lighteda cigar and began to smoke, offering the box to us all.
That meant that, as far as he was concerned, talking on business hadceased for a time. He was now recreating.
* * * * *
Elliott and I walked to a window and looked out upon the front walk andthe road, conversing upon the manner in which Joe had been brought toMona.
He had resisted the idea at first, but through the efforts of Martin andElliott, and the promise of a reward, he had finally consented to thejourney. They had explained to him that his refusal would defeat theends of justice, and that escape was impossible; and when he realizedthat he had been unconsciously talking to watchers, and polishing theirshoes in his innocence, he saw the folly of further remonstrance. Thuswas the important evidence of the negro secured.
The strain of events was telling on us all. Quintus Oakes showed hisdeep concern by a tendency to leave us and remain alone.
As Elliott and I were talking, he looked at the rolling hills beyond thepond and exclaimed:
"Look! Can I be mistaken, Mr. Stone? Look in the direction of Mona--awayoff on the plateau--is not that a horse?"
I followed his pointing and discovered in the moonlight the figure of ahorse advancing rapidly over the blue-green fields, along the path thatled to the bridge.
Oakes advanced to the window and gazed intently, shading his eyes withhis hands. On the crest of the hill that dipped to the pond the horsesoon stood out clearly against the dark blue of the sky. We could see afigure which had lain low on his neck rise and sit straight in thesaddle, then flash a light.
From near the road, on our side of the pond, came an answering light; aman stood there and exchanged signals with the horseman.
The rider was moving his arms rapidly, and with them the light. Theother was answering in a similar manner.
Oakes remained quiet, and we all gathered at t
he window about him.
"What is it?" I asked.
He turned and said to me: "Here, write as I read."
I took an envelope and pencil from my pocket and wrote as Oakesdeciphered the signals.
"A message from Mona," he cried. "Quick!"
Then he read the letters as they appeared:
"Discovered. Skinner has extra out. Pronounces me false; says Hallen hastricked the town. Beware of Skinner. Tell Hallen to look out. Am off forNew York."
Then came a long wave over the head, and the horseman dashed back towardLorona.
We detected another horseman at a little distance, who joined him; theyrapidly disappeared together.
"Excellent!" exclaimed Oakes. "He has done his duty well."
We saw the man on this side run post haste for the Mansion. As he rushedup the steps, Oakes met him. "All right, boy! I saw the signals myself."Then to us he said: "Quintus Oakes the false is discovered. That was he;he came to warn us."
"Then Skinner has caught on, confound him," said Dowd, and we allsilently assented.
Oakes paced the room slowly. "Boys, we have been unexpectedly checked.The enemy has a strong hand: there is trouble ahead."
"Yes, there is that," retorted the vigorous Hallen. "I must get away toheadquarters, gentlemen!"
"Correct!" answered Oakes; "and we will go with you, Chief. If troubleis coming, we will be useless here."
With one accord we prepared to depart for Mona immediately. The carriagewas brought to the door and saddle-horses also.
Then we waited anxiously for the return of Martin's party. We were notlong delayed. A commotion in the hall was heard, and in stepped Joe andMartin, followed by the men. Oakes's assistant advanced and laid a redhandkerchief, dotted with white spots, upon the table. It was wet andheavy, and knotted by its four corners so as to form a pouch.
"We found it, sir, in about two feet of water, partly covered with sand.Its weight was gradually sinking it into the bottom."
Joe laughed hysterically and lapsed into negro dialect: "See, MarsOakes! see, boss! I dun tole you the truth."
Oakes seized the handkerchief, and we all looked inside. It contained afew large cartridges.
"They match the one I found in the cellar, and those of the oldrevolver," said Oakes. "The man of the Mansion mysteries and assaults_is_ the murderer of Mr. Mark."
We were intensely excited as we stood there viewing the evidence thatwas so conclusive. Not one of us made a remark, but the deep breathingof some and the pale faces of others showed the interest that was feltby one and all.
Oakes discovered on one end of the handkerchief the initial "S," and weall studied its appearance closely. Then Oakes asked Hallen if suchhandkerchiefs were unusual in Mona.
"No, not at all; there are hundreds of them sold here, especially to thelaborers on the water-works--the Italians and Poles," answered theChief.
"It is a very peculiar 'S,'" said Oakes, as he folded the handkerchiefand put it in his pocket, giving the cartridges to Martin. He saidnothing more, but seemed serious and thoughtful, as usual. And then weset out all together on a wild drive to police headquarters.
Despite the lateness of the hour, the crowds were increasing. Thesquare, with the hotel on one side and headquarters on the other, wasthe centre of a vicious body of men, pushing, struggling and forcing itsway along, and pausing now and again to surge around headquarters. Wecould all see that Hallen was to have his hands full.
"I should like to see Skinner very much," remarked Oakes in a sarcasticvein.
"I should like to see his arms," said Moore; "they might beinteresting."
Oakes looked at the speaker with one of his undefinable expressions. Wecould not tell whether the shot had been a true one or not.
Quintus Oakes: A Detective Story Page 17