"I saw through Maloney's story instantly," continued Oakes. "He said he was assaulted by O'Brien, who was, according to his own story, a badly wounded man. He said O'Brien hid the revolver afterwards, while he, Maloney, was shamming death, and that O'Brien sought to escape. It is nonsense." "Why? I fail to see!" I asked excitedly. Oakes turned to me: "Why, Stone, don't you see the flaws? Would a seriously injured man attempt deliberate murder? What show would he have to escape? Then, again, if able to get away himself, would he hide the revolver near the scene of the crime, behind a rock? No, he would take it with him as a defensive weapon, or else hide it where it never could be found; in the Hudson, for instance, or the brook--both near at hand." "True enough," cried Hallen, his face showing his admiration; "but what's your idea, then, Oakes?" "Just this, gentlemen. Maloney _himself_ shot O'Brien, and seeing the latter escape knew that his game was up, for he had been identified by O'Brien. So he hid the revolver that he himself used, and then pretended to have been sand-bagged and shot at. He relied on the weight of his word against O'Brien's, not knowing anything of the evidence collected against him or that we were anything but agents and workmen about the Mansion?" The Chief looked long and half sceptically at Oakes, then asked: "Does Maloney meet your requirements? Does he fill the bill?" "Well, he has a strong wrist and long arms," answered Oakes--"that places him among the _possibles_; he also has a comparatively narrow chest, such as the man had who wore the robe--you remember we reasoned that out. Those three things cover much ground. Then, again, he is an old resident, knows all about the Mansion, was here when Smith was murdered." Elliott now spoke up: "Oakes, you said the murderer was a good shot. Is Maloney a good shot with a revolver?" "Yes, he was; he used to belong to the National Guard years ago. He was a splendid shot then, according to evidence procured by my men." "But the revolver to-day was not the old one?" queried the Chief. "No," answered Oakes; "but he can easily have two." "I had better arrest him now as a suspicious person," exclaimed Hallen excitedly. "Not yet. Let us be _sure_ first--remember Skinner has a motive for crossing us; he has tried to defeat the aims of justice right through. He was dealing money this morning to someone; suppose it was to Maloney--what is his reason?" Hallen thumped the table furiously as though a new thought had come to him. "Skinner answers the physical requirements also, Mr. Oakes--he was also a guardsman--a good shot." "Yes," answered Oakes, "but scarcely strong enough to overpower me at the Mansion." "Unless he was acting while in mania, as we presume this criminal acts," said Moore.