"Now we come to the circumstance that Kull believed so especially favored him--Coster breaking jail, the Torpedo disappearing, poor old Mr. Peek assaulted and killed--all this in one night. Where would suspicion naturally point? To Coster, certainly." Mr. Rack smiled and paused. "Wonderful!" exclaimed Mr. Wagg. "Not at all. The boys deserve more credit than I. And we found so much additional information the moment we reached Griffin to-night, that the veriest novice could hardly go wrong. Billy had Coster's measure from boots up. Fobes knew nothing except that he was able to tell me that Creek telephoned to him from Port Greeley, stating that there was deception in his being summoned to that town, and asking him to watch the garage, which, by the way, he did not do. The time was short and the only particle of credit we deserve is for having moved at once and quickly. "The time was short for Kull to act if he was to take advantage of favoring circumstances,--that is apparent now and it was before. It required no great mental power to see that at a glance. Where Kull would be found was thus easily determined. And, fortunately, we arrived in time. On my first survey of the Peek place I found nothing but the Torpedo, partially concealed behind some trees by the roadside and every light extinguished. Kull could not be far away but I hesitated lest it should prove that, having not yet entered the house, he should discover that he was watched. The facts were, he was in the house when we reached the place. He was waiting to be sure his victim slept. I flashed a light upon him as he was in the act of striking his first blow and possibly that was why he struck to one side of the temple and only a flesh wound resulted. I seized his arms but he escaped me. I fear I might have been obliged to shoot to frighten him, if nothing more, but for Phil's very able and timely help." "But what is _your_ idea as to the reason this fellow Coster left one car in the road and hid another in the icehouse in place of it?" Mr. Wagg inquired. "One of two things--Coster left the car to look about the Peek place, either knowing or suspecting Kull's ultimate plan of making away with the old gentleman, and in his absence the machine was in some manner started forward. Or, and I think more probably, Coster was drunk and fell from the Torpedo as he saw another car approaching on that unfrequented road where he did not expect to see, and had no wish to see, any other traveler. And now, perhaps, we would better bid one another goodnight," Mr. Rack concluded. "Might as well make it good-morning," grinned Paul Jones, stepping to a window, "it's nearly daylight."