“The jest is not an unfair one,” said the scientist good-humouredly. “I fear that I should.” “Charge the death of the mare to the kites, then. Pity we can’t lay the sheep to their account too. The third count against them is Professor Ravenden’s adventure of the eighteenth, and the death of the aeronaut. As to Professor Ravenden’s part, there remains to be explained the cutting of the kite strings, if they were cut.” “That must have been done, it would seem, in mid-air, just as Petersen the sailor was killed,” said Dick Colton. Haynes looked at him quickly. “Colton, you’re beginning to show signs of reasoning powers,” he said. “I think I’d better appoint you my legatee for the work, if my turn should come next.” “My dear Haynes,” Professor Ravenden protested, “under the circumstances that remark at least is somewhat discomforting.” “You’re quite right, Professor. Down with presentiments! Well, as Dr. Colton suggests, there’s a rather interesting parallel between the mid-air killing of the sailor and the mid-air cutting of the kite cord. Let that go, for the present. Mr. Ely’s death we can hardly ascribe to his own kites. There’s the cutting of the string near his hand.” “That blasted Portuguese murderer, Whalley,” said Johnston. “Most probably. The wound is such as his big knife would make; we know he’s abroad on the knolls. But why should he kill Mr. Ely, whom he never saw before, and why in the name of all that’s dark should he cut the kite strings?” “Murderous mania; the same motive that drove him to kill the sheep,” said Dick Colton. “As for the kite string, perhaps he got tangled in it.” “There is no tangle,” replied the reporter, “except in the evidence. But we’ll call that Whalley’s work. We come to to-day’s murder now. Who did that?” “Without assuming any certainty in the matter, I should assume the suspicion to rest upon the juggler,” said Professor Ravenden. “Motive is there,” said Dick Colton. “What Serdholm told us about his thumping Whalley shows that.” “Yes; but there is motive in the case of Bruce also. And we know that Bruce was there. Moreover, he was on the cliff-head when Petersen came in, and the two wounds are the same.” “Surely,” began the young doctor, “you don’t believe that Bruce-” “No, I don’t believe it,” interrupted the reporter; “but it’s a hypothesis we’ve got to consider. Suppose Bruce and Serdholm recognised this man Petersen as an enemy, and Bruce slipped a knife into him as he took him from the buoy?” “But I thought Petersen was killed halfway to the shore.”