"Yes--I would swear to it on my oath." "And how then did your father die? By what means?" "By a shot through his temple, I suppose (though he was stabbed as well)--although there was no noise, Mr. Deland, nothing to tell us that the awful thing was happening, save the failing of the current at that moment." "H'm. I see. A soundless pistol--in fact, an air-gun. Any one in the house got such a thing, do you know?" She shook her head. "Not that I know of, unless ... but he gave his away long ago." "Who, may I ask?" She sent suddenly startled eyes up into his face, as though she realized that she had unguardedly been trapped into a damaging admission. "Why--why--my brother Ross, Mr. Deland," she said in a hoarse, frightened voice. CHAPTER IX A DOUBLE TRAGEDY Cleek sat forward in his seat suddenly, every nerve alert at this somewhat startling piece of news. Oho! So Ross Duggan was the only person possessing an air-pistol--and the laird had been killed by means of one, shot through the head in a dastardly fashion. Gad! it certainly wanted looking into! And the moment had been chosen with such precision that the alteration in that self-same will had never been made, and Ross Duggan still stood as chief heir to his father's estates! That was a queer thing--a very queer thing! He flung up his eyebrows and twitched the corner of his mobile mouth. "Your _brother_, Miss Duggan? I see. And how long ago was it that he bought that pistol, may I ask? And for what purpose?" She gave an uneasy laugh which ended in a little sob that brought a look of pity to his eyes. "Oh--ages and ages! Quite a couple of years ago, I think. Ross and a fellow-officer who was here for the fishing got it together. Ross had thought of a new idea for killing the big salmon after they had been played so long, and though exhausted were brought to shore alive. Everyone laughed at him, of course, and the thing never turned out to be anything; but Ross's idea was to shoot them as soon after swallowing the hook as was possible, and the soundless pistol wouldn't frighten the other fish. It was a ridiculous idea--but Ross imagined it would be more humane, though not nearly so much sport from the fisherman's point of view, as you know, Mr. Deland--and he tried it only once. He was teased out of it after that." "And the pistol?" "I really don't know ... what became of it. I never saw it again, and, in fact, forgot all about it. But of course, Mr. Deland, Ross couldn't--_couldn't!_--oh, I beg of you, don't think of such a terrible thing for one instant! Ross adored his father _always_, in spite of the bad blood between them of later years."