emandmaybeaddedafewofmyown.”
“Whatwerethey?”askedHolmeseagerly.
“Well,Ifirsthadthehammerexamined.TherewasDr.Woodtheretohelpme.Wefoundnosignsofviolenceuponit.IwashopingthatifMr.Douglasdefendedhimselfwiththehammer,hemighthavelefthismarkuponthemurdererbeforehedroppeditonthemat.Buttherewasnostain.”
“That,ofcourse,provesnothingatall,”remarkedInspectorMacDonald.“Therehasbeenmanyahammermurderandnotraceonthehammer.”
“Quiteso.Itdoesn'tproveitwasn'tused.Buttheremighthavebeenstains,andthatwouldhavehelpedus.Asamatteroffacttherewerenone.ThenIexaminedthegun.Theywerebuckshotcartridges,and,asSergeantWilsonpointedout,thetriggerswerewiredtogethersothat,ifyoupulledonthehinderone,bothbarrelsweredischarged.Whoeverfixedthatuphadmadeuphismindthathewasgoingtotakenochancesofmissinghisman.Thesawedgunwasnotmorethantwofootlong—onecouldcarryiteasilyunderone'scoat.Therewasnocompletemaker'snamebuttheprintedlettersP-E-Nwereontheflutingbetweenthebarrels,andtherestofthenamehadbeencutoffbythesaw.”
“AbigPwithaflourishaboveit,EandNsmaller?”askedHolmes.
“Exactly.”
“PennsylvaniaSmallArmsCompany—well-knownAmericanfirm,”saidHolmes.
WhiteMasongazedatmyfriendasthelittlevillagepractitionerlooksattheHarleyStreetspecialistwhobyawordcansolvethedifficultiesthatperplexhim.
“Thatisveryhelpful,Mr.Holmes.Nodoubtyouareright.Wonderful!Wonderful!Doyoucarrythenamesofallthegunmakersintheworldinyourmemory?”
Holmesdismissedthesubjectwithawave.
“NodoubtitisanAmericanshotgun,”WhiteMasoncontinued.“Iseemtohavereadthatasawed-offshotgunisaweaponusedinsomepartsofAmerica.Apartfromthenameuponthebarrel,theideahadoccurredtome.Thereissomeevidencethen,thatthismanwhoenteredthehouseandkilleditsmasterwasanAmerican.”
MacDonaldshookhishead.“Man,youaresurelytravellingoverfast,”saidhe.“Ihaveheardnoevidenceyetthatanystrangerwaseverinthehouseatall.”
“Theopenwindow,thebloodonthesill,thequeercard,themarksofbootsinthecorner,th