"If Mr. Fuller will allow me to put one or two preliminary questions to him," Dennis replied, entering into the spirit of fun, "I am ready to go into the witness-box and swear quite a number of fanciful things."
"Come now, Fuller," chaffed Hilderman. "You must give him a run for his money, you know. He is risking his reputation at a moment's notice. I think you ought to let him ask you three questions, at any rate."
"Fire away, Mr. Burnham," said our host. "I'll give you a start of three questions, and then you must be prepared to answer every reasonable question I put to you, or be branded publicly as an unreliable witness and an incompetent detective."
Dennis puffed at his pipe and smiled, and I was surprised to see that he really was bringing his mind to bear on the trivial problem with all the acuteness he had in him.
"Well, in the first place," he asked, "do you stop in port very often overnight, or for any length of time during the day?"
"I never stop in port longer than I can help," laughed Fuller, "or the owner of that knife would probably take the opportunity of buying a new one, and throwing this old thing away. All the same, I don't see how that is going to help you."
"Ah," said Dennis, in bantering vein, "you mustn't expect me to give away my process, you know. The secret's been in the family for years."
"What's your second question, Den?" I asked.
"Is there a hotel within reasonable distance of your house on Loch Whatever-it-is, Mr. Fuller?"
"Loch Duich?" our host replied. "There's one about six miles by road and eleven or twelve by the sea."
"I don't think I need ask you the third question, then," said Dennis. "You can begin your examination now."
"Now, Mr. Burnham," Fuller commenced, "you quite understand that anything you say will be taken down in writing, and may be used as evidence against you?"
"I assure you I have a keen appreciation of the gravity of the situation," Dennis replied seriously.
"Well," said Fuller, "I'll begin with an easy one--one that won't tax your powers of observation beyond endurance."
"Yes," I urged, "let him down gently. He does his best."
"What profession does the owner of that knife follow?"
"We may as well count that answer as read," he said.