“I’m as certain as that I’m standing here, that Frog will go the way——” Elk checked himself, and fortunately the girl was not listening.
It was getting light when Johnson left, and Elk walked with him to the door and watched him passing down the deserted street.
“There’s a lot about that boy I like,” he said; “and he’s certainly fortunate. Why the old man didn’t leave his money to that baby of his——”
“Did you ever find the baby?” interrupted Broad.
“No, sir, there was no sign of that innocent child in the house. That’s another Frog mystery to be cleared up.”
Johnson had reached the corner, and they saw him crossing the road, when a man came out of the shadow to meet him. There was a brief parley, and then Elk saw the flash of a pistol, and heard a shot. Johnson staggered back, and his opponent, turning, fled. In a second Elk was flying along the street. Apparently the philosopher was not hurt, though he seemed shaken.
The inspector ran round the corner, but the assassin had disappeared. He returned to the philosopher, to find him sitting on the edge of the pavement, and at first he thought he had been wounded.
“No, I think I just had a shock,” gasped Johnson. “I was quite unprepared for that method of attack.”
“What happened?” asked Elk.
“I can hardly realize,” said the other, who appeared dazed. “I was crossing the road when a man came up and asked me if my name was Johnson; then, before I knew what had happened, he had fired.”