"Not unless the old man is obstinate. See here," Kyles flung away the cigarette and placing his arms on the table talked coldly and slowly, "after the hint you gave me at the inn, I intended to kidnap you. Failing anything else I would have rushed the inn, but you saved me the trouble by coming to dig in the garden. Now then, Mr. Gowrie, from what I have gathered at the inquest and the trial, and from sources which you need not be told about, I always thought you were a proper old scoundrel. When we spoke in the inn I knew you at once although it suited my book to pretend ignorance. I have long wanted to get a hold of you to hear exactly what you saw and heard in the tap-room on the night of Sir Simon's murder. But," added the Captain with emphasis, "I did not think to find in you the assassin of that old man."
Gowrie's remaining gray hairs rose straight on end, and he gasped.
"Me! Mel Is it o' me ye talk?"
"Of you,--of your very own self, as the children say," retorted Kyles coolly. "Look over there."
Gowrie, quite bewildered with the accusation brought against him, glanced towards the end of the cabin, which was in semi-darkness. Kyles leaning back, switched on an electric, and then the prisoner, as he truly was, saw a black tin box of no great size, covered with moist red earth.
"You were digging that up," said the Captain. "After your crime you buried it on the shore of the Red Creek, and returned to the inn, when you thought that all was safe, so as to get the notes."
"Notes!" screeched Gowrie rising in great excitement.
"As if you didn't know," replied the Captain contemptuously. "Yes, the notes to the value of one thousand eight hundred pounds, which you thieved from the pocket-book of Sir Simon, after you had cut his throat."
"That's a lee,--a lee. I'll hae ye in court for libel, nae less."
"Pooh! If you didn't hide the notes, how came you to be digging them up? After you fainted I had you bundled on board the launch, and then searched for myself. I found that box very speedily, and on opening it on the way back here, I discovered the notes. But the gold is gone."