“Yes, sir. I thought I had better leave it until you arrived. Aside from the two curtains, Mr. Carter, the room is as Brady found it when he entered.”
“Very good.”
“There is the hat found in the next yard by the milkman,” Kennedy added, pointing.
Nick took it from a chair on which it had been tossed and began to examine it.
It was of gray felt, much worn and defaced with grease and dirt. A twisted cord encircled it, with two small silk tassels, or the frayed remnants of them. There were two round holes through the crown, on opposite sides of it.
Nick noted the size and examined the greasy interior. He found several short black hairs sticking to the sweat leather. The hat bore no trade-mark, however, nor any name or initial pointing to the identity of the owner.
Nevertheless, after a brief inspection, Nick said confidently:
“The owner of this hat is a Mexican. It is like those worn by some of the Mexican troopers. He has done military service, too, as appears in these two holes through the crown. They are bullet holes.”
“Could they have been made last night?” asked Chick.
“No. The edge of the felt around them is much soiled,[Pg 8] which would be comparatively clean if they were so recently made.”