Nick saw that it would be necessary to cut the interview short, but he wished to test Cray, if possible. It might be that Jack had forgotten about the fire and the reports of Gordon’s death. If he were reminded of that, he might not be so sure about the identity of his assailant.
“But Gordon is dead, you know—burned to death in prison,” Nick said quietly.
“No, no! Don’t you believe it, Carter!” the patient insisted. “There’s no mistake about it. I forgot about all those reports when he struck me; they don’t cut any ice. I have thought about them since I woke up, and I’m just as sure as ever that it was Gordon.”
“What makes you so sure?” inquired Nick.
“He forgot himself when he cursed me,” was the reply, “and I thought I recognized the voice; then I caught a glimpse of his eyes, and I was sure. There’s only one man with eyes like that—cat’s eyes. They looked green as he glared at me. He knows I recognized him, because I said his name just before I got my knock-out. Probably he thought he had killed me, for I don’t believe he would have left me to tell the tale.”
He paused for a moment, and one hand wandered weakly to his injured head.
“I’ll never get over the way I was taken in,” he went on, more faintly. “Most humiliating. Must say, he’s a wonder, though. Never imagined anybody could pull off a stunt like that. The car is an electric—a coupé, two or three years old, I should say. The gold was in a couple of suit cases which had been buried in the ground. Can’t tell you any more, I’m afraid—just about all in, you see.”
He looked about helplessly, and in a frightened sort of way, then, with a sigh, lapsed into unconsciousness once more.