"
"In what way?"
"British rogues are evidently of low intelligence in the average. A
bludgeon and a halter make up their history."
"There's more than that in a good many cases."
"Ah, I forgot the handcuffs."
"Well, here is the Ko-Katana," said Winter shortly.
The barrister took the fateful weapon, not more deadly than a paper-knife
in appearance, and scrutinised it closely.
"It has not been cleaned," he said.
"No, it was left untouched after the doctor withdrew it from the poor
young fellow's breast."
Brett produced a magnifying glass. Beneath the rust on the blade he
thought he could distinguish some Japanese characters in the quaint
pictorial script adapted by that singular people from the Chinese system
of writing.
He brought the knife nearer to the window and carefully focussed it. Then
he produced a note-book and made a pencil drawing of the following
inscription:
[Illustration]
Winter watched him with quiet agony. He had never noticed the signs
before.
"Mr. Okasaki did not tell you what these scratches meant?" inquired the
barrister.
"No. He did not see them."
"Sure?"
"Quite positive. Of course, it is very smart on your part to hit upon them
so quickly, but what possible purpose can it serve to find out the meaning
of something carved in Japan more than fifty years ago, at the very
least?"
"I do not know.
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