day　of　April　with　a　broken　screw！
  Imagine　my　amazement！　　The　net　of　circumstantial　evidence　wound
  around　Ragobah　seemed　to　be　such　as　to　leave　no　possibility　of
  escape；　and　yet；　the　very　first　effort　made　to　draw　it　tighter　about
  him　had　resulted　in　his　walking；　with　the　utmost　ease；　right　through
  its　meshes！　　There　is　no　gainsaying　such　an　alibi；　and　I　am；
  therefore；　forced　to　acknowledge　that　Rama　Ragobah　could　not；　by　any
  possibility；　have　murdered　John　Darrow。　　That　he　may　have　planned
  the　deed　and　that　he　may　have　intended　to　be　present　at　its　execution
  is　quite　possible；　but　we　may　at　once　dismiss　the　idea　of　his　having
  personally　committed　the　act。　　You　will　immediately　appreciate　that
  nearly　all　of　the　evidence　which　we　secured　against　Ragobah　was
  directed　against　him　as　the　assassin；　and　is　of　little　or　no　use　to
  prove　his　complicity　in　an　affair　committed　by　another。　　In　his
  hatred　of　Mr。　Darrow　we　have；　I　believe；　a　sufficient　motive　for
  the　act；　but　what　evidence　have　we　to　support　the　theory　that　the
  murder　was　committed　by　anyone　acting　in　his　interests？　　I　must
  confess　my　inability　to　detect；　at　present　writing；　the　slightest
  evidence　that　Ragobah　acted　through　an　accomplice。　　So；　here　the
  matter　rests。
  I　may　state　in　closing　that　Ragobah　has　requested　the　〃pleasure〃
  （sic）　of　a　private　interview　with　me　on　Malabar　Hill　to…morrow
  night。　　As　there　is　a　bare　possibility　he　may　let　fall　something
  which　may　shed　some　light　upon　the　accomplice　hypothesis；　I　have
  agreed　to　meet　him　at　the　entrance　to　the　little　cave　at　nine
  o'clock。　　He　has　requested　that　I　come　（alone　and　I　shall　do　so；
  but；　lest　you　fear　for　my　safety；　let　me　assure　you　that　I　know
  very　well　the　unscrupulous　nature　of　the　man　with　whom　I　am　to
  deal　and　that　I　shall　take　good　care　not　to　afford　him　any
  opportunity　to　catch　me　unawares。　　You　will　hear　from　me　again
  after　I　meet　Ragobah。
  Remember　me　kindly　to　Miss　Darrow。　　The　failure　of　my　enterprise
  will；　I　know；　be　a　bitter　disappointment　to　her；　and　you　must　temper
  this　acknowledgment　of　it　with　such　a　hope　of　ultimate　success　as
  you　may　enjoy。　　Tell　her　I　shall　never　cease　my　efforts　to　solve
  this　mystery　so　long　as　I　am　able　to　find　a　clue；　however　slight；
  to　follow。　　At　present　I　am　all　at　sea；　and　it　looks　as　if　I　should
  have　to　go　clear　back　and　start　all　over　again。　　Ragobah；　as　a
  point　of　departure；　has　not　proved　a　success。　　With　my　kind　regards
  to　you　all；
  I　remain；　cordially　yours；
  GEORGE　MAITLAND。
  I　read　this　through　aloud；　despite　the　fact　that　I　knew　some　parts
  of　it　were　intended　only　for　my　perusal。　　Gwen　did　not　speak　until
  some　minutes　after　I　had　finished；　and　then　only　to　express　a　fear
  that；　despite　his　caution；　harm　might　come　to　Maitland　at　his
  interview　with　Ragobah。　　She　seemed　to　be　far　less　disappointed　at
  Maitland's　failure　to　convict　Ragobah　than　she　was　fearful　for　her
  friend's　personal　safety。　　She　was　restless　and　ill　at　ease　for　the
  next　two　or　three　days　…　in　fact；　until　the　arrival　of　Maitland's
  next　letter。　　This　came　during　my　absence　on　a　professional　call；
  and　when　I　returned　home　she　met　me　with　it　at　the　door　with　an
  expression　of　relief　upon　her　countenance　so　plain　as　not　to　be
  misconstrued。　　We　went　into　the　sitting…room；　where　my　sister　was
  awaiting　the　news；　and　I　read　as　follows：
  MY　DEAR　DOCTOR：
  I　kept　my　appointment　last　night　with　Rama　Ragobah　and；　although
  nothing　transpired　at　all　likely　to　assist　me　in　locating　Mr。
  Darrow's　assassin；　yet　the　interview；　though　short；　was　interesting
  and　worth　narrating。　　Promptly　at　nine　o'clock　I　was　at　my　post　by
  the　little　cave。　　I　am　still　staying　with　Herr　Blaschek　and；　as　I
  had　but　a　few　rods　to　travel；　I　did　not　quit　the　house　until　within
  five　minutes　of　the　time　appointed　for　our　meeting。　　As　I　stepped
  out　into　the　darkness　I　noticed　a　tall　form　glide　behind　a　tree；
  about　a　rod　away　from　the　door。　　I　could　not　be　sure　it　was　Ragobah；
  yet　I　had　little　doubt　of　it。　　I　was　a　trifle　taken　aback　at　the
  moment；　and　instinctively　placed　my　hand　upon　my　revolver　and
  grasped　my　cane　more　firmly。　　Should　occasion　require　it；　I　counted
  upon　this　cane　quite　as　much　as　upon　my　revolver；　for；　innocent　and
  inoffensive　as　it　looked；　it　was　capable　of　most　deadly　execution。
  I　had　chosen　it　in　preference　to　many　other　more　pretentious　weapons
  which　had　suggested　themselves　to　me。　　It　consisted　of　a　small；
  flexible　steel　wire　hardly　bigger　than　the　blade　of　a　foil；
  surmounted　by　a　good…sized　lead　ball；　and　the　whole　covered　with　a
  closely　woven　fabric。　　By　grasping　the　cane　by　its　lower　end　a
  tremendously　heavy　blow　could　be　struck　with　the　ball；　and；　if　an
  attempt　were　made　to　shield　the　head　by　throwing　up　the　arm；　it
  was　almost　certain　to　fail　of　its　object　since　the　flexibility　of
  the　wire　permitted　it　to　bend　about　an　obstruction　until　its　loaded
  end　was　brought　home。　　You　will　perhaps　think　that；　since　I　did　not
  make　use　of　this　weapon；　I　need　not　have　troubled　myself　to　describe
  it。　　Perhaps　that　is　so；　but；　let　me　assure　you；　when　I　saw　Ragobah；
  for　it　was　he；　glide　behind　that　tree；　and　reflected　how　capable　he
  was　of　every　kind　of　treachery；　I　wouldn't　have　parted　with　that
  cane　for　its　weight　in　gold。　　The　Indian　had　pledged　me　to　come
  alone　and　had　promised　to　do　likewise；　but　I　felt　any　tree　might
  conceal　one　of　his　minions；　hired　to　assassinate　me　while　he　engaged
  my　attention。　　All　this；　of　course；　did　not　in　the　least　affect　my
  decision。　　I　had　promised　to　go　alone；　and　Miss　Darrow's　interests
  required　…　that　I　should　keep　my　covenant。　　I　should　have　done　so；
  even　though　I　had　known　Ragobah　meant　to　betray　me。　　I　may　as　well；
  however；　tell　you　at　once　that　my　suspicions　wronged　the　fellow。
  He　had　evidently　taken　his　station　behind　a　tree　to　satisfy　himself；
  without　exposure；　that　I　meant　to　keep　my　promise　and　come　alone。
  When　I　reached　the　cave　I　found　him　awaiting　me。　　How　he　was　able
  to　get　there　before　me　passes　my　comprehension；　but　there　he　was。
  He　did　not　waste　time；　but　addressed　me　at　once；　and；　as　my　memory
  is　excellent　and　our　interview　was　short；　I　am　able　to　give　you　an
  accurate　report　of　what　passed　between　us。　　I　copy　it　here　just　as
  I　entered　it　in　my　notebook；　immediately　upon　my　return　to　the　house。
  〃You　naturally　wish　to　know；〃　Ragobah　began；　〃why　I　have　sought　this
  interview。　　That　is　easily　explained。　　You　have　done　me　the　honour；
  Sahib；　for　I　feel　it　is　such；　to　suspect　me　of　the　murder　of　John
  Darrow。　　You　have　come　here　from　America　to　fasten　the　crime　upon
  me；　and；　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart；　I　regret　your　failure　to　do
  so。　　I　would　give　everything　I　possess　on　earth；　and　would　gladly
  suffer　a　life　of　torment；　to　be　able　truthfully　to　say：　'I；　Rama
  Ragobah；　killed　John　Darrow。'　But　despite　all　my　efforts；　I；　wretch
  that　I　am；　am　innocent！　　For　more　than　twenty　years　I　have　had　but
  one　purpose；　…　one　thought；　…　and　that　was　to　track　down　and　slay
  John　Darrow。　　This　desire　consumed　me。　　It　led　me　all　over　India
  in　vain　search　for　him。　　　For　nineteen　years…　I　laboured　incessantly；
  without　discovering　so　much　as　a　trace　of　him。　　　When　he　fled　Bombay
  his　belongings　went　inland；　so　I　was　told。　　I　believed　the　story
  and　felt　sure　I　should　one　day　find　him　on　Indian　soil。　　Years
  passed　and　I　did　not　find　him。　　　It　was　but　a　few　months　ago　that
  I　discovered　his　ruse　and　learned　his　whereabouts。　　I　could　scarcely
  contain　myself　for　joy。　　My　life…work　was　at　last　to　be　completed。
  Nothing　now　remained　but　to　plan　his　destruction。　　This；　however；
  was　not　so　easy　a　thing　to　do；　since；　in　order　to　make　my　revenge
  complete；　I　must　disclose　my　identity　before　killing　him。　　　At
  length　I　decided　upon　a　plan。　　I　would　come　upon　him　at　night；　when
  asleep；　gag　him　and　bind　him　to　his　bed。　　Then　he　should　learn　the
  name　of　his　doomsman；　and　the　horrible　nature　of　the　death　that
  awaited　him。〃
  Ragobah　paused　here　as　if　overcome　by　his　disappointment；　and　I
  said；　〃And　how　did　you　intend　to　kill　him？〃　He　gave　a　throaty
  chuckle；　as　he　replied：　〃It　was　all　so　very　pretty！　　I　had　only　to
  saturate　the　bedclothes　with　oil　and　set　fire　to　them。　　I　should
  have　lighted　them　at　his　feet　and　watched　the　flames　creep　upward
  toward　his　head　till　safety　compelled　my　retreat。　　It　was　for　this
  purpose　I　went　to　New　York。　　You　already　know　the　fatal　delay　I
  incurred。　　When　I　landed　I　made　all　haste　to　the　home　of　Darrow
  Sahib；　in　Dorchester；　only　to　learn　that　he　had　killed　himself　a
  few　days　before　my　arrival。　　The　morsel　for　which　I　had　striven　and
  hungered　for　twenty　long　years　was　whipped　from　my　hand；　even　as　I
  raised　it　to　my　mouth。　　My　enemy　was　dead；　beyond　the　power　of
  injury；　and　my　hands　were　unstained　by　his　blood。
  〃I　then　determined　to　kill　his　daughter。　　It　was　the　night　of　my
  enemy's　burial。　　The　Sahibah　was　alone　in　the　house　and　was　intending
  to　leave　it　that　night。　　I　knew　she　would　see　that　everything　was
  securely　fastened　before　she　went　away；　and　so；　when　I　opened　one
  of　the　windows；　I　was　sure　she　would　come　to　close　it。　　Crouching
  down　outside　I　awaited　her　approach；　intending　to　spring　up