"Yes, the garage keeper's assistant swallowed the story and
cleaned the car. There was some blood on the radiator and hood,
but the strange part was that it was spattered even over the rear
seat--in fact, was mostly in the rear."

"How did he explain that?"

"Said that he guessed the farmer who stung him wouldn't get much
for the carcass, for it had been pretty well cut up and a part of
it flung right back into the tonneau."

"And the man believed that, too?"

"Yes; but afterward the garage keeper himself was told. He met the
farmer in town later, and the farmer denied that he had lost a
cow. That set the garage keeper thinking. And then, while they
were cleaning up the garage later in the day, they found that
cartridge where the car had been washed down and swept out. We had
already advertised a reward for information about the stolen car,
and, when he heard of the reward, for there are plenty of people
about looking for money in that way, he telephoned in, thinking
the story might interest us. It did, for I am convinced that his
description of the machine tallies closely with that of Mr.
Warrington's."

"How about the man who drove it?" cut in Garrick.

"That's the unfortunate part of it," replied McBirney, chagrined.
"These amateur detectives about the country rarely seem to have