Detective Smuff looked blankly at the chief and the chief looked blankly at everybody else, particularly at Henry J. Brown of New York.

“I knew it!” declared Joe exultantly. “It’s the same man!”

“It can’t be the same man!” said the chief wearily. “You boys don’t know what you’re talking about. Mr. Harrity says he had short, dark hair. Now how could he have short, dark hair and long, red hair at the same time? I ask you that! How could he?”

Chief Collig propounded this query with the expression of one who has triumphantly settled all difficulties.

“He had short, dark hair!” said Harrity doggedly.