They shook hands with Rand, who set Hester back in her place. Trehearne took the matchlock out of Pierre’s hands and looked at it wistfully.
“Some chaps have all the luck,” he commented. “What do you think of it, Mr. Rand?” Pierre, who had made the introductions, had respected the detective’s present civilian status. “Or don’t you collect long-arms?”
“I don’t collect them, but I’m interested in anything that’ll shoot. That’s a good one. Those things are scarce, too.”
“Yes. You’ll find a hundred wheel locks for every matchlock, and yet there must have been a hundred matchlocks made for every wheel lock.”
“Matchlocks were cheap, and wheel locks were expensive,” MacBride suggested. He spoke with the faintest trace of Highland accent. “Naturally, they got better care.”
“It would take a Sc
