re and more interested as we
talked--at the mention of my name his interest obviously increased. And
suddenly he pulled a box of cigars towards him, took one out, and
pushed the box to me.

"Help yourself, Mr. Moneylaws--and go ahead," he said. "I'm willing to
hear as many chapters as you like of this story."

I shook my head at the cigars and went on to tell him of all that had
happened since the murder of Crone. He was a good listener--he took in
every detail, every point, quietly smoking while I talked, and never
interrupting me. And when I had made an end, he threw up his head with a
significant gesture that implied much.

"That beats all the story-books!" he exclaimed. "I'm glad to see you're
safe, anyway, Mr. Moneylaws--and your mother and your young lady'll be
glad too."

"They will that, Mr. Smeaton," I said. "I'm much obliged to you."

"You think that man really meant you to drown?" he asked.

"What would you think yourself, Mr. Smeaton?" I replied. "Besides--didn't
I see his face as he got himself and his yacht away from me? Yon man is a
murderer!"

"It's a queer, strange business," he remarked, nodding his head. "You'll
be thinking now, of course, that it was he murdered both Phillips and
Crone--eh?"

"Aye, I do think that!" said I. "What else? And he wanted to silence me
because I'm the only living person that could let out about seeing him at
the cross-roads that night and could prove that Crone saw him too. My own
impression is that Crone went straight to him after his talk with me--and
paid the penalty."

"That's likely," he assented. "But what do you think made him turn on you
so suddenly, yesterday, when things looked like going smoothly about
everything, and he'd given you that stewardship--which was, of course, to
stop your mouth?"

"I'll tell you," I said. "It was Mr. Lindsey's fault--he let out too much
at the police-court. Carstairs was there--he'd a seat on the bench--and
Mr. Lindsey frightened him. Maybe it was yon ice-ax. Mr. Lindsey's got
some powerful card up his sleeve about that--what it is I don't know. But
I'm certain now--now!--that Carstairs took a fear into his head at those
proceedings yesterday morning, and he thought he'd settle me once and for
all before I could be drawn into it and forced to say things that would
be against him."

"I daresay you're right," he agreed. "Well!--it is indeed a strange
affair, and there'll be some stranger revelations yet. I'd like to see