give his name?"

"No. He refuses to answer any questions. He was, as you know, Mr.
Jennings, arrested for trying to pass a bad shilling, but there is no
doubt he fired the place. The bottle of petroleum he had in his
possession was empty, and--"

"Yes! I heard all that. Where is he now?"

The inspector named a place near Rexton where the man had been
incarcerated, pending being brought before the magistrate. "I am going
that way," said the inspector. "If you like to come--"

"I'll come," said Jennings. "I intended to see this man. There has
been a lot of talk about false coins being passed lately."

Mr. Twining nodded, and began to tell of various cases which had taken
place in the district. The two took the train to the place where the
police station to which the inspector belonged was situated. It was
now after twelve o'clock, and Jennings thought he would have some
luncheon before going to the station. But, unexpectedly, a constable
seeing the inspector, came hurriedly towards him, saluting as he spoke.

"Please, sir, you're wanted at the station," he said. "A message was
sent to Rexton."

"I have just come from Rexton. What is it?"

"That man who was arrested for coining, sir?"

"What about him?" asked the inspector, while Jennings listened with all
his ears. He was far from expecting to hear the reply.

"He is dead, sir," said the policeman.

"Dead! What do you mean? He was well enough this morning."

"Well, sir, he's dead now--poisoned!"

"Poisoned!" echoed Jennings, and thought--"Ha! here's an undesirable
witness got out of the way." Then he followed in the wake of the
inspector, who on hearing the news, hurriedly walked towards the police
station. Here they found that the news was true. The constable left
in charge of the office was greatly agitated, as it seemed he had been
lax in doing his duty. But he made a faithful report.

"It was this way, sir," he said, trying to speak calmly. "A boy of
fifteen, very poorly dressed--in rags almost--came crying and asking
for the prisoner. He said the prisoner was his father."

"How did he know that, when the prisoner gave no name and was arrested
only last night?"

"The boy--Billy Tyke his name is, so I suppose the father is called
Tyke also--says his father went out last night. He was always a
drunkard, and left the boy to starve. The boy followed him later, and
knowing he would be on the burst, went to the public-house, where