hich clutched the front of the box for support
twitched spasmodically.

"Your name is Olaf Hanson?" asked the Attorney-General soothingly.

The witness tried to speak but his lips emitted no sound. He nodded.

"You are a native of Christiania?"

Again Hanson nodded.

"You must speak out," said Counsel kindly, "and you need have no fear.
How long have you known Colonel Boundary?"

This time Hanson found his voice.

"For ten years," he said huskily.

An usher came forward from the press at the back of the court with a
glass of water and handed it to the witness, who drank eagerly. Counsel
waited until he had drained the glass before he spoke again.

"You have in your possession certain documentary evidence convicting
Colonel Boundary of certain malpractices?"

"Yes," said the witness.

"You have promised the police that you will reveal in court where those
documents have been stored?"

"Yes," said Hanson again.

"Will you tell the court now, in order that the police may lose as
little time as possible, where you have hidden that evidence?"

Colonel Boundary was showing the first signs of interest he had evinced
in the proceedings. He leaned forward, his head craned round as though
endeavouring to catch the eye of the witness.

Hanson was speaking, and speaking with difficulty.

"I haf--put those papers,"--he stopped and swayed--"I haf put those
papers----" he began again, and then, without a second's warning, he
fell limply forward.

"I am afraid he has fainted," said the magistrate.

Detectives were crowding round the witness, and had lifted him from the
witness stand. One said something hurriedly, and Stafford King left his
seat. He was bending over the prostrate figure, tearing open the collar
from his throat, and presently was joined by the police surgeon, who was
in court. There was a little whispered consultation, and then Stafford
King straightened himself up and his face was pale and hard.

"I regret to inform your Worship," he said, "that the witness is dead."

CHAPTER VI

STAFFORD KING RESIGNS

A week later, Stafford King came into the office of the First
Commissioner of the Criminal Intelligence Department, and Sir Stanley
looked up with a kindly but pitying look in his eye.

"Well, Stafford," he said gently, "sit down, won't you. What has
happened?"

Stafford King shrugged his shoulders.

"Boundary is discharged," he said shortly.

Sir Stanley nodded.

"It was inevit