the man must be suffering from
toothache. And then his cousin caught him by the arm and drew him back.

"Here, man, the carriage next door is empty!" cried he, and the
superintendent closed the door and followed him.

It was scarcely more than a minute later when the whistle blew and they
were off, and Mr. MacAlister took out his pipe and prepared himself to
receive official confidences. But the miles went by, and though he plied
his questions incessantly and skilfully, no confidences were
forthcoming. The superintendent, in fact, had something else to think
about. All at once he asked abruptly:

"Robbie, did ye see yon man next door sitting with his face in his
hands?"

"Aye," said Mr. MacAlister, "I noticed the man."

"Did ye ken who he was?"

"No," said Mr. MacAlister, "I did not."

"Had ye seen him on the platform?"

"No," said Mr. MacAlister, "I had not."

"I didna see him myself," said the superintendent musingly. "It seems
funny-like a man dressed like yon and with his face wrapped up too--and
a man forbye that's a stranger to us both, coming along the platform
and getting into that carriage, and me not noticing him. I'm not used
not to notice people, Robbie."

"It's your business, George," said Mr. MacAlister, and then as he gazed
at his cousin's thoughtful face, his own grew suddenly animated.

"You're not thinking he's to dae wi' the murder, are you!" he cried.

"I'm not sure what to think till I've had another look into yon
carriage," said the superintendent cautiously.

"We're slowing doon the noo!" cried Mr. MacAlister, "God, George, I'll
come and hae a look wi' you!"

The train was hardly in the platform before the superintendent was out,
with Mr. MacAlister after him, and the door of the next compartment
was open almost as soon as the train was at rest. Never had the
superintendent been more vigilant; and never had his honest face
looked blanker.

"God! It's empty!" he murmured.

"God save us!" murmured Mr. MacAlister, and then he was visited by an
inspiration which struck his relative afterwards as one of the
unhappiest he had ever suffered from. "This canna be the richt
carriage!" he cried. "Come on, Geordie, let's hae a look in the ithers!"

By the time they had looked into all the compartments of the carriage,
the guard was waving his flag and the two men climbed hurriedly in
again. The brooding silence of the superintendent infected even Mr.
MacAlister, and neither spoke for sev