s the straining and
nerve-racking part.

"The following morning I was brought before the local magistrate,
charged with attempted murder and robbery, and was immediately
committed for trial to the Assizes. And that evening, handcuffed
between two policemen, I was transferred to the Provincial Prison at
Ukalla, to await trial.

"God alone knows what I suffered during all that dreadful time, Jim,
but I had made up my mind that it was my duty to take the blame on
myself, for Brenchfield would never have committed the crime had I
fulfilled my share of the bargain at the outset and put my money in
when it was due. I thought of the goodness of the Brenchfields, of all
they had done for me, of what it would mean to them if Graham were
convicted. I only dreamed of a few months' imprisonment at the outset,
so I decided I would keep my mouth shut.

"During all the time I remained awaiting trial, no one visited me but
a parson and an exasperated lawyer who had been appointed to defend
me, but who could get nothing out of me.

"I was tried. I refused to speak, and in so doing, I hadn't the ghost
of a chance for liberty.

"Macaskill the foreman swore that I had been absent from my work for a
time on the morning of the assault; I had been expecting money which
hadn't arrived and I seemed badly in need of it.

"Doctor Rutledge of Carnaby had stopped at the door of the bank that
morning and had seen me inside. He had heard Maguire and I in dispute
and had heard further my threat to crack Maguire over the head with
the very ruler with which the assault had been committed.

"Maguire, swathed in bandages but apparently little the worse,
recounted our dispute. He swore that I had committed the assault on
him, as it had happened just after he had paid over the money to me
and turned back to his work.

"Chief Renfrew and his two detectives had caught me, red-handed, in my
shack, washing my blood-stained shirt--a shirt similar to the one I
was wearing at the time of my arrest. They even found the entire
proceeds of the theft in a blue envelope behind my trunk; although
they had to admit having been unable to trace the additional five
hundred dollars which Maguire stated he had given to me.

"It was great stuff, Jim. Circumstantially damning as could be. They
gave me five years in hell for my share in it, also a nice long
harangue from the judge about behaving myself when I came out."

During this long, clear-cut, passionless reci