midnight, and the time was creeping on to morning), and that the dead
man must accordingly have come to Coldstream not many hours before his
death; "and we'll likely find something about him from either Dundee or
Peebles. But I'm inclined to think, Mr. Hugh," he continued, drawing me
aside, "that even though they didn't rob the man of his money and
valuables, they took something else from him that may have been of much
more value than either."

"What?" I asked.

"Papers!" said he. "Look at the general appearance of the man! He's no
common or ordinary sort. Is it likely, now, such a man would be without
letters and that sort of thing in his pockets? Like as not he'd carry his
pocket-book, and it may have been this pocket-book with what was in it
they were after, and not troubling about his purse at all."

"They made sure of him, anyway," said I, and went out of the room where
they had laid the body, not caring to stay longer. For I had heard what
the doctor said--that the man had been killed on the spot by a single
blow from a knife or dagger which had been thrust into his heart from
behind with tremendous force, and the thought of it was sickening me.
"What are you going to do now?" I asked of Chisholm, who had followed me.
"And do you want me any more, sergeant?--for, if not, I'm anxious to get
back to Berwick."

"That's just where I'm coming with you," he answered. "I've my bicycle
close by, and we'll ride into the town together at once. For, do you see,
Mr. Hugh, there's just one man hereabouts that can give us some light on
this affair straightaway--if he will--and that the lodger you were
telling me of. And I must get in and see the superintendent, and we must