incapable of doing anything--for two or three days. That morning his
companions went out and left him lying on his bed asleep; they did not
see him again till after he was in custody."

"Did you question him? What does he say?"

"He says nothing. He remembers nothing. He seems to me to have been
suffering that day from a return of his fever, and besides that, he had
had some whisky--very little would overcome a man in his condition--so
that if he crawled out into the sunshine, and finally lay down among the
bushes to sleep, it is perfectly credible that the murder might have
been committed close to him without his knowing anything about it."

"But the hatchet? Was it not his?"

"Yes. But he denies--whatever his denial may be worth--that the heavy
stick which was found by him, ever was his; and though it is a hard
thing to say, it can be imagined that the very things which fasten
suspicion on him may have been arranged for that purpose by another
person."

"He does say something on the subject then, since he denies the stick
being his? Did he talk to you willingly on the subject?" asked Mrs.
Costello.

Mr. Strafford answered her question by another.

"Have you courage and strength to see him?"

"Yes; if you think it well for me to do so."