t prove very much, but I'll try to
show how they link up with other matters."

He related how Carmen had given him the packet and his adventures in
Newcastle, and when he finished Daly nodded.

"On the whole, you don't argue badly."

"I expect a lawyer prosecuting for the Crown would argue it better,
particularly if I was ready to go into the witness-box. Then, of
course, there's Featherstone's evidence."

For a moment Daly looked alarmed, but recovered his tranquillity
without much effort, and Foster saw he had to face his first serious
difficulty, though there was another. If Daly knew how little Lawrence
could really tell, it would be hard to deal with him.

"Something depends on the importance of Featherstone's evidence."

"Your accomplice thought it important, since he tried to throw him down
the elevator shaft," Foster rejoined. "Anyhow, Featherstone saw the
man who killed Fred Hulton."

Daly's smile rather disturbed him. "Then it's strange he said nothing
about it at the inquiry, and when he was in the factory passage spoke
to the man he saw as if he was the night guard."

"That's so. You probably know more about the methods of the police
than I do, but I understand they now and then keep something back, with
an object. Then Featherstone is not a fool. He was satisfied to
answer the questions he was asked. You mustn't take it for granted he
didn't know the man was a stranger."

There was silence for some moments while Daly pondered this, although
Foster imagined he had carefully weighed the thing before. Then he
asked abruptly: "Did your partner think he saw me?"

"No," said Foster, who resolved to tell the truth.

Somewhat to his surprise, Daly made a sign of acquiescence. "Very
well! You are near the mark, and I'll tell you what happened. There's
not much risk in this, because no Judge would admit as evidence
something you declared you had been told. Besides, I'll own that it's
an unlikely tale. I was not at or near the factory that night, but I
had done some business with Fred Hulton. The lad was a gambler and I'd
lent him money; as a matter of fact, I never got it all back. However,
a man who now and then acted as my agent learned something about the
customs of the factory and went there the night he met Featherstone.
But he did not shoot Fred Hulton."

"Then how was the lad killed?"

"He shot himself; in a way, by accident."

Foster looked at Daly with ironical surprise. "Yo