light on the murder, Mr
Cargrim, sir.'

The chaplain mentally noted the former name and former profession of
Jentham and shook his head. 'Such information is utterly useless,' he
said gravely, 'and the people with whom Amaru _alias_ Jentham associated
then are doubtless all dead by this time.'

'Well, Miss Whichello didn't mention any of his friends, sir, but I
daresay it wouldn't be much use if she did. Beyond the man's former name
and business as a fiddler she told me nothing. I suppose, sir, she
didn't tell you anything likely to help us?'

'No! I don't think the past can help the present, Mr Tinkler. But what
is your candid opinion about this case?'

'I think it is a mystery, Mr Cargrim, sir, and is likely to remain one.'

'You don't anticipate that the murderer will be found?'

'No!' replied Mr Inspector, gruffly. 'I don't.'

'Cannot Mosk, with whom Jentham was lodging, enlighten you?'

Tinkler shook his head. 'Mosk said that Jentham owed him money, and
promised to pay him this week; but that I believe was all moonshine.'

'But Jentham might have expected to receive money, Mr Inspector?'

'Not he, Mr Cargrim, sir. He knew no one here who would lend or give him
a farthing. He had no money on him when his corpse was found!'

'Yet the body had been robbed!'

'Oh, yes, the body was robbed sure enough, for we found the pockets
turned inside out. But the murderer only took the rubbish a vagabond was
likely to have on him.'

'Were any papers taken, do you think, Mr Inspector?'

'Papers!' echoed Tinkler, scratching his head. 'What papers?'

'Well!' said Cargrim, shirking a true explanation, 'papers likely to
reveal his real name and the reason of his haunting Beorminster.'

'I don't think there could have been any papers, Mr Cargrim, sir. If
there had been, we'd ha' found 'em. The murderer wouldn't have taken
rubbish like that.'

'But why was the man killed?' persisted the chaplain.

'He was killed in a row,' said Tinkler, decisively, 'that's my theory.
Mother Jael says that he was half seas over when he left the camp, so I
daresay he met some labourer who quarrelled with him and used his
pistol.'

'But is it likely that a labourer would have a pistol?'

'Why not? Those harvesters don't trust one another, and it's just as
likely as not that one of them would keep a pistol to protect his
property from the other.'

'Was search made for the pistol?'

'Yes, it was, and no pistol was found. I tell you