have I? Very well! Art.
Farnham was attacked and nearly murdered last night, and if you didn't
do it who did? Now come, for the Lord's sake, get off before the police
get here. I never thought you had the sand--but I see you've got too
much. Don't lose time talking any more. I'm glad you've killed him. You
done just right--but I don't want to see you hung for it."

His excitement and feigned earnestness had brought the tears to his
eyes. Sam saw them and was convinced.

"Andy," he said solemnly. "I know you're my friend, and mean right.
I'll swear before God it wasn't me, and I know nothing about it, and I
won't run away."

"But how will we prove it," said Offitt, wringing his hands in
distress. "Where was you last night from ten to eleven?"

"You know where I was--in your room. I went there just after nine and
fell asleep waiting for you."

"Yes, of course, but who knows it? Sam, I believe you are innocent
since you say so. But see the circumstances. You _have_ talked about
goin' for him. You _have_ had a fight with him, and got put in jail for
it, and--" he was about to mention the hammer, but was afraid--"I wish
you would take my advice and go off for a week or so till the truth
comes out. I'll lend you all the money you want. I'm flush this week."

"No, Andy," said Sleeny, "nobody could be kinder than you. But I won't
run away. They can't put a man where he wasn't."

"Very well," replied Offitt, "I admire your pluck, and I'll swear a
blue streak for you when the time comes. And perhaps I had better get
away now so they won't know I've been with you."

He went without a moment's delay to the chief of police and told him
that he had a disagreeable duty to perform; that he knew the murderer
of Captain Farnham; that the criminal was an intimate friend of his, a
young man hitherto of good character named Sleeny.

"Ah-ha!" said the chief. "That was the fellow that Captain Farnham
knocked down and arrested in the riot."

"The same," said Offitt. "He has since that been furious against the
Captain. I have reasoned with him over and over about it. Yesterday he
came to see me; showed me a hammer he had just bought at Ware &
Harden's; said he was going to break Arthur Farnham's skull with it. I
didn't believe he would, he had said it so often before. While we were
talking, I took the hammer and cut his initial on it, a letter S." The
chief nodded, with a broad smile. "He then left me, and when I came
back to my roo