oncisely,
the story he had told the chief of police. When he had concluded he was
shown the hammer which had been picked up on the floor at Farnham's,
and was asked, "Is that the hammer you refer to?"

"Yes, that is it."

These words were the signal for a terrible scene.

When Sleeny saw Offitt step forward and begin to give his evidence, he
leaned forward with a smile of pleased expectation upon his face. He
had such confidence in his friend's voluble cleverness that he had no
doubt Offitt would "talk him free" in a few minutes. He was confused a
little by his opening words, not clearly seeing his drift; but as the
story went on, and Offitt's atrocious falsehood became clear to his
mind, he was dumb with stupefaction, and felt a strange curiosity
wakening in him to see how the story would end. He did not, for the
moment, see what object Offitt could have in lying so, until the
thought occurred to him: "May be there's a reward out!" But when the
blood-stained hammer was shown and identified by Offitt, all doubt was
cleared away in a flash from the dull brain of Sleeny. He saw the whole
horrible plot of which he was the victim.

He rose from his seat before the officer could stop him, and roared
like a lion in the toils, in a voice filled equally with agony and
rage:

"You murdering liar! I'll tear your heart out of you!"

There was a wide table and several chairs between them, but Sleeny was
over them in an instant. Offitt tried to escape, but was so hemmed in,
that the infuriated man had him in his hands before the officers could
interpose. If they had delayed a moment longer all would have been
over, for already Sleeny's hands were at the throat of his betrayer.
But two powerful policemen with their clubs soon separated the
combatants, and Sleeny was dragged back and securely handcuffed.

Offitt, ghastly pale and trembling, had sunk upon a bench. The justice,
looking at him narrowly, said: "The man is going to faint; loosen his
collar."

"No," said Offitt, springing to his feet. "I am perfectly well."

In his struggle with Sleeny a button of his coat had been torn away. He
asked a by-stander for a pin, and carefully adjusted the garment. The
thought in his mind was, "I don't mind being killed; but I thought he
might tear off my coat, and show them my money." From this moment he
kept his hand in such position that he might feel the packages in his
pockets.

Sleeny was still panting and screaming execration