went on to the stable. About a
quarter of an hour afterwards, and as I was a-cleaning up the bits,
I heard Wolf howl. He kept on at it, so I took a lantern and went
out to see what was the matter. He was rolling about, and seemed
very bad. I stood a-looking at him, wondering what were best to do,
when sudden he gave a sort of yell, and rolled over, and he was
dead. I thought it was no good telling you about it till this
morning; and thinking it over, and seeing how sudden like it was, I
come to the 'pinion as how he had been poisoned; and naturally
thinking that, as he had bit Reuben, and as how Reuben said he
ought to be killed, and seeing as I had met the boy a quarter an
hour afore the dog was took bad, it came to me as how he had done
it.

"This morning I knew for certain as the dog had been poisoned, for
just outside of the reach of his chain there was that piece of
paper a-lying, as you have got before you."

It was a piece of blue paper, about four inches square, on which
was printed: "Rat poison."

"You hear that, Reuben? What have you to say?" the squire asked.

"I have got nothing to say, sir," Reuben answered, "except that
whoever the boy was, it wasn't me, and that I know nothing about
it."

"Well, Reuben, it will be easy for you to clear yourself, by saying
where you were at the time.

"What o'clock was it, Robert, that you saw the boy?"

"It was just a quarter past eight, squire. The quarter struck just
as I opened the gate."

"Were you out or at home at that hour, Reuben?"

"I was out, sir. I went to the schoolmaster's."

"What time did you leave there?"

"I left at eight, sir."

"Then if you got in just after eight, it is clear that you were not
the boy," the squire said. "If your mother tells me that you were
in at five minutes past eight, that settles the question, as far as
you are concerned."

"I didn't get in till half-past eight, sir," Reuben said. "I walked
about for a bit, after I came out from school, to try and get the
stiffness out of my leg, so as to be able to come to work this
morning."

"Was anyone with you, Reuben? Is there anyone to say what you did
with yourself, between eight and half-past eight?"

"No, sir," Reuben said quietly. "I didn't speak to a soul; and
didn't see a soul, so far as I know, from the time I came out of
the gate of the schoolhouse till I got home."

"Does your mother sell packets of this poison?" the squire said,
pointing to the paper.

Re