ody who knew me believed such a fearful thing, but seeing how
it stood and how the details looked to the public, I didn't blame any for
doubting except Joshua Owlet; and even in my nasty fix I couldn't but
admire the devilish craft of that man. Of course I knew from the first
he'd done the trick; and more I knew, because I'd seen his far-reaching
reasons and his cunning, to use Bond against me and so plot that we should
wipe out each other and leave Jenny free. I could see it all; and when Sir
Walter had one of the big swells from Scotland Yard to investigate the
murder from the beginning, and when that man heard all I'd got to say, he
saw it too.

A mean little build of chap, but properly bursting with intellect, was
Detective-Inspector Bates; and after hearing Sir Walter and after hearing
me, he never felt no doubt himself about my innocence.

"'Tis like this," I said. "You can see what Owlet did. He told me Bond
meant to take my life; and no doubt he told Bond I meant to take his life;
and the difference was this; Bond did mean to shoot me that afternoon,
doubtless believing that if he didn't, I'd be the death of him later. He
could get me when he liked. But I never meant to do more than prove he was
a rascal, or satisfy myself that he was not. For the rest, and as to
details, only Owlet can tell 'em; but it's very clear to me he did what
they say I did. He knew where Bond was going to lie for me, and he was
there hid afore Bond came and slew him and left him so as it should be
shown, as it has been shown, that I slew him. Very like he watched the
whole thing and was hid at my elbow somewhere when I found Bond; and then,
after I'd gone, he got Bond's revolver and took it away so as I should be
catched in a lie and prove the only one that was armed. And more than
that: he may have lent Bond the revolver himself."

I think the Detective-Inspector felt very pleased with my view; and there
was another good point for me, because, afore they buried him, they took
the dead man's fingerprints and found he'd been in prison before. In fact
he was a bad 'un--a juvenile adult that had served two years for three
burglaries; and so Owlet had told me a bit of truth mixed up with his
lies. But of course poor Bond might have meant to run straight after he
fell in love with Jenny, till Owlet tackled him and encouraged him to try
and murder me. Nobody will ever know what his game at Oakshotts was, for
he died before he'd played it. An