g away as maade oi
think as he moight ha' done it. Noo in course he will be able to clear
hisself; for if he was over at Painton, why, he couldn't be here--that
be plain to any one."

"Oi be aveared, by what t' constable told me, as he won't be able vor to
prove it. It seems as how he didn't get to Painton till t' morning. He
says as how he were awalking aboot on t' moor all night. So you see he
will have hard work vor to clear hisself."

"Then I shall ha' to give meself up," Luke said quietly. "Ye see as
it can't do him harm now, 'cause he ha' coom back; and ef oi says as I
killed the man they will open the doors, and he will only have to walk
out."

"Oi ha' been a-thinking of that as I coom back," Bill said, "and oi
doan't think as oi see my way clear through it now. Firstly, if Maister
Ned did it, of course he will hold his tongue and leave 'em to prove it,
which maybe they can't do; so he has a chance of getting off. But if you
cooms forward and owns up, he will be saaf, if he did it, to say so at
once; and so you will have done him harm rather nor good. Vor of course
he will be able to prove his story better nor you will yourn, and you
will have put the noose round his neck instead of getting it put round
yourn. In the second place, it be loike enough as they lawyer chaps
moight find out as your story weren't true when they coom to twisting
me inside owt in the box. They might foind as oi war a-swearing false.
There be never no saying. They moight prove as that bit of rope warn't
yourn. Polly moight swear as she hadn't been asleep till arter the
time you said you went out, and that you never moved as long as she war
awake. Lots of unexpected things moight turn up to show it war a lie and
then you know they'd drop onto Maister Ned wourse nor ever."

"I doan't believe they would ask you any questions, Bill. When a
man cooms and says, 'Oi did a murder,' they doan't want to ask many
questions aboot it. They takes it vor granted as he wouldn't be such a
fool as vor to say he did it when he didn't. But th' other point be more
sarous. It be loike enough as t' lad did it, and if he did he will out
wi' it when oi cooms forward. If oi could get to see him first oi moight
argue him into holding his tongue by pointing owt that moi loife bain't
of so much valley as hissen, also that I owe a debt to his feyther."

"Well, oi ha' been thinking it over," Bill said, "and moi opinion is
thou had best hold thy tongue till the tri