er for the pier, as if
with a mind to seize the boat or to swim. Only when he reached the other
end of the small stone jetty did he turn, and show them the pale face
with the spectacles; and they saw that it was still smiling.

"I'm rather glad of this," said Treherne, with a great sigh. "The man is
mad."

Nevertheless, the naturalness of the doctor's voice, when he spoke,
startled them as much as a shriek.

"Gentleman," he said, "I won't protract your painful duties by asking
you what you want; but I will ask at once for a small favor, which will
not prejudice those duties in any way. I came down here rather in
a hurry perhaps; but the truth is I thought I was late for an
appointment." He looked dispassionately at his watch. "I find there is
still some fifteen minutes. Will you wait with me here for that short
time; after which I am quite at your service."

There was a bewildered silence, and then Paynter said: "For my part, I
feel as if it would really be better to humor him."

"Ashe," said the doctor, with a new note of seriousness, "for old
friendship, grant me this last little indulgence. It will make no
difference; I have no arms or means of escape; you can search me if you
like. I know you think you are doing right, and I also know you will do
it as fairly as you can. Well, after all, you get friends to help you;
look at our friend with the beard, or the remains of the beard. Why
shouldn't I have a friend to help me? A man will be here in a few
minutes in whom I put some confidence; a great authority on these
things. Why not, if only out of curiosity, wait and hear his view of the
case?"

"This seems all moonshine," said Ashe, "but on the chance of any light
on things--well, from the moon--I don't mind waiting a quarter of an
hour. Who is this friend, I wonder; some amateur detective, I suppose."

"I thank you," said the doctor, with some dignity. "I think you will
trust him when you have talked to him a little. And now," he added with
an air of amiably relaxing into lighter matters, "let us talk about the
murder.

"This case," he said in a detached manner, "will be found, I suspect,
to be rather unique. There is a very clear and conclusive combination of
evidence against Thomas Burton Brown, otherwise myself. But there is one
peculiarity about that evidence, which you may perhaps have noticed.
It all comes ultimately from one source, and that a rather unusual one.
Thus, the woodcutter says I had his ax