s there. He had known Acorn more
intimately than the other man, and confessed at last that his
acquaintance with that man had arisen from a belief that Acorn was
about to marry his sister. He acknowledged that he knew that Burrows
had been a convicted thief, and that Acorn had been punished for
horse stealing. When he was asked how it had come to pass that he was
desirous of seeing his sister married to a horse-stealer, he declined
to answer, and, looking round the Court, said that he hoped there was
no man there who would be coward enough to say anything against his
sister. They who heard him declared that there was more of a threat
than a request expressed in his words and manner.

A question was put to him as to his knowledge of Farmer Trumbull's
money. "There was them as knew; but I knew nothing," he said. He was
pressed on this point by the magistrates, but would say not a word
further. As to this, however, the police were indifferent, as they
believed that they would be able to prove at the trial, from other
sources, that the mother of the man called the Grinder had certainly
received tidings of the farmer's wealth. There were many small
matters of evidence to which the magistrates trusted. One of the men
had bought poison, and the dog had been poisoned. The presence of the
cart at the farmer's gate was proved, and the subsequent presence
of the two men in the same cart at Pycroft Common. The size of the
footprints, the characters and subsequent flight of the men, and
certain damaging denials and admissions which they themselves had
made, all went to make up the case against them, and they were
committed to be tried for the murder. Sam, however, was allowed to go
free, being served, however, with a subpoena to attend at the trial
as a witness. "I will," said he, "if you send me down money enough
to bring me up from South Shields, and take me back again. I ain't a
coming on my own hook as I did this time;--and wouldn't now, only for
Muster Fenwick." Our friends left the police to settle this question
with Sam, and then drove home to Bullhampton.

The Vicar was triumphant, though his triumph was somewhat quelled
by the disappearance of Carry Brattle. There could, however, be no
longer any doubt that Sam Brattle's innocence as to the murder was
established. Head-Constable Toffy had himself acknowledged to him
that Sam could have had no hand in it. "I told you so from the
beginning," said the Vicar. "We 'as got the