handed it to the judge
advocate, who was busy entering his first question and its answer in
his record.

"Symonds testified yesterday that Captain Lloyd lay in bed as if
asleep. If he had been suffocated, would not convulsions have ensued?"

"Some muscular contractions," admitted Ward, "but not enough to throw
off the heavy quilt which Symonds told me covered his body when he
first approached Captain Lloyd."

Again Warren wrote another question, which the judge advocate read
aloud after a moment's pause.

"Are you willing to swear, Doctor Ward, that Captain Lloyd could not
possibly have died from natural causes?"

"Natural causes?" echoed the doctor. "I don't catch your meaning, Mr.
Senator. A man's natural state is living. It is unnatural for him to
die."

Quickly Warren's hand traveled over the paper; then he tossed the slip
to the judge advocate.

"I will amend my question," read the latter. "Do you think it possible
that the captain died from one of the diseases of nature, such as heart
failure, and so on?"

"No, Mr. Senator, I do not," declared Ward positively. "I am willing to
go on oath that Captain Lloyd was killed by a person or persons
unknown."

Warren reddened, and bit his lip. "I have no further questions to ask,"
he said abruptly.

"Does the court desire to examine this witness?" inquired the judge
advocate. The president replied in the negative, and Ward was then
excused. The next witness was Coroner Richards, who stated that, in his
opinion, Captain Lloyd might have died from an attack of heart failure
superinduced by the fatigue of five days in the saddle with
insufficient food or sleep. His testimony was corroborated by Surgeon
McBride. Warren refused to cross-examine the surgeon, and he was
excused. He was followed on the stand by Mrs. Lane, a tall, raw-boned
woman of middle age.

"How long have you kept your boarding house on F Street?" asked the
judge advocate, after Mrs. Lane had been duly sworn and had answered
the usual questions as to her full name, age, and length of residence
in Washington.

"Six years," was the brief reply. Mrs. Lane never wasted words, if she
could help it.

"For how long a time had Captain Lloyd boarded with you?"

"He took the rooms with me the middle of last December, but did not
spend much of his time in Washington."

"Was he a good tenant?"

"Yes, sir," with more enthusiasm. "He was quiet, never found fault, and
always paid promptly."

"Do you