pid survey of his companion's form
during the utterance of the above, darkened, then he slowly shook his
head.

"You couldn't," he rejoined laconically. "Too little staying power;
you'd give out before you got clear of the woods. Better delegate the
job to me."

"To you?"

"Yes. I'm of the make to stand long runs; besides I am no novice at
athletic sports of any kind. More than one race has owed its interest to
the efforts of your humble servant. 'Tis my pet amusement, you see, as
off-hand drawing is yours, and is likely to be of as much use to me,
eh?"

"Hickory, you are chaffing me."

"Think so? Do you see that five-barred gate over there? Well, now keep
your eye on the top rail and see if I clear it without a graze or not."

"Stop!" exclaimed Mr. Byrd, "don't make a fool of yourself in the public
street. I'll believe you if you say you understand such things."

"Well, I do, and what is more, I'm an adept at them. If I can't make
that run in the time requisite to show that Mansell could have committed
the murder, and yet arrive at the station the moment he did, I don't
know of a chap who can."

"Hickory, do you mean to say you _will_ make this run?"

"Yes."

"With a conscientious effort to prove that Orcutt's scheme of defence is
false?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"To-morrow."

"While we are in court?"

"Yes."

Byrd turned square around, gave Hickory a look and offered his hand.

"You are a good fellow," he declared, "May luck go with you."

Hickory suddenly became unusually thoughtful.

"A little while ago," he reflected, "this fellow's sympathies were all
with Mansell; now he would risk my limbs and neck to have the man proved
guilty. He does not wish Miss Dare to be questioned again, I see."

"Hickory," resumed Byrd, a few minutes later, "Orcutt has not rested the
defence upon this one point without being very sure of its being
unassailable."

"I know that."

"He has had more than one expert make that run during the weeks that
have elapsed since the murder. It has been tested to the uttermost."

"I know _that_."

"If you succeed then in doing what none of these others have, it must be
by dint of a better understanding of the route you have to take and the
difficulties you will have to overcome. Now, do you understand the
route?"

"I think so."

"You will have to start from the widow's door, you know?"

"Certain."

"Cross the bog, enter the woods, skirt the hut--but I won't go into
d