is was wholly apologetic now.

"Ah, I understand, and at whose suggestion did you undertake to do this,
Mr. Hickory?"

"At the suggestion of a friend of mine, who is also somewhat of a
detective."

"And when was this suggestion given?"

"After your speech, sir, yesterday afternoon."

"And where?"

"At the hotel, sir, where I and my friend put up."

"Did not the counsel for the prosecution order you to make this
attempt?"

"No, sir."

"Did he not know you were going to make it?"

"No, sir."

"Who did know it?"

"My friend."

"No one else?"

"Well, sir, judging from my present position, I should say there seems
to have been some one else," the witness slyly retorted.

The calmness with which Mr. Orcutt carried on this examination suffered
a momentary disturbance.

"You know what I mean," he returned. "Did you tell any one but your
friend that you were going to undertake this run?"

"No, sir."

"Mr. Hickory," the lawyer now pursued, "will you tell us why you
considered yourself qualified to succeed in an attempt where you had
already been told regular experts had failed?"

"Well, sir, I don't know unless you find the solution in the slightly
presumptive character of my disposition."

"Had you ever run before or engaged in athletic sports of any kind?"

"Oh, yes, I have run before."

"And engaged in athletic sports?"

"Yes, sir."

"Mr. Hickory, have you ever run in a race with men of well-known
reputation for speed?"

"Well, yes, I have."

"Did you ever win in running such a race?"

"Once."

"No more?"

"Well, then, twice."

The dejection with which this last assent came forth roused the mirth of
some light-hearted, feather-headed people, but the officers of the court
soon put a stop to that.

"Mr. Hickory, will you tell us whether on account of having twice beaten
in a race requiring the qualifications of a professional runner, you
considered yourself qualified to judge of the feasibility of any other
man's making the distance from Mrs. Clemmens' house to Monteith Quarry
Station in ninety minutes by your own ability or non-ability to do so?"

"Yes, sir, I did; but a man's judgment of his own qualifications don't
go very far, I've been told."

"I did not ask you for any remarks, Mr. Hickory. This is a serious
matter and demands serious treatment. I asked if in undertaking to make
this run in ninety minutes you did not presume to judge of the
feasibility of the prisoner having