But Heathcote explained that any personal attack was not to be apprehended from these men.

"That's not their game," he said, arguing that men who premeditated a secret outrage would not probably be tempted into personal violence.

The horror of the position lay in this--that though a fire should rise up almost under the feet of men who were known to be hostile to him, and whose characters were acknowledged to be bad, still would there be no evidence against them.

It was known to all men that, at periods of heat such as that which was now raging, fires were common.

Every day the pastures were in flames, here, there, and every where.