He held the short gun in his hand at the time he was speaking to me.

Hepburn afterwards informed me that previous to the report of the gun Mr.Hood and Michel were speaking to each other in an elevated angry tone, that Mr.Hood, being seated at the fireside, was hid from him by intervening willows, but that on hearing the report he looked up and saw Michel rising up from before the tent-door, or just behind where Mr.Hood was seated, and then going into the tent.

Thinking that the gun had been discharged for the purpose of cleaning it he did not go to the fire at first, and when Michel called to him that Mr.Hood was dead a considerable time had elapsed.

Although I dared not openly to evince any suspicion that I thought Michel guilty of the deed, yet he repeatedly protested that he was incapable of committing such an act, kept constantly on his guard, and carefully avoided leaving Hepburn and me together.

He was evidently afraid of permitting us to converse in private and whenever Hepburn spoke he inquired if he accused him of the murder.
It is to be remarked that he understood English very imperfectly yet sufficiently to render it unsafe for us to speak on the subject in his presence.