He saw no sense in debating a question of fact.
"I was one of the fellows in that survey," explained Harkness, "and if you're the fellow we saw at the station, as I reckon you are, then I don't know any more about this old gentleman I've been housing than you do." Trenholme had an impulse to command silence, but, resisting it, only kept silence himself and resumed his tread over the uneven ground.
"'Tisn't true," broke in the other again, in unexpected denial of his own words, "that that's all I know.

I know something more; 'tisn't much, perhaps, but as I value my soul's salvation, I'll say it here.

Before I left the neighbourhood of Turrifs, I heard of this old gentleman here a-making his way round the country, and I put in currency the report that he was Cameron, and I've no doubt that that suggestion made the country folks head him off towards Turrifs Station as far as they could influence his route; and that'll be how he came there at Christmas time.
Look you here! I didn't know then, and I don't know now, whether he _was_ or _wasn't_--I didn't think he was--but for a scheme I had afoot I set that idea going.

I did it by telegraphing it along the line, as if I'd been one of the operators.

The thing worked better than I expected." Alec listened without the feeling of interest the words were expected to arouse.