Downy had come to his rescue in an hour of dire peril, Downy had trusted him and taken him into his confidence to some extent, and he was determined to do the fair and square thing by the detective, at least so far as he could do so without interfering with his sacred obligation to handsome, unhappy Christina Shine.
The detective returned to the township in the afternoon to prosecute the search for Ephraim, of whom nothing had yet been heard.

In the presence of his mother and Mrs.Hardy and Harry, Dick faced the officer to tell his story; but he found it hard to begin.
'Well, my lad,' said Downy, 'you're going to tell all you know ?' Dick nodded, abashed by his new importance.
'Out with it then.

You were in that drive ?' 'Yes.' 'You went down with Rogers and Shine ?' 'I didn't.' 'Very well, my boy, how did you go ?' 'Went by myself.

Out of a drive what I know into the Red Hand workin's, an' down the Red Hand ladders.' 'But why?
Go ahead--why ?' 'To--to drag Harry out o' the water.' There were three distinct gasps at this, and even the detective's eyelids went up a trifle.
'Go on, Dick.' Now having started, Dick told his story in full.

The incidents were not told consecutively, and he needed considerable cross-examining before the tale was properly fitted together and his audience of four had grasped the full details.