He would know exactly when and where to waylay Kitely.

The filching of the piece of cord from the wall of Harborough's shed was a clever thing--infernally clever, thought Mallalieu, who had a designing man's whole-hearted admiration for any sort of cleverness in his own particular line.

It would be an easy thing to do--and what a splendidly important thing! Of course Cotherstone knew all about Harborough's arrangements--he would often pass the pig-killer's house--from the hedge of the garden he would have seen the coils of greased rope hanging from their nails under the verandah roof, aye, a thousand times.

Nothing easier than to slip into Harborough's garden from the adjacent wood, cut off a length of the cord, use it--and leave it as a first bit of evidence against a man whose public record was uncertain.

Oh, very clever indeed!--if only Cotherstone could carry things off, and not allow his conscience to write marks on his face.