Jes' fer fun I follered him; an' when he got to the lake he stopped and looked all 'round, as ef to make sure there warn't nobody to see him, an' then he takes somethin', I couldn't see what, out from under his coat an' chucks it quick into the lake, an' then he started on a run down towards the street." "Couldn't you see what he threw ?" "No, I couldn't see what 'twas; but it struck the water awful heavy." "Is that all you know about the affair ?" "Yas, that's all." "Wait a moment," said Mr.Merrick, as the boy turned to leave the room.

"Can you tell how many, or what kind of looking men were with Brown on Wednesday night ?" "There was three of 'em.

One was a big feller with kinder squint eyes, the other two was ornery lookin' fellers; one of 'em was dark like a furriner, an' t'other one had sorter yeller hair." "How long were they there ?" "About half 'n hour, I guess.

They was all gone 'fore nine o'clock." "Did you hear anything that was said ?" "I hearn 'em talkin' somethin' about the boss." "Mr.Mainwaring ?" "Yas.

He'd made a kick about somethin' or 'nuther that afternoon, an' Brown he was cussin' mad, an' then when they went away I hearn one of 'em say somethin' about 'makin' a good job of it.'" "How was this, Hardy ?" inquired Mr.Whitney.