322 THE IRRIGA T10N A GL. 



and get their rewards for running it down from the pulpits, instead of 

 stopping it in time." 



The inspector had let the man talk, to find out by a stray word if 

 Sam knew anything of the murder. His bait by which he hpped to 

 get hold of Jumbo was put before the father. 



"Mr. Hay, of Langholme,has told me to offer you ten pounds if you 

 will produce your Jumbo to give his evidence before the magistrates." 



"Ten pounds!" exclaimed the man. "Ten pounds for Jumbo, who 

 was never worth a 'quid.' There! it's done! He is gone! and took 

 my watch, that was his'n, till I took it from him. No guvener, the 

 ten quid is lost. I have a little girl a beauty, when she laughs; up to 

 every dodge I can teach her, and some I never thought of. Tell Mr. 

 Hay, with my compliments axing his pardon if he thinks I am rude 

 he shall have her in her Sunday togs, with clean face and hands, for 

 five quids down this week, as I am hard up, to pay my rent, and that's 

 to old money-grubber for sheds not fit to put pigs in, let alone a 

 Christian, as I hope I am, and a better one nor him any day." 



"I will certainly tell him what you say,'' said the inspector. 

 "Don't forget the offer for the boy; and anything you have forgotten 

 now, send on tome in a letter, but do not ask for money; your reason- 

 able expenses will be paid if it turns out to be true what you say and 

 can prove." 



"There you are again, guv'ner. If I spoke God's truth itself, 

 what would that count against a rich man's word? But I'll have a try 

 after a little money somehow. May I crack a crib to beg for that two 

 hundred pounds reward; and if I find the murderer, may I give him a 

 topper to make him own up;"' 



"You may leave that for us to do; the reward will be yours all the 

 same. You might put on the wrong hat or coat by mistake, if you 

 missed getting hold of the culprit in a private dwelling or nabble the 

 wrong head." 



Slimy Sam grinned, saying: 



' % I know the law of things. You may feel safe from having to go 

 and look at the pretty bricks -with a coat of arms of England always 

 near; if you get a bit of paper and the price of the things you take 

 with debtor on it, you're safe then." 



The inspector left him to make his report to Waxbridge. The 

 man's statement about the lead was impudently consistent as some 

 had been stolen from a house-top on the line of road he had gone. 

 The police found the wholesale tradesman who dealt in old metal with 

 the weight, etc., duly booked, but it had been melted, so that identity 

 was stopped and no justice done. 



The inquiry at Saxwych so far, removed one conspicuous item of 

 suspicion and made the contemplated searching operations of the police 

 more circumscribed and definite near the scene of the crime. 



The game-keeper, at dusk, betook himself to the beer-house where 



