DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22217#0051
THE MURDERED TAILOR'S WATCH. 39
hasten to dispose of it in the most effectual manner within his
reach? If he had put it through the melting pot, and I had
arrived only in time to see the shapeless nugget tossed out of the
crucible, he could not have given me a greater pang; but of
course I did not tell him that. I expected never to see it
again, and I was right, for the chain has never been seen or
heard of since. My thoughts on the way to the Office were
not pleasant; afterthoughts with an " if" are always torment-
ing; and mine was "If I had only seized him before he
reached the drain, and had him searched." Then he was so
secretive and cunning that I had no hope whatever of him
committing himself to a confession. In this I made the error
of supposing him entirely guilty. I forgot the case of " Cosky "
and " The Crab Apple," who were only too glad to save their
necks at the expense of their liberty. Chisholm, though cun-
ning as a fox, was a terrible coward, and as we neared the
Office he tremblingly said—
"Will I be long, think ye, o' getting oot again?"
I stared at him in surprise, and then, with some impatience,
said—
"About three weeks after the trial probably."
"What? how? will three weeks be the sentence?" he
stammered in confusion.
"No; but that is the interval generally allowed between
sentence and hanging."
" Good God, man ! They canna hang me !" he exclaimed,
nearly dropping on the street with terror.
" Wait. If I get that chain out of the drain it will hang you
as sure as fate," I grimly replied. I was rather pleased at
being able to say it, for I was snappish and out of temper.
" But I never killed the tailor; never saw the man," he
exclaimed, evidently fearfully in earnest.
" I've nothing to do with that; it all depends on what the
jury think," I shortly answered, and then we got to the Office,
and he made a rambling statement about being taken up
innocently, and was then locked up.
My immediate task was to have the drain explored, but
that was all labour thrown away. The rush of water had been
too strong, and the chain was gone, buried in mud and slime,
or carried away to sea. I soon had abundant evidence that
Chisholm had been on the spree for a fortnight about the time
stated by Burge, but my intention of weaving a complete web
round him was stayed by a message from himself, asking to see
hasten to dispose of it in the most effectual manner within his
reach? If he had put it through the melting pot, and I had
arrived only in time to see the shapeless nugget tossed out of the
crucible, he could not have given me a greater pang; but of
course I did not tell him that. I expected never to see it
again, and I was right, for the chain has never been seen or
heard of since. My thoughts on the way to the Office were
not pleasant; afterthoughts with an " if" are always torment-
ing; and mine was "If I had only seized him before he
reached the drain, and had him searched." Then he was so
secretive and cunning that I had no hope whatever of him
committing himself to a confession. In this I made the error
of supposing him entirely guilty. I forgot the case of " Cosky "
and " The Crab Apple," who were only too glad to save their
necks at the expense of their liberty. Chisholm, though cun-
ning as a fox, was a terrible coward, and as we neared the
Office he tremblingly said—
"Will I be long, think ye, o' getting oot again?"
I stared at him in surprise, and then, with some impatience,
said—
"About three weeks after the trial probably."
"What? how? will three weeks be the sentence?" he
stammered in confusion.
"No; but that is the interval generally allowed between
sentence and hanging."
" Good God, man ! They canna hang me !" he exclaimed,
nearly dropping on the street with terror.
" Wait. If I get that chain out of the drain it will hang you
as sure as fate," I grimly replied. I was rather pleased at
being able to say it, for I was snappish and out of temper.
" But I never killed the tailor; never saw the man," he
exclaimed, evidently fearfully in earnest.
" I've nothing to do with that; it all depends on what the
jury think," I shortly answered, and then we got to the Office,
and he made a rambling statement about being taken up
innocently, and was then locked up.
My immediate task was to have the drain explored, but
that was all labour thrown away. The rush of water had been
too strong, and the chain was gone, buried in mud and slime,
or carried away to sea. I soon had abundant evidence that
Chisholm had been on the spree for a fortnight about the time
stated by Burge, but my intention of weaving a complete web
round him was stayed by a message from himself, asking to see