“Gentlemen, distant as the murderer was from his doomed victim, he did not wholly escape injury. This fragment of wood which I now exhibit to you struck him. It drew blood. Wherever he is, he bears the telltale mark. I picked it up where he stood when he fired the fatal train.” He looked out over the house from his high perch, and his countenance began to darken; he slowly raised his hand, and pointed-- “There stands the assassin!” For a moment the house was paralyzed with amazement; then twenty voices burst out with: “Sammy Hillyer? Oh, hell, no! Him? It's pure foolishness!” “Take care, gentlemen--be not hasty. Observe--he has the blood-mark on his brow.” Hillyer turned white with fright. He was near to crying. He turned this way and that, appealing to every face for help and sympathy; and held out his supplicating hands toward Holmes and began to plead, “Don't, oh, don't! I never did it; I give my word I never did it. The way I got this hurt on my forehead was--” “Arrest him, constable!” cried Holmes. “I will swear out the warrant.” The constable moved reluctantly forward--hesitated--stopped. Hillyer broke out with another appeal. “Oh, Archy, don't let them do it; it would kill mother! You know how I got the hurt. Tell them, and save me, Archy; save me!” Stillman worked his way to the front, and said, “Yes, I'll save you. Don't be afraid.” Then he said to the house, “Never mind how he got the hurt; it hasn't anything to do with this case, and isn't of any consequence.” “God bless you, Archy, for a true friend!” “Hurrah for Archy! Go in, boy, and play 'em a knock-down flush to their two pair 'n' a jack!” shouted the house, pride in their home talent and a patriotic sentiment of loyalty to it rising suddenly in the public heart and changing the whole attitude of the situation. Young Stillman waited for the noise to cease; then he said, “I will ask Tom Jeffries to stand by that door yonder, and Constable Harris to stand by the other one here, and not let anybody leave the room. “Said and done. Go on, old man!” “The criminal is present, I believe. I will show him to you before long, in case I am right in my guess. Now I will tell you all about the tragedy, from start to finish. The motive wasn't robbery; it was revenge. The murderer wasn't light-witted. He didn't stand six hundred and twenty-two feet away. He didn't get hit with a piece of wood. He didn't place the explosive against the cabin. He didn't bring a shot-bag with him, and he wasn't left-handed. With the exception of these errors, the distinguished guest's statement of the case is substantially correct.” A comfortable laugh rippled over the house; friend nodded to friend, as much as to say, “That's the word, with the bark on it. Good lad, good boy. He ain't lowering his flag any!” The guest's serenity was not disturbed. Stillman resumed: