Gabriel swiftly, and for him even concisely, related the events of the day from his meeting with Ramirez in the morning, to the time that he had stumbled upon the body of Victor Ramirez on his return to keep the appointment at his wife's written request. Jack only interrupted him once to inquire why, after discovering the murder, he had not gone on to keep his appointment. "I thought it wa'n't of no use," said Gabriel, simply; "I didn't want to let her see I knowed it." Hamlin groaned, "If you had you would have found her in the company of the man who _did_ do it, you daddering old idiot!" "What man?" asked Gabriel. "The first man you saw your wife with that morning; the man I ought to be helping now, instead of lyin' here." "You don't mean to allow, Jack, ez you reckon she _didn't_ do it?" asked Gabriel, in alarm. "I do," said Hamlin, coolly. "Then what did she reckon to let on by that note?" said Gabriel, with a sudden look of cunning. "Don't know," returned Jack, "like as not, being a d--d fool, you didn't read it right! hand it over and let me see it." Gabriel (hesitatingly): "I can't." Hamlin: "You can't?" Gabriel (apologetically): "I tore it up!" Hamlin (with frightful deliberation): "you DID?"' "I did." Jack (after a long crushing silence): "Were you ever under medical treatment for these spells?" Gabriel (with great simplicity and submission): "They allers used to allow I waz queer." Hamlin (after another pause): "Has Pete Dumphy got anything agin you?" Gabriel (surprisedly): "No." Hamlin (languidly): "It was his right hand man, his agent at Wingdam that started up the Vigilantes! I heard him, and saw him in the crowd hounding 'em on." Gabriel (simply): "I reckon you're out thar, Jack, Dumphy's my friend. It was him that first gin me the money to open this yer mine. And I'm his superintendent!" Jack: "Oh!" (after another pause). "Is there any first-class Lunatic Asylum in this county where they would take in two men, one an incurable, and the other sufferin' from a gunshot wound brought on by playin' with firearms?" Gabriel (with a deep sigh): "Ye mus'n't talk, Jack, ye must be quiet till dark." Jack, dragged down by pain, and exhausted in the intervals of each paroxysm was quiescent.