Sir Clinton’s smile showed more than a touch of unbelief. “Make it the whole truth, when you’re at it,” he advised, “and begin by explaining how you happen to be here at this particular period.” “Well, you see, this Shandon man—Roger—he owed me something, so he did. He didn’t play straight with me out at Kimberley.” “So you came home as soon as you got out, to blackmail him? That’s obvious. You needn’t protest, Costock. It’s really not of any importance, for I’m quite convinced that you didn’t reach the stage of negotiations, so there’s no harm done. You put up in the village, waiting for a chance to see him alone, I suppose?” Costock nodded. “And now explain how you came to be in at the death, please.” “It was this way. As I was going through the village I came on a boatman. It’s a hot day, so I thought I’d go on the river for a row.” “And perhaps spy out the land, seeing that the grounds are easily accessible from the river-bank?” “Well, I don’t say yes and I don’t say no. It might have come in handy.” “And you took a pistol with you on your outing?” Costock had his explanation ready. “I thought as perhaps I’d run across Shandon and we might get talking. He’s a violent-tempered swine—leastways, he was so. And ’t seemed to me best to have a quietener in my pocket; for I’d have stood no chance at all against him, man to man. He could ha’ licked me with one hand.” “When did you leave the boat-house in the village?” “’Bout three o’clock, as near as I can remember. But the boatman could tell you. He took the time for hirin’ the boat.” “You came up the river fairly slowly, then; and what happened after that?” “As I came along, I noticed a little private boat-house and a landing-stage. I knew that would be Shandon’s place, for I’d asked the boatman about it. Just as I was coming abreast of it, I heard some yells; so I stopped rowing and let the boat drift. Then I heard someone squalling ‘Murder’ at the pitch of his voice, behind some hedges near by the water. So I pulled in, hitched up my boat, and ran through the nearest hole in the hedge. And then I got tangled up in that fandango of a thing they have there—what they call the Maze.” “You didn’t see anyone running away from the Maze before you got in?” “No.” “Did you run about in the Maze or did you walk?” Costock considered for a moment or two. “I walked. Once I was inside, I got tangled up, as I told you; and I didn’t want to be running round corners slap into a murderer.” “And then?” “Oh, after that I heard a lot o’ shoutin’ and a girl screamin’ an’ all that sort o’ thing. But I was that tangled up I could get nowhere. I’d got fair lost in that infernal monkey-puzzle.” Sir Clinton turned to Wendover. “This fellow was searched, wasn’t he?” “Yes. Nothing on him but the pistol, and we took that away.” Sir Clinton turned back to Costock.