But it was not empty now. In one of the further corners sat a man wrapped in a dark coloured ulster. A black felt hat was drawn down over his eyes, and his muffled face was resting on his hand. So much the superintendent saw in the brief moment during which he stood at the open door, and it struck him at once that the man must be suffering from toothache. And then his cousin caught him by the arm and drew him back. "Here, man, the carriage next door is empty!" cried he, and the superintendent closed the door and followed him. It was scarcely more than a minute later when the whistle blew and they were off, and Mr. MacAlister took out his pipe and prepared himself to receive official confidences. But the miles went by, and though he plied his questions incessantly and skilfully, no confidences were forthcoming. The superintendent, in fact, had something else to think about. All at once he asked abruptly: "Robbie, did ye see yon man next door sitting with his face in his hands?" "Aye," said Mr. MacAlister, "I noticed the man." "Did ye ken who he was?" "No," said Mr. MacAlister, "I did not." "Had ye seen him on the platform?" "No," said Mr. MacAlister, "I had not." "I didna see him myself," said the superintendent musingly. "It seems funny-like a man dressed like yon and with his face wrapped up too--and a man forbye that's a stranger to us both, coming along the platform and getting into that carriage, and me not noticing him. I'm not used not to notice people, Robbie." "It's your business, George," said Mr. MacAlister, and then as he gazed at his cousin's thoughtful face, his own grew suddenly animated. "You're not thinking he's to dae wi' the murder, are you!" he cried. "I'm not sure what to think till I've had another look into yon carriage," said the superintendent cautiously. "We're slowing doon the noo!" cried Mr. MacAlister, "God, George, I'll come and hae a look wi' you!" The train was hardly in the platform before the superintendent was out, with Mr. MacAlister after him, and the door of the next compartment was open almost as soon as the train was at rest. Never had the superintendent been more vigilant; and never had his honest face looked blanker. "God! It's empty!" he murmured. "God save us!" murmured Mr. MacAlister, and then he was visited by an inspiration which struck his relative afterwards as one of the unhappiest he had ever suffered from. "This canna be the richt carriage!" he cried. "Come on, Geordie, let's hae a look in the ithers!" By the time they had looked into all the compartments of the carriage, the guard was waving his flag and the two men climbed hurriedly in again. The brooding silence of the superintendent infected even Mr. MacAlister, and neither spoke for several minutes. Then the superintendent said bitterly: "It was you hurrying me off to look in thae other carriages, Robbie!" "What was?" inquired Mr. MacAlister a little nervously. "I ought to have stopped and looked under the seats!"