The man saluted and withdrew. As the door was reclosed, the Colonel sat drumming his fingers upon the table, Nayland Smith walked restlessly about tugging at the lobe of his ear, and I absently watched the convict gardener pursuing his toils. Shortly, sounded a rap at the door, and-- "Come in," cried Colonel Warrington. A man wearing warder's uniform appeared, saluted the Governor, and stood glancing uneasily from the Colonel to Smith. The latter had now ceased his perambulations, and, one elbow resting upon the mantelpiece, was staring at Morrison--his penetrating gray eyes as hard as steel. Colonel Warrington twisted his chair around, fixing his monocle more closely in its place. He had the wiry white mustache and fiery red face of the old-style Anglo-Indian officer. "Morrison," he said, "Mr. Commissioner Nayland Smith has some questions to put to you." The man's uneasiness palpably was growing by leaps and bounds. He was a tall and intelligent-looking fellow of military build, though spare for his height and of an unhealthy complexion. His eyes were curiously dull, and their pupils interested me, professionally, from the very moment of his entrance. "You were in charge of the prisoner Samarkan?" began Smith harshly. "Yes, sir," Morrison replied. "Were you the first to learn of his death?" "I was, sir. I looked through the grille in the door and saw him lying on the floor of the cell." "What time was it?" "Half-past four A.M." "What did you do?" "I went into the cell and then sent for the head warder." "You realized at once that Samarkan was dead?" "At once, yes." "Were you surprised?" Nayland Smith subtly changed the tone of his voice in asking the last question, and it was evident that the veiled significance of the words was not lost upon Morrison. "Well, sir," he began, and cleared his throat nervously. "Yes, or no!" snapped Smith. Morrison still hesitated, and I saw his underlip twitch. Nayland Smith, taking two long strides, stood immediately in front of him, glaring grimly into his face. "This is your chance," he said emphatically; "I shall not give you another. You had met Samarkan before?" Morrison hung his head for a moment, clenching and unclenching his fists; then he looked up swiftly, and the light of a new resolution was in his eyes. "I'll take the chance, sir," he said, speaking with some emotion, "and I hope, sir"--turning momentarily to Colonel Warrington--"that you'll be as lenient as you can; for I didn't know there was any harm in what I did." "Don't expect any leniency from me!" cried the Colonel. "If there has been a breach of discipline there will be punishment, rely upon it!" "I admit the breach of discipline," pursued the man doggedly; "but I want to say, here and now, that I've no more idea than anybody else how the----" Smith snapped his fingers irritably. "The facts--the facts!" he demanded. "What you _don't_ know cannot help us!"