"I dinna ken, Mr. Thomson. He said he was to gang back to Lyndardy. But ye'd better ask himsel', had ye not?" And Paterson looked round to where I sat. Mr. Thomson seemed to have no further questions to ask, and Bailie Duke said: "Very well, Jack, that will do now. You may both go." And Jack Paterson went away, followed by Barrie. "Now, doctor, would you just let us hear what you have to say, please?" said Mr. Duke, turning to Dr. Linklater. The doctor kept his seat, and said: "Mr. Drever came to me early on Friday morning and told me that Colin Lothian had been shot dead over by Mary Firth's cottage, and I went out. I met the man Barrio on the way, and he turned back with me, conducting me to the spot. I found Lothian quite dead. He had been dead quite two hours, I should say. There was a gunshot wound in his back under the left shoulder. I got Paterson and Barrie to take off a door in Mary Firth's room, and we carried the body upon it down to my house. I made an examination of the body, and extracted several swan shot from the left lung." Dr. Linklater then passed a piece of paper containing the shot to Bailie Duke, saying: "I suppose you need me no longer, bailie?" "No, doctor, that's all," said Mr. Duke. "Just tell Macfarlane to send David Flett in, will you?" Flett came in and took his place before the magistrates, and gave information as to the time of my leaving the Falcon on Friday night. Mr. Thomson, questioning him, asked: "Do you know of any motive that the lad Ericson might have in committing this crime? Was there any enmity between him and Lothian?" "Certainly not. How could ye think so, Mr. Thomson?" said my skipper. "Why, Colin and Halcro were most friendly. It seems to me ridiculous that anyone should ever suspect such a thing o' the lad!" Mr. Duke here rang his bell and told Macfarlane to bring in Tom Kinlay. It was a considerable time before Tom appeared, with the jailer at his side, for he had to be brought out of the cell in which the smugglers were imprisoned. As Flett went out, he came forward slowly, looking pale and haggard. I noticed him start nervously as Mr. Duke, putting forth his hand to take up his snuffbox, happened to touch the gun. There was some dispute between Bailie Duke and Bailie Thomson as to which of them should first question Kinlay. But it was arranged that Mr. Thomson should do so. He commenced by saying to Tom: "You were taken in the North Gaulton Cave on Saturday, were you not?" But at this point Mr. Drever made an unexpected interruption. Hitherto he had, during the proceedings, been quietly but busily writing down the evidence, for use in the formal indictment which, as I afterwards learned, Mr. Duke was to submit to the procurator fiscal, whose deputy he was. "Mr. Duke," said the dominie, "do you not think, in view of the importance of Kinlay's evidence, that it is advisable to administer the oath?" "Ah! you're right, dominie; yes, certainly," said Mr. Duke.