With an apology for the apparent doubt, the same question was put to him. Did he think _he_ could have been mistaken in supposing the light was the green. "Not a bit of it," the colonel answered, with good-humoured equanimity. The lights exhibited that night were the same that always were exhibited--green. The light he saw swayed about was the green. "Well," exclaimed the coroner, "there's hard swearing somewhere." And hard swearing there certainly appeared to be. As a spectator audibly remarked, "one could not find an end out of it." The coroner got impatient. "It is impossible at the present stage to come to any satisfactory conclusion, gentlemen of the jury," he observed; "and I think we had better adjourn the inquiry, when other witnesses may be forthcoming." Adjourned it was accordingly for a fortnight. "But for Colonel West they'd have had it all against me," remarked Cooper, who was feeling himself wronged. "But for Colonel West there'd have been no further bother," cried the aggrieved stationmaster, who thought Cooper ought to have been committed for trial on the spot. It was certainly singular that the only two witnesses, apart from those interested, should testify so positively in exact opposition to each other. As the spectators poured out of the inquest-room, they formed into knots to discuss it. Neither the one nor the other had any interest to favour the station people or to screen Cooper; and, indeed, both were above suspicion of anything of the sort. Colonel West had never before heard of Cooper; Oliver Jupp knew him, and was evidently sorry to give evidence against him. On the other hand, Oliver Jupp did not know the stationmaster, while Colonel West was friendly with him. "Will you go back with me to Guild, and stay the rest of the day?" asked Mr. Lake, putting his arm within Oliver Jupp's. "Can't," returned Oliver. "Promised them at home to get back with the verdict as soon as it was over." "But there is no verdict." "All the same; they'll want to know the why and the wherefore." "As if you could not keep the girls waiting for once!" "It's not the girls, it's the old folks; and Guild has no charms for me today. Lydia Clapperton's gone." Mr. Lake laughed. "I say, Jupp, how could you swear so hard about the lights?" "They swore me. I didn't ask for it." "I mean against Cooper." "You would not have me say the light was green when it was red?" "Colonel West says it was green; he was close to it." "Moonshine," quietly repeated Oliver. "What on earth causes him to say it I can't make out. Look there"--holding out the end of the cigar he had lighted, and was smoking--"what colour do you call that?" "Red. All the world could tell that." "Why don't you say it's green?" "Because it is not green." "Just so. Neither was the red lamp."