"Yet it falls short of the truth Dr. Herrick. However the man is dead, so we may leave him at rest. He met with a terrible death, and his own familiar friend put an end to him. The Colonel had not much human feeling but when dying he must have felt a pang at the thought that the only creature he had been kind to was putting him out of the way." "Humph!" said Jim using his favourite ejaculation, "do you believe that Frisco did kill him?" "I do not know anyone else who could have done so. And if he did not, why did he run away? Why does he keep hidden? Yes, Dr. Herrick, I think the crime can be safely put down to his account. Queer man too," added Frith reflectively, "he was slangy and a good bit of a brute, yet there was something of the gentleman about him. He could speak good English when he chose, which was not often." "The Colonel brought him from South America?" "Did he now?" said Frith sharply, "I never knew that before. Frisco at times came up about Carr's business but he was careful to say nothing about himself. He seemed fond of his master. That is why it is so strange he should have killed him. But then we know that the collie, which is the most faithful of dogs, goes mad at times and attacks his master. I expect it was something of the same kind with Frisco." "Do you know how the Colonel made his money?" asked Herrick. "No! nor does anyone else that I know of. I am certain of one thing, that it was made in some shady way. Carr was an out and out bad lot. A kind of Captain Kidd." "Strange that you should mention his name in conjunction with Kidd. He had a treasure likewise, had he not?" "What do you mean by 'had a treasure likewise?'" Herrick considered a minute before replying. As a rule he was not a man given to loose speaking, and preferred to do his own work without the assistance of any one. But he saw that Frith was a shrewd and capable man, and that in case of need, his advice was not to be despised. So far as Joyce was concerned, Jim did not intend to say anything at present, as he was not yet sure of his ground and even had he been sure, he would have hesitated to betray his friend, however guilty he might be. Concerning Don Manuel, he had no such scruples, so he then and there told the lawyer all that had passed at the flat. Frith listened attentively, but seemed in no way astonished. "It is the sort of thing one would expect from Carr," he said. "The man was a bad lot, and I daresay if we knew all the details of that expedition we should find it less innocent than this Mexican has depicted. Still, leaving the man amongst the Indians was bad enough. So that was how he made his money. I always knew it was not made in any respectable way." "Few fortunes are," said Herrick dryly.