"No. I got behind a bush and fired. My shot touched his arm, for he clapped his hand to the wound. Then he turned with a volley of abuse to run after me. At that moment there came another shot from a clump of trees near me, and Strode fell face downward. I was so afraid at the idea of any one having been near me, and of having overheard our conversation----" "And of seeing your attempt at murder," interpolated Mask. "Yes--yes--that I dropped Allen's revolver and ran away." "I found the revolver and took it home," said Allen; "so the way you acted the next morning when Wasp came was----" "It was the morning after that," said his father drily, "on Friday, and Strode was shot on Wednesday. I never went near the Red Deeps again. I didn't know if Strode was dead, but I knew that he had been shot. I steeled myself to bear the worst, but did not make any inquiries out of policy. When Wasp came that morning at breakfast, I knew what he had to say. Strode was dead. I dreaded lest Wasp should say that the revolver had been found, in which case you might have got into trouble, Allen: but I was thankful nothing was said of it." The young man was astounded at this cool speech: but he passed it over, as it was useless to be angry with such a man. "I picked up the revolver as I said," he replied; "but about the document?" "I hadn't time to get it. The shot frightened me." "Did you see who fired the shot?" "No. I was too afraid. I simply ran away and never looked back." At this point Mask held up his hand. "I hear some one in the outer office," he said, and rose to open the door. Hill slipped behind the table quivering with fear. However, Mask returned to his seat. "I am wrong," he said, "there's no one there. Go on." "What else do you want to know?" questioned Hill irritably. "Why you fainted and left the house, when you got that cross from Giles Merry?" Hill stared. "You knew it was Giles?" he stammered; "what do you know of Giles?" "Nothing. But Mrs. Merry recognised the direction on the brown paper as being in her husband's writing. Why did you faint?" Hill looked down and then looked up defiantly. He was still standing behind the desk. "I stole the wooden hand!" "What!" cried Mask and Allen, both rising. "Yes. I had my reasons for doing so. I took it from the body, when I was in the death-chamber. I had it in my pocket when I saw you and Eva, and said it was stolen. And then," went on Mr. Hill very fast, so that Allen should not give expression to the horror which was on his face, "I took it home. But I feared lest my wife should find it and then I would get into trouble. Sarah was always looking into my private affairs," he whined, "so to stop that, I went and buried the hand on the common. Some one must have watched me, for I put that cross to mark the spot. When I opened the parcel and saw the cross I knew some one must have dug up the wooden hand and that my secret----" "What has the wooden hand to do with your secret?"