The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-04
CHATTER VI. The Lie.

@ CHATTER VI
 The Lie.
 The inquest on Ben Holland was held on the following day at three o'clock
 The doctor certified that the unfor- tunate man had broken his neck. and that a fall from such height would. in nine cases out of ten, result In death.
 There was no reason to suppose that the fall was the result of anything but an accident Evidence was forthcom- ing that Ben Holland was the worse for drink when he left the Blue Boar at the foot of the village. He was big man. and his weight. alone was quite sufficient to break fence that was not altogether so sound as 1t might have been. It was easy for man to slip, and especially for a man who was not quite sober.
 An exanination Sf saS path close to of a.strugsle. But the ground by the edge of the quarry had story of its own to tell The ruprooted plant, the turf ;grooved and scared with marks of finger-naiis, the scratches on the stone Itself. all pointed to the fact that the wretched man had struggled for life on the very brink of the precipice.
 Then John Shil was summoned as a witness. It was known that he had returned from the hills an hour after Ben Holland had left the village. A previous witness had deposed to hay ing met him on the far side of the hill. on the road which would take him through the Round Plantation. It was hardly credible that he had encounter ed Holland, or else he would have come AS 1t was, the coroner only sent for him after hearing the other evidence.
 The young agent entered the room with a quiet air of self-possession; and though all eyes were turned .on him, he did not appear to be in the least
 Yet he had come there with ready lie on his lips, and was glad that the room was ill-lighted.
 At the inquest on Ben Holland, John Shil gave his evidence calmly and with out hesitation. He expressed no sur prise at the coroners summons, but he said that he would have come of his own aCC0rd, II ne hau Deen throw any light on the unfortunate oc- curence.
 question. Tt is perfectly true that I returned from Snowiand to Laver- stone that very afternoon, and should probably have met Ben Holland If l had passed through the Round Planta- tation; as matter of fact, however. when I reached the gate of the plan tation I remembered that Mir. Harpft had written to me two days previously about one of his gates. Is that hot so. Mr. Harpit?''
 That be so, sir" replied a sturdy, red-bearded farmer. who was serving on the jury, about them bars. and the sheep agettin' through, and hurtin' or themselves
 50. instead of going through the plantation" Shil continued. I came round the side of it. looked at the gate in qeustion, and joined the road again at the bottom of the wood"
 And you heard nothingT
 T heard nothing" he replied.
 Further questions followed, and there was a discussion about times, rates Of walking, with the view of discovering the plantation while John Shil was proceeding round the edge of il. The agent answered the questions politely. but his answers threw no further light on the matter.
 Thank you, Mr. Shil,'' said the cor- oner, when the discussion had died away T am sorry we have been obliged to troable you. don't think we need detain you any longer" ward demeanor was calm, unnatural calm in the eyes of those who knew him. Ben Holland had few friends in Laverstone. but for all that he was one of the little circle of village life. He had been born, and had lived and had died in the quiet hamlet at the foot of the Stonewood Hills. It was impossible for those who had known him all his life to emotion. But John Shil was as cool and collected as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. There was not even tremor in his voice.