CHAPTER XVII

DICK'S ACCUSATION

The party in the gun-room were silent while they waited for Jim. Mrs. Halliday glanced at the others curiously and got a sense of strain. Dick, looking disturbed but resolute, leaned against the table opposite Mordaunt, whose face was rather white; Bernard occupied the bench by the wall and his look was inscrutable. All was very quiet except for the snapping of the stove and the occasional rattle of a cinder falling through the bars. It was something of a relief when Jim came in and Bernard turned on the light.

"Sit down, Jim," he said. "Dick has something to tell us that he thinks you ought to hear. He hints that it is important."

"It is important," Dick replied. "The thing has weighed on me for some time. In fact, the load is too heavy and I feel I must get rid of it. I want to hand over my responsibility, and you are the head of the house, sir."

"Very well," said Bernard. "The post has drawbacks. You had better go on."

"Then I'll begin some time since; the night Lance and I met Jim at the telegraph shack. We talked about England and Jim asked if we knew Langrigg. There was an old French romance on a shelf and Lance read a passage. He studied the book when Jim left the shack, and I found out afterwards that Franklin Dearham's name was written across the front page. You see what this implies, sir?"

"You mean Lance knew who Jim was, although you did not. When did you find out?"

1. Where was the group sitting?
2. Who were they waiting for?
3. Were there only 2 people in the room?
4. How many were there?
5. Were they a loud group?
6. Were they sitting in a heavily lighted room?
7. Are they told to stand?
8. Why?
9. Why is he telling them this?
10. Who does he say he was talking with when reciting the story?
11. Was there a new novel on the bookcase?
12. Who was on the front page?
13. What did that imply?
1. the gun-room
2. Jim
3. No
4. Four
5. No
6. No
7. No
8. Dick has something important to say
9. The thing has weighed on him for some time
10. Lance
11. No
12. Franklin Dearham
13. Lance knew who Jim was