the discovery did not startle mercer as much as it otherwise might have done. there had been so many strange events during the last two days that an incident like this was trifling by comparison. still it had its bearing upon the central mystery, and wilfred was not disposed to underrate its importance. he wondered why he had not connected the negro of the night before with the imperial circus, for the big negro was the kind of man to be attached to this sort of undertaking. and this having been established it followed logically that the strange little men were to be identified with the circus also. wilfrid felt glad he had come. he had forgotten about his own affairs in the excitement of the moment.
"i hope you won't mind," he whispered hurriedly to his companion, "but i should rather like to hear what takes place between you and your interesting client. i know the request is unusual, but i have the strongest reasons for making it, as i will explain to you presently."
"well, it is irregular," vardon said dubiously. "still, there is no great secret about the matter. the negro is charged with an assault, and i have been asked to defend him. you can sit down and smoke a cigarette and hear as much or as little as you like."
fortunately the negro's english was good enough. probably he had been in the country for a long time. he stated his case clearly, and, so far as wilfrid could gather, he relied for his defence on an alibi.
"it was like this, sir," he said. "there were a lot of soldiers over here from the barracks last night, and most of them had been drinking. mr. gordon, he stood it as long as he could, and then the men were offered their money back to leave. the noise got worse and worse till at last we were obliged to turn them out. they say that i followed them down the road and struck one of them, who is now in hospital, so violent a blow that he fell and hurt his head. they say that there was no cause for me to do this at all. i say that they made a mistake, because i was away from the circus on business last night and did not get back till half-past eleven. if you will ask mr. gordon he will prove that what i say is true."
"in that case, there is an end of the whole business," vardon said cheerfully. "i should like to have a few words with mr. gordon."
the negro hesitated and appeared to be confused.
"must we do that, sir?" he asked. "you see, i was away on very important business. i had to go and look for two men who were missing. if i am asked questions about them i shall not be able to answer. but i am telling the truth, sir, when i say that i was away last night, and mr. gordon will tell you the same thing."
wilfrid could have told vardon so, too, but he held his tongue. it was singular that circumstances should have placed him in a position to prove the truth of the negro's words. it was strange, too, that the african should have been so eager to conceal his movements on the previous evening. vardon listened impatiently.
"but that is all nonsense," he said. "you don't seem to understand what a serious position you are in. a man in hospital is badly hurt. he declares that he gave you no provocation whatever, and he has a score of witnesses to prove that your attack was brutal and uncalled for. if you can't prove beyond a doubt that you were elsewhere last night, you will be committed to take your trial at the assizes, and at the very least you will not get off under two years' imprisonment. in any case, the alibi will be a difficult one to establish; all the more because negroes of your size are not to be found wandering about in every country road. now, are you alone here? have you any fellow-countrymen in the circus?"
"two," the ethiopian replied. "only two besides myself. but the others are men just about the usual size, and they were in the stable all the time."
"that is rather awkward," vardon murmured. "still, as we are not very far from chatham, where there are sailors of all kinds, it is possible that one of your own countrymen about your own build might have been coming along at the time. as those fellows were all more or less intoxicated some insulting remarks might have been made. still, it is in your own hands. and unless mr. gordon comes forward and speaks for you, your position is by no means a safe one."
the negro began to comprehend now. he glanced uneasily at the face of his lawyer.
"i'll go and see, sir," he said.
he came back presently with a large, florid-looking individual, loudly dressed and smoking an exceedingly strong cigar. the pattern of his clothing proclaimed the man, as also did his white bowler hat, which was jauntily cocked on the side of his head. wilfrid hardly needed to look at the man to recognize him as the individual who had been driving the dogcart near maldon grange the night before. indeed, wilfrid would have been surprised to see anybody else.
"this is mr. gordon, sir," the negro said.
"quite at your disposal," the proprietor of the circus said floridly. "this poor chap of mine seems to have got himself into trouble. but whatever those drunken scamps say, sam is innocent, for the simple reason he wasn't here last night. he was out on important business for me; in fact, we were out together. it is rather a nuisance because i don't want our errand to become public property, as it had to do with two of my troupe who had absconded. we have only been in england two or three days and within twenty-four hours those fellows took french leave. a great nuisance it is, too, because they were down for a turn which would have packed the circus for the next month to come. and i give you my word for it, i picked up those two fellows at marseilles where they were absolutely starving. and after costing me thirty or forty pounds between them, they go off and leave me in the lurch like this. still, i can speak plainly enough now because they have vanished again. i thought i had them safe and sound last night, but those chaps are slippery as eels. i am not going to trouble any more about them and i'll just cut my loss and let them slide. and now, sir, i am prepared to go into the witness-box and take my oath that sam here was with me in my cart ten miles from castlebridge at the moment when the assault was committed. is that good enough?"
wilfrid could have testified the same had he chosen to do so, but it was not for him to speak then. he had learnt a great deal the last ten minutes. he had learnt that the two mysterious men who had caused such commotion at maldon grange were foreigners who had been members of the circus troupe. it was obvious, too, why they had signed an agreement with gordon. they had been eager to come to england, and for that reason had jumped at gordon's offer. perhaps they had ascertained that, sooner or later, the wanderings of the circus would bring them in more or less close contact with samuel flower. an absence from the circus the night before was easily explained. but after being brought back again to castlebridge why had they disappeared in this extraordinary fashion? beyond all doubt they had made up their minds to murder samuel flower, but their work was far from being accomplished. therefore, why had they gone? were they following flower? had they already discovered that he had gone to london where he was likely to remain for the next few days?
wilfrid would have liked to ask the negro and his employer a few pertinent questions, but, perhaps, it was wiser not to do so for the present. he sat there quietly until vardon intimated that he did not require the negro any longer, seeing that he had in mr. gordon a witness who was sufficient for his purpose. as the african left the office wilfrid followed. without arousing the negro's suspicions he might, by two or three promiscuous questions, learn something of the two men of whom he was in search. the negro was walking along at the back of the circus, where most of the lamps were extinguished now, save an occasional naphtha flare near the spot where the men were attending to the horses. it might have been wilfrid's fancy, but it seemed to him that the african glanced cautiously about him from time to time as if afraid of being followed. mercer made a wide sweep into the darkness of the field, then waited to see what was likely to happen. he was rewarded for his diligence, for the negro stopped under a tree and proceeded to light a cigarette. the evening was calm and still so that the match flared brightly and steadily. in the narrow circle of light stood another figure in evening dress, his coat unbuttoned. just for an instant the circle of light fell upon his face and wilfrid had no difficulty in recognizing the features of samuel flower. then the match died away and the gloom became all the deeper. by the time that wilfrid had thought it prudent to creep up to the tree, flower and his companion had vanished. which way they had gone wilfrid did not know. not that it much mattered. still, the discovery was worth making and wilfrid returned to the circus in a thoughtful frame of mind. he was passing through the office again when a hand was laid upon his arm. he turned abruptly.
"swan russell!" he exclaimed. "fancy seeing you here! i thought you were at the other side of the globe."
