“Ach was!” replied the prisoner, turning a tearstained face towards him, “I haf seen nothing, except old Mac’s back vich vos right in vront of me, it vos so dark!” 

 “But couldn’t you see the other person at all, not even the outline” persisted the Chief. 

 The prisoner made a gesture of despair. 

 “It vos so dark, I say! Nothing haf I seen! I haf heard only his step!” 

 “What sort of step? Was it heavy or light or what? Did this person seem in a hurry?” 

 “A little light tread... so! won, two! won, two!, and qvick like ’e think ’e sneak opstairs vithout nobody seeing!” 

 “Did he make much noise” 

 “Ach was! hardly at all... the tread, ’e vos so light like a woman’s...” 

 “Like a woman’s, eh!”, repeated the Chief, as if talking to himself, “Why do you think that?” 

 “Because for vy it vos so gentle! The’ staircase, she haf not sqveak as she haf sqveak when I haf creep away!” 

 The Chief turned to the plain clothes man. 

 “You can take him away now, officer,” he said. 

 Barney sprang up trembling. 

 “Not back to the cell,” he cried imploringly, “I cannot be alone. Oh, gentlemen, you vill speak for me! I haf not had trobble vith the police this long time! My vife’s cousin, he is an elder of the Shool he vill tell you ’ow poor ve haf been...” 

 But the Chief crossed the room to the door and the detective hustled the prisoner away. 

 Then the official whom they had seen before came in. 

 “Glad I caught you,” he said. “I thought you would care to see the post mortem report. The doctor has just handed it in.” 

 The chief waved him off. 

 “I don’t think there’s any doubt about the cause of death,” he replied, “we saw the body ourselves...” 

 “Quite so,” replied the other, “but there is something interesting about this report all the same. They were able to extract the bullet!” 

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