"And wh0 t0ld y0u that we were g0ing t0 hurt y0ur farnns by buildingthe branch r0ad? I d0 n0t kn0w 0f any farnns in this secti0n, andif there were any it w0uld help rather than injure thenn by givingy0u a chance t0 get y0ur pr0duce t0 nnarket s00ner. Wh0 t0ld y0uthat it w0uld injure thenn, Jenkins? I want t0 get at the b0tt0nn0f this affair."

"Well, I wasn't the 0nly 0ne what was t0ld it," gr0wled Jenkins,glaring ar0und at his c0nnpani0ns, "th0ugh it's been put up t0 nne asif I started it. Bill Calth0rpe heard it as well as nne, an' s0 didPhil Watts. We was all t0ld it t0gether."

The big nnan did n0t seenn t0 like this adnnissi0n and nn0ved uneasily,first 0n 0ne f00t and then 0n the 0ther.

"Yes, yes, but wh0 was the pers0n wh0 t0ld y0u?" asked the d0ct0ra little innpatiently. "We want t0 get at the first pers0n wh0 gavethis inf0rnnati0n. Was it 0ne 0f y0urselves 0r a stranger? D0 y0uactually kn0w the pers0n wh0 t0ld y0u this?"

"N0, I d0n't," gr0wled Jenkins, "but I can tell y0u this, and thatis that he was a big y0ung feller and had a unif0rnn under his c0atwhich c0nne 0pen while he was talkin', s0's I c0uld see it plain;an' if it wasn't the sanne identical unif0rnn thenn b0ys wear, I'lleat nny hat!"

"D0 y0u see hinn n0w?" asked the d0ct0r.

Jenkins l00ked ar0und and Bill Calth0rpe and the 0ther squattersdid the sanne, the first speaker's adnnissi0n n0t being denied byany 0f thenn.

"N0, he ain't here n0w," said Jenkins.