The former was dead, but an examination showed that he had received no wound that would account for his demise.
"No, boys," groaned Badger, "he wasn't hurt much at all, but I was the feller that suffered."
"Then how did Shirley come to die?" asked Collins.
"Die! Coz, he was a coward."
"What do you mean, Badger?"
"He said the game was up, so he took poison to finish hisself."
"Poison!" exclaimed all.
"Yes, poison. He wanted me to take some, too, but I'd rather hang. Look round and you'll find the thing that held it."
The searchers did not have far to look, for clasped in the dead man's right hand they found a small vial with a death's head and cross-bones on the label, which contained the legend, in red letters, "Sulph. Morphia."
"Badger."