"And where was the dog all this time?"
The farmer blanched, "He—he done stayed outside. He saw it was all right."
"Where's the dog now?"
"I sold him. I mean he ran away. You can't keep a dog forever, Mister."
Faircloth's face was very near the old man's. "The stranger was out on the porch and you talked to him and let him come in. And then what did you do?"
"I—he sat down at the table, I think—I—I—"
"You went over to get some food from the stove, didn't you?"
"Yes, yes, that's right."
"And then you saw blood on his pants, didn't you? And you remembered hearing your dog give a yelp out in the yard, didn't you? The stranger had blood all over his pants and boots, didn't he?"
The farmer's eyes were wide with fear. He was shaking his head helplessly. "No—no—"