“I led a wandering life over there—that of honest work sometimes, that of doubtful speculation often; was a billiard marker in Chicago, a bar-tender in San Francisco, a digger in the silver mines of Colorado.
“It was years before I heard what had become of my comrades in that fatal night’s adventure. I feared that some of them had been caught, tried and sent to penal servitude; but I never once imagined that any harm could have come to young Wyvil, who was not in it at all, and only happened to be in our company by accident, and somewhat against his will, and in total ignorance of our intention to stop the coach that night.
“But one day, about seven years after I had left England, and while I was in Colorado, I fell in with an old neighbor from Orton. He, too, had come to seek his fortunes in the new world and had drifted out to the silver mines.
“It was the first home-face I had seen since I had left the country. It was a great meeting, I can tell you. I scrutinized Stone’s face to see if he suspected me of complicity in that highway robbery and murder, and I was satisfied that he did not.
“I asked after old friends and acquaintances—parents or near relatives I had none to inquire of.
“He told me of this, that, or the other person, married, dead, emigrated, or remaining as before.
“Finally I asked, in turn, about the comrades who had been with me on that fatal night, and learned to my astonishment that they were living and prospering on their small farms on the great Hawkhurst estate. It was therefore evident that they had never been suspected.
“His mention of the Hawkhurst estate led me on to inquire who ruled at Hawkhurst now.
“He replied that the young squire did, of course; that no will had been found and Mr. James had entered into possession as next of kin and heir-at-law, and everybody was satisfied.
“So far our mad adventure had been successful, at least. The heir enjoyed his own and no great harm had been done, except the accidental death of that old scoundrel, so far as I knew then. And I might have remained in that happy belief if it had not been for my next question.