"What was your opinion of Colonel Carr?"
"Well," drawled the lawyer with a quick glance, "that is rather a leading question. The man is dead, and he was a good client to us. But speaking as man to man and in confidence doctor, I think he was the greatest scoundrel in the Three Kingdoms."
"That's rather strong Mr. Frith."
"Yet it falls short of the truth Dr. Herrick. However the man is dead, so we may leave him at rest. He met with a terrible death, and his own familiar friend put an end to him. The Colonel had not much human feeling but when dying he must have felt a pang at the thought that the only creature he had been kind to was putting him out of the way."
"Humph!" said Jim using his favourite ejaculation, "do you believe that Frisco did kill him?"
"I do not know anyone else who could have done so. And if he did not, why did he run away? Why does he keep hidden? Yes, Dr. Herrick, I think the crime can be safely put down to his account. Queer man too," added Frith reflectively, "he was slangy and a good bit of a brute, yet there was something of the gentleman about him. He could speak good English when he chose, which was not often."
"The Colonel brought him from South America?"
"Did he now?" said Frith sharply, "I never knew that before. Frisco at times came up about Carr's business but he was careful to say nothing about himself. He seemed fond of his master. That is why it is so strange he should have killed him. But then we know that the collie, which is the most faithful of dogs, goes mad at times and attacks his master. I expect it was something of the same kind with Frisco."
"Do you know how the Colonel made his money?" asked Herrick.
"No! nor does anyone else that I know of. I am certain of one thing, that it was made in some shady way. Carr was an out and out bad lot. A kind of Captain Kidd."