"Then, to your knowledge, there wasn't no row of any sort occurring round here to-night?" went on the policeman.
"Not that I heard of."
"Well, if there had a-been you'd a-heard of it, wouldn't you?"
"Sure I would!"
"That's good," said the policeman. He jabbed a gloved thumb toward the two witnesses. "Then, see here, Harris! Bein' as it was an accident pure and simple and your own fault besides, nobody—no outsider—couldn't a-had nothin' to do with your gettin' hurt, could he?"
"Not a thing in the world," replied Harris.
"Not a thing in the world," echoed the station master.
"And you ain't got any charge to make against anybody for what was due to your own personal awkwardness, have you?" suggested the blue-coated prompter.
"Certainly I ain't!" disclaimed Harris almost indignantly.
Mallard broke in: "You can't do this—you men," he declared hoarsely. "I struck that man and I'm glad I did strike him—damn him! I wish I'd killed him. I'm willing to take the consequences. I demand that you make a report of this case to your superior officer."