But the witness was not to be released just yet, in spite of this intimation. "Wait a bit," said the counsel for the prosecution. "You saw the prisoner take up the gun, point it at the deceased and fire. Was all this done deliberately?"
"It was not done hurriedly, sir."
"Answer my question, witness. Was it deliberately done?"
"I think it was. His movements were slow. Perhaps," added poor Hewitt, willing to suggest a loophole of escape for his master, "perhaps Sir Adam had forgotten the gun was loaded, and only fired it off to frighten Scott. It was in the morning he had been shooting the birds: hours before; he could easily have forgotten that it was loaded. My master is not a cruel man, but a humane one."
"How came he to leave the gun out there for so many hours, if he had done with it?" asked the judge.
"I don't know, my lord. I suppose he forgot to bring it in when he came in to dinner. Sir Adam is naturally very careless indeed."
One of the jury spoke. "Witness, what was it that you wanted with your master when you went out that evening?"
"A telegram had come for him, sir, and I went to take it to him."
"What did the telegram contain? Do you know?"
"I believe it came from Foxwood, sir."