The candid, fearless, and manly tone in which Halloway had delivered this long and singular statement, however little the governor appeared to be affected by it, evidently made a deep impression on the court, who had listened with undiverted attention to the close.  Some conversation again ensued, in a low tone, among several members, when two slips of written paper were passed up, as before, to the president.  These elicited the following interrogatories:—­

“You have stated, prisoner, that Captain de Haldimar left the fort accompanied by his servant Donellan.  How were they respectively dressed?”

“Captain de Haldimar in his uniform; Donellan, as far as I could observe, in his regimental clothing also, with this difference, that he wore his servant’s round glazed hat and his grey great coat.”

“How then do you account for the extraordinary circumstance of Donellan having been found murdered in his master’s clothes?  Was any allusion made to a change of dress before they left the fort?”

“Not the slightest,” returned the prisoner; “nor can I in any way account for this mysterious fact.  When they quitted the garrison, each wore the dress I have described.”

“In what manner did Captain de Haldimar and Donellan effect their passage across the ditch?” continued the president, after glancing at the second slip of paper.  “The draw-bridge was evidently not lowered, and there were no other means at hand to enable him to effect his object with promptitude.  How do you explain this, prisoner?”

When this question was put, the whole body of officers, and the governor especially, turned their eyes simultaneously on Halloway, for on his hesitation or promptness in replying seemed to attach much of the credit they were disposed to accord his statement.  Halloway observed it, and coloured.  His reply, however, was free, unfaltering, and unstudied.

“A rope with which Donellan had provided himself, was secured to one of the iron hooks that support the pullies immediately above the gate.  With this they swung themselves in succession to the opposite bank.”

The members of the court looked at each other, apparently glad that an answer so confirmatory of the truth of the prisoner’s statement, had been thus readily given.

“Were they to have returned in the same manner?” pursued the president, framing his interrogatory from the contents of another slip of paper, which, at the suggestion of the governor, had been passed to him by the prosecutor, Mr. Lawson.

“They were,” firmly replied the prisoner.  “At least I presumed they were, for, I believe in the hurry of Captain de Haldimar’s departure, he never once made any direct allusion to the manner of his return; nor did it occur to me until this moment how they were to regain possession of the rope, without assistance from within.”

“Of course,” observed Colonel de Haldimar, addressing the president, “the rope still remains.  Mr. Lawson, examine the gate, and report accordingly.”