“And as for me; don’t think twice about it,” added Brendon.  “I’m here for one reason only, and that you know.  You and your private hopes and ambitions have nothing to do with me.”

Upon this speech the Italian appeared to regain his composure.

“I am a servant for the moment and my duty is to Mr. Redmayne,” he answered.  “This is the message that I have been told to bring.  The hunted man will not trust himself behind doors or under a roof, until he has seen his brother alone.  He is hiding now near the place where Mrs. Pendean and I found him, in a cave beside the sea.  It opens upon the water and it can be approached by boat.  But there is a way also inside, that enables him to creep down into the cave from the cliffs behind it.  He will be in this place until his brother comes, to-morrow night after twelve o’clock.  But the way down from the land is hidden very carefully and he will not speak of that.  You must go to him from the sea, my master.  He thought it out while he spoke to me.  He will light his lamp in the cave, and when the light is seen from the launch, you will put in and come to him.  That is what he demands shall be done; and if anybody tries to land but only his brother, he will shoot them.  So he swears, and he said also that when Bendigo Redmayne knows all, then he will forgive all and be on his side.”

“Did he talk like a sane man?” asked Brendon.

“He talked like a sane man; but he is at his last gasp.  He must have had mighty strength once, only it is now worn down to nothing.”

An uneasy thought passed through the detective’s mind.  Could it be possible that Doria, while speaking previously to Bendigo about private affairs, had discovered his presence in the great cupboard and then warned Robert Redmayne that he would not meet his brother alone?  He dismissed the suspicion, however, for Doria’s surprise and anger when he emerged were genuine enough.  Moreover there appeared no reason why Giuseppe should side with the fugitive.

Bendigo spoke.

“So be it,” he said.  “It’s a matter of life and death now and I’m sorry we must wait till another night.  We’ll fetch out in the launch and, when we see the light, go in and hail him.”

Then he turned to Brendon.

“I’ll ask you to hold off until I’ve seen the poor chap.  As a brother I ask it.”

“Trust me.  It’s quite understood that nothing shall be done now until you have seen him and reported.  It may not be regular, but common humanity suggests that.”

“You can stop here to-morrow night,” continued the sailor.  “And if I prevail with the unfortunate man I’ll bring him off in the launch.  Then we’ll talk sense to him.  We’ve got to remember that nobody’s ever heard his side.”

“If Captain Redmayne had a side he wouldn’t have run away, or taken the extraordinary pains that he did take to conceal his victim,” answered Mark.  “Don’t buoy yourself up to suppose that will be a possible line of defence.  We’re far more likely to get him off by proving a homicidal act under the influence of shell shock—­and the less reason there was for murdering Michael Pendean, the more reason there will be for supposing your brother out of his mind and therefore guiltless when he did it.”