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alance and attitude by instinct； but he's fearless。'
Archie and I silently watched Jonathan approach the shore； drop the rope and ski confidently up the sloping landing place with almost as much panache as Norman himself。
Jonathan grinned。 Jonathan's streaky hair blew wetly back from his forehead。 Jonathan； changed； looked blazingly happy。
A good deal of the joy dimmed with apprehension as he looked at Archie's stunned and expressionless face。 I took a soft sports bag out of my car and held it out to him； asking him to take it with him to the dressing…rooms。
'Hi；' he said。 'OK。' He took the grip and walked off barefooted； carrying his skis。
'Incredible；' Archie said； 'but he can't ski through life。'
'It's a start；' Norman said。
After we'd stood around for a few minutes discussing Ellis we were approached by a figure in a dark blue tracksuit； wearing also black running shoes； a navy baseball cap and sunglasses and carrying a sheet of paper。 He came to within fifteen feet of us and stopped。；
'Yes？' Norman asked； puzzled； as to a stranger。 'Do you want something？'
I said； 'Take off the cap and the glasses。'
He took them off。 Jonathan's streaky hair shook forward into its normal startling shape and his eyes stared at my face。 I gave him a slight jerk of the head； and he came the last few paces and handed the paper to Norman。
Archie for once looked wholly disconcerted。 Norman read aloud what I'd written on the paper。
'Jonathan； this is an experiment。 Please put on the clothes you'll find in this bag。 Put on the baseball cap； peak forward； hiding your face。 Wear the sunglasses。 Bring this paper。 Walk towards me； stop a few feet away； and don't speak。 OK？ Thanks； Sid。'
Norman lowered the paper； looked at Jonathan and said blankly； 'Bloody hell。'
'Is that the lot？' Jonathan asked me。
'Brilliant；'I said。
'Shall I get dressed now？'
I nodded； and he walked nonchalantly away。
'He looked totally different；' Archie mented； still amazed。 'I didn't know him at all。'
I said to Norman； 'Did you look at the tape of Ellis's programme； that one I put in with my report？'
'The tape covered with stickers saying it was the property of Mrs Linda Ferns？ Yes； I did。'
'When Ellis was sitting on the floor with those children；' I said； 'he was wearing a dark tracksuit； open at the neck。 He had a peaked cap pushed back on his head。 He looked young。 Boyish。 The children responded to him 。。。 touched him 。。。 loved him。 He had a pair of sunglasses tucked into a breast pocket。'
After a silence Norman said； 'But he wouldn't。 He wouldn't wear those clothes on television if he'd worn them to mutilate the Ferns pony。'
'Oh yes he would。 It would deeply amuse him。 There's nothing gives him more buzz than taking risks。'
'A baseball cap；' Archie said thoughtfully； 'entirely changes the shape of someone's head。'
I nodded。 'A baseball cap and sports clothes can reduce any man of stature to anonymity。'
'We'll never prove it；' Norman said。
Jonathan slouched back in his own clothes and with his habitual half…sneering expression firmly in place。 Archie's exasperation with him sharply returned。
'This is not the road to Damascus；' I murmured。
'Damn you； Sid。' Archie glared； and then laughed。
'What are you talking about？' Norman asked。
'St Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus happened like a thunderclap；' Archie explained。 'Sid's telling me not to look for instant miracles by the gravel pit lake。'
Jonathan； not listening； handed me the grip。 'Cool idea；' he said。 'No one knew me。'
'They would； close to。'
'It was still a risk；' Norman objected。
'I told you；'I said；'the risk is the point。'
'It doesn't make sense。'
'Cutting off a horse's foot doesn't make sense。 Half of human actions don't make sense。 Sense is in the eye of the beholder。'
I drove back to London。
My answer…phone had answered so many calls that it had run out of recording tape。
Among the general abuse； three separate calls were eloquent about the trouble I'd stirred up。 All three of the owners of the other colt victims echoed Linda Ferns' immovable conviction。
The lady from Cheltenham： 'I can't believe you can be so misguided。 Ellis is absolutely innocent。 I wouldn't have thought of you as being jealous of him； but all the papers say so。 I'm sorry； Sid； but you're not wele here any more。'
The angry Lancashire farmer： 'You're a moron； do you know that？ Ellis Quint！ You're stupid。 You were all right as a jockey。 You should give up this pretence of being Sherlock Holmes。 You're pitiful； lad。'
The lady from York： 'How can you？ Dear Ellis！ He's worth ten of you； I have to say。'
I switched off the critical voices； but they went on reverberating in my brain。
The Press had more or less uniformly followed The Pump's lead。 Pictures of Ellis at his most handsome smiled confidently from news stands everywhere。 Trial by media found Ellis Quint the wronged and innocent hero； Sid Halley the twisted jealous cur snapping at his heels。
I'd known it would be bad： so why the urge to bang my head against the wall？ Because I was human； and didn't have tungsten nerves； whatever anyone thought。 I sat with my eyes shut； ostrich fashion。
Tuesday was much the same。 I still didn't bang my head。 Close run thing。
On the Wednesday Ellis appeared again before magistrates； who that time set him free on bail。
Norman phoned。
'Cloth ears？' he said。 'Same as before？'
'Deaf；' I assured him。
'It was fixed beforehand。 Two minutes in court。 Different time than posted。 The Press arrived after it was over。 Ellis greeted them； free； smiling broadly。'
'Shit。'
Norman said； 'His lawyers have done their stuff。 It's rubbish to think that the well…balanced personality intended to kill himself…his tie got caught somehow but he managed to free it。 The policeman he pushed failed to identify himself adequately and is now walking about fortably in a cast。 The colt Ellis is accused of attacking is alive and recovering well。 As bail is granted in cases of manslaughter； it is unnecessary to detain Ellis Quint any longer on far lesser charges。 So 。。。 he's walked。'
'Is he still to be tried？'
'So far。 His lawyers have asked for an early trial date so that he can put this unpleasantness behind him。 He will plead not guilty； of course。 His lawyers are already patting each other on the back。 And 。。。 I think there's a heavyweight manoeuvering somewhere in this case。'
'A heavyweight？ Who？'
'Don't know。 It's just a feeling。'
'Could it be Ellis's father？'
'No； no。 Quite different。 It's just 。。。 since our reports； yours and mine； reached the Crown Prosecution Service； there's been a new factor。 Political； perhaps。 It's difficult to describe。 It's not exactly a cover…up。 There's already been too much publicity； it's more a sort of re…direction。 Even officially； and not just to the Press； someone with muscle is trying to get you thoroughly； and I'm afraid I must say； malignantly discredited。'
'Thanks a bunch。'
'Sid； seriously； look out for yourself。'
I felt as prepared as one could be for some sort of catastrophic pulverisation to e my