upon taking an oath. If, however, he cites an overt cause—such as a fire—then one of three situations obtains:

• Should the fire and the breadth of its destruction be common knowledge, his statement is accepted without requiring an oath.
• If the fire is known but its reach is not, his word is accepted after he swears to that effect.
• If no fire is known, he must first produce evidence of it and then swear that the deposit was destroyed as a result.

If he claims that he has returned the deposit to the very person who entrusted him, he is believed upon oath. Should he allege that he handed it over to someone else—such as the owner’s heirs—or if the heir of the depositary maintains that the depositary returned it to the owner, or if, while travelling, the depositary placed it with a trustworthy agent who now claims to have delivered it to the owner, evidence is required. Any denial after the owner has demanded his property renders the depositary liable.