Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-13

leaf chung; and at one or two other marks
Of the same sort on the fore part of the
dress. That seems to show pretty plain,
ly," he said. that he must have struggled
with them and was thrown forward, doesn't
it?"
Hewitt did not reply, but gingerly lifted
the right arm by its sleeve. rs either OF
the brothers Foster lefthanded?" he asked.
mo, think not. Here, Barrett, you have
seen plenty Of their doings-cricket shoot
ing and so on-do you remember If either
is lefthanded?"
"Nayther, SIR" Mr. Hardwicks man an
swered. Both on ems righthanded."
Hewitt lifted the lapel of the coat and
attentively regarded small rent in It,
few glanoes at that Hewitt dropped it and
turned his attention to the hair. This was
coarse and dark ana long, and brushed
straight back with no parting.
This doesn't look very symmetrical, does
| it?" Hewitt remarked. pointing to the locks
| over the right ear. They were shorter
just there than on the other side, and ap-
parently very clumsily cut. whereas IN
rather well and carefully trimmed. Mr.
Hardwick said nothing. but fidgeted little
as though he considered that valuable
time was being wasted over irrelevant
trivialities
Presently, however, he spoke. There is
very little to be learned from the body, Is
there?" he said. II think I'm quite JUST,
fled in ordering their arrest, Ell? Indeed
I've wasted too much time already.
Hewitt was cropping about among some
bushes behind the tree from which the
he said: 81 don't think I should do any
thing of the sort just now, Mr.. Harwick
AS matter of fact, 1 fancy'-this word
with an emphasis-"that the brothers Fos-
ter may not have seen this man Sneathy
at all today"
CHAPTER III.
mot seen him? Why, my dear sir, there's
| no question of it. It's certain absolutely.
The evidence is positive The fact of the
threats and of the body being found SO Is
pretty well enough, 1 should think. But
that's nothing-look at those footmarks.
They've walked along with him, one each
side, without a possible doubt; plainly they
were the last people with him in any case
And you don't mean to ask ANYBODY TO
believe that the dead man, even II he
hanged himself. cut off his own hand first:
Even If you do, where's the hand? And
even putting aside all these considerations,
such a complete case in itself, the Fosters
must at least have seen the body as they
| came past, and yet nothing has been heard
Of them yet. Why didn't they spread the
| alarm? They went straight away in the
| opposite direction from home-there are
their footmarks. which you've not seen yet,
beyond the gravel"
Hewitt stepped over to where the patch
of clean gravel ceased, at the opposite side
to that from which he had approached the
brook, and there. sure enough, were the
now familiar footmarks Of the brothers
leading away from the scene of Sneathy' 8
end.
YES" Hewitt said, II see them. OF
course Mr.. Hardwick. you'll do what seems
| not much harm will be done by the arrest
beyond terrible fright for that unfortu-
| nate family. Nevertheless. If you care for
my impression, it is, as l have said. that t
the Fosters have not seen Sneathy To-Day.
But what about the hand?"
LAS to that 1 have a conjecture, but as
yet only conjecture, and II told 1t you
would probably call 1t absurd-certainly
cusably. The case is a complicated one,
| and if there is anything at all in my con-
lecture, one of the most remarkable l have
ever had to do with. 1t interests me in
tensely. and 1 shall devote little time to
following up the theory 1 have formed.
You have, ! suppose, already communi-
| Gated with the poice?'
Il wired to Shopperton at once as soon
as heard of the matter. It's twelve
mile drive. but l wonder the police have
not arrived yet. They can't be long; don't
know where the village constable has got
to, but in any case he wouldn't be much
good. But as to your idea that the Fosters
can't be suspected-well. nobody could re-
spect your opinion, Mr.. Hewitt, more than
| myself, but, really-just think. The no.
tons impossible-fftyfold impossible. AS
soon as the police arrive shall have that
trail followed and the Fosters apprehended.
1 should be a fool If 1 didn't"
Very well, Mr.. Hardwick," Hewitt re-
Piled, you'll do what you consider your
duty, Of course. and quite properly. Though
would recommend you to take another
look at those three trails in the path. I
shall take a look in this direction" And
he turned up by the side of the streamlet,
keeping on the gravel at its side.
l followed. We climbed the rising ground,
and presently among the trees came to the
place where the little rill emerged from the
| broken ground in the highest part Of the
wood. Here the clean gravel ceased and
fharn lar ofrh of vaf OICN WOW
ground. Several marks left by the feet of
| cattle were there, and one or two human
footmarks. Two OF these Ia pair. the new
est and the most distinct Hewitt studied
carefully. and measured in each direction
Notice these marks" he said. They
may be of importance or they may not
that We shall see. Fortunately they are
very dstinctive-the right foot is badly
| worn. one, and small tag of leather;
where the sole Is damaged, is doubled over
| and trodden into the soft earth. Nothing
could be luckief. Clearly they are the
most recent footsteps in this direction
from the main road. which lies right ahead,
| through the rest of the wood
Then you think somebody else has been
or the scene of the tragedy beside the
victim and the brothers?" said.
"Yes, l do But bark; there is vehicle
in the road. Can you see between the
| trees? Yes. it is the police cart. We shall
| be able to report its arrival to Mr.. Hard
wick we go down."
We turned and walked rapidly down the
| incline to where We came from. Mr.. Hard
wick and his man We're still there, and
another rustic had arrived to cape. We
| told Mr.. Hardwick that he might expect
| the police presently, and proceeded along
| the gravel skirting the stream, toward the
lower part of the wood
Here Hewitt proceeded very cautiously,
keeping a sharp lookout on either side for
| footprints on the neighboring soft ground.
| There were none. however, for the gravel
margin of the stream made sort of foot
path of itself, and the trees and under
growth were close and thick on each side.
| At the bottom we emerged from the wood
| on small piece of open ground skirting
| a lane, and here, just by the side of the
| lane where the stream fell into a trench,
| Hewitt suddenly pounced on another foot
mark. He was unusually excited.
"See,' ne said, here 1t is-the right foot
| with it's broken leather, and the CORE
| spending left foot on the damp edge of the
| lane itself. He-the man with the broken
shoe-has walked on the hard gravel all
| the way down from the source of the
stream, and his is the only trail unaccount-
| ed for near the body. Come, Brett, we've
| an adventure on foot. Do you care to let
| your uncle's dinner go by the board and
| follow?'
Cant we go back and tell him?''
"No-there's no time to lose, we must
| follow IN this manor at least I muSt