Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-08-16

Presently, however, he spoke. There
is very little to be learned from the
body, is there?' he said. Il think I'm
quite justified in ordering their arrest,
eh? Indeed I've wasted too much time
already"
Hewitt was groping about among
some bushes behind the tree from
which the corpse had been taken.
When he answered he said: IT don't
think should do anything of the sort
just now, Mr.. Harwicll. As a matter
of fact, fancy" word with an EN-.
phasis-''that the brothers Foster may
not have seen this man Sneathy at all
to-day"
CHAPTER Ill
"Not 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 treated so is pretty well
enough, | should think. But that's
nothing = look at those footmarlls.
They've walked along with him, one
each side, without Il 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 if 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 direc-
ton from home-therc are their foot
marks, which you've not seen yet, be-
yond the gravel"
Hewitt stepped over to where the
patch of clean gravel ceased, at the OPP
posite side to that from which we had
approached the brook, and there, sure
enough, were the now familiar foot
marks of the brothers leading away
from the scene of Sncathy's end.
"Yes," Hewitt said; Il see them. OF
course, Mr.. HardwiclI, you'll do what
seems right in your own eyes, and in
any case not much harm will be done
by the arrest beyond terrible fright
for that unfortunate family. Never
theless, if you care for my impression
it is, as l have said, that the Fosters
have not seen Sneathy to-day"
"But what about the hand?"
"As to that have conjecture, but
rs yet it is only conjecture, and if l
told it you would probably call it alb
surd-certainly you'd disregard it, and
perhaps quite excusably. The case is
complicated one, and if there is any
thing at all in my conjecture, one of
the most remarkable have ever had to
do with. 1t interests me intensely,
and shall devote little time to fol-
lowing up the theory have formed.
You have, l suppose, already commune
Gated with the police?"
Il wired to Shopperton at once as
soon as heard of the matter. It's
twelve-mile drive, bat l wonder the
police have not arrived yet. They
can't be long; l 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 notions mpossible-fifty-fold inn
possible. AS soon as the police arrive l
shall have that trail followed and the
Fosters apprehended. 1 should be
fool if 1 didn't"
Very well, Mr.. Hardwick," Hewitt
replied, 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. l shall take q look in this direc-
ton" And he turned up by the side of
the streamlct, keeping on the gravel at
its side.
| 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 there was
large patch of wet clayey ground. Sew
eral marks left by the feet of cattle
We're there, and one or two human foot
marks Two of these "a pair, the new-
est and the most distinct, Hewitt
studied carefully, and measured in each
direction.
'Notice these marks, he said. "Thcy
may be of Importance or they may not
that we shall see. Fortunately they
are very distinctive-the right foot is a
badly worn one, and a small tag of
leather, where the sole is damaged, Is
doubled over and trodden into the soft
earth. Nothing could be lucllier. Clear
ly 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 on the scene of the tragedy, be- |
side the victim and the brothers?" l |
said.
''Yes, do. But bark; there is a vehi-
Gle 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.. |
Hardwick as we go down"
We turned and walked rapidly down |
the incline to where we came from. Mr.. |
Hardwiclt and his man were still there,
and another rustic had arrived to cape |
We told Mr. Hardwicl< that ne rnipht |