Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-07-18
ME BURLlNGrON FNEE pREss. THURsDAY JuIY Isl ls05

vorGs 70 Earwc-'h ana there had
found the ncw Goa ,h'I.N. Who had
cN"c been in his OWN s"tyi"o. From
him lac had learned the doia~s Of the
brothers Fo.,cro, The" left the place,
md from him re had nsccrtaincd that
hey had not yet returned. Then loGv-
ing hi, man Ivy the body he had come
straight TO my unclc's.
Presently we came on the footpnth
leading from Ranworth across the
fields to Rathcrby wood. II was Il
mere trail of bare earth worn by sue
ressivc feet amid the grass. II was
damp, and we all stopped and exam
ined the footmarlls that were TO be
'ccn on it. They all pointed one way
toward the wood in the distance.
"Fortunately it's not greatly fire.
qucnted path" Mr.. IIardwicl5 said.
you sec, there are the marks Of three
pairs of feet only and as first Sncathy
and then both of the brothers came
this way the footmarlts must be theirs.
Which are Sncnthy's is plain-thoy are
these large, fat ones. If you notice
hey are all distinctly visible in the
center of the track, showing plainly
that they belong TO the man who
Falkcd alone, which was Sneathy. OF
The others, the marks of the outside feet
the left on the left side and the right
On the right-arc often not visible
Clearly they belong to the two men
walking side by side and, moro often
than not, trcading with their outer
feet on the grass at the side. And
whore these happen to drop on the
same spot as the marks in the middle.
they cover them. Plainly, they are the
footmarls Of Henry and Robert Foster,
made as they followed Sneathy. Don't
you agree with mo, Mr.. HEWITT"
ooh, yes, that's very plain. YoS
have better pair Of eyes than most
people, Mr. IIardwicl1, and good idea
Of using them to. We win go on to the
wood now. AS II matter of fact | can
pretty clearly distinguish most of the
othcr footmarlls-t those on the grass.
but that's matter of much training. -"
We followed the footpath, keeping
on the grass at It's side, in case it should
be desirable to refer again to the foot.
tracks. For some little distance into
the wood the tracks continued as before,
those Of the brothers OVERLAPPING those
of Sneathy. Then there was a differ.
ence. The Path here was broader, and
muddy, because of the proximity OF
trees, and suddenly the outer foot.
prints separated, and no more overlap
the longer ones in the center, but pro.
ceeded at an equal distance on either
side of them.
"Sce there" cried Mr.. IIardwick
pointing triumphantly to the spot,
this is where they overlook him, and
walked on either side. The body was
found only little further on-you
could see the place now if the path
didn't sig-zag about So"
Hewitt said nothing, but stopped and
examined the tracks at the sides with
great care and evident thought, span.
ming the distances between them COM
paratively with his arms Then he
rose and stepped lightly from one rk
to another, taking care not to tread on
the mark itself. Very good" he said,
shortly, on finishing his examination.
Gwen go on
We went on, and presently came to
the place where the body lay. Here
the ground sloped from the left down
toward the right and tiny streamlet,
a mere tricllle of a foot or two wide,
ran across the path. in rainy seasons
It was probably wider, for all the earth
and clay had been washed away for
some feet on each side, leaving fiat,
bare and very coarse gravel on which
the trail was lost. just beyond this,
and to the left, the body lay on grassy
knoll under the limb of tree from
which still depended a part of the cut
rope, 1t was not a pleasant sight. The
man was soft, feshy creature, prob
ably rather under than over the me-
dunn height, and he lay there, with his