The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-06-27
"He carried a lot of ready money"

asked, with knowing look.
IAN exceedingly valuable watch and
chain-gold," | replied "And, if you
want to know, he had very fine dia
mond in his necktie, and another In Il
ring on his left hand. He'd also
solid gold cigar case and solid gold
matchbox"
The sergeant gave me an emphatic
nod.
"Then I'll tell you what 1t isl" he
exclaimed. "And no mistake either!
This is a case of murder and rob
berry! What heres gentleman
with all that on him walks out on
lonely moor in full view of all those
drover chaps that was about here last
night and comes from Lord knows
where-why, of course, some of EN-
followed him, and did him in for what
they could get! Murder, sir-that's
what it is, and followed by robbery
never heard of a clearer easel"
"If it is So" | asked. "how is it
that his body hasn't been found?"
"Ah!" he answered, giving me
significant look. you don't know
these parts, sir. They're wilder nor
what you'd think. There's places here
where you could drop body, quiet
like, and nobody'd ever find it. Bog
holes. Lots of places. | should say
that, if you meant to do it, you could
hide the vestiges of crime for ever
on Marrasdale moor"
what are you going to do?"
asked.
"Well," he replied reflectively, "it'L
have to be reported TO headquarters.
There'll be a proper search made, and
inquiries. Of course, in my opinion,
it's as | say-some o. them drOvers
has done him in and rifled his pockets.
We must circulate the news far and
wide-Mr. Bownas here'll put pieces
in the papers"
Mr.. Bownas waved his notebook.
It'll be in every principal newspaper
In England, London and provincial,
tomorrow morning." he announced.
"YOu haven't got photo of the miss
ing gentleman?"
mo-" / replied. "And I'm not at
all sure that the missing gentleman
will like so much publicity. If he
turns up"
The sergeant laughed.
Turn upw he exclaimed. "Lord
bless you hell never turn up, not If
he went out with all that valuable
property on him. Murder and rob-
berry that's what it is"
And with a final remark to the
effect that this was bad job, and he
expected it to work out as he had
predicted, the two went away.
What the local police did l don't
know, but when darkness fell that
night / was still without news of
Mazaroff. Nor did we get any during
the next day, and when the third
night after his disappearance came,
| began to feel certain that that dis
appearance was premeditated and in
territorial, and that he had just cleared
out in order to avoid the revelations
of which he had spoken to me.
1t was just coming gray dawn on
the third morning, and | was awake,
wondering what to do, when a knock
came at my door. | sprang out of
bed, opened it, and found Musgrave
and Webster, half-dressed, in the pas
sage. The landlord gave me a look.
They've found him" he whispered
"Leastwise, they've found" He
seemed to choke at that, and | turned
eagerly to the chauffeur. He, too,
showed signs of unwiIlingness. But
he got some words out.
They've found body, Mr.. Holt"
he said. "SOme place on the moors-"
.'Reiver's den," interrupted Mus
grave.
"And brought 1t here" continued
Webster. "It-the fact is, sir, the
the head's-the features, you know
gone! But the clothes, sir-they're
his"
l dressed hastily and went down
with them to the clubhouse wherein
it's finders, a local policeman and a
game watcher, had laid the body. |
am not going into details about it here
but, as somebody muttered. there
were stoatS and weasels and similar
carnivOrOus animals in hundreds on
those mOorS. Still, those were MaZa-
rOff's clothes, and there was the birth
mark he had told me of.
The news had already spread, and
Manners, the sergeant who had cues
toned me, came hurrying along. He
examined the clothing. There was
not as much as penny piece left in
the pockets; watch, chain, rings,
pocketbook, papers, were all gone. He
turned on me with look that was
as triumphant as it was significant.
"What did l tell you, captain?" he
murmured. "Didn't | say murder and
robbery? And wasn't / right? What
could be plainer?'
/ made no answer. / was thinking
of other things. However he had
come by his death, the fact remained
that Mazaroff was dead. And there
was l, as far as knew, the only per-
son in the world who 5new his secret
"a secret which meant that | should
presently have to carry this strangest
of stories to Marrasdale tower.
Later in the morning Eccleshare
came to the WoodcOck. He had heard
of the discovery, he said, and had bur-
ried over from High Cap lodge to
offer his professional services. And
just then up drove the local doctor,
on the same errand. The two of them
went to the room where the dead man
some time. AT last Eccleshare came
back, alone. su
InIf hn