" and all
their eyes settled on him--the Doctor's professionally.

"Surely you have suffered enough in this matter, Mr. Gard," suggested
the Vicar.

"I would give a good deal, and do a good deal, to get to the bottom of
it all. Things will never settle down properly till this matter is
disposed of."

That, of course, was obvious to them all, but all had the same feeling
that he had already suffered enough in the matter.

But consideration of the Doctor's suggestion in all its aspects only
served to convince them that, if any such scheme was to be carried out,
it could only be done among themselves, and its dangers were obvious.

It was not a matter to be lightly undertaken by any man. For whoever
undertook the role of decoy, undoubtedly took his life in his hands; and
they spent many evenings over it.

The Vicar was absolutely against the idea, but had no alternative to
suggest.

"It is simply playing with death," said he, "and no man has a right to
do that."

"It means a good deal for the Island if we can clear it up," said the
Senechal.

But, by degrees, they got to discussion of how it might be done, and
from that to the actual doing was only a heroic step.

The decoy's head must be well padded, of course, for the heads of both
victims had been the points of attack.

He must be well armed also, and being forewarned and more, he ought to
be able to give a certain account of himself.

And then the Doctor and the Senechal would be close at hand and on the
keen look-out for emergencies.

The Doctor undertook to pad his head with something in the nature of a
turban under his hat, which, he vowed, would resist the impact of iron
blows better than metal itself.

"Leave my ears loose, anyway," said Gard. "I'd like at all events to be
able to hear it coming."

The Senechal had a weapon, part pistol and the rest blunderbuss, which
had belonged to his father, who had always referred to it affectionately
as his "dunderbush." It had seen strange doings in its time, but had
been so long retired from the active list, that he undertook to load and
fire it himself before he said any more about it.

And he did it next day, with a full charge, in his meadow, with the
assistance of a gate-post and a long cord, and reported it at night as
in excellent order, and calculated to blow into smithereens anything
blowable that stood up before it within the short limit of its range.

At this stage in its proceedings the Vi