his
back. Presently the little dog went in again with a bottle of cordial as
one of the hunters gladly gave for the purpose, for Amos Gregory was well
known for a good sport, and the field felt terrible glad as they'd been
called to save him.

As soon as he was in communication with the outer world, Amos had ordered
one thing to be done before all else, and it was done. So long before he'd
got free, for it took five hours of desperate hard work to get to him, the
police had done their bit elsewhere and arrested Ernest Gregory for the
murder of his Uncle Joe. He was spreading muck on Four Acres Field at the
time and called on God to strike the constables dead for doing such a
shameful deed as to suspect him.

'Twas all in the newspapers next day, of course, and all men agreed that
never was such an escape from death afore. In fact, my friend Amos was one
of the wonders of the Dartmoor world for a long time afterwards. He never
got back the full use of his elbow, but weren't a penny the worse any
other way in a month and quite well enough to testify afore the law about
all his adventures had showed him.

And Ernest turned out one of the vain murderers who be quite content to go
down to history on the debit side so long as he's famous, if only for sin.
He explained that Joe Gregory had always intended to come home from Exeter
by way of Moreton, and that he had done so, and that Ernest had met him
there and reckoned that particular wild, black night very well suited for
putting the old man away. He knew all about the codicil to Joe's will, and
having found the mine shaft months afore, used it as we know how. He'd
took Joe to see it on getting home, and knocked him in, just as he'd
treated Amos after. And 'twas all done for the land, which had become his
god; and when Amos told his nephew he'd made no will, he was so good as
signing his own death warrant.

They tried to fetch him in insane; but it didn't work with the jury nor
yet the judge, and Ernest Gregory was hanged for his sins to Exeter gaol;
and Sarah White, who had meant to wed him, felt terrible glad it happened
before and not after the wedding.

As for Vitifer and Furze Hill, now both the property of Amos Gregory, no
doubt Duchy will get 'em after all some day. In fact, Duchy always wins in
the long run, as them mostly do who can afford to wait.

Our old parson preached a fine sermon on the affair after Ernest Gregory
had gone to his reward; for he showed h