Peckwith-Pierce touring car, and the force of the crash had twisted and
smashed the huge chassis. Several men were gathered around the car,
examining it with the aid of a barn-lantern.

"Where were the bodies found?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Mrs. Felderson was over there on the bank. She was thrown out likely
when the car left the road. Mr. Felderson's body was under the
machine."

While the thought of the heavy weight crushing the life out of Jim
sickened me, I thanked God that death must have been instantaneous.

"Do you know who found them, Sergeant?"

He pointed to a man standing by the wreck. "That man over there. He
found them and took them to the hospital after sending one of his
friends to notify the police."

The man evidently heard our voices, and came over to us.

"Is this the inspector?" he asked.

"No," I replied, "I am Mr. Felderson's brother-in-law."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "May I express my deep, deep
sympathy?"

"Thank you. Will you tell me how you discovered the accident?"

"I had been out to Blandesville on business and was returning with a
party of friends. As we neared the bridge, one of them caught sight of
the upturned automobile in the creek, and we stopped. We found Mrs.
Felderson first, being attracted by her moans. We went at once to the
car, and as there were four of us, we were able to lift the automobile
sufficiently to get Mr. Felderson from under it. We knew that the
woman was still living, but none of us was doctor enough to tell
whether Mr. Felderson was alive or not. We carried them quickly to our
car and hurried to St. Mary's, dropping one of my friends at the North
District Station to inform the police what had occurred. Afterward we
drove back here, thinking we might be wanted in case there was an
investigation."

"Did you see the lights of any car ahead of you, as you came along the
road?" I asked. "Did any car pass you, going in the same direction?"

"A car turned in ahead of us from the Millerstown Road about ten
minutes before."

"Do you think that might have been the car that was partly responsible
for this accident?" I queried.

"Of course, no one could be sure in a situation of that kind, but I
wouldn't doubt it at all. It left us behind as if we were tied."

Another car had driven up while we were talking and our policeman had
gone over to it at once. He came back now, accompanied by a short
heavy-set man in plain clothes.