ght it his duty to ask,

"'Did you hear no sound of a shot, my lord? For he fell within a hundred
yards of this.'

"'I heard no sound of any shot whatever. I heard an owl hooting as
I went home, and then the rattle of a heavy wagon, and the bells of
horses. I have said enough. Let us go forward.'

"We obeyed him at once; and even the constable looked right and left, as
if he had been wrong. He signed to the miller's man to lead the way,
and my lord walked proudly after him. The path was only a little narrow
track, with the grass, like a front of hair, falling over it on the
upper side and on the under, dropping away like side curls; such a
little path that I was wondering how a great lord could walk over it.
Then we came down a steep place to a narrow bridge across a shallow
river--abridge made of only two planks and a rail, with a prop or two to
carry them. And one end of the handrail was fastened into a hollow and
stubby old hawthorn-tree, overhanging the bridge and the water a good
way. And just above this tree, and under its shadow, there came a dry
cut into the little river, not more than a yard or two above the wooden
bridge, a water-trough such as we have in Wales, miss, for the water to
run in, when the farmer pleases; but now there was no water in it, only
gravel.

"The cleverest of the miller's men, though, neither of them had much
intellect, stepped down at a beck from the constable, right beneath the
old ancient tree, and showed us the marks on the grass and the gravel
made by his lordship where he fell and lay. And it seemed that he must
have fallen off the bridge, yet not into the water, but so as to have
room for his body, if you see, miss, partly on the bank, and partly in
the hollow of the meadow trough.

"'Have you searched the place well?' the Captain asked. 'Have you found
any weapon or implement?'

"'We have found nothing but the corpse, so far,' the constable answered,
in a surly voice, not liking to be taught his business. 'My first duty
was to save life, if I could. These men, upon finding the body, ran for
me, and knowing who it was, I came with it to your house.'

"'You acted for the best, my man. Now search the place carefully, while
I stand here. I am on my parole, I shall not run away. Jacob, go down
and help them.'

"Whether from being in the army, or what, your father always spoke in
such a way that the most stiff-neckedest people began without thinking
to obey him. So the consta