n the public mind with the murder. But
to my mind the death of Colonel Gaylord was but the climax of the long
series of events which commenced on the night of my arrival with the
slight and ludicrous episode of the stolen roast chicken. I had been
convinced at the time that Mose was at the bottom of it, and I was
convinced now that he was also at the bottom of the robbery and the
murder. How Radnor had got drawn into the muddle of the ha'nt, I could
not fathom; but I suspected that Mose had hoodwinked him as he had the
rest of us.

Assuming that my theory was right, then Mose was hiding; and all my
energies from the beginning had been bent toward his discovery. The low
range of mountains which lay between Four-Pools Plantation and the Luray
valley was covered thickly with woods and very sparsely settled. Mose
knew every foot of the ground; he had wandered over these mountains for
days at a time, and must have been familiar with many hiding places. It
was in this region that I hoped to find him.

Immediately after the Colonel's death I had offered a large reward
either for Mose's capture, or for any information regarding his
whereabouts. His description had been telegraphed all up and down the
valley and every farmer was on the alert. Bands of men had been formed
and the woods scoured for him, but as yet without result. I was hourly
expecting, however, that some clue would come to light.

The sheriff, on the other hand, in pursuance of his theory that Mose had
been murdered, had been no less indefatigable in his search for the
body. The river had been dragged, the cave and surrounding woods
searched, but nothing had been found. Mose had simply vanished from the
earth and left no trace.

To my disappointment the morning still brought no news; I had hoped to
have something definite before the inquest opened. I rode into
Kennisburg early in order to hold a conference with Radnor, and get from
him the facts in regard to his own and Mose's connection with the ha'nt.
My former passivity in the matter struck me now as almost criminal;
perhaps had I insisted in probing it to the bottom, my uncle might have
been living still. I entered Radnor's cell determined not to leave it
until I knew the truth.

But I met with an unexpected obstacle. He refused absolutely to discuss
the question.

"Radnor," I cried at last, "are you trying to shield any one? Do you
know who killed your father?"

"I know no more about who killed my f