red, and paused with brooding indecision. "That's absolved my
conscience some, but not altogether."

They remained silent awhile after this. Presently Yorke pulled
himself together and spoke briskly and decisively. "Well, now! we'll
have to get busy. Blair's place is only about three miles from
here--nor'east--they're on the long-distance 'phone. Doctor Cox of Cow
Run's the coroner for this district. If I can get hold of him I'll get
him to come out right-away--and I'll notify Slavin."

Catching up his horse he swung into the saddle. "I'll be back here on
the jump. You stick around, and say, Reddy, you might as well have a
dekko at the lay of things while you're waiting. Where he came off the
perch, how far he's been dragged, and all that. Be careful though, keep
well to the side and don't foul up the tracks. And don't get too far
away, either!"

He galloped off and soon disappeared over a distant rise. Left to
himself George mounted Fox and set to work to follow out the senior
constable's instructions.

"Well?" queried Yorke, swinging wearily out of his saddle an hour or so
later, "How'd you make out? Find the place where he flopped? Rum sort
of perch you've got there--you look like Patience on a monument!"

George, seated upon the rump of the dead horse, nodded and grunted
laconic response: "Sure. 'Bout two miles down the trail there. How'd
you get along, Yorkey? Did you raise Slavin and the coroner?"

"Got Slavin all hunkadory," said the senior constable briefly, "he should
be here soon, now. Dr. Cox'd just left for Wilson's, two miles this side
of Cow Run. They're on the 'phone, too; so I left word there for him to
come on here right away." He seated himself alongside the other.

Awhile they carried on a desultory, more or less speculative conversation
anent the fatality, until they grew morbidly weary of contemplating the
poor broken body. Yorke slid off the dead horse suddenly.

"Wish Slavin were here!" he said, "let's take a dekko from the top of the
rise, Reddy, see'f we can see him coming. I'm getting cold sitting here."

Redmond, nothing loath, complied. Mounting, they turned back to the
summit of the ridge. Reaching it, the jingle of bells smote their ears,
and they espied the Police cutter approaching them at a rapid pace.

"Like unto Jehu, the son of Nimshi!" murmured Yorke, "he's sure springing
old T and B up the grade."

Sergeant Slavin pulled up his smoking team along