ce where first found, or anywhere on that
lake. Therefore Mr. Perrowne and Mr. Douglas proposed to go with Ben
Toner to get the Richards' scow, and meet Mr. Bangs with the colonel and
Mr. Terry at the encampment. The two parties armed and drove away. One
of the Richards boys, namely Bill, joined the three watermen, and
together they propelled the punt to the extent of a punt's travelling
capacity; but it was between four and five when the explorers of
Tillycot, leaving Ben, Timotheus and Richards on the shore, entered with
difficulty through the veiled channel, into the beautiful hidden lake.
They saw the skiff on the shore near the house, and soon perceived the
numerous blood stains in it. They ran up the bank, entered the chalet,
and, at last, in the library, beheld him whom they sought, extended upon
the floor. He had died by his own hand, his fingers being still upon the
pistol whose bullet had pierced his brain. Mr. Bangs seized a scrap of
writing lying on the table, which ran thus:--

"Curse you, Tilly, for leaving me to die like a rat in a hole. I have
stood the pains of hell for thirty-eight hours, and can't stand them any
longer. They shan't take me alive. Box and that hound Carruthers' papers
are covered with brush and leaves under the last birch in the bush,
where I finished that meddlesome fool of a lawyer. You know why you
ought to give a lot to Regy's boy. It's all over. Curse the lot of you.
Here goes, but mind you kill that damnable Squire, or I'll come when I'm
dead and torture the life out of you."

No compassion could follow the reading of this document. There was
nothing of legal importance in the chalet, so Mr. Bangs, aided by Mr.
Terry and Mr. Douglas, carried the dead man to the punt, and the party
in it and in the skiff returned to the Encampment lake. Richards, Ben
Toner, and Timotheus carried the body up the hill to the waggon on the
masked road. Then they returned to the scow, while Mr. Bangs drove to
the post office annex, with the colonel and Mr. Terry, Mr. Perrowne and
Mr. Douglas. Ben Toner and Timotheus arrived in the other waggon, soon
after the ghastly burden had been deposited in the unfinished hall, and
were left in charge, while the others went home to inform the Squire and
the doctor. Having done this, the detective took the former to the
little wood, and, after a little searching, found the concealed box,
which held the incriminating papers as well as the original treasure.
But fo