d twisted
Scotch pine with magpies' nests in it--I reckon more nests than
there be green stuff on the tree. It's just about there."

"Jonas," said the sister, who had turned deadly white, and who
lowered the lantern, unable longer to hold it to her brother's face
with steady hand, "Jonas, you never ort to ha' married into a
gallus family; you've ketched the complaint. It's bad enough to
have men hanged on top o' Hind Head. We don't want another gibbet
down at the bottom of the Punch-Bowl, and that for one of ourselves."

Then voices were audible outside, and a light flickered through
the window.

In abject terror the Broom-Squire screamed "Sally, save me, hide
me; it's the constables!"

He cowered into a corner, then darted into the back kitchen, and
groped for some place of concealment.

He heard thence the voices more distinctly. There was a tramp of
feet in his kitchen; a flare of fuller light than that afforded by
Mrs. Rocliffe's lantern ran in through the door he had left ajar.

The sweat poured over his face and blinded his eyes.

Bideabout's anxiety was by no means diminished when he recognized
one of the voices in his front kitchen as that of Iver.

Had Iver watched him instead of returning to the Ship? Had he
followed in his track, spying what he did? Had he seen what had
taken place by the twisted pine with the magpies' nests in it?
And if so, had he hasted to Thursley to call out the constable, and
to arrest him as the murderer of his wife.

Trembling, gnawing the nails of his right hand, cowering behind
the copper, he waited, not knowing whither to fly.

Then the door was thrust open, and Sally Rocliffe came in and called
to him: "Jonas! here is Master Iver Verstage--very good he is to
you--he has brought a doctor to attend to your arm."

The wretched man grasped his sister by the wrist, drew her to him,
and whispered--"That is not true; it is the constable."

"No, Jonas. Do not be a fool. Do not make folk suspect evil," she
answered in an undertone. "There is a surgeon staying at the Ship,
and this is the gentleman who has come to assist you."

Mistrustfully, reluctantly, Jonas crept from his hiding place, and
came behind his sister to the doorway, where he touched his
forelock, looked about him suspiciously, and said--"Your servant,
gentlemen. Sorry to trouble you; but I've met with an accident. The
gun went off and sent a bullet into my arm. Be you a doctor, sir?"
he asked, eyeing a stran