committed suicide.

"Every hour which fails to account for him increases my fear," he
said. "Indeed it may be a good thing to happen; for the alternative
can at best be Broadmoor; and it is a hateful thought that a man who
has fought for his country, and fought well, should end his days in
a criminal lunatic asylum."

For two days the detective remained at Paignton and devoted all his
energy, invention, and experience to the task of discovering the
vanished men. But, neither alive nor dead, did either appear, and
not a particle of information came from Princetown or elsewhere.
Portraits of Robert Redmayne were printed and soon hung on the
notice board of every police station in the west and south; but one
or two mistaken arrests alone resulted from this publicity. A tramp
with a big red mustache was detained in North Devon and a recruit
arrested at Devonport. This man resembled the photograph and had
joined a line regiment twenty-four hours after the disappearance of
Redmayne. Both, however, could give a full account of themselves.

Then Brendon prepared to return to Princetown. He wrote his
intention to Mrs. Pendean and informed her that he would visit
Station Cottages on the following evening. It happened, however,
that his letter crossed another and his plans were altered, for
Jenny Pendean had already left Princetown and joined Mr. Bendigo
Redmayne at his house, "Crow's Nest," beyond Dartmouth. She wrote:

"My uncle has begged me to come and I was thankful to do so. I
have to tell you that Uncle Bendigo received a letter yesterday
from his brother, Robert. I begged him to let me send it to you