there came to T. X. Meredith a new courage, a new faith and a
greater determination than ever to solve this troublesome mystery.

He found Mansus waiting for him in a car outside and in a few
minutes they were at the scene of the tragedy. A curious little
knot of spectators had gathered, looking with morbid interest at
the place where the body had been found. There was a local
policeman on duty and to him was deputed the ungracious task of
warning his fellow villagers to keep their distance. The ground
had already been searched very carefully. The two roads crossed
almost at right angles and at the corner of the cross thus formed,
the hedges were broken, admitting to a field which had evidently
been used as a pasture by an adjoining dairy farm. Some rough
attempt had been made to close the gap with barbed wire, but it
was possible to step over the drooping strands with little or no
difficulty. It was to this gap that T. X. devoted his principal
attention. All the fields had been carefully examined without
result, the four drains which were merely the connecting pipes
between ditches at the sides of the crossroads had been swept out
and only the broken hedge and its tangle of bushes behind offered
any prospect of the new search being rewarded.

"Hullo!" said Mansus, suddenly, and stooping down he picked up
something from the ground.

T. X. took it in his hand.

It was unmistakably a revolver cartridge. He marked the spot
where it had been found by jamming his walking stick into the
ground and continued his search, but without success.