have
passed him over."

"Nonsense!" cried Tom; "we were sure to find him. There wasn't anybody.
It was a marsh cry, and--oh!"

Tom uttered a yell and went headlong down, with the effect of so
startling his companion that he ran a few steps before he could recover
his nerve, when he returned to extend his hand to Tom, who rose
trembling, while Dick stood staring aghast at the dark figure lying
extended among the heath, and over which his friend had stumbled.

"Why, Tom, it's Thorpeley!" cried Dick, as he went down on one knee and
peered into the upturned face. "Mr Thorpeley, Mr Thorpeley!" he
cried; "what's the matter?"

There was no reply.

"It must have been him," whispered Dick. "He had lost his way."

"Then let him find it again," grumbled Tom, "instead of watching us."

"But perhaps there is something the matter. Mr Thorpeley, Mr
Thorpeley!"

Dick laid his hand upon the man's shoulder and shook him, but there was
no response.

"Is he dead?" said Tom in an awe-stricken whisper.

"Dead!" cried Dick, leaping up and shrinking away at the suggestion.
"No, he can't be. He's quite warm," he added, going down on his knee
again to shake the recumbent man, who now uttered a low groan.

"What shall we do, Dick?" said Tom huskily. "I hate him, but we can't
leave him here."

"Well," said Dick, "I'm not very fond of him, but it would be like
leaving anybody to die to go away now. We must carry him down to the
boat."

"Come on then, quick!"

Dick placed his hands beneath the constable's arms and locked his
fingers across his breast, while Tom turned his back as he got between
the man's legs, stooped in turn, and proceeded to lift them as if they
were the handles of a wheel-barrow.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

"Then both together."

The two lads lifted the constable, staggered along a few yards, and set
him down again.

"Oh, I say!" groaned Tom. "Isn't he heavy?"

"Come and try this end," retorted Dick. "He's an awful weight. We must
go a few yards at a time, and we shall do it yet. Now then."

"Stop a minute," said Tom, who had picked up a handful of moss, and was
rubbing one hand. "I--it's warm and sticky, and--oh, Dick, he's
bleeding."

Dick lowered the insensible man down again, and, shuddering with horror,
stepped to his companion's side.

Then kneeling down he tried to examine the spot pointed out by Tom, to
find out as well as was possible in the dim light that the constable was
bleeding