've put you in the turret; it is the least dilapidated room,' said
Logan. 'Now, come in here.'

He led the way into a hall on the ground-floor. A great fire in the
ancient hearth, with its heavy heraldically carved stone chimney-piece,
lit up the desolation of the chamber.

'Sit down and warm yourself,' said Logan, pushing forward a ponderous
oaken chair, with a high back and short arms.

'I know a good deal,' said Merton, his curiosity hurrying him to the
point; 'but first, Logan, what is the rope on the stakes driven in round
the house for?'

'That was my first precaution,' said Logan. 'I heard of the--of what has
happened--about four in the morning, and I instantly knocked in the
stakes--hard work with the frozen ground--and drew the rope along, to
isolate the snow about the house. When I had done that, I searched the
snow for footmarks.'

'When had the snow begun to fall?'

'About midnight. I turned out then to look at the night before going to
bed.'

'And there was nothing wrong then?'

'He lay on his bed in the laird's chamber. I had just left it. I left
him with the watcher of the dead. There was a plate of salt on his
breast. The housekeeper, Mrs. Bower, keeps up the old ways. Candles
were burning all round the bed. A fearful waste he would have thought
it, poor old man. The devils! If I could get on their track!' said
Logan, clenching his fist.

'You have found no tracks, then?'

'None. When I examined the snow there was not a footmark on the roads to
the back door or the front--not a footmark on the whole area.'

'Then the removal of the body from the bedroom was done from within.
Probably the body is still in the house.'

'Certainly it has been taken out by no known exit, if it _has_ been taken
out, as I believe. I at once arranged relays of sentinels--men from the
coal-pits. But the body is gone; I am certain of it. A fishing-boat
went out from the village, Strutherwick, before the dawn. It came into
the little harbour after midnight--some night-wandering lover saw it
enter--and it must have sailed again before dawn.'

'Did you examine the snow near the harbour?'

'I could not be everywhere at once, and I was single-handed; but I sent
down the old serving-man, John Bower. He is stupid enough, but I gave
him a note to any fisherman he might meet. Of course these people are
not detectives.'

'And was there any result?'

'Yes; an odd one. But it confirms the obvious the