y pounded across the bridge over the creek
which was the outlet to the swamp and emerged from a patch of woods in
sight of Bristow's farm buildings.

The house was set on a little hill among cleared fields and was in other
respects much like the squire's own house except that it was smaller and
not so well painted. There was a wide yard in front with shade trees and
a lye hopper and a well-box, and a paling fence with a stile in it
instead of a gate. At the rear, behind a clutter of outbuildings--a
barn, a smokehouse and a corncrib--was a little peach orchard, and
flanking the house on the right there was a good-sized cowyard, empty of
stock at this hour, with feedracks ranged in a row against the fence. A
two-year-old negro child, bareheaded and barefooted and wearing but a
single garment, was grubbing busily in the dirt under one of these
feedracks.

To the front fence a dozen or more riding horses were hitched, flicking
their tails at the flies; and on the gallery men in their shirtsleeves
were grouped. An old negro woman, with her head tied in a bandanna and a
man's old slouch hat perched upon the bandanna, peeped out from behind a
corner. There were gaunt hound dogs wandering about, sniffing uneasily.

Before the constable had the horse hitched the squire was out of the
buggy and on his way up the footpath, going at a brisker step than the
squire usually traveled. The men on the porch hailed him gravely and
ceremoniously, as befitting an occasion of solemnity. Afterward some of
them recalled the look in his eye; but at the moment they noted it--if
they noted it at all--subconsciously.

For all his haste the squire, as was also remembered later, was almost
the last to enter the door; and before he did enter he halted and
searched the flawless sky as though for signs of rain. Then he hurried
on after the others, who clumped single file along a narrow little hall,
the bare, uncarpeted floor creaking loudly under their heavy farm shoes,
and entered a good-sized room that had in it, among other things, a
high-piled feather bed and a cottage organ--Bristow's best room, now to
be placed at the disposal of the law's representatives for the inquest.
The squire took the largest chair and drew it to the very center of the
room, in front of a fireplace, where the grate was banked with withering
asparagus ferns. The constable took his place formally at one side of
the presiding official. The others sat or stood about where t