here we are!--there is more in the
stop press space of this one. Now then----"

He held the second newspaper half in front of himself, half in front of
Easleby, and again rapidly read over the report.

"'Scarnham--further adjournment. On the Coroner's inquiry being resumed
at four o'clock, Thomas Beavers, butler to Mr. Chestermarke at the
Warren, said that so far as he knew, Mr. Horbury did not call on his
master on Saturday evening last, nor did any gentleman call who answered
the description of Mr. Hollis. It was impossible for anybody to call at
the Warren, in the ordinary way, without his, the butler's, knowledge.
As a matter of fact, the witness continued, Mr. Chestermarke was not at
home during the greater part of that evening. Mr. Joseph Chestermarke
had dined at the Warren at seven o'clock, and at half-past eight he and
his uncle left the house together. Mr. Chestermarke did not return until
eleven. Asked by Mr. Polke, superintendent of police, if he knew in
which direction Mr. Gabriel and Mr. Joseph Chestermarke proceeded when
they went away, the witness said that a short time after they left the
house, he, in drawing the curtains of the dining-room window, saw them
walking in a side-path of the garden, apparently in close conversation.
He saw neither of them after that until Mr. Gabriel Chestermarke
returned home, alone, at the time he had mentioned.

"'Later. The inquest was further adjourned at the close of this
afternoon's proceedings. Before adjourning, the Coroner informed the
jury that he understood there were rumours in the town to the effect
that Mr. Hollis had been strangled before being thrown into the old
lead-mine. He need hardly say that there were not the slightest grounds
for those rumours. But the medical men had some suspicion that the
unfortunate gentleman might have been poisoned, and he, the Coroner,
thought it well to tell them that a specialist was being sent down by
the Home Office, who, with the Scarnham doctors, would perform an
autopsy on his arrival. The result would be placed before the jury when
these proceedings were resumed.'"

Starmidge dropped the paper and looked at Easleby with an expression of
astonishment.

"Poison!" he exclaimed. "That's a new idea! Poisoned first!--and thrown
into that old mine after? That's--but, there, what's the good of
theorizing? Pick out the best of those cars, and let's get to Scarnham
as quick as possible. Something's got to be done tonight."