rd or two."

He walked away to his cart after this mysterious communication, dived
under its tilt, evidently felt for and found something, and came back,
glancing over his shoulder to see that keeper and policeman had gone
their ways.

"I never tell chaps of that sort anything, mister," he said, giving
Neale a sly wink. "Them of my turn of life look on all gamekeepers and
policemen as their natural enemies. They'd both of 'em turn me out o'
this if they could!--only they know they can't. For some reason or other
Ellersdeane Hollow is No Man's Land--and therefore mine. And so--I
wasn't going to say anything to them--not me!"

"Then there is something you can say?" said Neale.

"You were here on Saturday!" exclaimed Betty. "You know something!"

"No, miss, I wasn't here Saturday," answered the tinker, "and I don't
know anything--about what yon man asked, anyway--I told him the truth
about all that. But--you say Mr. Horbury's missing, and that he's
considered to have come this way on Saturday night. So--do either of you
know that?"

He drew his right hand from behind him, and in the glare of the
firelight showed them, lying across its palm, a briar tobacco-pipe,
silver-mounted.

"I found that, last night, gathering dry sticks," he said. "It's letters
engraved on the silver band--'J. H. from B. F.' 'J. H.' now?--does that
mean John Horbury?--you see, I know his Christian name."

Betty uttered a sharp exclamation and took the pipe in her hand. She
turned to Neale with a look of sudden fear.

"It's the pipe I gave my uncle last Christmas!" she said. "Of course I
know it! Where did you find it?" she went on, turning on Creasy. "Do
tell us--do show us!"

"Foot of the crag there, miss--right beneath the old tower," answered
Creasy. "And it's just as I found it. I'll give it to you, sir, to take
to Superintendent Polke in Scarnham--he knows me. But just let me point
something out. I ain't a detective, but in my eight-and-forty years I've
had to keep my wits sharpened and my eyes open. Point out to Polke, and
notice yourself--that whenever that pipe was dropped it was being
smoked! The tobacco's caked at the surface--just as it would be if the
pipe had been laid down at the very time the tobacco was burning
well--if you're a smoker you'll know what I mean. That's one thing. The
other is--just observe that the silver band is quite bright and fresh,
and that there are no stains on the briar-wood. What's that indicate,
y