om observation which was given
to that portion of the house which over-looked the swamp, made him
conclude that this outlet from the dining-room had been the one made use
of in the murderer's flight. A glance down the yard to the broken fence
that separated the widow's land from the boggy fields beyond, only
tended to increase the probabilities of this supposition, and, alert to
gain for himself that full knowledge of the situation necessary to a
successful conduct of this mysterious affair, he hastily left the house
and started across the swamp, with the idea of penetrating the woods and
discovering for himself what opportunity they afforded for concealment
or escape.

He had more difficulty in doing this than he expected. The ground about
the hillocks was half-sunk in water, and the least slip to one side
invariably precipitated him among the brambles that encumbered this
spot. Still, he compassed his task in little more than five minutes,
arriving at the firm ground, and its sturdy growth of beeches and
maples, well covered with mud, but so far thoroughly satisfied with the
result of his efforts.

The next thing to be done was to search the woods, not for the purpose
of picking up clues--it was too late for that--but to determine what
sort of a refuge they afforded, and whether, in the event of a man's
desiring to penetrate them quickly, many impediments would arise in the
shape of tangled underground or loose-lying stones.

He found them remarkably clear; so much so, indeed, that he travelled
for some distance into their midst before he realized that he had passed
beyond their borders. More than this, he came ere long upon something
like a path, and, following it, emerged into a sort of glade, where,
backed up against a high rock, stood a small and seemingly deserted hut.
It was the first object he had met with that in any way suggested the
possible presence of man, and advancing to it with cautious steps, he
looked into its open door-way. Nothing met his eyes but an empty
interior, and without pausing to bestow upon the building a further
thought, he hurried on through a path he saw opening beyond it, till he
came to the end of the wood.

Stepping forth, he paused in astonishment. Instead of having penetrated
the woods in a direct line, he found that he had merely described a half
circle through them, and now stood on a highway leading directly back
into the town.

Likewise, he was in full sight of the termin