, the church was called Trewinion Church, and yet
I, Roger, the oldest male member of the house, was a stranger, and
looked at curiously by the people. Eleven years before I had been at
the feast, and then everyone had paid respect to "Maaster Roger"; but
now, the bronzed, bearded, foreign-looking man, was an alien.

At length one of the two men who had been wrestling was thrown, and
then I heard a voice which I thought I knew, saying, "That's a feir
vall." It was spoken by the man who had been selected as umpire, and
when I caught sight of his face I recognised Bill Tregargus, the man
who climbed the "Devil's Tooth" on the stormy night when Ruth was
rescued. I had always remained friendly with Bill up to the time I
left. I determined I would speak to him.

As this was the last "hitch" of the day, the ring was broken up, and I
saw Bill going with the rest towards the village alehouse.

I went up to him and touched him upon the arm.

"You seem to be a man of some importance here," I said.

Bill looked very modest, but nodded.

"I want to have a little talk with some respectable man in the parish,"
I said: "one who knows the worth of land and one who knows the people."

"Wal, I think as 'ow I knaws everybody," said Bill; "I've bin ere oal
my life, and don't owe nobody nothin'. I've got three booats, and a
daicent little farm."

"I can quite fancy that," I said, "by the way people regard you. Is
your farm your own land now, or do you rent it?"

"Nobody farms their own land in this ere parish," replied Bill, "it do
oal belong to Squire Trewinion, but who be you and what do you want to
knaw about the parish for?"

"I'm a stranger," I said, "and I used to know young Roger Trewinion;
can you tell me anything about him?"

"Knaw young Maaster Roger, did 'ee?" cried Bill, "why he was a friend
to me; ain't 'ee 'eard un spaik of Bill Tregargus?"

"Bill Tregargus?" I said; "many a time! why, did you not go out with
him one night and rescue a young lady whose ship was wrecked upon a
great rock?"

"Why, iss," said Bill excitedly, "ded a ever tell 'ee 'bout that?"

"How should I know it else?" I said; "but now I want to know about him
and the family."

He took me away from the people by a pathway that led through a meadow.

"You was a friend of Maaster Roger's," said Bill, "zo I can tell 'ee.
He's dead, and there's been foul play."

"Foul play? How?"

"It's my belief 'ow 'e've bin murdered, zur."

"Murder