They spread themselves out round the field, and advancing on all fours as before, went anew round every apple-tree in the enclosure.

The young tree in the middle again led them to pause, and at length the whole company gathered there in a way which signified that a second chain of reasoning had led to the same results as the first.
When they had examined the sod hereabouts for some minutes, one of the men rose, ran to a disused porch of the church where tools were kept, and returned with the sexton's pickaxe and shovel, with which they set to work.
'Are they really buried there ?' said the minister, for the grass was so green and uninjured that it was difficult to believe it had been disturbed.

The smugglers were too interested to reply, and presently they saw, to their chagrin, the officers stand several on each side of the tree; and, stooping and applying their hands to the soil, they bodily lifted the tree and the turf around it.

The apple-tree now showed itself to be growing in a shallow box, with handles for lifting at each of the four sides.

Under the site of the tree a square hole was revealed, and an exciseman went and looked down.
'It is all up now,' said Owlett quietly.