The knife was recognized by the laborers as the weapon John Jago habitually carried about with him--the weapon with which he had wounded Silas Meadowcroft's hand.

The buttons Naomi herself declared to have a peculiar pattern on them, which had formerly attracted her attention to John Jago's coat.

As for the stick, burned as it was, I had no difficulty in identifying the quaintly-carved knob at the top.

It was the heavy beechen stick which I had snatched out of Silas's hand, and which I had restored to Ambrose on his claiming it as his own.

In reply to my inquiries, I was informed that the bones, the knife, the buttons and the stick had all been found together in a lime-kiln then in use on the farm.
"Is it serious ?" Naomi whispered to me as we drew back from the table.
It would have been sheer cruelty to deceive her now.
"Yes," I whispered back; "it is serious." The search committee conducted its proceedings with the strictest regularity.