"You say it's a butcher's cord ?" The man who had just whispered to Cotherstone nodded.
"It's a pig-killer's cord, sir," he answered.

"It's what a pig-killer fastens the pig down with--on the cratch." "A cratch ?--what's that ?" asked Brereton, who had gone close to the table to examine the cord, and had seen that, though slender, it was exceedingly strong, and of closely wrought fibre.

"Is it a sort of hurdle ?" "That's it, sir," assented the policeman.

"It is a sort of hurdle--on four legs.

They lay the pig on it, don't you see, and tie it down with a cord of this sort--this cord's been used for that--it's greasy with long use." "And it has been cut off a longer piece, of course," said the doctor.
"These cords are of considerable length, aren't they ?" "Good length, sir--there's a regular coil, like," said the man.